Look What Kerry Simon Will Serve at Carson Kitchen

Kerry Simon now says his Carson Kitchen will open in early June at the John E. Carson as Eater Vegas first revealed seven months ago. The celebrity chef, who has been battling MSA, says the restaurant is a tip of the hat to New York's The Mercer Kitchen, where he got his start with Jean Georges-Vongerichten.

The future home of the Carson Kitchen [Photo: Bradley Martin]

The 1,800-square-foot dining room with room for 90 guests features decor "inspired by Simon's own loft-style home in Las Vegas" with repurposed wood and steel. The space is separated by twisted metal pieces that run from floor to ceiling. The bar top uses an end-cut of a butcher's block. Expect to find a chef's table next to the kitchen that doubles as an expo counter. A stone oven looks like an old-school wood burning hearth.

Above, a 910-square-foot, garden-style rooftop patio features a six-foot "living wall" and a bar top made from granite. Live music will reside here.

The future home of the Carson Kitchen [Photo: Bradley Martin]

Already Simon is touting the menu, which features shared plates, sandwiches and flatbreads. Look for tempura green beans made with pepper jelly and cream cheese; bacon jam served with baked brie and toasted baguette; and "Devil's Eggs" complete with crispy pancetta and caviar.

Simon dubs his sandwiches "Between Bread" with dishes such as short rib sliders made with root beer glaze; grilled cheese with apple slices and caramelized onion; and a butter burger topped with Boursin and Taleggio cheeses, lettuce and tomato. Stone-oven flatbreads include duck confit made with black mission figs and gorgonzola cheese; merguez sausage topped with fennel, broccolini and ricotta cheese; and wild mushroom complemented with caramelized onions and Cabrales bleu cheese.

Simon also plans to serve up entrees such as rabbit ragu made with spaghetti squash and parmesan; kale & apple served with pancetta croutons and lemon vinaigrette; and black rice and oxtail risotto made with a parmesan cream as well as a steelhead trout cake served with mustard cream; swordfish topped with lemon, mint and basil; and mussels made with chorizo, saffron and fennel. Simon also has a cocoa-espresso New York strip steak served with red wine demi; chicken roulade with chorizo and manchego cheeses; and roasted pork loin topped with apple cider glaze.

Also on tap, a dessert menu of a bourbon fudge brownie served with brown butter bacon ice cream; glazed donut bread pudding made with three rum caramel and vanilla crème anglaise; and "Not Your Father's" Twinkies, a nod to the Junk Food Platter Simon serves at his eponymous restaurant at Palms Plas.

Organic spirit options from craft distilleries make the cocktail menu. A press release touts the Old Wooden Shed, made with No. 209 gin, XTA liqueur, fresh lemon and angostura bitters; and the Brewers Fix made with Hophead vodka, Bonne Maman apricot preserves, fresh lemon, simple syrup and Prosecco. Small-batch American craft beers and wines from boutique vineyards also make the cut.

The future home of the Carson Kitchen [Photo: Bradley Martin]

Simon teamed up with hospitality veteran Cory Harwell to create the restaurant that under the Downtown Project umbrella. Carson Kitchen joins O Face Doughnuts, expected to open next month, sushi joint Bocho from Le Thai's Dan Coughlin, a juice bar, a flower shop, a yoga studio and long-term resident Black Spade Tattoo in the John E. Carson.
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