lungo vive nick!!!. we've enjoyed nick's on ~ 6 different visits, including new year's eve and several anniversary dinners. i'm noticing that others have issue with the smoking section in the bar area. i've only dined in this area, so cannot confirm, but i've noticed there are plenty of ceiling vents that do a good job of "sucking" thesmokefrom the bar area, within that area. nick told me that the least smoky area is in the back corner of the dining room (again, i've never been back there, so i can't say.) maybe those of you who are bothered by the smoke, could mention it to nick or sherry, or i think his brother's name is dave, and perhaps suggest that they add a separate entrance to the non-smoking dining. anyway, on to my opion of our experiences:
this is my new fav. restaurant in hsv!!!! nick's has a wonderful local/neighborhood "feel" to it. nick and sherry mikus are exceptional owners who act as hosts, whom you are visiting at their home. we enjoyed not only the friendliness of everyone there, the server's attention to detail (no glass left empty, offering suggestions, quick pick up of used dishes, etc.) but also the atmosphere, (casual, yet slightly upscale), and then the **food**.
we started off with the crab cake app which was wonderful, no remoulade (sp?) needed, a squeeze of the (provided) fresh lemon encased in cheese cloth (nice touch that you don't often see), was all it needed. cakes were not heavy on the breading like so many others and were huge in comparison to most restaurants. then, we each had the blue cheese wedge, which could be a meal in itself (your choice of dressing, didn't have to be bleu cheese, with olive garnish). i had the 6 oz filet, cooked to perfection - could have cut it with a butter knife, but was (surprisingly) provided with a steak knife with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. my husb. had the salmon, which i tasted and found it perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection! no complaints at all! nick mentioned that they may be adding more northern italian fare to their menu, which looked good on the menu (veal piccata, etc), but their steaks cannot be beat. i was disappointed that they were out of port wine, which i would have enjoyed as an after dinner drink. however, i was so impressed by the extensive and very reasonably priced wine ( a glass that would cost, easily 9.00 elsewhere is 7.00 here and bottle prices are even better!!!) .
cigar donations (which is the cost of their cigars for sale) support the u.s. army! nick is a u.s. army veteran (40 yrs?) and my only regret is not thanking him for serving our country.
you should try nicks, you won't be disappointed. i wish there were a "nick's west" that is closer to our house...maybe in the future nick and sherry???
looking forward to your special events (scotch tastings, etc) and look forward to being on your mailing list.
they have live entertainment on new years eve, streamers, and a photographer, and they accommodate your special event (e.g., wedding anniversary) with (i think) comp'ed prosecco. nice touches!
thanks for the great ristorante!!!!!!!!!! ringraziarla per una sera meravigliosa! buono ciao e la buona salute!