6 days Ago By Helmut Schmidt
FARGO - Nova Eatery and Supper Club is showing off its North Dakota steakhouse vibe. The restaurant at 402 Broadway opened to the general public on Monday, April 14, for dinner service. “A lot of blood, sweat, and tears” went into rehabbing the restaurant, said Nikki Berglund, who co-owns the restaurant with executive chef Ryan Nitschke.
While the menu or hours may be tweaked in coming months, Nitschke said it's time to let this iteration of Nova Eatery shine. “We’re more focused on getting people in the door and getting food on the plate,” he said, adding that feedback from the soft opening dates has been solid. “The feedback is crazy good,” he said.
“It feels pretty dang good getting here.” The restaurant’s walls are Bison green and gold, bisected with black wallpaper decorated with running rabbits. bounding squirrels, owls, snails, butterflies and flowers.
The wooden floors weren’t refinished, telling the tale of decades of feet treading on the boards. A callout to the community for decorative items paid off, with several taxidermied birds, fish and antlers finding a new home. The walls also include vintage photos of the Powers Hotel building.
A neon Nova Eatery sign, salvaged from the original Fargo Brewing Company iteration of the restaurant, hangs in the back of the dining area. Nitschke said building the menu took some thought. If they were going to serve Midwestern food, what qualified, yet would also work for a supper club? And they wanted breakfast and lunch.
They think they’ve got the right combo Among the breakfast selections are beignets, a “bialy of the day” stuffed bagel, or a breakfast sammie, for $10, biscuits and gravy for $13, or a smoked salmon omelette for $16. Lunch includes some favorites from the first iteration of Nova Eatery when it was part of the Fargo Brewing Company experience. Soups are $5 for a cup or $8 for a bowl; salads run $10 to $14.
Sandwiches include a “Nova smashie” two-patty burger or a double decker club, both for $15, and fried catfish sandwich at $16. Small lunch plates and appetizers include onion rings or broccolini for $10, cheese curds for $11, butter chicken strip basket for $14, a smoked salmon plate or bacon burnt ends at $16, and a relish tray at $22. Dinner appetizers include ham and cheese buttons at $12, smoked oysters Rockefeller at $13, or roasted bone marrow at $18.
“The bone marrow has been really popular,” Nitschke said. Carnivores might enjoy the 10-ounce New York Strip for $40, prime rib ($34-56 depending on the size of the cut), fireman chicken at $25, or stuffed pork chop at $30. Side dishes run $8-16.
Soups, salads and “comfort foods” are also part of the dinner menu. Head chef Andew Dohn has worked about a decade with Nitschke. He’s proud of the menu.
“I’m really excited,” Dohn said. “It gives me more of a chance to flex my culinary muscles.” Berglund said diners have options from family restaurant fare to fine dining.
“There’s price ranges for everyone,” she said. “It’s not meant to be pretentious here.” Nova Eatery will be closed Tuesday, then reopen with the addition of breakfast and lunch service starting Wednesday, April 16.
Hours during the week are 8 a.m. to 3 p.
m. for breakfast and lunch, 3 p.m.
to 5 p.m. a light menu will be available, and 5 to 9 p.
m. for dinner service, with drinks served until 10 p.m.
On Fridays and Saturdays, dinner service may last until 10 p.m. Nitschke said.
There will be no brunch for Easter Sunday, but plans include a Sunday brunch sometime after that, the owners said. A Sunday supper service is also being mulled. Berglund and Nitschke have enjoyed success with their other entrerprises: Sol Ave Kitchen in Moorhead, Luna Fargo,and Luna Market, Mangata Wine and Raw Bar, Unicorn Park Fine Foodery, and House of Noods and Buns, all in the Brewhalla Market in Fargo The partners operated Nova Eatery at the Fargo Brewing Company in north Fargo for two years, before closing that location in November 2024.
Fargo Brewing turned off its taps for the last time just a few weeks later..
