Standard & Pour
Netflix & Chill – Belvedere Citrus Vodka, Cranberry Cocktail, Blueberry Puree
Raspberry Beret – Bottled Belvedere Citrus Vodka, Raspberry Puree, House Lemonade
Endive & Date – Mandarin Orange, Spiced Pistachio, Shallot
Crispy Oysters – Sriracha Egg Salad, Smoked Trout Roe
Date & Bleu Cheese Jam – Buttered Almond, Bacon Bread
Three Beans – House XO, Fish Sauce, Garlic
Spicy Shrimp – Red Curry, Sambal, Coconut Milk
Mini Burgers – Fontina, Criss Cut Potato, Tomato Relish
Whole Smoked Romanesco – Caper, Red Onion, Golden Raisin, Fine Herbs
Meatball Sliders – House Ricotta, Sundae Gravy, Potato Bun
Kimchi Tacos – Scallion Pancake, Short Rib, Asian Pear
Ribeye Cap – Juniper Porcini Rub, House Steak Sauce
Coffee – Lavazza
Fruit Loop Panna Cotta – Orange Sorbet, Raspberry Gummy, Hazelnut
Lost Bread – Cinnamon Roll, Maple Icing, Toasted Pecan
At first feeling a bit guilty about visiting Standard & Pour before the restaurant was even five days old, the choice based on an overseas vacation that would have seen the experience missed for nearly three weeks otherwise, it turns out that feedback offered from that first visit was in fact implemented, a Saturday night return showing the music to be lower and more appropriate while both kitchen and front of house continue to execute at a very high level.
Having thoroughly enjoyed that first meal, half of the menu tasted with only a couple items in need work, night two saw three friends sat at a comfy high-top caddy-corner to the kitchen as the lights of Las Vegas twinkled in the distance for those with the bar to their back, the soundtrack adjusted from Elevator-techno to the likes of Genesis and Beck.
Served by a team of smiling youngsters led by Ed Tracy and Chelsea Anderson, Chef John Courtney working the line and delivering most plates himself, it was with two adult beverages that the evening got started, both similar in concept but delivered quite opposite, the large format Netflix & Chill now offered as single servings during the Four O’clock to 7:00pm Happy Hour in individual glasses while the bottled Raspberry Beret was the sippable sort of sweetness anchored by Citrus Vodka that those not paying attention could quickly get into trouble with.
Focusing mostly on items missed the first time, though the Crispy Oysters and Date & Bleu Cheese Jam could not be passed up for the newcomer at the table while Lost Bread was far better this time thanks to a clever trick filling its core with icing and thus improving texture significantly, early shockers included the Endive and Three Bean Salads, the former a beautiful balance of bitter Chicories with Citrus while the latter was a simple yet bold presentation of what can be done with good ingredients in the hands of a Chef not afraid to challenge diners with bold flavors and spices.
Taking the experiences of Chefs Courtney and Harwell into account, the menu a melding of their distinctive styles that sees them generally working in collaboration, but also exhibiting their own flare, follow-up plates included Happy Hour Mini Burgers topped in crispy Potatoes and Fontina alongside Meatball Sliders decorated in House Ricotta on Potato Buns, each meaty plate of three ideal for sharing, as too is the nicely seared Rib Cap.
Taking some chances with three more plates, the Red Curry Shrimp tamed by Coconut Milk but still heated enough to demand a glass of water or another drink, Whole Smoked Romanesco is perhaps as “head turning” as a vegetable can be in any restaurant, the use of Capers and Golden Raisins yielding an effect no less intriguing than the Kimchi Tacos’ interplay of salt, smoke and sweet.
Continuing to spontaneously serve Coffee with dessert, a joke carried over from Carson Kitchen still as amusing as before, it was after the enhanced Bread Pudding that first bites of the Fruit Loops Panna Cotta were tasted, Chef Courtney particularly proud of the Milk Bar inspired composition that eats light as light as a cloud with subtle malty notes underlying texturally diverse Fruit and Nut flavors.
FIVE STARS: Pairing a gorgeous room with a view to top-quality service and an exciting Bill of Fare, Standard & Pour has immediately emerged as Henderson’s most exciting place for dinner, the music now far less affronting to the senses with no lack of interesting plates built to order with friends and share.
RECOMMENDED: Raspberry Beret, Three Beans, Date & Bleu Cheese Jam, Whole Smoked Romanesco, Lost Bread, Fruit Loops Panna Cotta.
AVOID: N/A, though outside Happy Hour why go Mini Burger or Meatball Slider with so many other great things available.
TIP: Happy Hour Menu is offered 4-7pm daily, four items plus Beers and Wines for $5 with four more plus individual pours of Pool Boy, Netflix & Chill and White Pear Sangria for $8.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
http://standardandpourlv.com/
