This post is a longer version than what is on YELP. Unfortunately I ran out of space there and I couldn’t finish it there. This place is new and while they have 3 in the OC, this is their first store in LA County. This is an amended review — mostly because I finally got in there last night for what we hoped would be small plates and a couple cocktails. What we got when we arrived on a Friday at 5 PM was loud (and got louder) with a decent crowd which got larger as well.
About the venue
If you had ever visited Bonos (owner was Christy Bono, daughter of Sonny Bono), this venue has undergone a MAJOR renovation in appearance. Gone is the long bar on the right; the restrooms are in a different location; the kitchen is enclosed with glass windows so you can see what’s going on and a horseshoe bar is the major part of the space. There are booths on the right (not nearly enough), a few tables in the back, and very small tables for 2 on the rim of the bar area.
The Patio
There are also tables outdoors — but no space heaters which they will quickly find (since they opened so late in summer) they will need swiftly because it does get cold there and the breeze from the ocean will hit that corner hard. It does get chilly in the evenings and sometimes the marine layer rolls in unexpectedly and those space heaters are a welcome thing to get people out there on the patio– because it’s a fun sort of space. (That’s just a heads up Nicks so that you can be prepared for what you need.)
There is no happy hour and given the number of people in the restaurant or bar area, I guess they don’t feel they need one. Time will tell if the sparkle on this spot wears off to make it a wise move, considering there is a great deal of competition on the street.
The Menu:
Surprisingly limited number of appetizers– even compared with the gastropubs– and there are a couple sides one could make appetizers (mac & cheese, fries). Some of the appetizers are more like meals considering the price (the tacos at $15) We had the fried deviled eggs which was 4 halves — for $6 which is a lot to ask for essentially 2 eggs. They were good but I won’t repeat them. I would recommend test-driving the fries for an appetizer.. and maybe the asparagus fries– providing you like asparagus that much.
The desserts of which there are only 3 — and for a restaurant of this type, one expects more choices. Again, the gastro-pubs down the street have 3-6 appetizers (Simmzys -3; Tavern on 2- 6). What’s missing with the desserts are the prices. (Hello? Whose idea was this to NOT list a price?) We had the butter cake which was amazingly good– but I still would like to know what the price tag was before I ordered it.
The salads are affordable and have a great range of options. The soups are only 5 bucks and have only the soup of the day. They should have another singular signature soup available daily.
The Reuben
The sandwiches and burgers are pretty similar to what Bonos’ had but not quite the range and at least $3 more for the sandwiches. I wish there were some specials of the day to give one more options because there is only one vegetarian option there as a regular sandwich and one vegetarian option under entrees. My partner had the Reuben which was very tasty but if you were expecting saurkraut, think again. This has cole slaw. We had fries with this- great fries!! I had the Cheeseburger with roasted vegetables. Had I known that the veggies were going to be a small handful of roasted vegetables– approximately 1/2 cup or a smidge more, I would have not ordered that side dish. (1/2 a brussel sprout? cmon!; onions, broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms.) I would have ordered warm potato salad or the fries as well. The burger was good- not great. The entrees are within the realm of what you previously saw at Bonos but don’t expect to see pasta on the menu. However the range of affordable starts at $15 and tops out at $28.. not including salad.
Chicken Sandwich
Cocktails, Beer and Wine:
13 house cocktails from 9-13 (including the Skinny Margarita– nice to have, but a bit boring) and some are old standards that have been redeone. Innovation is key to me and it can be found in the Farmer’s Market Cocktail available mostly on Sundays – and affordable at $10. 22 beers including the usual suspects (boring when you are including Bud Light and Coors Light) plus some crafted beer. There is a Nick’s Honey Blonde which is the singular house beer made by the same brewery that makes Mamas Little Yella Pils *(but nowhere near the same quality or hand-crafted expectations). My partner had that (x 2) and wasn’t happy with it at all. He was trying to be optimistic. He had asked what brewery made it and this was disappointing . You might want to try a few other offerings. I had the Strawberry & Basil Gimlet– which was good. It had a hefty dose of gin in it but I wish it had been served tall because I was the one driving. I would like to see some hot drinks too.
Wine
Wines: 9 whites, 2 sparkling and 19 reds not including Nick’s Private collection. It seems a bit unbalanced to me with so many reds and so few whites and 2 sparkling wines. The brands are solid– Joseph Phelps doesn’t show up often enough and they have 1 white and 1 red from Phelps. They have curated the wines fairly well but the price tags well are pretty hefty for a bottle.
The service was good- (not great). As we walked in, they asked us for our names, contact information when we arrived to build up their email list. (Wait.. you should try social media for that!) Our initial server was replaced with someone else, and while friendly the servers were OVERLY solicitous: 4 people asked about a single dessert plate that wasn’t finished in the space of 5 minutes. Some servers really described the entrees– others didn’t. Ours was the latter. We wished we could have chosen servers. The dress code for servers is pretty strict and they all look sort of alike, so get your server’s name!
For a single appetizer, 2 beers, 1 cocktail, a single dessert, a burger and the Reuben– $64! Not inexpensive– but not out of range for an upscale restaurant.. I just wonder if NICKS is trying to be that or if it wants to be people’s place to hang-out because it looks like the jury is still out. It seems like it’s trying to be Paul Martin’s or Hustons, but it’s not got the depth or breadth of those spots– which are about the same price range but offer broader offerings.
If you check out my Yelp page (hyperlinked above), you will find my original post and then also this one — albeit shorter. Plus there is a note from restaurant management about the communication issue. Nice that they are trying to ameliorate the negative reviews and soothe unhappy customers.
http://www.nicksrestaurants.com
Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com
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