Nick's Italian Cafe

The owners obviously really care about good food. The pasta dishes are the bestn I have ever eaten. (better really than most places in Italy) more

I must admit, I was a bit out of sorts when we walked in having been not greeted for several minutes and then treated rather shabily at the Bistro Maison just down the street. (see review). All in all I thought Nick's was and OK Italian place. The ambience was such as might be found in an Italian community in a large east coast city. I really liked the excellent minestrone. Although my pasta was good, it didn't knock me over. My wife had a sausage lasagna that contained no pasta at all. Maybe it was some sort of specialty dish that wasn't supposed to contain any, but it was in the pasta section of the menu. I'll certainly try Nick's again. Pros: Friendly service Cons: Meager portions more

My wife and I have been to Nick's on several occasions over the years. Although the menu is limited, it seems like they usually have something that is edible and tasty. The soup is very good although I have noticed that it isn't as nuanced as it used to be lately. The service is very slow.... and if you don't drink wine they look at you like you're a moron. The owner seems to have kind of a cliquish group of people he seems to cater too, like wine barons and people with money, so if you aren't in that group he doesn't talk to you much and you might feel like an outsider. Overall I would recommend Joel Palmer House in Dayton or Red Hills Provincial Dining in Dundee over Nick's but I would give Nick's a try, especially if you are a wino and have a lot of money to spend. Pros: Smells good when you enter. Cons: If you don't drink wine, waiter will roll eyes. more

Nick's has to be one of the best kept secrets in the Willamette Valley, and we were quite happy to discover it. I was a little shocked to read some of the negative reviews. I think if you go in knowing what to expect from the price fixe menu, then you will be very pleased. Pros: Excellent food & wine selections, great service more

This establishment has alway""s had a good food,but nothing oustanding.It's also very pricy for what you get. If you plan to eat here, you should plan to spend at least 2 hours.Service is at a snail""s pace, if your lucky. Pros: No Much Cons: Average Italian Food more

Pros: Food, laid-back atmosphere, the clever ideas for the plates more

If you want to spend an exhorbitant amount on dinner, this is the place. The quantity of food is at best lunch size. The service was disappointing, ordering and getting the bill took over 30 minutes, way too long. The wine glasses were 1/2 filled, so if you want to spend $9-14 on a glass of wine, you're better off buying a bottle. Roast lamb was $26 for a small lunch size plate with a few pieces, very disappointing. I would highly recommend the Olive Garden or Romano's before I would ever send people I know to this restaurant. Pros: You can buy a la carte Cons: Not your typical Italian restaurant, not much pasta, too expensive for what you get more

I have heard rumors for years about Nick?s but was only recently able to make it in for dinner on my last trip to the Oregon wine country. All I can say is wow, the food was truly something special. Generally speaking I am often times disappointed with what is considered to be great food in the Portland area, just a bit spoiled from living in San Francisco for the past 10 years and working in the wine industry. But Nick?s lives up to the hype. The new Chefs, Carmen and Eric, have recently come up from SF?s Quince, one of the best restaurants the bay area has to offer, and it really shows in the food. We sampled some truly great house made charcuteries, and brilliant fresh pastas, the house made garganelli with pancetta cream and fresh fava beans was the table?s favorite along with a masterfully made hazelnut lasagna. The final savory courses from the five course tasting menu were superb, a perfectly cooked local wild salmon with fresh porcinis and the lamb loin wrapped in caul fat being some of our favorites. Michael Tusk?s tutelage shined throughout the meal, with subtle seasoning and expert attention to the food. It is well worth the drive out from Portland and if you are in the wine country it should be at the top of your list for dinner. I should also note that the wine list is awesome. I would also recommend making a reservation as it seemed to fill up quick. Pros: Expertly cooked northern Italian food and a great winelist more

We made the trek out to McMinnville and what a surprise. Nick recently retired and his daughter Carmen and her fiance Eric have taken over. They're fresh from cooking at Quince in San Francisco - we tried to go there when we were in San Francisco but couldn't get reservations. And they also recently spent 6 months cooking in Italy, to prepare them for taking over Nick's. Pros: Outstanding food at a bargain price Cons: Driving out to McMinnville more

The value of five courses for 42.00 is incredible, and you will not go home hungry. Try the Avocado with Bay Shrimp and Sauce Louis; it will blend a symphony in your mouth. In addition, don't pass on the pasta, its three layers of house made noodles, married with dungeness crab, mushrooms and bechamel is the perfect way to prepare for your entree. With several pages of local wines to choose from, you will be able to pair the perfect Pinot Noir or Import with your meal. Dont plan to rush your evening, plan to enjoy it. Nick's Italian Cafe is this Willamette Valley wine enthusiasts restaurant of choice! more

Do not patronize this establishment. This may seem quite hard, but I witnessed a young couple being treated quite unfairly over the weekend. This disgusted myself and the members at my table. We couldn't eat fast enough to leave the premises. Did not enjoy this situation and EXTREMELY disappointed in what was suppose to be a well established dining restaurant. I don't care how ""good"" the food is, poor service constitutes a great percentage of a positive dining experience. Pros: Nothing Cons: Poor Serive, Rude Service, Bad Attitude more

