Yardbird Southern Table & Bar
Bourbon Blackberry Lemonade
Fried Green Tomato BLT – Pork Belly, Greens, Tomato Jam, Pimento Cheese
Deviled Eggs with Redneck Caviar, Fresh Dill, Smoked Trout Roe
Pork Terrine, Pickled Cauliflower, Grilled Bread, Grainy Mustard
Fried Bread and Butter Pickle Spears – Spicy Salt and Spiked Duke’s Mayo
Macaroni and Cheese – Tochio Pasta, Five Artisinal Cheeses, Crispy Herb Crust
Mama’s Chicken Biscuits – Free Range Fried Chicken, Pepper Jelly, House Pickles
Heirloom Tomato Salad – Toasted Peanut Hummus, Basil, Smoked Tomato Sorbet, Crunchy Puffed Rice
Chicken Liver Toast – Grilled Country Bread, Cuke, Fresno Pepper Relish
Low and Slow Smoked Chicken Salad on Fried Cornbread
Chicken n’ Watermelon n’ Waffles – Fried Chicken, Hot Sauce Honey, Spiced Watermelon, Cheddar Cheese Chow Chow Waffle, Bourbon Maple Syrup
Double Espresso on Ice
Bacon-Butterscotch Cake with Bacon Frosting, Pecan Pie Filling, and Bourbon Bacon Ice Cream
Key Lime Donut Bites with Coconut Mango Panna Cotta
Crunch n’ Munch Bread Pudding, Popcorn Ice Cream
Invited in by Chef Todd Harrington for a taste of Yardbird Southern Kitchen & Table at the Venetian on the night before its official opening, and treated to fourteen plates over the course of two and a half hours, it was just after 8 o’clock that myself and a friend stood up and shuffled out into the Italian themed casino – the scene far different than trendy South Beach, but the cuisine and culture inside the restaurant every bit as good, if not better than the Beard Nominated Florida flagship.
Large in size and aggressive in scope, with a menu covering lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, Yardbird is the first Las Vegas expansion for the 50 Eggs restaurant group and overseen from its conceptualization by Chef Harrington with a kitchen far exceeding the capacity of the original and a dining room tinged in upscale rustic décor as classic southern blues and jazz fill the air the dining area itself feels a hundred miles from the slots machines outside and seated in a small alcove to the side of a wide-open kitchen it was not long after seating that our server arrived, both she and each of her assistants already well versed in the menu and its roots while the Chef and GM filled diners in on new techniques including the use of sous vide, extensive brining, and a double smoker that set many of the plates apart from the Yardbird on Miami Beach.
Largely allowing the kitchen to send out plates they felt best expressed the restaurant’s vision, while also making a few specific requests, it was with the restaurant’s signature lemonade that the evening got started and soon joined by a trio of small-plates both the deviled eggs and the whimsical BLT proved well balanced and expertly crafted while the chunky terrine was every bit on-par with the version at Daniel Boulud’s spot next door – a high bit of praise, to be sure.
Moving onward to fried pickles that featured delicate batter and were about as good as such an ‘acquired taste’ dish can be plus macaroni and cheese that was rather par for the course it was here that restaurant’s signature ingredient made its first appearance, and nestled inside a golden biscuit tinged with sweetness that immediately sets a new standard for Sin City the fried chicken was likewise beyond reproach, each bite crisp and juicy with the flavor profile further enhanced by the in-house pickling program plus sweet n’ spicy jam.
Treated next to two salads alongside a thick smear of chicken liver that proved so smooth and well balanced by the relish that it could have easily been mistaken for foie gras, suffice it to say that while the tomato salad was a perfect mid-meal palate cleanse of aromatics and acid Chef Harrington’s Low and Slow was perhaps the most unexpectedly impressive plate of the whole meal, each smoky bite of chicken almost melting on the tongue while crispy fried cornbread and greens added texture and their own complimentary flavors to the mix.
At this point admittedly well-sated it was still to gluttonous eyes that Yardbird’s signature plate arrived and with the house-brined bird so juicy that white meat was nearly indistinguishable from dark it warrants mention that the version served here in Las Vegas was more impressive in all ways than the one on which the 50 Eggs empire was built – the same to be said of the waffles, which were more cheesy and crisp, though if one must quibble the watermelon could have stood to be a touch more sweet.
Offered tea and coffee, both of which were gladly accepted with sweets set to follow, Pastry Chef Vivian Chang soon stopped by to say hello and explaining that the current menu is largely cribbed from that in South Beach with Sin City specific items soon to follow it was to her judgment that we deferred – an overwhelming trio arriving that spanned from dainty bombolini stuffed with Key Lime curd to piping hot bread pudding studded with pretzels, caramel corn, and candy both standing in the shadow of an immense slice of cake that walked a fine line between sweet and savory, the ice cream giving it a boozy kick and making me wish I’d have saved room to enjoy a few bites more.
UNABLE TO RATE: Treated to top rate service with the kitchen sending out over a dozen plates at no charge it would obviously be difficult to rate Yardbird at The Venetian without biased eyes but with service already executing on a very high level with the sort of food I love being crafted by a dedicated and passionate team a return for brunch is already in the works and considering my love for this sort of food, service, and setting all signs point to many more visits to come.
RECOMMENDED: Fried Green Tomato BLT, Low and Slow, Chicken n’ Watermelon n’ Waffles, Bacon-Butterscotch Cake, Key Lime Donut Bites
AVOID: Macaroni and Cheese is no more or less impressive than most others and Fried Pickles simply aren’t my ‘thing,’ though my dining buddy ate his two with glee.
TIP: Offering brunch, lunch, and supper with different menus available at each those looking for a specific item are encouraged to review while those that simply want some great food are encouraged to book a table and just order whatever sounds best from a menu built to please all kinds.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
