Talk about a hidden culinary gem. You can’t see Russell’s Restaurant while driving past the College of Southern Nevada along East Cheyenne Avenue, but back in the North Las Vegas campus, students are creating delightfully advanced dishes for in-the-know diners during the school week.
Since the start of the fall semester, CSN Department of Hospitality Management enrollees have been gaining professional gastronomic knowledge. Now, they’re putting their newly acquired skills to work for paying guests during lunch hour seatings on Tuesday through Thursday through November 21. (Dinner is also plated on Thursday evenings.)
On a recent Tuesday, the Aromatics Class’ offerings included potato, clam and fennel soup with pancetta; smoked andouille, bratwurst and lamb merguez sausage trios with juniper-scented sauerkraut; and poached halibut with herbed quinoa. The Wednesday French Cuisine Class has served vegetable-loaded soupe au pistou with basil pesto; marjoram-hinted entrecôte de bœuf Bordelaise with potatoes dauphinoise and tarragon-enhanced spinach crêpes with seafood ragoût. And on Thursday, the globe-trotting International Cuisine Class includes gourmet sweets like Schuss cheesecake with kumquat sauce and classic Paris-Brest pastry rings with hazelnut praline cream and dark chocolate drizzle.
Even better, these three-course meals cost a mere $10 per person—appetizer, entree, dessert and beverage included. It’s one of the best sit-down epicurean bargains in the Las Vegas Valley, with CSN students performing every duty from cooking to waiting tables.
Daily menu listings vary, and they can be previewed online. Reservations are a must, but don’t fret if you can’t secure a seat this autumn: Russell’s will reopen for the spring semester.
RUSSELL'S RESTAURANT CSN, North Las Vegas Campus, 3200 E. Cheyenne Ave. 702-651-4701. Lunch, Tuesday-Thursday, 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.; dinner, Thursday, 5:45-6:45 p.m.
