RESTAURANT REVIEW: Nick's S.C. Offers New York Flair With No Plane Fare

Overview: Founded in 1997 by Nick Nickoloff and his partners, the first Nick's restaurant opened in Laguna Beach. The second opened here in San Clemente on Jan. 14, 2010. With a fusion of a bar atmosphere and a bistro, the restaurant promises to deliver excellent food with outstanding value.

Decor: Nick's has a modern, New York bistro look. With hues of mahogany adorning wooden tables, leather booths and immaculate seating, the restaurant is one of the cleanest restaurants I've ever been to.

Don't forget: When you enter, look to your left for a picture of old San Clemente, a brief history lesson for those of you who are from out of town.

The Drinks: Drinks are typical of such high-caliber restaurants. From a selection of fine wines and beers to mixed exotic drinks, Nick's has something for everyone. Word has it that the Blood Orange Cosmos ($11) are delicious and well mixed. Another noteworthy drink of Nick's is its water.

That's right, its water.

It's purified with a special purifier. I've been to many high-end restaurants across the world, and this is the second time I've had a restaurant serve me purified water (the other was in Dubai).

View the drink menu here.

Appetizers: Nick's offers a new spin on appetizers. Asparagus fries ($7) are covered in a crispy parmesan crust, served with ranch. Fried deviled eggs ($5) (a Nick's original) and the classic calamari ($7), lightly fried and roasted with tomato aioli are tasty as well. Take a look at the rest of the appetizers here.  

Entrees: Oh, the entrees—how fantastic they were. My friend Romeo (yes,  that's his name!) decided to go with the Rustic Tuna Sandwich ($10).

Romeo devoured the sandwich, which was made with house-baked albacore, avocado, tomato sprouts and herb mayonnaise on artisan bread.

"It really does taste rustic," he said. "It's probably one of the best tuna sandwiches I've ever had. It's filling, and it doesn't make you feel bloated."

As for myself, I picked the prime top sirloin ($19). Topped with the diner's choice of steak butter or a blue cheese crust and served with a loaded baked potato, and seasonal roasted vegetables, the steak scent made my mouth water.

The first bite was exactly what I expected of a prime cut of beef: a small bit of char mixed in with the tender flesh. Pure joy.

Keep your mouth shut so you don't drool before clicking here to view the entree menu.

Sides: While we didn't sample the sides, Nick's offers everything from the classic mac and cheese ($5 à la carte and $3 with entree) to a Thai peanut coleslaw ($5 à la carte and $3 with entree). View the appetizers here.

Desserts: If there is one place that Nick's shines, it is in the desserts. While there is no menu of the desserts, simply ask your server for a list,  and he or she will be glad to tell you.

As our server went through the list for Romeo and me, one item piqued our interest: Nick's Butter Cake ($7.50).

We waited eagerly for it, and as soon as our waitress came out of the kitchen, we could smell its buttery, caramel and raspberry scent. The smell was intoxicating. As our waitress put down the dessert and said, "Enjoy," Romeo and I looked at the cake in awe.

A butter cake, with some caramel topped with ice cream and raspberry sauce awaited us. The smells were ... overwhelming. We finally managed to lift our spoons and take a bite.

The first bite made our eyes roll back into our heads. It was magnificent. If there is one thing you must order from this restaurant, it is this cake. You can't go wrong with it.

Service: Our server was pleasant and, on top of everything, she even asked me if I would like to change the temperature of my steak from medium-well to medium so that it could be served alongside Romeo's sandwich so we could eat at the same time. A rare gesture these days.

Signature Dish: Nick's Butter Cake

Address: 213 Avenida del Mar

Cost: $$