After having grown up in McMinnville, lived in San Francisco and having lived in NYC for the past 5 years, Nick's is one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. Through my travels and the many different restaurants I've eaten at, some of extraordinary price and distinction, I've always compared them to Nick's and they've failed miserably. On a recent trip home I was lucky enough to get to realize the new chef's genius, which has only strengthened my opinion. There is a feeling about Nick's that you can't duplicate, it's unpretentious and graceful. It holds the essense of metropolitan that I thought I would go out in the world and find but it turns out that the heart of it was just out my backdoor. more

I've had the pleasure of dining at Nick's a number of times since their new chef, Jeremy Buck, took over in June. On my last visit, I had finger-licking-good lamb chops, perfectly cooked med-rare, with a lovely celery root puree. I also enjoyed the stuffed fried olives - one of the most unique and tasty appetizers I've ever had. My wife had the tenderloin and said it was one of the best steaks she's ever had. I'm not quite sure why another reviewer is referring to Chef Buck's age - I've spoken with him twice and he is obviously quite experienced, more knowledgeable about food and wine matches than most people I know, and although youthful-looking, is well into his 30s and married. Pros: great staff, interesting wines, intimate more

We came to Nick's expecting to experience some exceptional food. Instead what we received was very bland and uninspiring. I got the roast duck with fig sauce and my wife got the roast lamb. I could not detect any fig in the fig sauce--how do you hide fig?! There wasn't any sauce to speak of. Instead the duck sat in a watery fluid. The meat tasted boiled and flavorless. We are used to Japanese-style subtlety in flavoring, but there was no sublety or flavor. The cook looked to be about 19 years-old. I've never spent $100 on a meal that was so bland to make me angry. If you have money to throw away, it's OK. But if shell out a $100 meal about twice a year, there are many, many places to visit in Portland that won't make you so angry that you'll be complaining all the way home! Pros: local wine list Cons: , the food , the food more

Having read the Citysearch member reviews and the March 2004 feature article in Saveur, we were looking forward to quite a memorable evening. We loved the melt-in-your-mouth grated pecorino cheese that welcomes you. The food is indeed good but not spectacular. It's true the minestrone and lasagna are very good. The decor is underwhelming. The server was very helpful-when she thought to come back to our table. Wines by the glass were not particularly spectacular either. The overall experience was as good as can be expected. This is a cafe, not fine dining. Manage your expectations accordingly. Pros: cute street, food Cons: , wines need help, limited menu more

Nick has a good thing going - and it's even better with his new chef. On my last visit, I had lamb's liver pate (first try for me, hopefully not my last), stellar minestrone, greens with goat cheese, beautiful pine nut and red pepper lasagne, and melt-in-your-mouth Carlton beef tenderloin with black truffle butter sauce with very fresh veggies and potatoes. All that for $44? The salmon and duck offerings cost even less. Another $5 got me a lovely peach semifreddo. Did I mention the wine? The pinot list is wonderful (my latest love is Panther Creek), but there were good by-the-glass selections as well. The waitstaff was experienced and eager to help with wine choices. Nick's is not a trendy urban spot, but a place that celebrates good food and wine in a refined atmosphere that anyone can feel at ease. I'll definitely make the trip again. Pros: reg'l, seas'l ingrd's, good value, great winelist Cons: , creme brulee not good more

Being a 20-year McMinnville resident, I finally made it to Nick's after mixed reviews from peers. I found the food to be less than mediocre for Italian cuisine and grossly overpriced. The ambiance was typical of small town eateries, but nothing special. I'd much rather drive another 5 miles and eat at Joel Palmer House or the Golden Valley Brew Pub than waste more money at Nicks. Pros: well advertised, Wine Selection Cons: Overpriced, Crowded more

I have, too, heard all the hype about Nick's growing up around town. I finally tried it a few years ago, and I was surprised by the casual, yet elegant ambience of the place. The food was exceptional, the service was personal, and I enjoyed every minute of the experience. I now take my four-year-old (quiet & reserved) daughter in with us. Pros: elegant, friendly, tasty Cons: no parking lot, spendy, closed on mondays! more

As a native McMinnville resident, I have lived for years with the hype of Nick's Cafe. Alas, it was all hype and no good. We spent well over $100 on a dinner that was ill-prepared and not very Italian. The fish was fishy tasting and semi-greasy, the salad boring, but luckily the soup was edible. All in all, I have spent less for dinner at a fancy downtown Portland restaurant and had a much better meal. I will not be back, and will be refuting the hype whenever I hear it from now on. Needless to say this was a truly disappointing, and somewhat embarrassing moment for me since I took someone who drove all the way from Medford to have dinner with me...... Pros: none, none, none Cons: the price, the food, the hype more

Our five course meal was sublime: especially the pasta and dessert. Casual surroundings are nice, with great jazz playing overhead. more