When a new place opens up downtown, you’ve got to try it. But the first time I stopped by Nosh on High for lunch, it had a 20-minute wait and I was in a hurry, so we went to a nearby establishment instead. A 20-minute wait, for lunch! Is that because it’s getting the new restaurant rush, or because the food is really good? I had to find out, so yesterday we tried again — and persistence paid off. There was a 15-minute wait for tables, but there was room at the bar, so I finally got to sample what this new joint has to offer.
Nosh on High is located in the space formerly occupied by Cup O Joe, in the old Lazarus building on High Street. Its website emphasizes its tapas, which look tasty and quite elegant, besides, but the lunch menu has a more basic orientation — including sandwiches that Nosh calls “handhelds.”
I asked our friendly bartender for a recommendation, and she suggested the Philly dip or the duck BLT. I flipped a mental coin and went for the Philly, pictured above. It’s a terrific, hearty sandwich, with plenty of shaved beef on a crunchy french roll, covered in a delectable moray sauce that is cheesy and bursting with all kinds of flavor. And if you want even more kick for your sandwich (and who doesn’t?) you can dip it in the mini-soup bowl of sauce that Nosh generously provides. The sauce has a delectable, subtle flavor that works well with the sandwich — because when you’re eating a dip, the wetter the better — but also with the spicy Nosh potatoes that are part of the meal. In all, you get a lot of high-quality chow for $12.
The Philly dip is only one of several enticing lunch-time options, the dinner menu looks very strong, and they’ve done a good job of kitting out the old Cup O Joe space to look like a kind of upscale Manhattan bistro. So Nosh is posh, to be sure, but it hits the spot with its food fare. I’ll be adding Nosh on High to the lunchtime rotation.
Webner House 