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    Nic + Junior’s

    4.2 (42 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 1 month ago

    Nic + Junior’s Photos

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    NIC + JUNIOR’S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Intimate
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Nic + Junior’s

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    Interior seating
    Ashley H.

    I attended a content creator happy hour with Taste Agent here last week. The food and drinks were amazing and the staff were friendly. I'd go back with friends!

    Foie gras pizzelle
    Lilian T.

    I personally think they have a potential to take a Michelin star someday. If you're curious, go try their tasting menu now. Nic + Junior is a new spot tucked into a garden near the river in downtown Chicago. We came in a sunday at 5pm and it's pretty empty. It's got a quiet, intimate vibe, especially in the tasting menu area, which is separated from the à la carte section and feels a bit more private. You can even watch the chefs in action there. The tasting menu follows a progression of small bites, then a few composed dishes, then dessert. The overall flavor direction is clearly Brazilian & Italian combo, pretty rare to taste. Small Bites: * Wagyu tartare was my favorite -- juicy beef with black truffle. The use of shiso was brilliant. The balance was just right. Rich, but still fresh. * Snow crab claw -- chilled and fresh. Clean, simple. * Dadinho -- a Brazilian crispy rice snack, tasting like a fried rice cracker to me. I liked it. * Foie gras pizzelle -- fine, but didn't leave a strong impression. * Crispy potato with caviar -- really well done. Golden crisp shell, fluffy inside. A great little bite. I loved the concept of these small bites. They were great for conversation, easy to pick up, and fun to explore. Cold & Hot Dishes: * Smoked scallop with coconut + dende -- interesting flavor, though not a standout for me. * Branzino with prawn cannelloni -- excellent. The sauce worked beautifully with the fish, and the shrimp had that nice springy bite which went well with the al dente wrap. Loved the Italian-Brazilian fusion here. * Garganelli with octopus -- great texture again. I think it used the same sauce as the branzino? * Spaghetti alla Chitarra -- my friend swapped this in for $20, found it a bit heavy to finish, but I had a bite and really enjoyed it. Probably because I'd just had two very sour dishes in a row. * Rohan duck -- juicy meat, crispy skin, nicely done. But this was the third dish in a row with the same sauce. And at that point, it started to feel a bit repetitive. A Note on the Sauces and Flavor Profile: The chefs definitely lean into a bright, sour flavor profile, especially in the Brazilian-inspired dishes. I actually enjoy sour flavors, but even for me, it started to feel like a lot, like really really sour by the end of the dining. Scallop, branzino, octopus, and duck all used a very similar yellow sauce (which I think had dende oil). It's a beautiful color and tasted great at first, but after a few dishes in a row, I found myself wishing for more variation. Maybe a little more of the Italian side to balance things out. That said, it's clear the chefs are thinking deeply about flavor, texture, and originality. It's not like I got blown away by every dish, but the creativity and intention behind the menu did stand out. And when a restaurant makes me try something totally new and it works, that's a good sign. If they rotate and adjust the menu, I'd probably come back. Extra shout-outs: * The pacing of the meal was perfect. Smooth, unhurried, and no conversation interrupted. * Our server was lovely! He's warm, attentive, and he seemed genuinely happy about we liking the food. His good energy really added to the experience. The tasting menu is $185 per person excluding drinks, tax, and tip. I'm glad I caught it early.

    Arancini
    Khadijah H.

    I hope hopes of enjoying the dishes from here as it was raved about on an Instagram reel. A group of friends and I came on a Thursday afternoon to indulge in happy hour (HH). We ordered all the entrees from the HH menu minus the burger and we ordered some drinks: espresso martini, boulevardier and a rose. Our server: She really should inform herself better with the menu. She didn't know how to pronounce the name of the bourbon drink I wanted. She barely tried any of the menu items to provide recommendations and she didn't check in as frequently. I'm not sure if she was new or just had a bad day so we gave grace but I do believe that she should work on that. Our food: It's really sad to say this but the food was horrible. Absolutely disgusting. I'm really baffled that no one has given critiques to the chef. I love food and I'm aware that many people cook and season a certain way. Unfortunately, the food was dressed and plated in a beautiful way that just didn't meet taste requirements. The Caesar salad was watery. The dressing was at the bottom of the plate. The arancini bites didn't taste like anything. I felt I bit into air. The ingredients chosen in the fritters didn't pair well and I slightly tasted cheese but nothing more. The rigatoni was the best dish but overly salty. I wouldn't return as I'm not confident I'd enjoy my dining experience.

