Glutton
Iced Tea
Spicy Pork Rinds
Brandade Rangoon – Salt Cod, Garlic, Cream Cheese, Honey
Wood Fired Eggplant Caponata – Goat Cheese Toast, Balsamic Reduction
Guanciale Flatbread – Taleggio Cheese, Grilled Radicchio, Fennel Pesto
Shaved Brussel Sprouts – Kale, Dill, Fennel, Parmesan, Tahini Vinaigrette
Japanese Street Corn – Miso Butter, Furikake, Chives
Prime Flank Steak – Mushroom Fondue, Blue Cheese Relish
Beet Salad – Whipped Goat Cheese, Pistachios, Chervil, Frisee
Cavatelli & Short Rib – Wild Mushrooms, Truffle Mousse
Butternut Squash Agnolotti – Celery Root Puree, Crisp Potato, Shaved Black Truffle
Brown Butter Gnocchi – Pork Cheek, Soy, Sage, Pine Nut Gremolata
Wood Roasted Chicken – Taso Ham & Pickled Pepper Stuffing, Bourbon Sauce
Turkey & Guanciale Meatballs – Tomato Piquillo Sauce, Soft Parmesan Polenta
Caramel Corn Profiteroles – Salted Caramel, Popcorn Icecream, Peanuts
Churros & Hot Chocolate – Cinnamon Sugar Churros, Spiced Hot Chocolate, Marshmallow
Maple & Mascarpone Cheesecake – Walnut Curst, Blueberry, Preserved Lemon
Caramel Apple Fritters
More than a little impressed by brunch at Glutton shortly after the Saturday-Sunday menu was launched, it was with four friends that dinner was planned in the small dining room off Carson Avenue this past Friday, Chefs Bradley Manchester and Joseph Kudrak given carte blanche to serve as they like with the exception of a few requests.
Admittedly a bit of a misnomer in terms of name and signage, the small-plates portions and delicacy of the food not really prone to bursting belts or making one feel too-full-to-walk, Glutton represents the vision of a Chef who turned away from the confines of Casino kitchens in order to follow his heart and with a menu riffing on comfort food classics reinvented with interesting ingredients it was in seventeen plates that appetites were invested, all but one succeeding in its premise while several were amongst the very best in class.
Small in space and high in style, the wood tables atop cement floors and open kitchen beneath exposed ceilings following a path traveled by many hip spots in cities across the United States, the pride of Glutton is found in a wood burning oven used in many of the restaurant’s preparations, and updating the menu far more quickly than many of its East-of-Strip brethren it was in the now familiar pig-skins that the evening got started, only one item to follow a repeat from just a few months prior while some were just introduced that night.
Playing to my ears in terms of soundtrack while sending out plates in rounds that never once led to the table being overwhelmed, it was on the heels of a hearty caponata that the evening’s first “wow” moment occured, the delicate taste of creamed salt cod packed into wonton wrappers absolutely delicious with just a kiss of sweetness while the follow-up flatbread was unfortunately less balanced, the raddichio a bit too bitter when paired to the crust’s blister as both pork and pesto were mostly lost in the mix.
Quickly regaining traction with two salads that showed not only the quality of Glutton’s produce, but also the skill of Manchester and team for reinvigorating tired trends, suffice it to say that beets amidst goat cheese and pistachios were every bit as boldly flavored as they were beautiful while the shaved sprouts and ‘superfood’ found new depths of flavor when tinged with dill and the unexpected aromatics of toasted sesame seeds.
Progressing on a trajectory of flavors that grew bolder by rounds the two items presented next comprised the last of the menu’s small-plates, and although the flank steak beneath mushrooms and blue cheese was almost too rich to be enjoyed past more than a few bites it was a sidedish of corn that had the whole table swooning, each roasted kernel glistening with butter while the Japanese accents contributed volumes of umami and just the slightest hint of spice.
A bit saddened to see the brown butter gnocchi finally removed from the menu despite being a hit from day one, it was at the gratuity of Chef Manchester that the dish made one last appearance alongside two new pastas for round five, and although both the springy Cavatelli and Butternut Squash pockets grounded in celery root were absolutely flawless they still could not match the complex flavors of tender potato dumplings tinged in soy beneath supple pork cheek, pine nuts, and sage.
Taking a well calculated risk with poultry in a final pair of savories, suffice it to say that Manchester and Kudrak are not afraid to use one the bold flavors of swine to augment something less rich and although some may say “why bother?” using turkey to craft meatballs if they are only to be blended with guanciale the results were, in fact, outstanding amidst a bowl of creamy polenta, the pepper stuffed roulade no less enthralling with smoky notes finding their foil in a sauce of sweet bourbon.
Again a bit sad to see the rice pudding arancini axed from the menu it was with a ‘one of each’ finale of desserts that the meal would end and although the newly launched brunch-only caramel apple fritters could have benefited from a bit higher center-to-surface-area to circumvent some oiliness both the cheesecake and churros were reference standard in their execution, the signature profiteroles with flavors of Cracker Jack still undoubtedly Sin City’s very best.
FOUR STARS: Willing to take chances while other restaurants seem content to sit back and rely on celebrity marketing or familiarity to push their brand anyone interested in food would be well served to stop by Glutton in order to see what Manchester and his team are doing, the results not quite perfect yet perhaps all the better for it from a kitchen that shows no signs of stopping…or even slowing down to take a breath.
RECOMMENDED: Brandade Rangoon, Shaved Brussel Sprouts, Japanese Street Corn, Cavatelli & Short Rib, Caramel Corn Profiteroles.
AVOID: Guanciale Flatbread was simply too bitter for my palate while the fritters are a work in progress.
TIP: Offering different menus for dinner, weekday lunch, and weekend brunch those planning a visit are encouraged to peruse the up-to-date online menus while daily specials are often announced via Social Media.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
http://www.gluttonlv.com/
