Dining

The familiar favorites of Carlos’ Kitchen are back, at Spectators

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The grilled vegetable tower at Carlos’ Kitchen.
Photo: Christopher DeVargas

Carlos’ Kitchen disappeared from the local scene last year almost as suddenly as it had arrived in late 2010. Surprisingly, executive chef and owner Carlos Fernandez gave short notice to regulars regarding the abrupt closure but promised he would return soon. Unsurprisingly, he’s a man of his word.

Fernandez’s new location is within walking distance from the original at Charlie’s Saloon, and once again, he’s nestled snugly inside an existing bar. This time, it’s Spectators Bar & Grill on the corner of Durango and Flamingo, in the space briefly occupied by Bobby Q Grille. An improvement at the new location: The dedicated dining area is physically separated from the bar, limiting smoke infiltration.

The original, beloved menu remains intact, including memorable spicy chicken and turkey cranberry sandwiches, spectacular nachos and a daily rotation of made-from-scratch soups. I can attest they’re all still as good as ever. And Fernandez assures us, once he’s settled in a bit more he’ll be able to expand the menu to include some of his most requested daily specials while providing a more diverse taste of worldwide flavors. That’s a promise we hope he’s able to keep.

Carlos’ Kitchen 4140 S. Durango, 207-6556. Wednesday-Monday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

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