Nick's on Broadway

Sunday morning was of a rare kind. We got up, skipped our usual eggs or toast at home and went out for brunch. Because such a thing doesn't happen very often, we made it special and went somewhere awesome.


For many reasons, I love going to Nick's. The open kitchen and the friendly, knowledgeable staff are both immediately inviting. They pull off the upscale diner aesthetic without being too kitschy. The tables are close together but you don't think to mind because you are distracted by the knowledge that you are in for something good. And we were. What I think makes the food at Nick's really great is that it is always simple yet incredibly thoughtful. Surprising are the careful details of your meal.







We took our usual approach to brunch ordering- one sweet dish, one savory, plus a side of home fries and split everything between us. Sweet: Half stack of pancakes with the fruit topping of the day (cherries) and fresh whipped cream. This was more than enough to share. I really, really liked the cherry topping. Even though our server called it a "compote" the individual cherry halves were still very much in tact and only lightly macerated, not overly sweet. The cakes themselves were light, tender and contained a few sweet spices I think.


Savory: Polenta (squares) with poached eggs, fresh spinach with roasted red pepper vinaigrette. With two eggs and two squares, this was easy to split as well. The polenta had enough structure to hold the eggs but enough soft richness to dissolve into individual granules in your mouth with no hint of toughness or chew whatsoever. The vinaigrette was tangy and delicious and the fresh spinach added a welcome element of crisp freshness. Nick's home fries always satisfy with their blend of starchy and sweet potatoes plus they added red onions and scallions. Even the mayonnaise we ordered for the potatoes was a special creation laced with crushed black peppercorns.


This is one of my favorites in Providence. The food is always good, the staff always friendly and is consistently one of the best ways to spend a Sunday morning.