Kitchen Table Squared
Iced Tea
Mango Margarita
Blackberry Sage
Strawberry Basil
Chopped Salad – Iceberg, Kale, Roasted Squash, Craisins, Cheddar, Bacon, Oaxacan Cheese, Corn, Red Wine Vinaigrette
Beet Salad – Candied Red and Gold Beets, Roasted Chile Pistachios, Frisee, Fried Goat Cheese
French Bread Pizza – Sausage, Shaved Fennel, Charred Artichoke, San Marzano Tomatoes, Mozzarella
The Burger – Beef Blend, House Sauce, Pickles, Shredded Lettuce, Irish Cheddar, Jalapeno Bacon, Onions, Roasted Tomatoes, Toasted Sesame Brioche Bun served with French Fries
Linguini – Fresh Shrimp, Spicy Tomato Sauce, Fresh Basil
Monkey Bread – Cinnamon Sugar, Salty Caramel, Vanilla Soft Serve Ice Cream
Choc-a-holic Shake – Brownie, Ice Cream Sandwich, Chocolate Sauce
Hot Buns Shake – Cinnamon Buns, Salty Caramel, Whipped Cream, Cream Cheese Frosting
Strawberry Cheesecake Shake – Strawberry Puree, Housemade Cheesecake, Whipped Cream, Graham Cracker Crust
Acknowledging that Grand Openings, Play Dates, Soft Openings and Friends & Family are never the right time to assess a Restaurant beyond décor and aspirations it was along with two others that dinner was enjoyed at Javier Chavez’s Kitchen Table Squared at The Gramercy, the new project more than doubling his Henderson footprint in terms of size, scope and ambition.
Officially opened on 12/18/17 for Breakfast and Lunch, Dinner service set to launch the day after Christmas with some truly exciting options including a three pound boneless Cote de Bouef, it was for a set menu that guests were invited to help Javier and staff work out early kinks that largely included lengthy expediting times and servers not yet well-versed at touching tables, though the vibrant atmosphere and entertaining tablemates made the issues bearable.
Officially located at 9205 West Russell Road and soon to be open 8am until 9pm plus an extra hour on Friday and Saturday, those unfamiliar with Gramercy likely to be led to Kitchen Table Squared’s back door by GPS, it is immediately upon entering the front door that guests will note a Pastry case and barista station to the right with a proper bar back-left and the dining room spreading to both sides with comfortable seating, varied textures and even a sizable Private Dining Room that is almost as big as Kitchen Table number one.
Intended as a three-meal expansion of the Henderson brunch hot-spot, a cursory look at the menu showing many fan favorites plus intriguing new options such as Shakes, lunch Salads and share plates with even more to come at dinner it was with fresh Cocktails all around plus Iced Tea and Water that the evening kicked off lightly, Javier’s Chopped Salad ironically eaten less that 24-hours after a truly disastrous version elsewhere and improving on it in terms of ingredient quality as well a flavor while the ubiquitous Beet Salad challenged one from Carson Kitchen earlier that day in terms of visual appeal while trumping it in terms of flavor thanks to the sweet-spicy, creamy-crunchy juxtaposition of tastes and textures.
Rapidly served three more plates shortly after the Salads, a pair of promised Tapas completely forgotten by a server who reportedly did not make the final cut entering day one, suffice it to say that under more ideal circumstances the French Bread Pizza likely would have been more thoroughly cooked with a crispy Crust and melted Cheese, but moving on to better things “The Burger” featured a great grind and toasted Bun that held up well to several fresh toppings while the perfect al dente Pasta shined amidst snappy jumbo Shrimp and spicy Marinara fragrant with Peppers and Basil.
Rounding out the evening with Desserts, Kitchen Table’s signature skillet Monkey Bread resting in a pool of Salty Caramel and served with Vanilla Soft Serve, it was in transferring to the coffee Bar that three Milkshakes were presented, the housemade nature of each accoutrement save for mini-Hershey Bars creating excitement for an upcoming lunch as the Dark Chocolate Brownie, Cinnamon Rolls and wedge of Cheesecake were all great on their own and even better from their outlandish perch atop the Shake.
To say Kitchen Table Squared is an important opening for The Gramercy is an understatement, its success or failure not only likely to say a lot about The Gramercy as a ‘dining destination’ but also about the Southwest and Spring Valley’s culinary revitalization in general.
RECOMMENDED: Beet Salad, Linguini, Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake.
AVOID: French Bread Pizza needed more time in the oven, thus making it difficult to judge.
TIP: They’re still serving Nobel Syrup at Breakfast and that alone is enough to tell me Javier and his team care a whole lot more about their ingredients and sourcing than the average West-Side Breakfast or Brunch joint…also, 5p-7p Happy Hour seven days a week.
www.kitchentablesquared.com
