Not last Saturday but the one before that, The Astronomer and I checked out Nightshade for dinner followed by the RNBRewind. The combination of fantastic food and 90s nostalgia made for the best time.
Everyone’s buzzing about Chef Mei Lin’s newly opened Arts District spot, and for good reason—the food is delightfully different while the room feels cool yet comfortable.
First up were drinks all around. While The Astronomer selected a sour beer to start, I chose the No. 888 ($16) with bourbon, falernum, toasted coconut-makrut, sherry, lime, and bitters. I liked how the rich coconut smoothed out the bourbon’s hard edge.
Nightshade’s menu is chock full of unexpected Asian American mashups. One of our favorites of the evening was the Tom Yum Onion ($15). Here, Outback Steakhouse’s iconic appetizer received the Top Chef treatment—expertly fried, Thai-spiced, and served with an airy coconut dip. It was hard not to feel giddy unfurling the onion’s copious layers.
