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| - Why, why, WHY have I not been here before???
I can't believe my hotel concierge took this long (I'm talking years) to recommend Carson Kitchen. I had some friends from Boston visiting for our annual New Year's celebration, and the day after the nutso celebrations, we were looking for what breakfast/brunch places were open. The only qualification? It had to be amazeballs.
Carson Kitchen is located next to the Donut Bar, and has one of the most nondescript front entrances I have ever (or never) seen. Our limos had driven by at least twice, looking for something resembling a eatery or gastro pub of some sort. It wasn't until I pulled up WAZE and stepped out onto the curb that I realized I was standing right in front of it. It was hidden right in plain site, and I LOVED it.
One of the first things you'll immediately notice is the amazing service. It honestly had a small town friendly vibe to it, which I never expected to find in downtown Vegas..... or Vegas in general, where everything is so commercially corporate, and friendly but superficial. Carson Kitchen was warm, like Biddeford, Maine, or Snyder, Texas.
We were table of 9, including five kids and teens, so probably the most fickle bunch of eaters this side of the Mississippi. But we had this amazing communal table, and just went to town. I ordered every one of the share dishes, and the kids had their mac n cheese and grilled cheese with short rib sandwiches. Here are my thoughts:
1) Grillled cheese with short ribs: GREAT! Wow. It tasted like something I'd expect after a night of debauchery in N'awlins. Perfect morning-after food.
2) bacon jam. This is a twist from what I'm used to, and the Bostonians weren't crazy about it, but I'm a bacon jam connoisseur, and this stuff was artisanal. It comes out sizzling with a strip of baked brie right down the middle. Truly next-level stuff!
3) Veal meatballs in sherry foie gras cream sauce. So I have to be honest. The meatballs were bit overcooked when we got them, so probably not as great as they should have been. But the combo with that sauce is simply amazing. My suggestion is request that the meatballs not be overcooked when you order them. But I'll say this much. These were REAL meatballs. Not the sausage-like chewy crap you'll find in frozenfood meatballs.
4) Fried chicken skins. Okay.... this one is for a chosen few. I spent some time growing up in Indonesia, so this is normal fare for me. I also have friends from Wisconsin and N'awlins, where this kind of stuff is normal. if you're turned off by the idea of chicken skins (lots of people are), then skip it. But if you like it, order it. I LOVED it, especially with their smoked honey dipping sauce. It tastes like pork rinds, but are an amazing comfort food for those that know what it is- crunchy comfort.
5) BBQ ends. I can't remember if I'm calling this right, but it's the end pieces of what I think are beef ribs, grilled to crunchy perfection. These cubes of succulence were exactly the kind of thing I wanted to round off the savory part of breakfast. I elect these the ultimate Superbowl snack of choice that goes perfectly with your coldest of brews.
6) The OMG. The Finale. The coup-de-gras..... is the glazed donut bread pudding. In all honesty, if we simply ordered 9 of these, we all would have been more than satisfied. This was the most amazing thing I've had in a long time. It was everything you think sex should be if it was a dessert. Soft, bouncy, moist, creamy, and just the right about of sweet. Truly impressive.
Obviously, I love this place. Highly recommend it, and will definitely be coming back on a regular basis.
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