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Snack Bar opens at 3 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
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Little Nickel Bar Manager Madison Pere
From its flaming punch bowls to its pink flamingo wallpaper, Forest Hill’s self-described “tropical diner,” Little Nickel, exudes serious “On Vacation” energy. But rest and relaxation need not equate to sandy beaches and coastal cuisine; they can also be achieved poolside, sipping frozen drinks with a hot dog in hand.
And at the restaurant’s newly debuted Snack Bar, the latter is precisely the vibe they’re going for.
“You usually see Tiki bars or beach bars and stuff like that [in the restaurant scene], but [we’ve] never seen somebody do a pool snack bar; that’s so nostalgic of the summertime,” says Little Nickel Bar Manager Madison Pere.
In the works for the past three years, Snack Bar is the vision of Pere and Constantine “Dean” Giavos, son of restaurateurs and Little Nickel owners Katrina and Johnny Giavos and creative director for his family’s many businesses. Serving on Fridays and Saturdays only, starting at 3 p.m., the outdoor walk-up watering hole attached to the neighborhood restaurant aims to offer a more streamlined option for guests wanting to snag a quick snack and sip, while providing relief to the bar team and staff.
“We constantly will have a line out the door with people just ordering drinks,” Pere says. “You can’t really add another body [behind the bar], so that was our whole thing with this; we already have a space. This way, if you don’t want to commit [to a table] or just want a frozen [drink], you can do that.”
Channeling a midcentury modern Palm Springs poolside oasis, Snack Bar is cool, casual and kitschy. A handful of high-top tables dot the patio, creating an intimate al fresco area. Orders are placed at the walk-up window with the bartender, aka pool attendant, while a frozen drink machine spins behind them, alongside a hot dog roller topped with glistening beef franks. Created with ease of preparation in mind, the drink menu lists a handful of canned beer and wine options, in addition to a summery sangria, rum punch and a colorful array of housemade Jell-O shots. Always flowing: frozen drinks.
“A lot of people come here for a frozen [cocktail], which I’m very proud of that part about our bar — frozen drinks are always consistent sellers no matter what we have in the machine,” says Pere, previously of Sabai, My Noodle & Bar, and Rappahannock.
Currently swirling at Snack Bar is Last Matador, a riff on a Hemingway daiquiri and the gin cocktail Last Word, featuring Virago Spirits gin and Trial & Error aquavit. Always available is Pere’s Orange Crushie, an easy-sipping, sunny-day East Coast classic, served slushy style.
“That was our top seller inside for the past five years,” Pere says, noting that she uses Deep Eddy’s Orange Vodka and Chinola, a passion fruit liqueur. “People know [the cocktail version of] Orange Crush from the beach but barely ever see it frozen. I ended up running it for five months because people were just like ‘Crush, Crush, I just want the Crush.’”
With a resume that boasts just as many back-of-house roles — from her first gig at Can Can Brasserie to time at Dinamo — as stints behind the bar, Pere says she’s enjoyed collaborating with co-worker Josh Lingerfelt to create a few easy and approachable dishes for Snack Bar that align with summertime.
“I used to cook for 10 years, so I also miss cooking, and it’s been fun to make my own ceviche,” Pere says. “[Lingerfelt has] cooked for a long time, too; if I’m not working the bar, he’ll be working the bar.”
Current bites include classic and meat-free hot dogs as well as ceviche and a vegan version made with hearts of palm, and Pere says that in the coming weeks they’re looking to offer bites from spam musubi to beef patties.
Pere, who has been with Little Nickel since its 2018 opening, says to stay tuned for details on an upcoming patio party and eventual pop-ups. Snack Bar is just getting the summer pool party started.
“This is kind of what we have in motion now, but we’re going to keep creating,” she says. “Now that we have it open, we can really start going at it. We want people to be able to just come get a beer or a snack, take it to the park, whatever they want to do. It will be a whole different vibe.”
Snack Bar at Little Nickel is open from 3 to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.