When it comes to food and travel, chef Ben Goodnick of Durango Casino & Resort’s new California-inspired Summer House is as seasoned as they come.
He’s helmed the kitchen of Chicago’s French bistro Mon Ami Gabi, also a staple of dining and people-watching on the Las Vegas Strip. He’s bounced around South America, cooking out of vineyards and exploring markets with some of the best ingredients in the world. But if you asked him to pick a favorite, he’d point to Santa Monica’s Wednesday farmers market, “the greatest single food experience in terms of retail shopping I’ve ever seen.”
“And the great thing about Southern California, which is lucky for us in Las Vegas, is that it’s drivable. In Central and Southern California, they grow pristine produce year-round,” says Goodnick.
Seizing that opportunity—and using other locally sourced ingredients—is what makes Summer House feel sosummery. Imagine grilled tequila-lime chicken tacos, maybe some fire-roasted artichokes, or a plate of salmon poke nachos. Or what about a slab of slow-cooked Berkshire pork baby back ribs and a serving of potato salad deviled eggs? Your grill or mine?
“It feels like food you would eat with your toes in the sand or poolside,” Goodnick says.
At Durango, Summer House is an oasis in both concept and feel. The room dazzles with its natural bungalow aesthetic, incorporating trees into the restaurant design for an indoor-outdoor vibe that feels straight out of an Architectural Digest feature. Of the four of the Summer House locations Lettuce Entertain You restaurant group has opened, Goodnick agrees this is the most beautiful. The company has a penchant for creating jaw-dropping venues (see: RPM Italian at the Forum Shops, Happy Camper at Fashion Show) and Summer House has proven no different.
The California-inspired menu features all the beach bites you’d expect—delicious pizzas, ahi tuna tostadas ($19) topped with cubes of watermelon, fish tacos ($23), and surprise favorites like the belly-warming BBQ-glazed salmon ($39), served under a sheet of buttery grits. The prime cheeseburger ($20) is made with well-sourced cuts from Brandt Beef, a family-owned ranch in Southern California. The gigantic, hand-for-scale cookies at Summer House’s cookie bar also can’t be beat.
Did we mention the drinks are just as stellar? Summer House spares no expense with its cocktails, offering fresh sips like the Tropical Dreams ($14), made with habanero honey, grapefruit and vodka, as well as tasty mocktails. Those pair well with a weekend brunch menu on which Goodnick says the team worked especially hard, aiming to ensure the best and brightest flavors are brought to the table. That’s evident in the restaurant’s take on Mexican hash browns ($16) and the beloved breakfast feast of huevos rancheros ($19).
The chef has every intention of keeping this cuisine simple and satisfying.
“I don’t have ego that I need to make this because it makes me feel good as a chef or as a creative. That’s not my motivation,” Goodnick says. “My motivation is the people who walk through the doors.
“I think our brunch menu specifically is really things that people want to eat. It’s craveable and delicious, and maybe it feels right after Saturday night into Sunday morning.”
SUMMER HOUSE Durango, 702-623-5011, summerhouserestaurants.com. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-11 p.m.;Sunday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
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