Take a Peek Inside Kerry Simon's Carson Kitchen

Grid View

• This will be the bar area at Carson Kitchen.
• Another look at the bar. Already white tile is being added.
• Another look at the bar. The exposed woodwork above will remain.
• The kitchen at Carson Kitchen. Guests will be able to sit at a bar area here.
• Guests and kitchen staff who swear will have to drop money in a swear jar.
• This area will be outfitted like a walk-in kitchen.
• The upstairs patio with a bar.
• Instead of misters, Carson Kitchen will have a swamp cooler-like cooling system.
• Looking down on the shared common area behind Carson Kitchen. Guests can even dine back here.

Eighteen months ago, Kerry Simon had a dream to open a restaurant in Downtown Las Vegas, and next month, that comes true with the debut of his Carson Kitchen in the former John E. Carson Hotel. 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.

"This is something Kerry dreamed of doing his entire career," says his partner Cory Harwell. "This will be a wonderful celebration of all he's done in his career."

Harwell gave Eater Vegas a tour of the space under construction. Inside find an 1,800-square-foot dining room with room for 90 guests. Simon wanted the space to feel like his own loft-stye home. Find repurposed wood and steel throughout, with a bar top uses an end-cut of a butcher's block. The stone oven was installed first and the kitchen built around it to give guests a view of the action. Even the hallway to the bathrooms will be outfitted to look like a walk-in cooler.

Think of the vibe here as a bit more masculine, with drinks using bourbons and scotches as the base liquor. A bread pudding will use doughnuts from neighboring O Face Doughnuts, while Simon continues his infamous junk food platter tradition with his take on Twinkies.

Guest can sit at the chef's table overlooking the kitchen. A swear jar will keep the language clean for kitchen and diners alike.

Upstairs find a 910-square-foot, garden-style rooftop patio features a six-foot "living wall" with rosemary and honeysuckle, and a bar top made from granite. Live music will reside here. Guests can also sit outside in a shared patio space.
· Look What Kerry Simon Will Serve at Carson Kitchen [~ELV~]
· All Coverage of Carson Kitchen [~ELV~]