There is a smattering of tapas joints amid the ever-expanding dining landscape of Williamsburg, and most of them feel about as authentic as the infamous “loft-style” luxury apartment buildings that have been popping up in the neighborhood even more rapidly than restaurants. That changed three months ago, when Nita Nita, a tapas bar actually worth venturing into, opened its doors.
Plate-glass storefront windows and a yawning set of doors reveal a candlelit interior with warm tones and clean lines that don’t try too hard. Nita Nita’s menu is Spanish-inspired and eclectic and the recipe list, like the décor, is pared-down. And with a short but appealing selection of wine, food and cocktails, patrons feel like they’ve stepped into the local bar they’ve always looked for, but classier, and with a delicate buttery scent calling to them from the kitchen.
The cozy interior of Nita Nita was the perfect spot for dinner one rainy summer night since the place never feels too crowded, but there are always just enough people chatting with owner Samantha Di Stefano, or petting the part-time resident dog for you to feel welcome.
I catch my dinner date up on my new job and upcoming travel, plus a tragic-comedy of a dating experience that lasted a couple of months. She had braved the—to me, terrifying—world of J-Date, and I wanted to hear all of the sordid details over finger food. Nita Nita is the perfect setting for easy, intimate conversation. The dark wood bar, low benches and tall tables unite the serene atmosphere as each of the pieces were cut from the same massive cherry tree (in a friend’s dad’s backyard), according to Di Stefano. An alcove behind the kitchen offers more seating, a well-stocked jukebox and a door to the back garden, which, while we visited, was being steadily drummed by rain.
Although Nita Nita’s mixed drink specials ($10 each), including the Tequila Mockingbird and Ginger Rummy, are the most innovative part of the menu, an insidious hangover prevented me from diving into the cocktail options. However, compelled by my duty as a responsible journalist, I returned the following night to try the Barton Pear, an insanely good combination of Grey Goose Lapoire, fresh pineapple and orange juice, seven up and a few other ingredients I failed to note as the drink went to work on my short-term memory.
We started with an appetizer special of brie on a toasted baguette alongside a roasted leek soup ($10). The soup smelled great, but turned out to be somewhat bland, though inoffensive, sprinkled with refreshing parsley to give it a little kick. The bread was fresh and flaky, and the brie warm—the perfect addition.
Next, we ordered the sautéed greens and shaved parm ($5) next, and got exactly what you’d want from this simple dish. Chopped collards were cooked in butter just long enough to take the edge off the bitter vegetable, release its flavor and keep a crisp freshness intact. Unfortunately, the Mojo potatoes ($5) were disappointing, drenched as they were in a peppery red sauce, but oddly lacking in spice. A salad of cranberries, sliced almonds and feta dressing over pedestrian mixed greens ($6 special, price varies) is a fresh and satisfying, if not massively original, flavor combination.
My friend had the Mojo chicken ($7) next: three drumsticks nestled together with a cucumber dipping sauce on a white porcelain plate. The meat was tender, and fell off the bone easily, with a slight spiciness nicely complemented by the cool cucumber. Meanwhile, I inhaled the Cheese Board ($12), a delightfully stinky mix including a sharp aged Gouda that I could taste in the back of my mouth, complimented by apple slices and quince paste. The bar pizza ($6) is a light, cheesy take on Turkish-style pitza, with fresh mozzarella and just enough sauce drizzled over a nicely crisp flatbread.
We finished off our meal by sharing a chocolate chip cookie ($2)—after such girl-centric conversation we chose to further the stereotype by daintily considering our figures. The dessert was phenomenal. Though it tasted like almost pure sugar, its gooeyness and melt-in-your mouth perfection was like some long-forgotten childhood memory.
By the end of the night, we’d shared our tales from the trenches. Luckily, the steady trickle of fresh snacks took the edge off.
Nita Nita
146 Wythe Ave (At N. 8th St.), B’klyn
718-388-5328
