Austin’s Most Cozy Neighborhood Gets a Charming New Italian Restaurant

Austin’s Hyde Park is a cozy neighborhood filled with quaint bungalows, local restaurants and bakeries. It’s a true picture of calm, just north of the bustling University of Texas campus.

Now, Hyde Park has a charming new northern Italian restaurant to enjoy any time of day. Uncle Nicky’s opened this winter at 4222 Duval Street, filling the spot left by espresso and gelato hotspot Dolce Vita.

Don’t worry, Uncle Nicky’s has preserved some of the gelato, with a popular pecan flavor in particular.

Uncle Nicky’s is now open seven days a week, from 7 am to midnight, serving up Northern Italian food created by chef Nicholas Yanes, owner and executive chef of Juniper; Brandon and Zane Hunt of Via 313 and Nickel City; and Nickel City partner Travis Tober.

The dream of this neighborhood throwback joint with casual counter service was hatched from the desire to bring a classic Northern Italian cafe with all of the charm of the region to Austin’s quaint Hyde Park neighborhood.

“One of my favorite things about Northern Italy is the ease and simplicity of the cafes. I knew that I wanted to bring the same energy to Hyde Park and create a version of that same simplistic experience in Austin,” Yanes tells PaperCity. 

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At Uncle Nicky’s, the menu revolves around piadinas, or Italian sandwiches, salads, antipasti, breakfast and a coffee program. It’s a full spread.

Highlights include Uncle Nicky’s Pane Tostato, or the Italian Trifecta of Italian bruschetta topped with Italian ingredients, made by Italian hands. These include marinated zucchini, mint and lemon, an elevated take on the classic peanut butter and jelly and whipped salt cod among others. Obviously, don’t sleep on the deliciously fresh caprese and spicy capicola sandwich.

As for libations, Uncle Nicky’s focus is on refreshing classic Italian cocktails, spritzes and Negronis. Tried and true drinks like the Aperol Spritz, Americano and Garibaldi, with orange juice and frozen Campari, are readily available for purists. Beers, Italian wines and Amaro are also on tap.

For an Austin twist, try the tropical Dolce Vita, made with Plantation three star rum, plantation pineapple rum, coconut sorbet, pineapple, lime and prosecco.

You could say that’s amore. Or you could just say Uncle.