Take Your Pick
29
Bagels or Bistro?
WORDS: Kara Chalmers
PICTURES: Whitney Patton
Sandwiched between a ballroom
dance studio and “Painting with
a Twist” in a shopping center on
Manatee Ave. W., is Uncle Nick’s NY
Bagels, Subs and Italian Deli. Inside,
from 6:30am to 2:30pm every day, you’ll
find authentic New York style bagels, plus
hot and cold submarine sandwiches, and
other breakfast and lunch options.
But after 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday,
the exact same space houses Nick’s
Bistro. During those hours on those days,
you can’t get an everything bagel or a
meatball parmigiana sub at the counter.
But you can relax with a glass of wine
or beer and enjoy a simple yet upscale
dinner - a cheese and charcuterie
board, for example, or a Bistro Steak,
pan-seared chef’s choice, served with
roasted fingerling potatoes, heirloom
baby carrots, and wild mushrooms.
“It’s two separate concepts that share
the same space and kitchen,” said Nick’s
Bistro’s chef/operator Chris Dancesia. “It’s
two very different menus.”
Uncle Nick’s owner Craig Thomsen had
reached out to Dancesia in his search
for a chef to provide a nighttime dinner
service. The two met in March, and Nick’s
Bistro opened in May.
“The place was closed at 2:30 and
was sitting here empty,” Dancesia said
of Thomsen’s Uncle Nick’s. “I had an
opportunity to come into an existing
space and expand it and offer dinner.”
By Day...
Uncle Nick’s aims to recreate the feel of
a true New York deli. The atmosphere is
casual and bright, with wall art depicting
famous New York sports stars. There’s
a large deli and bakery display case,
housing cheeses and meats like pastrami,
corned beef, prosciutto, and housemade
roast beef. There’s house-made
chicken, tuna, and egg salads, as well
as cannolis and Junior’s Cheesecake.