    Rigatoni Vodka
    Aaliyah L.

    The one star is for the drinks and decor. We went during happy hour and we all enjoyed our drinks, I especially loved my espresso martini. On to the food, an absolute no. Everything was either too salty, or had absolutely no flavor and it was very disappointing. The most edible item was the rigatoni vodka, but still very salty. My kohlrabi Caesar salad was resting on top of a puddle of water & dressing, 0/10. We tried every food item on the happy hour menu except for the burger and needless to say, I won't be back. Lastly, the server knew very little about what was happening on the menu. Any question we asked was either met with "I don't know" or incorrect information. Maybe she needs more training since the restaurant seems to be new.

    Espresso Martini $7
    Vanity H.

    Came here with 3 other Yelp Elite ladies and we unfortunately did not enjoy our experience nor our food. 2 of the ladies arrived before me - I bought a spot hero across the street (right next to dunkin donuts). Wow was it difficult finding this place based on the direction maps gives you! I had to call my friend and she came out to get me and explain directions. The 4th did the same exact thing I did haha so it's not the easiest place to spot. The 2 stars I gave was for the espresso martinis as they were good and fairly priced for happy hour at $7. The food was a DISASTER! The arancini's were filled with a taste I can't explain but was not expecting - I shared this with my friend and she instantly said it was disgusting upon taking a bite. The tomato sauce was decent though but it still didn't mask the weird take of the balls. The fritters inside had a weird texture that was not appetizing. One lady got the caesar salad and it looked like wet paper - I wish I had a photo but just know she was disappointed. The last person ordered the pasta and instantly said it was salty- i tasted it and can absolutely attest to this! Service was mediocre as our waitress did not know what things were on the menu and you could tell she just did not want to be there. The decor gave hotel front lobby. Overall I don't think I'd return.

    Brazilian cheese fritters
    Haley K.

    Really cute space with a happy hour and a Girl Dinner special! Brazilian fusion (Pao de queijo was so good) with a super knowledgeable server. Located right along the river while still feeling tucked away. We had a group of 7 and felt nicely attended to! I will be back!

    James R.

    This little place is intimate and worth your time. Perfect venue for a great conversation over a good meal.

    Grilled short rib
    Brandon L.

    Enjoyed checking out the newer spot Nic & Juniors. Sat in the bar area to enjoy the open windows and atmosphere, but there also is a nice dining room. The food was all excellent, I usually never waste space on focaccia, but the girlfriend insisted we order it and it was actually worth the price and calories. The stracciatella was amazing and I'm very glad we ordered it. Definitely will go back and even consider the tasting menu.

    Doug M.

    Read the full review! You get this French meets Brazilian meets Italian menu. And I'm living for it. The ham and raclette sammy - beyond. The Brazilian cheese was so good! I then did the restaurant week menu with wine pairing. The staff is so amazing! As a lone diner I always appreciate when I feel tended to. Though I probably still spend what 2-3 people would spend dining. I like to eat! The art deco vibes are SO cool! Though the bar, it's a bit narrow to feel comfortable (for me) being a lone diner. You feel in the middle of things vs tucked in and comfy. My one big critique - and easily fixed - when someone orders the wine pairing with the tasting menu... all courses should be covered with a wine. I had the waitress with each course, bring me a new tasting of wine. Dessert shows up. Nothing. I wait and wait. And finally the GM, who had already been so lovely and introduced himself already - comes over and asks if all is ok. I ask if my final tasting is coming. He says he will go grab it. Upon his return he informs me that there actually isn't a final tasting with dessert. But he brought a lovely tasting of a dessert wine on the house. BUT... you cannot offer a wine pairing without covering all courses. It's frankly unacceptable. I give 5 stars cause it's fixable. But you have to set your guests expectations in some form - give the pour, or, say on the previous course "this is for the next two courses" - so people can manage their intake and savor for both, but just ignoring the fact that you don't cover desert when people pay for the wine pairing, is not great. I will absolutely come back. Will absolutely recommend this to friends. And... fix the dessert course wine pairing my friends

