Vegas is inching closer to having a true gastropub and not just a bunch of GINOs (gastropub in name only). We don’t yet have a spot like Chicago’s Publican or Denver’s Euclid Hall, but we’re so much closer than before, and it only took a couple of transplants from beer-crazy San Diego to make it happen with 595 Craft and Kitchen.
What Chris Holding and Van-Alan Nguyen have accomplished in the former Elements space (with a postage stamp-sized kitchen) is nothing short of miraculous. Once boasting an unruly 500-plus martini list, the space now houses a more reasonable number of taps (24) rivaled by few in the Valley; maybe only the Kitchen at Atomic has a similar combination of eclectic brews and edgy eats.
595’s draft list tilts toward SoCal and Nevada, which isn’t a bad thing. Recent offerings have included the Bruery’s Mash & Coconut, PT’s The Crippler (brewed to promote ALS awareness) and CraftHaus’ Peanut Butter Cup Belgard. Couple the thoughtful tap choices with a glycol-infused chilling strip on the bar, and you’ve got a perfect combination for wasting the day away.
But man cannot live on beer alone. I’m a big fan of gourmet popcorn, so 595’s Craft Popcorn of the Day ($5) is right up my alley. Recent combinations have included a brewer’s yeast and furikake rendition, endowed with earthy funkiness and umami, and a slightly-sweet Korean gochujang and honey.
Don’t be surprised when fried deviled eggs ($9) are exactly that—literally deviled eggs fried whole. These little beasts are a treat. Even better are the outrageously good crispy chicken skins ($7), so tasty the accompanying gochujang is superfluous.
More substantial offerings include the “Butcher Block” Craft Burger ($10), juicy and charred and ready to take its place among the hierarchy of the Valley’s best. The accompanying crispy hand-cut fries ($7) are worthy of an order on their own, but they’re even better as the base for Holding’s “Bad Ass” chili poutine ($10). The chili is well-seasoned, if a wee bit dry, but layered with bacon and cheese atop fries, it’s delightfully decadent.
To paraphrase The Dark Knight, 595 might not be the gastropub Las Vegas deserves. But it’s the gastropub Las Vegas needs, and that’s a good thing.
595 Craft and Kitchen 4950 S. Rainbow Blvd. #100, 702-586-1050. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Sunday, 10 a.m.-midnight.
