Carson Kitchen
68 + 1 – woody creek potato gin, raspberry, fresh lemon, egg white, simple syrup
The Magarian – aviation gin, thyme & honey syrup, fresh lemon, mr. q cumber soda
Crispy Chicken Skins – smoked honey
Asparagus & Burrata – green goddess, beef fat croutons
Beef Belly Sliders – pastrami’d, red cabbage kraut
Hot Oysters – oyster, chicken oyster, pork oyster
Young Beets – pistachio, red & green grape, goat cheese
Pesto Margherita Flatbread – basil pesto, ricotta, tomato filet
Bacon Jam – baked brie, toasted baguette
Shrimp Dunderi – limoncello, buddha’s hand, calabrian chili
Cheesesteak Pierogi – housemade cheese whiz
Lamb chops – pecan crust, mint chimichurri
Black Rice & Oxtail Risotto – parmesan cream
Baked Mac & Cheese – shhh, it’s a secret
Rainbow Cauliflower – garlic, lemon juice
Glazed Donut Bread Pudding – three rum caramel, vanilla crème anglaise
Banoffee Pie – irish cream, whipped cream, chocolate biscotti
Rhubarb Sammy – rhubarb sorbet, rhubarb macaron, elderflower whipped cream
Bourbon Fudge Brownie – brown butter bacon ice cream
Now featuring the talents of Chef John Courtney for long enough that the menu represents a true collaboration between himself and Cory Harwell, it was as a group of six that lunch was enjoyed at Downtown Las Vegas’ Carson Kitchen, an unseasonably cool and rainy Saturday doing nothing to dampen the creativity or quality of a new Spring Menu that is perhaps the restaurant’s best one yet.
Familiar to locals and tourists alike, the small space originally envisioned by Kerry Simon still turning great business as rumors of others’ struggles predominate discussions of DTLV dining, Spring 2016 is as close to a wholesale change as Carson Kitchen has seen since opening and with ten of twelve new plates tasted in addition to a seasonally updated Beet Salad it should go without saying that a meal whose only complaint was “too much mustard” on a slider went more than alright.
Dining with one longtime fan of the restaurant, plus four locals who had surprisingly never been, it was with carte blanche offered to Chef Courtney that seventeen items and two cocktails were served over a series of courses, ample descriptions plus top notch service no different than past experiences while several classics such as the chicken skins, bacon jam, oxtail risotto and Harwell’s mac & cheese remain as delicious as ever.
Proudly discussing how longtime relationships with several local purveyors and farms have allowed the restaurant to maintain its wallet-friendly focus despite ever increasing food costs and rent that seems to stifle all but the most popular bars around, lunch began with a refreshing salad of white and green asparagus beneath creamy burrata and green goddess dressing before veering into “gastro-pub” territory with tender beef belly on rye buns plus a kick of cabbage partially drowned out by too much mustard while the follow-up of “Hot Oysters” was a daring dish executed perfectly as pork, chicken and bivalve were all delicious and crispy dredged in fiery Crystal-infused sauce.
Extinguishing the heat with a pair of Gin-based Cocktails, the 68+1 particularly noteworthy for those who want something sweet and smooth while The Magarian is a refreshing sort of drink that puts spirits in the spotlight, nut-free Pesto Marghertia Flatbread proves a veritable ode to basil as herbal aromatics greet the nostrils from several feet away beneath thick slices of skinless tomatoes and puddles of ricotta, undoubtedly a great vegetarian option for those who may not be keen on the concept of Bacon Jam…as silly that may seem.
Whimsically offering up pierogis that seem torn between Eastern European traditions, Flattop steak by way of Philly and “whiz” given a Southern pimento twist, the new menu’s shining star is undoubtedly Chef Courtney’s “Shrimp Dunderi” that marries snappy prawns to Parisian gnocchi in a citrus sauce bolstered by Calabrian chilis, each bite as sophisticated as anything being offered On-Strip or elsewhere in the city despite the mere $14 price point.
Having recently returned from Colorado it was with great interest that Carson Kitchen’s Lamb Chops were presented alongside two classic sides and rainbow cauliflower that avoids the mistake of muting the crucifer by presenting it simply with a kiss of garlic plus acid, and at $18 for two “T-Bone” chops served rare with a pistachio crust over mint chimichurri the robust meat outpaces portions nearly half the size for twice the cost high in the Rockies, yet another strong testament to the quality of Courtney and Harwell’s ingredient sourcing.
Forced to alter Bread Pudding since the closure of O-Face, and actually improving the dish in the process by deciding to dry the donuts before soaking them in custard, Harwell’s Banoffee Pie and Bourbon Fudge Brownie continue to reign as two of Downtown Las Vegas’ best desserts while the Springtime Rhubarb Sammy finally offers a lighter option to those looking for a sweet finale, the macaron shining in part due to Courtney’s time working with Jean-Philippe but more so due to the sour rhubarb sorbet and fragrant elderflower whipped cream.
FIVE STARS: Recovering from a winter menu that seemed overworked and heavy handed, Spring has unquestionably sprung at Carson Kitchen and although old favorites remain as good as ever there is little doubt Chef Courtney has brought something new to the kitchen that continues to reinvent itself while raising the bar for everyone else.
RECOMMENDED (New Items): Shrimp Dunderi, Hot Oysters, Lamb Chops, Rainbow Cauliflower, Rhubarb Sammy, 68+1.
AVOID: Beef Belly Sliders could be excellent considering the quality of the meat as well as the cabbage, but mustard needs to be dialed back.
TIP: Per Chef Courtney, the Banoffee Jar will be going on seasonal hiatus with the summer menu, and that means myself and everyone reading should probably make plans to visit at least once more before the hot season hits.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
http://carsonkitchen.com/
