Nicks

I am a little meloncholy today. I went to Nicks for lunch, 1300 North Spring Street, LA CA 90012, 323-222-1450, and I've come to realize that it's not the same place it used to be.

I've had a semi-love affair with the "3-Kill_Sampler" for about fifteen years. That lasted longer than my marraige. They only serve it for lunch on Wednesdays and Thursdays. It's about $8.00. They BBQ from the morning and it's a solid serving of tri-tip, ribs and sausage. The sides are BBQ beans and a choice of potato salad or coleslaw. I usually get an ice tea.

I don't know what happened exactly. Did they change the way they make it? Did my taste buds change? I do know that the environment in the shack-like-diner changed when Irma left.

Irma worked there for many years. She was energetic in a cool kind of way, could make you feel welcome and make you laugh. She remembered your name and if she didn't remember it, she could remember something about you and blame you for not coming in more often which would make it easier for her to remember your name. She was fun.

You know what? This entry is less about Nicks and more about the importance of the flavor of a place, the culture of a cafe, and the people who work there who make a difference. When you lose that or when it changes, the food also changes. I think that realization today made me meloncholy, FULL but meloncholy.

http://www.nickscafe.net