    Kim B.

    Really nice first time visit at this new neighborhood spot. Kenneya gave great service at the bar and the food was very good. Look forward to coming back.

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    1 year ago

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    Matt L.

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    1 year ago

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    Page 2 of 2

    Ask the Community - Nic + Junior’s

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    Delicious pizza and pizza in Little Italy area of Chicago. It is a nice looking restaurant, too…read more We went for lunch on a Sunday (to avoid the crowd and for free street parking). The restaurant is not busy at all. We were seated right away. Our server was nice and attentive. We ordered pizza and pasta. Pepperoni and Whipped Ricotta Pizza - cooked perfectly, fresh ingredients and delicious! Served hot! Short Rib Pappardelle - to die for! This is very tasty, the pasta is cooked al dente. The short rib sauce is ssosooo delicious! We sat by the bar overlooking the open kitchen. It was nice to see the chef make the pizza and make the pasta. Further area is more fine dining with wall of wine. Very classy! Street parking only. So plan ahead.

    This is such a cool spot. I wouldn't have even known about it, if it weren't for a local friend…read more Where to start? We came in with a group of about 20! Normally I hate those kinds of large group dinners, but this was the perfect spot for it. The service was absolutely wonderful. I don't know how our server stayed so cool and calm with a group that size. We got a variety of things. EVERYTHING was amazing. If you have seen any of my other reviews, I always get a meatball when I'm at a place that has them. They almost never live up to my expectation. But this place has the new gold standard for a meatball. It was everything you want. It is fork tender, full of flavor, no chewy ground up bits. The pizzas were authentic and thin. With fabulous house made red sauce that wasn't too thick and overwhelming. The flavor was A+ The cocktails were so good! All made from scratch with love. The ambiance was cozy and comfortable. Perfect for a group or a date. They have a full bar, and also great seating with perfect lighting. This is a new favorite for me in the city.

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    Il Porcellino

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    Stumbled upon this gem while looking for a dinner spot to celebrate my husband's birthday while in…read moretown. We absolutely loved it. Table was ready upon arrival. Service was great. Loved the music and ambiance. We had the burrata lasagna and the spinach ravioli with prosciutto. Incredible. Burrata lasagna was so light. Never had anything like it.

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    Ciccio Mio

    Ciccio Mio

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    Look, great doesn't mean best, but this place was really good. Inside is a really charming…read moreold-world place with only 11 tables. It's a pretty small place. The reservation we got was for the patio, but when we arrived, they didn't have a table for us. We waited probably an extra 15 mins and then the lady was able to arrange an inside table for us. She had been getting a bit of lip from folks coming in just before us, and so she definitely seemed to be dishing out some lip herself. I think that should have been a better experience. I will acknowledge that we did appreciate a table inside eventually when the one just outside wasn't there. Our server once seated was like, amazing. To me she made up for the passive aggressive comments from before. She was so patient and well-spoken and all. Seemed like she was from a Michelin-star place. So to start, the Caesar salad was ok. What was nice in there, it had these crispy chips of some kind in the salad. Overall, the dressing could've been a bit more caesar-y. Then we also had these truffle oil mozzarella sticks and those were pretty amazing. Served with marinara sauce, which was pretty good. But the sticks themselves were like so cheesy and gooey and freshly made, it was great. Then for the mains, we had a vodka pasta and one other one. Both were vegetarian pasta options, which is great. Both had really nice flavored sauces and the pastas were also done right. I forgot to ask for crushed red pepper as some spice boost would've made things even better. Also, one of the pastas was a gluten free - and it was really good - in the sense that I never would've guessed that it was gf. It's a corn-based pasta, in case anyone wants to know. I really wish they had an eggplant parm, but unfortunately they had only chicken and veal parms, only. Lastly, and to top everything else off, we had a soft-serve almond-caramel (not the exact name) gelato. Wow, that was SO good. Nutty flavor and creamy rich. Probably the best course of the night. Just outstanding. I chose it based on ChatGPT recommendation and it was just spot ON. Definitely a place I'll come back to.

