| rev:text
| - Late 2011, I was reading a culinary trade publication article which referenced the opening of Chef John McInnis' Yardbird Southern Table & Bar in Miami. I kept this restaurant in mind as my husband is a fried chicken-loving man. Alas, the closest that I got to Miami since 2011 was a visit to Atlanta, GA on business so, Yardbird got put to the back of my mind.
However, since I joined Yelp (late 2013) and continued reading culinary news, it was exciting to find Yardbird had opened in Las Vegas, NV. Yelp friends began submitting reviews and my taste buds were further excited and Las Vegas is a closer destination for us.
Knowing how popular this restaurant is, I made reservations through Open Table a week before coming to LV. The restaurant is located just outside of the Venetian Resort's Casino (near cashier) and start of the restaurant row.
We were quickly checked in and seated by the lovely and friendly hostess. Our server came by to deliver menus, describe their specialties of the house and take our beverage orders (Hubs: Teneya Creek Hefeweisen & Me: Icky IPA). Meanwhile, I was starting to feel my "camera call" and tried to be as stealth as possible while enjoying the energetic vibes and relaxed Southern Rustic décor. As I sat back down, the following exchange occurred.
"Are you a gambling gal?" Asked a man dressed in black as an opening line.
ME: Yes, why?
HIM: If you can tell me how many jars are in the ceiling light fixture, I'll give you a free dessert of your choice. BUT, you only have 5 seconds to give me an answer.
ME: Ok, as I looked upward and started counting rows and columns while multiplying in my mind"....uh, the 5 seconds were up and I gave my answer which was totally WRONG!
HIM: Well, just for playing, I'll still give you dessert...you ought to try the Peach Cobbler and advised to order it when placing our dinner order. He left a dessert menu on our table then he walked away.
Wow! We felt so special and welcomed by such gracious Southern charm. I didn't see anyone else getting this awesome treatment (although, I'm sure there were others). We were certainly thankful for this additional treat.
Our server, Mandy, returned with our beverages and I inquired who that man was...she said, aw, he's our manager, Randy. She also said that he had told her to comp our dessert for playing. We placed our food orders.
SMALL PLATE & SHAREABLE:
Smoked & Roasted Bone Marrow served with onion marmalade & toasted country bread $11. It's not as weird as it sounds but it's rich "meat butter". Its silky, savory, fatty and "nutty" characteristics blew us away. Even though my cholesterol levels probably jumped tens of points, it was worth it!
FROM THE GARDEN:
Charred okra in browned butter, sprinkled with Cotija and lemon juice $10. Impressive charring and preparation which minimized the typical sliminess. The salty Cotija cheese was like the American South's version of a fine Reggiano Parmesan.
MAMA'S BISCUITS:
Classic Buttermilk with honey butter and house made jam, 4/order $7. Light, airy and flaky rolled biscuits that makes you appreciate great authentic home cooking of the South.
THE BIRD:
Llewelyn's Fine Fried Chicken - 1/2 of Yardbird's famous bird served with honey hot sauce. $26. All 4 pieces (White & dark) were flavorful, juicy and generously portioned. The seasoning or brine of this bird was mouthwatering and IF we only came here for the fried chicken without ordering the other sides, I think I could've eaten the whole order. Oops! I admit that I'm an "oinker" in the chicken coop.
DESSERT:
Peach Cobbler - marzipan crumble, French vanilla ice cream, Florentine almond cookie bowl and cinnamon twist (Comped $15). Thank you, Randy, for your hospitality and amiability. I'm already fan of American desserts but Yardbird's version of Peach Cobbler tickled my fancy. As full as I was, I almost couldn't stop eating this dessert.
After paying our bill, we went to thank Randy for his hospitality and wished him well on his upcoming trip to Singapore as Opening Manager. He graciously showed us Yardbird's private dining room/event room and "sister" restaurant, Chica (Latin cuisine), also owned and founded by John Kunkel.
Go to Yardbird Southern Table & Bar for a modern take of true Southern comfort! Forget your diet and enjoy....
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)