If you live in the southeast part of the Valley and you’ve been wishing for a hip gastrolounge like Downtown’s Carson Kitchen to pop up in your ‘hood, your dreams come true today.
That's when Standard & Pour debuts in Firefly's former second-story space on Eastern Avenue at the edge of Anthem. The 130-seat restaurant comes from the makers of Carson Kitchen, Simon Hospitality Group, in collaboration with Titan Brands, which operates Hussong’s Cantina and Slice of Vegas on the Strip and a second Hussong’s near Summerlin. S&P’s comfy menu is divided into four main sections: vegetables, fish, meat and dessert, with small plates and surprises sprinkled throughout and a fairly intense cocktail program.
Las Vegas Weekly was invited to an exclusive pre-opening tasting of several dishes on the menu, and we picked some creative favorites the neighborhood—and the rest of the Valley—is sure to love.
Whole smoked romanesco The odd-looking vegetable that falls somewhere between broccoli and cauliflower gets the royal treatment at S&P, slightly smoked to perfect tenderness and served with capers, pickled red onions and golden raisins in a light vinaigrette. Order it for the table, chop it up and pass it around. ($12)
Crispy oysters Eggs and oysters officially go together. These fried sea treasures are topped with sriracha-laced egg salad and smoked trout roe for a crispy, creamy, spicy, smoky, magical bite.
Kimchi tacos As a food trend, Korean-Mexican fusion tacos have come and gone, but these are something different. Perfectly caramelized, bulgogi-style short ribs and crisp Asian pear slaw make up the middle, but instead of a tortilla, S&P uses a house-made scallion pancake, adding new depths of flavor and texture. ($14)
Tongue & cheek agnolotti This culinary team is all about assembling familiar, flavorful dishes with ingredients you might not have experienced yet. There's tongue and beef cheek inside these oversized pasta pockets, but the offal comes off smooth and meaty with only a little funky flavor. The sharp red wine demi-glace, rich peppercorn cream sauce and fresh pasta make this a memorable dish.
Saffron rice pudding A refined take on a simple Persian dish, this delicately balanced sweet-and-savory dessert offers chopped dates, pistachios and pomegranate seeds to top a generous bowl of soulful rice pudding made with saffron and rose water with cinnamon. It may be an exotic dish in this neighborhood, but it’s a must-try. ($8)
Lost bread Carson Kitchen’s most popular sweet treat is a bread pudding made with doughnuts, so S&P had to spin off that favorite. This gooey, rich dessert is basically a cinnamon roll bread pudding with toasted pecans drenched in indulgent maple icing. Just try to stop eating it. ($8)
Standard & Pour 11261 S. Eastern Ave. #200, 702-629-5523. Sunday-Thursday, 4-11 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 4 p.m.-midnight.