Uchi Alum Nicholas Yanes To Open Northern Italian Cuisine Restaurant In Summer 2015

Nicholas Yanes, most recently the creative director and chef for the Japanese farmhouse restaurants Uchi and Uchiko in Austin, Texas, is opening his own restaurant in Austin this summer.

The upcoming Juniper will focus on the culinary landscape of Northern Italy alongside central Texas fare — Brisket Bolognese, for example. In preparation for the new restaurant, Yanes spent time in the Northern Italian regions of Piedmont, Lombardi and Emilia-Romagna.

The restaurant will feature an open kitchen, bar, and 12 seats at the chef's counter. The menu will focus on small plates that will change seasonally;  a number of items will be made in-house.

"Italian cuisine is one of family, tradition and loyalty," said chef Yanes. "Those core fundamentals, combined with a world-class product, are a no brainer. This is a cuisine that I love to eat and therefore a cuisine I must cook. That said, we will not be afraid of creating dishes that veer outside of the northern Italian region, but those traditions will remain our inspiration and drive at Juniper."