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After walking up three flights of stairs in an unassuming Seaport highrise, you enter Grace by Nia and are immediately met with the vibrant sound of live jazz music, lively chatter, and the sweet aroma of Southern cooking.
Grace by Nia describes itself as a “modern-day supper club” that “puts a new twist on timeless charm.” “Supper clubs” were a common practice in the mid-century American South, providing eating and social spaces for a more intimate and community-focused dining experience.
The idea of a modern-day supper club is appealing — a break from the fast-paced, impersonal ambiences that are so common amongst contemporary restaurants. However, whether or not Grace by Nia necessarily achieves this goal is debatable.
The space itself is gorgeous, dripping in jewel tones — opulent golden curtains and deep teal-colored walls frame the space, accented by shining chandeliers. The main area of the restaurant is an intimate viewing area, spotted with small tables for two angled towards a view of the stage. A grand floor-to-ceiling window breaks up the rich, deep colors of the space and reminds diners where they are — a portal into the Boston Seaport skyline.
Despite its claim of being a “supper club,” places traditionally meant for conversation amongst friends, this restaurant is certainly not the restaurant for conversation. It’s oftentimes hard to hear the person sitting next to you when musicians are performing. When they aren't, the pre-recorded jazz coming from the sound system is just as loud.
The jazz does provide a beautiful sonic backdrop for dinner, however. The music is both relaxing and vibrant, the perfect vibe for a celebratory drink with friends or a tranquil date night meal.
Overall, the aesthetic of the space perfectly frames the menu’s attempt to “innovate” on classic Southern and soul dishes, transporting the diner to a historical age of Southern cooking.
The culinary innovation itself, however, falls a little flat.
The “opening acts” on the menu are packed with Southern flavor, but they fail to wow. The first couple of bites of the fried brussel sprouts are addicting, crispy and topped with smoked bacon, parmesan, and a champagne vinaigrette. The sprouts, however, rest in about half-an-inch of oil. In one word, the dish is heavy. The parmesan and champagne vinaigrette offer some acidity to break through the heaviness of the dish, but they don’t quite end up fulfilling their roles. Overall, the dish leaves diners tasting more oil than the intended earthy crunch.
The Maryland Hot Crab Dip, however, served with fried plantain chips and ritz “firecrackers,” is a hit. The dip is everything one may want in a crab dip — cheesy, creamy, packed with Old Bay, and topped with fresh jalapeño.
While no qualms can be had about the Crab Dip, the appetizers as a whole are overwhelmingly rich. Alone, this somewhat works. Although the brussel sprouts are drenched in oil, the flavor almost makes up for it. Altogether, however, there is a serious lack of even a single lighter or more refreshing option for appetizers.
For mains, the southern caesar salad offers a chance for Grace by Nia to live up to its claim of “innovating” classic Southern cuisine. The menu blurb seems in alignment with this — describing a classic Caesar salad with the added southern flair of Ritz “firecracker” croutons, bacon, diced pimentos, and cornbread croutons. Although this sounds delicious, it ends up feeling disjointed — a mountain of lettuce lightly dressed in something that tastes vaguely like a Caesar dressing, with oddly chewy, stale-tasting “cornbread croutons” and four Ritz crackers stacked on the side of the bowl. It seemed like the “Southern” elements were added simply for the sake of adding something Southern, rather than creating a delicious dish for patrons.
For salad toppings, the crispy chicken is great. The flank steak is not. The chicken is cooked perfectly, with a juicy interior and golden, crispy breading, while the steak lacks flavor and is a bit overcooked and chewy, almost impossible to cut through with a steak knife.
Despite the beautiful backdrop of the restaurant and the flavorful food, it did seem like Grace by Nia was trying a bit too hard at times. The ambience of the space sets the perfect scene for the pursuit of the restaurant — to be a “modern-day supper club” for Boston residents — but Grace by Nia doesn’t feel like a supper club. It feels like a restaurant in Seaport — which isn’t a bad thing, but it isn’t what Grace by Nia frames itself as.
All in all, if you are venturing into Boston or looking for some jazz, it might be better to go somewhere else. If you happen to be in Seaport and are looking for a unique restaurant, maybe try it out — and get the Maryland Hot Crab Dip.
