District: Donuts. Sliders. Brew.
Stumptown Cold Brew Coffee
Kolache – Spicy Smoked Sausage, Candied Jalapeno Peppers, White Cheddar Cheese
Kolache – Cherrywood Smoked Bacon, Scrambled Egg, American Cheese
Biscuit – Chicken Fried Pork Belly, White Gravy, Pickled Red Cabbage
Monte Cristo Croque-Nut – Applewood Smoked Ham, Havarti Cheese, Dijon, Griddled Donut, Raspberry Preserves, Powdered Sugar
Glazed Donut
Cinnamon Sugar Donut
Brownie Batter Donut
Banana Pudding Donut
Blueberry Cheesecake Donut
Vietnamese Ice Coffee Donut
Brown Butter Drop
Although District: Donuts. Sliders. Brew. has existed in New Orleans’ Garden District since 2013 it was not until Halloween 2016 that the first of two visits were made while in The Big Easy for a conference, stop one finding staff all dressed up for the holiday as they prepared some of the Nation’s best Donuts which prompted a trip to their smaller corner store two days later for fear of missing out on new flavors…flavors that as of 08/31/18 have arrived in Las Vegas as part of The Cosmopolitan’s Block 16 Urban Food Hall.
Not to be overlooked as part of a massive overhaul next to ever-popular Marrquee and Holstein’s on Cosmo’s second floor, the former Sports Book now downstairs and its space converted into a free-flowing collection of six concepts gathered across the United States, it is right up front that guests will find a steady line beginning at 6am daily, competition from nearby Milk Bar and Eggslut offering diners additional early morning choices but neither running the gamut of flavors quite like District.
Known for quality sourcing and small-batch production across five stores back home, the brand’s first venture outside of Louisiana adhering to similar principles of “real Food made with integrity,” it is after navigating the line that items are selected from a concise menu, no price higher than $8 even though several come stacked with Proteins from well-known Farms such as Creekstone, Truebridge and Joyce where Animals are raised the right way and certified all-natural.
Tapping Stumptown for Espresso and Coffee with prices competitive to what Starbucks charges on Las Vegas Boulevard, a large Cold Brew poured over Ice bold yet smooth and also available as Nitro for one dollar more, it was sipping slowly that Breakfast began with two Kolaches, the Eastern European specialty offered in limited quantities with one of two fillings including Ham, Egg and Cheese or a thick link of Sausage topped in Jalapenos whose smoke and heat play well off the sweet Dough around them.
Additionally offering scratch-made Biscuits for early arrivals, their production stopped in favor of Brioche Buns for Sliders at eleven o’clock, savory Breakfast fans will not find themselves disappointed after one bite of fluffy Flour and Buttermilk topped with fried Pork Belly and peppery Gravy while those seeking the best of both worlds may wish to go all-in with a “Croque-Nut” featuring day-old rounds sliced and grilled around smoked Ham, Cheese and Mustard given the Monte Cristo effect by Confectioner’s Sugar and Jelly.
Saving Donuts for Dessert, seven of the first day’s selection ranging $3 to $4.25, it is immediately evident on simply handling one fresh specimens that District has put a lot of effort into building a base far superior to what one might expect from pre-mixes used at Dunkin or Krispy Kreme, the Glazed and Cinnamon-Sugar topped Rings at least twice the physical weight of either chain but their texture still springy and oillesss beneath an exterior that is fried golden crisp.
Planning to eventually cycle through over one-hundred combinations of Glaze and Filling, each made daily and free of artificial ingredients, it was on the heels of simpler selections that a mound described as “Brownie Batter” was discovered to be unfilled but topped with a combination of Frosting, Chunks and Chips that tasted precisely as described, follow-ups of Banana Pudding and Blueberry Cheesecake also highly reminiscent of their namesakes with the former particularly impressive thanks to the inclusion of Bruleed Fruit and authentic Nilla Wafers.
Finishing with Coffee in another form, a thickly Frosted pocket kissed with Cinnamon and packed with Milk Jam guaranteed to make a mess of anyone attempting to indulge on the go, it was not until stopping to look one more time that New Orleans’ famous Buttermilk Drop was noticed in the bottom of a plastic case, the $3 ball offered in limited numbers each day every bit as good as memory recalled and a very welcome addition to the local Food scene.
FIVE STARS: Personally felt to be one of America’s five best Donut Shops alongside Doughnut Vault, PVDonuts, Blue Star and Sidecar the Las Vegas version of District: Donuts. Sliders. Brew. fares every bit as well as those in New Orleans and if day two of operation is already this good the future seems very bright for both District and the Block 16 concept as a whole.
RECOOMMENDED: Spicy Smoked Sausage Kolache, Chicken Fried Pork Belly Biscuit, Monte Cristo Croque-Nut, Banana Pudding Donut, Vietnamese Ice Coffee Donut, Brown Butter Drop.
AVOID: N/A.
TIP: Open 6a-midnight daily with Biscuits and Kolaches stopped at 11a and replaced by Sliders, Waffle Fries and Salad. Donut selections change daily though Buttermilk Drops, Glazed, Cinnamon Sugar and Chocolate Frosted are constant.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/restaurants/district-donuts-sliders-brew
www.districtdonuts.com
