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...By Night
A bistro, def ined as “a small or
unpretentious restaurant, serving
moderately priced simple meals in a
modest setting with alcohol,” perfectly
describes Nick’s Bistro - which is what
Uncle Nick’s turns in-to after 4 pm
Tuesdays through Saturdays.
The space itself isn’t too transformed - a
shade is placed over the display case,
and cloth napkins replace the paper
napkin holders on the tables. But the food
served is completely different and there’s
an array of local craft beer, and wine by
the bottle or glass.
Chef Chris Dancesia calls the place an
American style bistro, a scratch kitchen
serving American cuisine with Caribbean
and Central American influences.
His mission is to provide exceptional
ingredients prepared in a simple, clean
manner, to “stick to the basics, not
overthink it, and put great food in front of
people.” The menu is season-driven and
features many sustainable and locally
sourced items.
Dancesia’s menu contains gluten-free,
vegetarian, and vegan offerings, and he’s
more than willing to change recipes, by
omitting dairy ingredients, for instance, or
substituting fish for shellfish.
“I’m trying to accommodate as many folks
as I possibly can,” he said. “It makes you
stand out.”
Dancesia, who’s been cooking since he
was 10, is of Slovak/Ukrainian descent.
Growing up, he learned traditional
techniques like braising and slow-cooking
from his family. He is classically trained
and has worked in the restaurant industry
since 1995. While he’s been a server and
a bartender, “the kitchen is always what
I’ve come back to,” he said.
Before opening Nick’s Bistro, Dancesia
was a “traveling chef” and consultant,
cooking at restaurants and for large
events around the country. Most
ecently, he worked for restaurants in
Orlando and St. Petersburg and at
events including the Kentucky Derby, in
Louisville, in May.
“The last several years, I took the
opportunity to travel and be a travel chef,”
Dancesia said.
Particularly life-changing was a stint in
Belize, where from 2008 to 2012, he was
executive chef at the high-end Table Rock
Jungle Lodge.
“Belize changed the way I approached
food in general,” Dancesia said, noting
that while there, he perfected healthy,
light recipes that incorporated mango,
avocado, pineapple, coconut, soursop,
papaya, and citrus fruits from the resort’s
farm, produce from the local market,
and fish fresh from the Caribbean. He
experimented with replacing heavy
cream with coconut milk, and butter with
coconut, avocado, cohune oils, and oil
blends in certain dishes.
“In the jungle, you don’t want that
heaviness,” he said. Today, Dancesia
still relies on a citrus vinaigrette and a
seasoning rub that he developed in Belize.
At Nick’s Bistro, Dancesia uses classic
techniques along with new techniques -
for instance he cooks chicken sous vide,
which he said makes it extra flavorful.
He makes all of his own stocks. He slowbraises
his pork for hours.
“Scratch kitchens take time, that’s the
hard part about it,” Dancesia said. “But I
think it’s worth it.”
* Both Uncle Nick’s and Nick’s Bistro are located at 5917 Manatee Ave. W. Suite
301 in Bradenton. For more information, including hours and specials, follow
them at www.facebook.com/UncleNickBagelsbradenton.
/UncleNickBagelsbradenton
