The Divine Dish

A Visit to the VODBOX at Nic’s Beverly Hills

Posted on Mar 09, 2014 under Archives | No Comment

 

Once the famed hangout of Rat Pack crooner Dean Martin, Nic’s in Beverly Hills still attracts the young, rich and famous.

The restaurant has a cool dark ambiance which is both trendy and relaxing.  Here celebrities sit side by side with locals in an intimate setting where diners can enjoy great food, excellent martinis and a trip to the famous VODBOX.

I recently visited the Beverly Hills hangout with my friend Janie to check out their new VODBOX.

The VODBOX, located in the back of the restaurant, is a walk-in freezer filled with hundreds of bottles of vodka.  Before entering the 28-degree room, guests can choose a faux fur coat and hat to keep them warm while sampling different flights of vodkas.  Three samplings cost around $21 and bottles are kept in stylish white open leather lockers.  Owner and vodkateur Larry Nicola has brought some of the luxurious vodkas in the world to be housed in the VODBOX, where top tier selections include Russian Standard, Jean Marc XO and Jewel of Russia.

Diners can also order vodka or a vodka martini at the bar or while dining.

Nic’s offers a wide variety of dishes ranging from comfort food to extravagant items. Here is a sampling of what we had during our tasting menu:

We started off with the Ramaki duck pate, served alongside pickles and toast.  Then came some lovely bite sized baked potatoes with creme fraiche and caviar. We loved these.

We also sampled lobster beignets with habanero nasturtium drizzle, these were okay in our opinion but a little pricey at $15.  Next came some lovely cruditee with a whipped artichoke, tomato and basil dip.

Our fave of the entire night came next, French fried artichokes with a malt vinegar and Aji Amarillo aioli.  These were fantastic.  Worth a trip if only you get these and check out the VODBOX.

I of course had to try Nic’s oysters, sauteed on spinach with walnuts and garlic.  These were also very good.

Next came the main courses.  We shared the gnocchi with morel mushrooms and champagne cream, the Guiness braised beef short ribs and the rib eye Japonaise with wasabi miso butter, crispy shitake and potatoes.

Desserts are also delicious and include the sundae with a toasted marshmallow on top which we sampled.

Other decadent desserts include dark chocolate and black cherry bon bons, bison bar with pecans and crème Chantilly, and a variety of dessert martinis. Nic’s is located at 453 North Canon Drive, reservations at 310.550.5707.