We had heard from friends who have visited Austin that it’s a great food city. So of course we had to check that out for ourselves. Nik’s Italian Kitchen and Bar, Austin TX was just a short drive from our RV park in Hudson Bend. Italian food is right at the top of our list of favorite cuisines. Put those two facts together and Nik’s was an easy choice.
Nik’s Bleu Cheese Wedge Salad
It was also a very delicious choice!
Inside Nik’s Italian Kitchen Austin TX
This unique chandelier is hanging in Nik’s Italian Kitchen and Bar in Austin TX
Nik’s opened in Austin in 2011. It’s a locally owned and operated family business. From day one, they have been committed to serving a very high quality product in an atmosphere that is friendly to every occasion. Marinara, meat sauce and Alfredo sauces are made fresh right on the premises every day. At Nik’s they use San Marzano roma tomatoes imported from the small town of San Marzano sul Sarno, near Naples, Italy for their marinara, meat sauce and pizza sauce. The Alfredo sauce is made from heavy cream with plenty of parmesan cheese and it’s not cooked until you order it! They make their our signature salad dressings, batter their own chicken parmesan, eggplant and calamari, and their parmesan spinach dip is a proprietary recipe, made from scratch.
This attention to detail really showed in the fresh taste of each dish that Steve and I tried.
Nik’s Italian Kitchen in Austin TX is a neighborhood place with a chic casual vibe. As soon as we walked in, Steve and I felt at home. There are a couple of TVs at the bar for the dedicated sports fans. And even though there was a buzz of activity, the noise level was perfect for easy conversation.
The varied menu is definitely Italian, but with a view nods toward Tex-Mex that is so popular in this area of the country.
Nik’s rich and creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip
So Steve and I decided to go our usual route and taste as many dishes as possible without needing a wheelbarrow to get to our car. We started off by sharing the signature Artichoke Spinach Dip which was rich and creamy with three different kinds of cheese and bits of artichokes that were blended with spinach and topped off with mozzarella. The fresh tortilla chips were the perfect vehicle for bringing that tasty dip to our anxiously awaiting mouths.
Fried Cheese Ravioli with Marinara at Nik’s Italian Kitchen Austin TX
And don’t get me started on the yummy Toasted Ravioli. These crunchy cheese filled ravioli were breaded and fried. Then they were anointed with more cheesy goodness and served in a pool of tomatoey marinara.
Another look at Nik’s Bleu Cheese Wedge Salad and those gorgeous ripe red tomatoes!
We followed our appetizers with a fabulous Bleu Cheese Wedge Salad. Normally iceberg is my last choice of lettuces. But sometimes it just tastes perfect. This was one of those times. Of course topping the ultra-crisp iceberg lettuce with fresh ripe tomatoes, lots of bacon and funky, peppery blue cheese dressing helped bring it to absolute perfection!
Jalapeño Lime Chicken in spicy lime cream sauce
Honestly we could have ended our experience at Nik’s with that salad and we would have been quite satisfied. But in true Traveling Locavores style, we had ordered one more dish to try. Glad that we were sharing, we did manage to finish every last morsel of the Jalapeño Lime Chicken. This dish was fabulous. The creamy sauce had just the right amount of heat to make your taste buds tingle. And the chicken was perfectly grilled and still juicy. Mmmmmmm Mmmmmmm good!!!
We almost ordered dessert, but kept picturing that wheelbarrow.
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