Chef Series #3 Breakfast for Dinner
Breakfast Sweets – Farmers Market Kouign Amann, Caramelized Local Honey Cake, Citrus Hazelnut Scone
Lox & Bagel – Coriander-Dill Cured Gravlax, Caviar Cream, Poached Quail Egg
Denver Omelet – Duck Egg, Wood Roasted Peppers, Shaved Fermin Serrano, Smoked Garlic
Cheddar Butter Biscuits
Lobster Scramble – Lobster Bisque, Brioche, Osetra, Botarga
Eggs Benedict – Smoked Pork Belly, Black Pepper English Muffin, Chipotle Hollandaise, Chicharron
Spring Onion Focaccia
Steak & Cakes – Wood Roasted Beef Tenderloin, Foie Gras Pancakes, Truffled Honey Butter
Wood Oven Cobbler – Harry’s Berries, Poached Rhubarb, Buttermilk Ice Cream
Petit Fours – Exotic Fruit Financier, Kit Kat, Macaron, Gelee, Macaroon, Bon Bon
Continuing to build community by way of collaboration it seemed only appropriate to bring two of Las Vegas best brunches together for Chef Series #3, and although Chefs Bradley Manchester and Jaret Blinn share a history dating to their days at Red Rock Resort and Casino nothing could have prepared two-dozen lucky guests for just how well the two would work together when creating “Breakfast for Dinner.”
Selected in part due to excellent past experiences at each, but also due to the Chefs’ in-common choice to leave the comfort of a steady Casino paycheck in pursuit of a life’s dream, the nights proceedings took place beneath the setting sun on Glutton’s patio and as the sounds of Floyd, Cash and Zeppelin played, the carte blanche menu was served at the bargain basement price of just $48 each with no lack of food, nor of luxury.
In many ways a perfect pairing, the two resort vets used to creating menus with one a master baker and the other more prone to savory ideas, the meal started off with a wooden board of petite pastries from the owner of CRAFTkitchen and with each showing as much flavor as it did refinement the following “Lox & Bagel” dish was equally as successful as tender cubes of House-cured Salmon rested in cream and briny fish eggs next to a dense nugget of dough with a proper bagel skin.
Going so far as to create two cocktails for the event, Bartender Dean Howard a very enthusiastic sort of guy, those imbibing in the Pale Mary were quick to note the drink as a delicious pairing to the Duck Egg Denver Omelet with folds of pepper complimented by fresh shaved ham while Chef Blinn completed the picture with a better-than-Red-Lobster Cheddar Biscuit.
Not joking about the biscuit, a childhood favorite and perhaps the only reason to visit that chain, course three featured fresh Maine Lobster cracked and served in rich sauce over-top a brioche lob with fluffy eggs and two styles of fish row, the flavor at times sweet and other times briny with an almost nutty finish that was rich yet not overwhelming despite the generous portion.
Continuing a procession of hefty breakfast classics, course four featuring a substantial slab of slow-cooked pork belly atop an English Muffin with Smoky sauce and a pig-skin added for crunch, Manchester’s egg-soaked plate of umami was nicely paired to Blinn’s herbal focaccia and although many were already waving white flags or napkins the duo was not even close to finished yet.
Surely a serious meal, though the music, vibe and Glutton’s servers all kept the mood both light and fun, savories were concluded with a plate that Manchester and Blinn affectionately deemed “Steak & Cakes,” the former’s *Best In Vegas* yeast-risen pancakes forming a silver-dollar base to more than an ounce of seared duck liver while sous-vide Beef Tenderloin was finished in the wood-burning oven before being rested atop Hashbrowns, the whole plate glistening with a light spread of Honey Butter lightly tinged in truffle oil.
Taking the rustic route to finish the evening, a spring rhubarb infused version of Glutton’s Strawberry Cobbler served piping hot beneath a slowly melting scoop of Desyree Alberganti’s Buttermilk Gelato from Glatology, it was all smiles that were featured in a group picture taken as dessert cooled enough to be eaten, and rounding things out with Petit Fours from CRAFTkitchen the clock slowly ticked past 9pm, many thanks given to Chefs and Staff for providing a truly memorable dining experience.
FIVE STARS: More refined and better orchestrated than previous Chef Series, the duo’s history of convention cooking undoubtedly on display and perhaps magnified with creativity unchecked, Bradley Manchester and Jaret Blinn both remain under-discussed stars of Off-Strip dining while both Glutton and CRAFT kitchen each warrant a visit for those who have not been.
RECOMMENDED: Steaks & Cakes, Cheddar Biscuits, Lobster Scramble and Breakfast Pastries were all personal favorites.
AVOID: N/A.
TIP: Opening this event to the public through Glutton’s reservationist proved a good way to get more persons involved in the process of celebrating our city’s Chefs, those interested in joining the group for futre events are encouraged to contact myself or another member directly.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.