Annisa CLOSED

Annisa closed in July 2009.

Annisa is an intimate, upscale Contemporary American restaurant with a small, elegant bar and an extensive wine list. Since its opening, Annisa has won much praise from the media including glowing reviews from the New York Times and the New York Observer. Chef Anita Lo has been named one of ten "Best New Chefs in America" by Food and Wine magazine as well as "Best New Restaurant Chef" by the Village Voice.

Annisa offers a seasonally changing, eclectic menu which reflects Ms. Lo's multicultural upbringing and her solid foundation in French technique. The 90 bottle wine list features many sought after wines chosen to complement Ms. Lo's sophisticated cuisine. Over 30 of these wines, fortified wines and sakes are poured by the glass. Annisa's wine list was created by French born Roger Dagorn, one of only 97 certified Master Sommeliers in the world.

The name Annisa was chosen because of its alliance to no one particular ethnicity, in keeping with the restaurant's "American," or melting pot theme. The name is found in many different cultures, but the owners of Annisa were particularly impressed with its meaning in English and in Arabic. In English, Annisa is a derivative of Anne which means "gracious" and "pure," following their service and their interior design and food philosophies consecutively. In Arabic, it means "women," a central theme of the restaurant. Owned and operated by two women, Annisa also boasts an extensive wine list which celebrates women in the wine industry. Almost all wines on this unique list are either made by female vintners and/or made at vineyards with female proprietors.