04-07-2025
Brunch With the Owners Behind Flatbush's Coolest Cafe
On a Wednesday morning in Flatbush, brunch at Aunts et Uncles feels alive. Light pours through the glass front of the cafe, plants and family photos fill the space, the crowd is dressed to the nines. At the center of it all is the husband and wife duo behind the establishment, Nicole and Mike Nicholas. Their vibe is just as effortless as their guests; Nicole wears an all-white ensemble, pairing a balloon skirt with a textured cotton cardigan, while Mike keeps it breezy with a crocheted button-down and relaxed linen trousers.
They're stopping in for a quick brunch on a rare day off, but they can't take a few steps in Aunts et Uncles without recognizing someone. 'We call it the living room; it's an extension of our home,' she says. The entire scene is so surreal. Maybe it's because Nicole and Mike have accomplished what so many restaurants strive to do: create a space that actually serves its community.
Aunts et Uncles is a project years in the making. Growing up in Flatbush, Mike felt that his neighborhood was missing a destination that served the community. 'The problem in our neighborhood is that we didn't have a safe space to sit down, dine, commune, and share thoughts,' he says. After working in events, fashion, and design, Nicole and Mike combined their experiences and, together with their friends, opened a clothing shop across the street from where Aunts et Uncles now stands. But it lacked that deeper sense of community they envisioned — a cafe that would draw in people from all over the world, within their own neighborhood. Now, almost five years into business, the idea behind Aunts et Uncles is a reality.
When it comes to brunch, the menu takes a non-traditional approach, skipping the unlimited mimosas and eggs Benedict in favor of fresh juices and plant-based twists on Afro-Caribbean dishes. 'Brunch for us is kind of a dance between the love of Caribbean food and all of the things we grew up on,' Nicole says. Favorites on the menu include the Ital is Vital bowl with green banana, lentils, callaloo, flavors that Nicole says are staples for brunch back home in the Caribbean. As for Mike, he tapped into the nostalgia of his childhood by developing a gluten-free waffle recipe using plantains to ground the dish in his heritage.
These dishes are just a few examples of how the couple carries the now and then, offering contemporary takes on ancestral cooking. This old-meets-new ethos is a through line in their cafe, one that's apparent in Aunt et Uncle's interior, where natural materials found on the islands are given a modern treatment. 'It's giving you Copenhagen meets Caribbean,' Mike says. 'I stripped a lot of the ornate wood carvings and gave them some straight lines, but still dressed it up with family photos and memorabilia.'
This bridging of worlds extends to their personal style, too. Like today, when Nicole brings visual intrigue to her monochromatic look by mixing textures. She pairs a cotton crinkle-knit cardigan with a bubble-hem maxi skirt from Banana Republic, then accessorizes with chunky gold bangles on her ankles and wrists — heirlooms from her family in Trinidad. Mike introduces a pop of color to his outfit with a light blue shirt from Banana Republic, and maintains the easy-going feel with linen suit pants. He dresses it up with a gold bracelet given to him by Nicole's father and a ring of his childhood hero Miles Davis. With Banana Republic's latest collection, there's a mix of classics with character and comfortable, airy fabrics, qualities that are paramount for the pair. They round out their outfits with matching kitchen clogs just in case they need to jump behind the bar or bus tables during the morning rush.
Even when they're working, Nicole and Mike don't reach for traditional chef coats. Instead, they find ways to let their personal style shine through. 'When we are in the kitchen, we like to throw up outfits that are still vibey,' Mike says. They build each outfit carefully, mixing investment pieces with everyday basics and fun, thrifted finds. Often, the items they reach for come from Banana Republic, knowing that they can always find quality fabrics and effortless silhouettes that elevate their wardrobe. 'There's a certain level of style, there's a certain level of taste, a certain level of aesthetic that's just cohesive throughout the brand.' Mike says.
But Nicole and Mike aren't the only tastemakers in their community — they find that their regulars are just as fashion-forward and mindful. Their events coordinator, Friday, arrives to work in parachute pants, a tube top, crochet hat, and a braided bag adorned with homemade wire flowers. A woman stops in for coffee wearing paperbag jeans and a sleeveless shirt with exaggerated shoulder pads. 'People know that when they come to Aunts et Uncles, this is how they should show up, this is what they're going to experience, and this is how they should feel,' Nicole says. Diners come to the cafe dressed to be seen.
Aunts et Uncles is more than just a place to stop in for plant-based cooking or Afro-Caribbean classics, it's a destination. And brunch, in particular, is a time when Nicole and Mike's vision of community comes to life. They've built a space that reflects a certain kind of aesthetic, one that, when people recognize it, know it's a place that invites them to show off. 'When they get there and they sit down, they're reading the menu, they're catching the vibe — it just reassures them that they're supposed to be there,' Mike says. Photo Credits: Associate Art Director: Clara Shader-Seave Photographer: Nate Palmer Digital Tech: Ryan Jones Wardrobe Stylist: Marcello Flutie Talent Partnerships Director: Kelly Ramsawak Creative Services: Lexie Denniston Production Coordinator: Andi Kraft Producer: Alex Friedlander
Creative Strategist: Hailey Ryan
