By Ericka O’Connell, Roosevelt Island Daily
Hello friends,
I’ve been thinking a lot about how the places we return to again and again become part of the rhythm of our days. Here on Roosevelt Island, those places mean even more because our community is small, personal, and intertwined. We notice when something changes. We feel it when something familiar slips away.
A while back, many of us felt that when Nisi shifted into a new chapter. The menu changed. The atmosphere shifted. For some neighbors, it felt like losing a small but important piece of our everyday comfort.
But then something honest and truly heartwarming happened. Nisi listened. They didn’t just acknowledge feedback — they opened their arms back to us. And their recent announcement that they’re bringing back favorite dishes from their old menu felt like a sincere gesture of reunion. A way of saying, “We heard you. We value you.”
A Return Filled With Heart
Stepping inside Nisi today, that familiar feeling settles in quickly. The welcoming chatter, the warm greetings, the steady sense that this is a neighborhood gathering place — it’s all there. The return of classic dishes has brought back not just flavors but memories. You can almost see it in the way people linger over their plates, smiling because something feels right again.
It’s amazing how much a simple return of familiar recipes can reconnect us. These aren’t just menu items; they’re reminders of comfort during long workweeks, lazy weekend breakfasts, and those spontaneous stops for a meal when cooking felt like too much. They’re part of our Island’s shared story.
A Small Business Choosing Community
One of the things that moves me about this rebound is how much courage it takes for a business to pivot back — not out of pressure, but out of love for its community. That is rare. Nisi chose to honor its roots, its regulars, and the people who helped make it a beloved Roosevelt Island fixture in the first place.
When a local business shows that level of care, it’s our turn to show up for them. Right now, supporting Nisi means supporting a small, long-standing, family-owned cornerstone of Main Street. It means keeping our neighborhood lively, diverse, and connected.
Let’s Keep This Momentum Going
Imagine if, over the next few weeks, every family, every couple, every longtime Islander took a night to head back to Nisi. Imagine the hum inside, the clinking of glasses, the warmth spreading through the room as tables fill. That’s the kind of energy that keeps a place thriving.
So I’m inviting you — truly inviting you — to be part of this new chapter. Go for brunch. Go for dinner. Go to celebrate something or for no reason at all. Order one of the dishes that once brought you comfort. Share a meal with someone you love. Let your presence be part of Nisi’s renewal.
Because places like Nisi don’t just survive on good will, they survive on footsteps through the door. And when they’re trying as hard as they are right now, I believe they’ve earned those footsteps.
I’ll be stopping in this week, and I hope I’ll catch some familiar faces there. Let’s lift up Nisi together and remind ourselves of what makes Roosevelt Island such a special place to call home.
Warmly,
Ericka O’Connell
AVAC: Where the Pipe Curves
This is the final installment in my notes from the December 2nd, Operations Advisory Committee meeting, following “An Emergency, Apparently” and “Rust Is Funny Until It Isn’t”.
