Open in Syosset: Nissos
Among the fresh fish offerings at Nissos in Syosset were pan-fried red mullets, June 24, 2014. Credit: Newsday / Erica Marcus
The intersection of Berry Hill, Split Rock and Muttontown Eastwoods roads in Syosset might as well be the Bermuda Triangle for the number of restaurants that have disappeared there — by our count, 12 in the past 24 years.
So keep your fingers crossed for Nissos, a casual Greek restaurant that opened this week.
Chef-partner Antonis Farozes cooked in Astoria before being lured to Syosset by Long Island customers tired of making the trip into Queens. The high-ceilinged space has been decked out in Aegean blue and white, with tasteful nautical accents. Nissos means “island” in Greek.
The menu is traditional Greek: No lettuce in the horiatiki salad; you want lettuce, order the green salad with shredded romaine, scallions, dill and feta. Small salads are $8. Among the more unusual appetizers ($8 to $19) are xorta (dandelions with olive oil and lemon), tiganita (fried zucchini and eggplant chips) and keftedes (meatballs). Fresh fish is displayed on ice, and the selection goes way beyond salmon and branzino: porgy, red snapper, striped bass, black sea bass, whiting, sardines and red mullet — plus shrimp, calamari, clams and mussels. Whole fish range between $19 and $28. There’s a smaller selection of kebabs ($15), steaks and chops ($29 to $35).
Nissos is at 4 Berry Hill Rd., Syosset, 516-802-5456.
And, for those of you keeping track, Nissos’ immediate predecessor was Toast & Tapas (2012) and, before that, Americana 516 Kitchen & Bar (2012), 516 American Kitchen & Bar (2011), Moules et Frites (2009), Pomodorino, Ohana Luau Hawaiian BBQ (2006), Umi (2005), Asia Palace (2004), Pulau (2003), Penang (2001), Royal Ruby (1994) and Fu Ho (1990). The building was once a Friendly’s.
