I had my first Nicky's experience last night and thoroughly enjoyed it! This place is really cool and I will definitely be checking out their downtown location.
The restaurant itself is very small inside. I thought it was interesting that the host/hostess desk was situated in a spot with a full view into part of the kitchen. In a way, I guess this transparency should be appreciated--they have nothing to hide.
It was raining when my friend and I arrived, and we were quite confused when they asked if we preferred an inside or outside table. Once it was explained that the outside was covered, we decided to go with that option. No regrets! The garden area is really cute and unique. Lots of kitschy statues and a wide variety of plants made the area charming without being tacky. There was something oddly enjoyable about eating outside (under a roof) during a rain storm.
We started by splitting the crispy fried tofu which was served with a thick sweet and sour sauce. The portion was very generous (eight triangular pieces) and honestly I could have eaten the entire plate myself. They were delicious and I definitely recommend them!
Whenever I'm eating at a Thai restaurant for the first time, I like to order Pad Thai.. I guess it's sort of like a gauge for the quality of the restaurant. The portion was generous, but it was so good that I almost finished the entire thing (I was looking forward to having leftovers for lunch today, but just I couldn't stop!). They have a ten-point scale for spiciness, and at our waiter's recommendation I went with a four. It was fairly spicy--I could probably do a five next time, but it was spicy enough for my liking (and I DO like spicy foods quite a bit).
The place is BYOB and the prices are reasonable. I'm not in the North Side too often but this place alone makes it worth the trip!