Our Story

Nick has always had a passion for good food. He learned to cook by watching his Mother create delicious meals
for her eight children. Widowed in the early 1950’s she was able to give her family wonderful dinners by using
her culinary skills. Homemade bread was a weekly chore, the best bread we have ever tasted. She filled leftover
dough with Italian sausage, grated cheese, and whatever greens were available (spinach, escarole, dandelions,
etc.). Then she drizzled olive oil over everything, rolled it up, and baked until it was golden brown. That was the
inspiration for our famous Nicolino bread. Nic-bread has been on our menu since the beginning and is our most
popular appetizer. Mrs. Andriaccio’s spaghetti sauce was also legendary. Still a well guarded secret, Nick now
makes the sauce in a 50 gallon steam kettle. Wow, Mom would have loved that!

Nick also can attribute his love of hospitality to his mother. Christmas Eve dinner at her home was open to
anyone who wanted to stop in, as it was not uncommon to see many Buffalo Police cars parked in front of her
home on Christmas Eve and the officers stopping by to enjoy some pasta and homemade bread.

Our first venture into the restaurant business was in Buffalo, N.Y., at Gavin’s Grill, located on Chippewa Street,
near Delaware Avenue. The year was 1974 and Chippewa Street had not yet achieved its renaissance. The street
was a little rough but the office workers in the area were happy to have a good lunch spot. We rented the space
in a large building and were limited in expanding, so when the opportunity came up to purchase the property that
is now the Nic-L-Inn Restaurant, we were excited to be owners. We had the opportunity to develop a restaurant
that would be a showcase of the great food and warm welcome that was the focal point of the Andriaccio home.

We opened the Nic-L-Inn in May of 1980 with the help of our family and friends. The location of being “in the
middle of nowhere” proved to be a mixed blessing. We may have been a challenge to find at first, but once you
did, you fell in love with the beautiful scenery and abundant wildlife. Hummingbirds surround the restaurant from
May to September and Black Bears roam in the warmer seasons. Starting out as a cedar log cabin, we have kept
that rustic charm and added three fieldstone fireplaces and a dining room with wall to wall windows so that
everyone can enjoy the view.

We worked long and hard hours, always striving to serve the best possible food prepared with the best
ingredients. Our customers have validated that superior food is essential for success. We have tripled the
original size of the restaurant, added an outdoor dinning facility and continually look for ways to improve our
service to our customers. We are so thankful for the opportunity to continue serving our customers for nearly 30
years and look forward to many new possibilities in the future. Thank you to all our family and our customers, for
the support.

Sincerely,

Nick and Linda Andriaccio