A chic Milanese restaurant in the heart of Nomad
Recently, we tried the newest Milanese style restaurant located in the heart of Nomad, called Nomad Girl. Being an easy walk from every major train station, we were able to stop in for dinner and try out their offerings. As soon as we entered we noticed the vibe of Nomad Girl was giving a very contemporary style eatery with modern chic décor with industrial tones to it. Things like the exposed brick wall, dim mood lighting, and intricate art pieces hanging from the wall did not go unnoticed and allowed for a very refined yet youthful look to the restaurant. As soon as we sat down we were greeted by friendly wait staff that were eager for us to try out their specialties. The menu at Nomad girl features very traditional Italian recipes and dishes. So if you are into the classic Italian pasta, meat, and fish dishes but with an elevated twist to it, Nomad Girl is perfect for you.
For drinks we were offered their signature Sangria drink made with rosé, gin, and grapefruit juice. This drink should be the official drink of the summer. It was fresh and bubbly, sweet from the rosé but still maintained some of that tartness from the grapefruit juice that created a nice balance of flavors. We also tried out the Elsa mocktail they served (which can also get served as a cocktail too). This drink was one of our favorites and was made with a muddled mixed berry base with a bit of fizz added either from soda water or sprite. We opted for sprite which added a lovely brightness and acidity to the drink which paired perfectly with the deep dark sweetness from the berries.
To start our meal we were served their Caesar salad dish alongside their Sformatino Di Melanzane dish. The Caesar salad dish was a nice start to our meal having fresh greens and a lovely classic Caesar salad dressing. The tomatoes added had a lovely sweetness and acidity to the dish and the shaved parmesan added texture and salt to the dish. This salad was simple, clean, and a great start to our meal. The Sformatino Di Melanzane is an eggplant terrine with a mozzarella fonduta topping to it. The eggplant was cooked perfectly and was so tender to the touch. The addition of marinara sauce added sweetness to the dish and helped compliment the gooey mozzarella fonduta on top. There was an overall creaminess to the dish that coated your palate and felt like a savory hug for lack of a better description. Even for those who do not enjoy eggplant, we would recommend giving this a try as this dish is the perfect showcase on how to prepare eggplant the right way.
Our main courses were the pasta dishes and we were served a classic Spaghettoni (large spaghetti) in a pomodoro sauce as well as Rigatoni alla vodka. Before getting into the taste of these dishes, we find it very impressive how Nomad Girl makes it a point to make all their pasta fresh and have all their cheeses imported directly from Italy. And when trying their pasta dishes you can taste the craftsmanship, technique, and care that goes into making the pasta. The spaghettoni dish was a simple and clean dish with a classic pomodoro sauce. The pasta was so tender and felt fresh and there was a lightness to the dish that we enjoyed since many times pasta dishes can feel overly heavy. The rigatoni dish was probably our favorite out of the two as the vodka sauce was so creamy and had a balance of sweetness and savoriness to the dish. The pasta was fresh and absorbed all the flavor from the sauce perfectly making for each bite to be full of flavor.
And lastly, we had the opportunity to try out some dessert. For our tasting, we were given a classic Tiramisu as well as a Nutella Piadina dish. The piadina was grilled giving it some texture and allowed for it to carry the Nutella in between. The Nutella was served warm and had the essence of hazelnut still intact. The tiramisu was probably our favorite out of the two though since with each bite you get a creamy yet light feel to it that comes with the beautiful sweet mascarpone and bitter espresso topping to it. Each bite was fluffy and decadent but not overtly sweet which made it somewhat impossible for us to not inhale this dessert.
Nomad Girl also serves a delicious breakfast, brunch, and lunch menu on top of their amazing dinner service. And their coffee program is a stand-out. The experience begins in the morning with small-batch Dell’Aria Coffee, the first Italian Coffee Roaster in New York City, pulled through an Astoria Tempesta—the official espresso machine of the World Barista Championship. With Nomad Girl’s three separate grinders, the Tempesta allows for incredible customization of every drink with adjustable pre-infusion, pressure, and temperature controls for flawless coffee extraction.
Our overall thoughts on Nomad Girl is that this restaurant serves classic Italian dishes we all know and love but adds such care to each ingredient that helps elevate the dish. The ambiance here is perfect for a date night or a night out with friends and the drinks are so good you could come here just for that.
