Kitchen Table
Coffee Cake
Monkey Bread
Chocolate Croissant
Cinnamon Roll
Glazed Donut
Pistachio Chocolate Muffin
Banana Walnut Muffin
Empanadas – Squash, Corn, Roasted Chilies, Asadero Cheese, Salsa Verde
Ham and Cheese Crepe – Parisienne Ham, Gruyere Cheese, Mornay Sauce
Fruit Crepe – Fresh Fruit Compote, Powdered Sugar, Whipped Cream
Tostada – Suckling Pig, Black Beans, Cilantro Slaw, Salsa, Quail Egg
Smoked Salmon and Caviar – Crema Caviar, Smoked Salmon, Quail Eggs, Bilinis, Dill Oil, Micro Greens
Chiliquiles – Ancho Sauce, Oaxacan Cheese, Smoked Pork, Black Beans, Poached Eggs
Monte Cristo – Parisienne Ham, Muenster Cheese, Raspberry Jam (Fried)
Peaches and Cream Pancakes – Brandied Peaches, Toasted Almonds, Crème Anglaise
French Toast – Powdered Sugar, Nobel Maple Syrup
Doughnut Sandwich – Sausage, Fried Egg, White Cheddar
Announced in late summer as a collaboration between Chefs Antonio Nunez and Javier Chavez with only a modest amount of hype preceding an early December launch, Kitchen Table joins the likes of Jaret Blinn’s CRAFTkitchen and Mothership Coffee Roasters in redefining Henderson as the Valley’s premiere place for baked goods and early morning eats as well as week-long brunch.
Conceptualized as a “Social Eatery,” Las Vegas native and Henderson resident Nunez speaking fondly of his neighbors and the sense of community he hopes to enliven at the restaurant focused on comfort foods with an upscale twist, Kitchen Table’s layout puts the action near the entry and with a bounty of baked goods beckoning those on-the-go or waiting the rest of the restaurant spans no more than perhaps seventy seats, the narrow space cozy and pleasant with noise level buzzy yet never so loud as to distract.
Offering a plethora of choices, some straight forward while others are likely to raise eyebrows or elicit ohh’s and ahh’s, Nunez and Chavez bring the combined experience of time spent behind many of Las Vegas’ premier stoves to cuisine that runs the gamut from European Cafe to American Diner, plus several referencing Mexico with varying degrees of heat.
Unwilling to cut corners, attention to detail noted in quality ingredients like Nobel Syrup, sustainable Caviar, and local produce while proteins such as the pork are roasted on-site by the chefs, the social concept of Kitchen Table is evidenced by Nunez and his staff’s frequent tableside visits – invitations for criticism levied as “the only way we’ll know how to improve” while diners are rarely, if ever, left for want.
No doubt a place for groups, the average check likely $20-25 per person though getting out under $10 could be accomplished for those dining light, it was with two others that a substantial tasting of Chavez and Nunez recipes was enjoyed on a busy Sunday morning, the seven pastries an admitted “work in progress” featuring the talents of Michael Russ II from Gimme Some Sugar, the sticky Monkey Bread arguably the best in town while a twisted cinnamon roll and skillet coffee cake were equally impressive, the chocolate muffin unfortunately too dry to be recommended though the banana walnut version was exceedingly natural in flavor and itself quite moist.
Starting out lightly, some plates sent out by a beaming Antonio who really seems to be in his element at the pass with a full house of diners ready to see the labors of several months of work, items from the kitchen kicked off with three oilless empanadas stuffed with vegetables amidst tangy green salsa and moving onward to crepes both sweet and savory the question of which was ‘best’ is most appropriately answered by “whatever you’re in the mood for” the ham and Gruyere version delightful with buttery Mornay while the alternative featured strawberries and a center of housemade fruit spead.
Continuing with savory flavors, two of the next three plates taking a south-of-the-border approach, it seems likely that Kitchen Table’s crisp Tostadas are destined to become a signature item as cilantro slaw and salsa add levity to the richness of suckling pig and creamy beans, the Chiliquiles trending a bit more heavy with two poached eggs and the heat of Ancho chiles served atop tortillas, melted cheese, and pulled pork imbued with smoke.
Elegantly offering caviar with smoked salmon and traditional flavors atop tiny hotcakes crowned with a quail’s egg, it was at this point that the meal veered towards the items I’d requested, the golden Monte Cristo served fried as the classic recipe intended with top quality ham, Muenster, and a dusting of powdered sugar making it the best version in a hundred miles even prior to the addition of sour raspberry jam.
With tablemates throwing in the towel but Chef Nunez not yet ready to stop the fun, it was mostly as a solo that sweeter parts of the menu were investigated, and although the foie gras topped options were saved for another time it seems difficult to imagine them as too much an upgrade to the ‘plain’ French Toast with an almost custard like center let alone a stack of airy buttermilk pancakes beneath boozy peaches and elegant crème Anglaise.
Rounding out the morning with a sliced and griddled donut that was sturdy yet light both here and when tasted all alone, suffice it to say that the addition of sausage, egg, and aged cheddar was a more than worthy addition, though limited capacity and conversation with my neighbors could only see me muster a bite or two at most.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS: Perhaps a bit early to dub a smash hit, though a large menu yielded only one dry muffin while service was exemplary aside from a premature turn of my table when I stood up to talk to a familiar local restauranteur, a return visit is already in the works for a seat at Kitchen Table next weekend, the breadth of the menu requiring a bit more exploration along with friends of a like palate…though some repeats may prove too enticing to resist.
RECOMMENDED: Monte Cristo, Monkey Bread, Tostada, Peaches & Cream Pancakes.
AVOID: Pistachio Chocolate Muffin, and if we’re being nitpicky also the Chocolate Croissant as I don’t even recall tasting it despite photographic evidence that I did.
TIP: M-Su 7a-4p with pastries varying day-to-day, those looking to avoid a wait may consider dining during the weekdays or outside peak breakfast hours on weekends as there was a forty-minute wait for a two-top at noon on the opening weekend Sunday that I went.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
http://www.kitchentablelv.com/
