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The sign out front of Little Nickel on Forest Hill Avenue
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Little Nickel's exterior
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Little Nickel co-owner Katrina Giavos and Chef Loretta Montano
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The entryway at Little Nickel
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The interior at Little Nickel
The booming South Side dining scene is about to get a little more crowded. Little Nickel, a hat tip to the Nickel Bridge at 4702 Forest Hill Ave., is set to start lunch service within the next two weeks. It's the latest venture from Johnny and Katrina Giavos of Stella’s fame. They hope Little Nickel will become another neighborhood hub for the Forest Hill crowd, with booths for families, tables for couples, and even a space to grab a drink and light fare with friends at tall, round tables.
“A neighborhood spot to pop in to for a quick dinner or for drinks and a snack after a movie,” says Katrina Giavos.
The inspiration for the place is tiki bar — think Trader Vic’s for more modern tastes. Chef Loretta Montano, normally in charge at Stella’s Grocery, is taking inspiration from her Filipino husband to bring Johnny and Katrina's “holiday vacation” theme to life.
Lots of seafood will be on the menu, from shrimp skewers to an avocado and crab cocktail plus sandwiches and burgers. It won’t all be Pacific Rim, though. There will be some Middle Eastern flavors sneaking in, with halloumi fries (served with a harissa yogurt) and even shakshuka — an Israeli egg dish where the eggs are poached atop Swiss chard or spicy tomatoes and peppers.
When they open for lunch, they won’t be serving alcohol because they are still waiting on the ABC license, which Katrina thinks could take another week or two. With 10 restaurants and markets under the couple's collective belt, she has a pretty good sense of how long these things will take. Once they have the license in hand they’ll start rolling out dinner service and even add brunch, eventually staying open seven days a week.
Frankly, the cute little space with ample parking and the fun menu, combined with the tiki-inspired craft cocktails, might make this a destination in and of itself. Plus, they’ll have a flaming pu-pu platter!
