Inside The Box
When It Comes to Vodka, Nic’s May Be No. 1

Nic’s Restaurant & Lounge in Beverly Hills has established itself as, some would argue, the premier trendsetter in the country when it comes to vodka. And there’s one reason why: Owner Larry Nicola has carried on a stylish love affair with the spirit for 27 years. “I’m a Vodkateur,” Nicola says. “That’s my title. I’m getting ready to visit distilleries all over the world. Anyone can be an expert, though. That’s about knowledge. I want to be the most passionate. I want to be an ambassador for vodka.” Toward that end, Nicola has created a veritable shrine to vodka. Nic’s is vodka heaven a fantasyland for cocktail lovers. There are Vargas-esque paintings of female bullfighters by Corrall, a contemporary of Vargas. There’s surfing art. There are custom chandeliers. Behind the bar are hundreds of Martini glasses culled from Nicola’s travels. The walls are striped boldly in greens, blues, reds and yellows. Gorgeous white leather couches line the walls. “A 1959 Cadillac Eldorado in Miami with white interior,” is how Nicola playfully describes Nic’s. An award-winning chef, Nicola offers a masterpiece of a menu, as well, and there’s even a tribute to Dean Martin, an iconic Martini man if ever there was one. The building that now houses Nic’s used to be the bar that Martin frequented every night. So each day, at the exact place where Martin sat, Nicola lights a candle and places it on the shelf above Martin’s seat, next to his photograph. He also sets Martin up with the Martini of the day, for good measure. “We’ve tried to create something really hip and sexy,” Nicola explains. “Life’s complicated. Our job is to help people have a great time.”

The VodBox
Beyond the lounge lies the Holy Grail of vodka a glass chamber that is climate controlled to remain at 28 degrees. It’s known as the VodBox. Patrons enter through a shining stainless steel door, and inside are the finest vodkas in the world. “We’ve taken it to a whole new level,” Nicola says “You walk into the lounge, and if you like, one of our vodka sommeliers will escort you into the VodBox. The ladies are given leopard-print fur coats to wear; gentlemen get coats, too, and pimp hats. The coats were designed specifically for the VodBox by Stanley Hudson.” Once inside, the fun begins. Guests learn about vodkas and sample vodka flights. “It’s easy to up-sell in that kind of environment,” Nicola says. “The flights are $21 for two tastes. But you’re having such a good time and learning so much that many of our customers decide they want to try a $45 shot of Kauffman’s, for instance.” There are vodka lockers for companies and VIPs, but everyone is welcome to explore the VodBox, which Nicola describes as “offbeat, irreverent, excessively showy and exactly how to start the evening of a lifetime.” One of the vodka sommeliers, Leopold, who hails from Brazil, takes people in and sings for them. “It’s all about the culture,” Nicola insists. “You go in there and get to wear these coats and hats. You stay for about 20 minutes. We have people go in from the dining room between courses. It’s a blast.” The centerpiece in the VodBox is Nicola’s father’s old butcher block, which is where the flights come to rest. There are more than a hundred vodkas available — some of Nicola’s favorites including Kauffman; Potocki, which is only available in California in the VodBox; and Jean Mark XO.

The VodCart
The VodBox alone would make Nic’s the ultimate vodka paradise, but Nicola keeps pushing the envelope. Nicola’s latest invention is the VodCart. It’s a custom-made Lucite cart filled with ice and stuffed with premium vodkas and hand-blown glasses. The VodCart wheels around the dining room and the lounge, a portable vodka class and joy generator all in one. “We offer a $150 Martini which we make right from the cart,” Nicola explains. “We do great with our vodkas with this presentation. When people go out and order wine, they think nothing of spending a couple hundred bucks. When you give people value and show them how wonderful vodka can be, they don’t mind spending money for vodka, either.” Nicola says he never shakes or stirs his Martinis. And while Nic’s offers flavored vodkas and has a menu full of flamboyant cocktails, he enjoys helping people learn about the glories of being a purist. “Take a vodka like Kauffman’s. It’s been distilled 14 times. It’s magnificent. You don’t want to mess with something like
that. It’s like taking a perfect steak and dousing it with steak sauce.” Nicola currently is looking at taking his VodBox and VodCart concepts to five boutique hotels. “People just have so much fun standing in the VodBox and having drinks made from the VodCart,” he says. “We’ve got something really special here."