    Ciccio Mio was the final stop of our seven-restaurant Sunday food tour, and it could not have been…read morea more perfect ending. The restaurant is intimate, warm and moody in the best way - exactly the kind of place you want to settle into for a late dinner. We started with the truffle mozzarella sticks and burrata, followed by the rigatoni vodka and chicken parmesan. That chicken parm was easily one of the standout dishes of my entire Chicago trip. For dessert we had the citrus olive oil cake, and then they surprised us by gifting the table their soft serve. We absolutely did not need another bite of food at that point... and yet somehow that soft serve disappeared. It was amazing. And the service? Top notch. From beginning to end, the hospitality matched the food and atmosphere. Seven stops, a ridiculous amount of food, and Ciccio Mio managed to be the perfect finale.

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    Alla Vita

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    Alla Vita was great! Glad we went with 4 people because we got to try more dishes. They also have…read morean extensive wine selection. We started with three apps. The octopus surprised me because octopus can be hit or miss for me, but they did it really well! The table bread was also pretty good and cheesy. The Caesar was just fine. Nothing special but not bad (which is good coming from me since I'm not usually big on kale). Of course all of the pastas were yummy. The fusilloni was definitely my favorite from the noodle shape to the sausage and cheese. The ricotta dumplings were suuuuuper cheesy which I really liked (though I could see why others wouldn't) and had a melt in your mouth softness. The rigatoni was tasty, but kinda just tasted like a normal red sauce so would probably try something more interesting next time. We really enjoyed the chicken parm, too. Not as good as the pastas, but definitely tasty and the basil was a good touch. We finished with the guava cheesecake sundae. I really liked the little bits of cake, but the ice cream itself was a little lacking for me. Still a nice sweet treat to finish the meal!! We had the perfect amount of food overall for 4 people!

    Wanted to love this place soooo badly but we were a little disappointed. Ambiance and decor are…read moreamazing, it's so beautiful and lively inside but there was no AC and we were burningggg up. Had to use the menu to fan ourselves, other patrons were doing it as well. The fritto misto was ok, the breading tasted like it was old or had been sitting out. Not as crispy as we'd hope. To be honest felt like frozen calamari quality. The Alla Vita chopped was pretty standard, kinda reminded me of Olive Garden salad lol. The stars of the meal were the tagliatelle and cappelletti pasta. Both were super flavorful and pasta cooked well. The bone-in ribeye was a little on the sweeter side, definitely lacked a crust and salt. I'd pass on the steak IMO. Our biggest qualm was the timing of the dishes coming out. The pasta came out 30-35 minutes after the appetizer and salad which is fine, but the steak coming out 15 minutes after the pasta kinda ruined it. We'd love to eat the entrees (steak and pasta) together, and not finish our pasta first or let it go cold then eat steak alone.. ya know? We had ordered crispy potatoes but cancelled due to the wait. Ended the night with mango passion fruit sorbet with a prosecco float. Big mistake on the prosecco float haha it was so tarte and bitter, would def recommend trying the sorbet alone! Overall, glad we finally got to try this place. Focus more on the pastas and skip the steak. Very beautiful inside.

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    APEROL SPRITZ
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    The strawberry gelato was delicious!!

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    The strawberry gelato was delicious!!

    Nic + Junior’s - brazilian - Updated August 2026

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