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| - Sparrow + Wolf is my pick for the best dining experience Chinatown has to offer right now.
The interior is well thought out. It's a very nice remodel from when Jenny Pho was in the same location. They kept the best aspects, like the open kitchen, and gave the interior a really nice facelift. It feels very clean. The staff are warm and friendly. Quick to refill drinks, take orders, clear plates... and they always had a smile. They were all very welcoming and it felt like they genuinely cared about what they were doing.
The food is wonderful. Brian Howard, the executive chef, has done a really good job creating a rich tapestry of flavor. We tried the beef skewers, which had a great charcoal taste like it just came off the grill (because it DID!). It was paired with a crepe and sweet and sour garbanzo bean relish, and it was a really creative dish that we both loved. Next we tried the beef cheek and bone marrow dumplings, and they were worth it! Again, very rich flavors. The marrow melted in our mouths.
The only thing we ordered that was a bit disappointing was the hearth baked bread. It tasted a bit bland... maybe a little salt or rosemary, or a side-dish of balsamic vinegar or something else to dip it in would add a lot to the dish. Five dollars for warm bread, when a lot of places just give you bread for free, perhaps set the expectations higher than maybe they should have been. But I feel like I can make better bread at home, so it was a disappointing pick from the menu.
For desert, we tried the lemon and blueberry Calamansi tart. It was perfectly sweet and sour. I loved the way the meringue melted in my mouth. I wish I had more!
The Sparrow has a few things we would change. For one, the music selection is confused. When my boyfriend and I walked in, we were greeted with a Notorious B.I.G. track that almost made me turn around. Next up was an old 60s anti-war tune, followed by some contemporary EDM, and then a bluesy track by Kai Straw called Hurricane. The playlist felt completely random, like each track is being decided by a roulette wheel rather than having actual thought behind creating a mood.
The other thing I would nitpick on... the spoons they gave us for the tart were huge. And when that's one of the only flaws you can find at a restaurant, well... that's pretty good.
I definitely wish the Sparrow great success here in Vegas and I will surely be coming back to try the shank and the duck.
An Honorable mention to the general manager John. We got a change to meet John as we walked out the door and he overheard me commenting about the fire wood smell. He proceeded to show us around their kitchen and pointed out their amazing setup. I can't for the life of me remember the type of wood stove it was because I was so impressed by the GM's thoughtfulness.
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