Standard & Pour
Iced Tea
Southern Belle – Earl Grey Infused Svedka, Peach, Lemon
Pretty Ricky – Makers Mark, Passion Fruit, Egg White, Zinfandel
Deviled Eggs – Sriracha, Red Onion, Flying Fish Roe
Roasted Beet – Spiced Pistachio, Mustard Oil, Goat Cheese
Tomato & Burrata – Heirloom Cherry Tomato, Green Olive Aioli, Balsamic Reduction
Spicy Shrimp – Red Curry, Sambal, Coconut Milk
Steak Tartare – Capers, Crispy Shallot, Sourdough
Roasted Chicken – Black Rice Pilaf, Dijon Chicken Jus
Grilled Broccolini – Garlic, Chili Flake, Lemon
Burger & Fries – Dijon Grilled Potato Bun, Caramelized Onion, Cheddar, Salt and Pepper Fries with Smoked Ketchup
Pork Chop – Brown Sugar, Herb Brine
Tomato Soup – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Mascarpone Crema, Basil
Italian Chopped – Salami, Three Cheeses, Red Wine Vinaigrette
Chateaubriand – 18oz, Garlic and Herb Rub
Stuffed Shells – Spinach, Ricotta, Fresh Oregano
Wine & Cheese Sundae – Cheesecake Blondie, Merlot Ice Cream, Brandied Cherry
Strawberry Short Shake – Strawberry Ice Cream, Strawberry Liqueur, Almond Cake Crumble
Lost Bread – Cinnamon Roll, Candied Pecan, Maple Icing
Carrot Cake – Special thanks to Jaret Blinn at CRAFTkitchen
When Cory Harwell and Simon Hospitality first suggested that they’d be taking over the old Firefly Space in Henderson the optimist said “Awesome, look what they did with an derelict building in DTLV,” while the skeptic thought “…but its Henderson,” and revisiting the restaurant nearly eight months since opening it turns out that the result lies somewhere in between, the menu from Cory and Chef John Courtney still undoubtedly the best in miles though the days of Venison , Kimchi Tacos and Devil’s on Horseback Jam are long in the past.
Continuously a challenging area for restaurateurs outside the brunch sector, nearby CRAFTkitchen still doing great daytime business and now venturing into a Friday Happy Hour whose fate will be decided by the people of Henderson, Standard & Pour in its current format sees the brains behind Carson Kitchen slinging modern Steakhouse in a way comparable to Andiron in Downtown Summerlin or Tivoli’s Echo & Rig, the beautiful dining room with a big lounge still headed up by Ed Tracy and a team that is friendly, professional and efficient.
Acknowledging that Sin City does not lack for Steakhouse fare, but also bearing in mind the fact that so many locals are unwilling to visit or cross The Strip, dinner at Standard & Pour is still best started by one of the restaurant’s signature cocktails, both the Southern Belle and Pretty Ricky Spirit-forward and balanced with the former one of those deceptive sorts that goes down easy and could lead lightweights ordering more than one into trouble quick.
Now featuring a creative menu of Bar Bites at a great bargain, the $5 Deviled Eggs with Flying Fish Roe and a zap of Sriracha offered as a quartet that won’t be found anywhere near Las Vegas Boulevard for less than a Hamilton, a look at four lighter plates offered as Starters included roasted and grilled Beets served cold with a tinge of Mustard and whipped Mascarpone Cream while the Tomato & Burrata left two mid-Westerners who are still in the throes of chilly weather envious of the sort of produce those closer to California take for granted, the Spicy Shrimp in Red Curry still one of the best items offered on S&P’s Menu thanks to the warm heat and pump Crustaceans though the Steak Tartare is also well suited for most palates as the finely chopped Beef is brightened by chopped Onions and a good spice blend plus crispy Shallots and lightly applied Capers.
Having frequently said that a kitchen can be gauged by the quality of its Chicken, a ‘boring’ dish to some that speaks volumes about how much the kitchen actually cares when it is made memorable, those looking for a good roast Bird on this side of the Strip are well advised to check out Cortney and Harwell’s Breast, Thigh and Wing served with crisp Skin atop Black Rice Pilaf in savory Chicken Jus while the simple bone-in Pork Chop is also perfectly prepared and cooked through while still remaining juicy despite its thickness, the extra-thick Burger cooked medium-rare honestly better than Carson Kitchen’s “Butter Burger” thanks to the Caramelized Onions tucked under Cheddar on a light bun with the faint aromatics of Mustard.
Offering good Fries that act as a crispy delivery mechanism for Smoked Ketchup and long spears of Broccolini that are grilled with just a bit of acid and heat, one would be hard-pressed to name anywhere in Las Vegas offering the deal provided by Standard & Pour’s $32 Chateaubriand that rings in at 18oz with great tenderness and a sidecar of housemade Steak Sauce, those looking for lighter fare perhaps better suited to a big bowl of Tomato Soup made creamy with Mascarpone or the Italian Chopped Salad with Salami that is served both sliced and fried – a great one-two punch with the scalding-hot casserole of Stuffed Shells with a golden Cheese Crust overlying sautéed Spinach, Spices and whipped Ricotta.
Celebrating one guest’s birthday with a Carrot Cake provided by CRAFTkitchen, but certainly not one to shy away from Standard & Pour’s own sweet creations including Chef Harwell’s Wine & Cheese Sundae that remains as good as or better than any Ice Cream-based creation offered in any of the major Casinos, Chef Courtney’s “Strawberry Short Shake” riffs on the summertime classic by way of a stick-a-straw-up-straight Milkshake spiked with Strawberry Liqueur and the center of Brunch’s “Real Big Muffin” while the ‘Lost Bread’ is still a sharable crowd-pleaser with the Custard-soaked Cinnamon Roll both topped and filled with Maple Icing and Candied Pecans adding a bit of texture.
FOUR STARS: Always trying to ‘grade’ an eatery based on its idea, price-point, service, execution and overall ‘experience,’ really the only way to compare ACE Donuts to a place like Le Cirque, Standard & Pour in April of 2017 is undoubtedly a very different place than the one diners first experienced in August of last year, the adaptations to a different breed of diner including Happy-Hour deal-seekers and Henderson Retirees seeing esoteric items disappear in favor of simple, honest cooking using quality ingredients at a great pricepoint – the sort of restaurant still better than Henderson seems to ‘deserve’ but sadly no longer the one it ‘needs’ to lure Las Vegas east.
RECOMMENDED: Southern Belle, Deviled Eggs, Roasted Beet, Spicy Shrimp, Roasted Chicken, Italian Chopped, Chateaubriand, Wine & Cheese Sundae.
AVOID: The Shells and Cheese is not a dish one should take on alone. Nor is the Lost Bread. Avoid dining alone.
TIP: Now open 4-10 Saturday, Happy Hour Deals at the Bar till 7PM. Sunday Brunch is 10A-3P.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
http://standardandpourlv.com
