The N9Nz Restaurant & Bar

The N9nz scored big points with me from the very beginning by taking the traditional pre-meal basket of bread to a whole new level.

After bringing us our beverages, our server presented a basket of delicious, freshly toasted bread accompanied by small bowls of hummus and bruschetta toppings. I love bruschetta, so I gladly covered my warm toast with spoonfuls of tasty chopped red tomato and re.... More

The N9nz scored big points with me from the very beginning by taking the traditional pre-meal basket of bread to a whole new level.

After bringing us our beverages, our server presented a basket of delicious, freshly toasted bread accompanied by small bowls of hummus and bruschetta toppings. I love bruschetta, so I gladly covered my warm toast with spoonfuls of tasty chopped red tomato and red onion. The toppings were fresh and very flavorful, and the hummus was creamy and not bland.

We devoured all the toast and most of the bruschetta and hummus in a matter of minutes, and our server quickly brought us more of both. I had to restrain myself, because I could have eaten this stuff all evening.

Instead, I opted for the marinated skirt steak ($19), accompanied by roasted potatoes, crisp green beans and a sizable pile of delicious fried onion straws. I was pleased with my selection. The steak was tasty and tender, and was perfectly complemented by the flavor of the onion straws. The serving was plenty big, and I took home almost half of the steak.

My guest ordered pan seared diver scallops risotto ($23), an inventive dish of tender scallops with crunchy topping, served on top of risotto pasta in a creamy sauce. Overall, she loved the dish.

We finished our meal with a slice of black and white chocolate mousse cake ($7). This dessert had a great airy texture, but was rich with flavor. The two kinds of mousse were served on a crust of chocolate cookie crumbs and topped with another layer of chocolate, plus whipped cream on the side. Despite our full tummies, we dug right in and enjoyed every last bite.

In addition to the wonderful food, the restaurant has a trendy yet classy atmosphere that put me at ease. A spacious bar featured several televisions playing college football games.

The establishment's Web site lists a variety of activities that take place at the restaurant each week, including college night, ladies' night, happy hour, a live DJ and pole dancing, so if you want to bring the family for dinner at The N9nz, I'd recommend checking first to see what's going on that night.

Brief