Kinks aside, Kitchen Table brings elegance and verve to the greasy spoon experience
There’s a certain charm about local breakfast spots in our city — sticky, syrup-stained menus, countless configurations of eggs/potatoes/toast, local yokels griping about current cable news headlines over free coffee refills.
However, there’s a new restaurant in Henderson tinkering with this familiar formula. Kitchen Table, which debuted in December, brings style and creativity to the everyday egg-centric dining experience. A massive communal table stands in place of the typical counter, the stunning servers could moonlight as bottle service girls, and formally trained chefs replace anonymous hash-slingers.
To call it a hidden gem would be accurate. It’s literally tucked away in the corner of a retail plaza on Horizon Ridge Parkway, with only a small banner pinned on a stucco wall to help guests find the entrance. But that hasn’t stopped nearby residents from flooding the dining room since its opening day.
The small, busy kitchen. Photography by Sabin Orr
Overseeing the operation are chefs Antonio Nunez and Javier Chavez. Both previously worked at Mercadito and Whist Stove & Spirits, as well as in the kitchens of various Strip restaurants (Nunez at Border Grill and STK, Chavez at Brooklyn Bowl). Their combined resumes result in a diverse menu that reads like erotica for the brunch lover. There’s an obscenely decadent sausage and egg breakfast sandwich, served on a homemade donut instead of a bland roll. Egg options include a poached version flavored with dukkah (an Egyptian spice blend.) There’s even an entire section devoted to foie gras — you can have it seared and plopped atop biscuits, waffles, pancakes or French toast. Want to spoil yourself even further? They also serve caviar by the ounce.
Kitchen Table’s peach cobbler. Photography by Sabin Orr
The choices are overwhelming, but maybe that’s why my first visit was just short of wonderful. One dining companion promptly inhaled a generous plate of duck pastrami hash without complaint, but the same bird was woefully mistreated in sandwich form. The duck Philly — think duck a l’orange meets Philly cheesesteak — was cloyingly sweet from a generous schmear of orange marmalade, and thick slices of Gruyere and Provolone cheese had congealed into rubbery planks before my first bite. (You’ll probably never hear me say this again, but I would have sooner preferred jarred Cheez Whiz.) The item remains a promising concept; I only hope the chefs will tweak its execution.
Pork-belly Benedict. Photography by Sabin Orr
A second tablemate opted for the traditional eggs Benedict. It was serviceable, but a side of house potatoes was ice-cold. The only unanimous hit was an order of homemade coffee cake. Even though it was actually a muffin, it arrived warm and was generously spiced with cinnamon.
The hit-or-miss experience could be attributed to a number of factors. Opening jitters are inevitable. The restaurant was also at maximum capacity on my particular weekday visit. And perhaps the menu is too ambitious for the restaurant’s closet-sized kitchen. Whatever the case may be, Kitchen Table should at least be given credit for excellent, friendly service. Chef Nunez seemed genuinely invested in the guests’ experience, stopping at every table to solicit feedback from diners. (He immediately offered to replace our cold spuds with a fresh order.)
A sampling of syrups.Photography by Sabin Orr
The atmosphere is also a welcome upgrade from the traditional diner or cafe. Despite being a tad noisy, the dining room is stylish and attracts a young crowd. An outdoor patio (where the chefs smoke their own meat) is also sure to be perpetually packed once the weather warms up.
Kitchen Table isn’t necessarily a destination. As a Summerlin dweller, I confess that there is little incentive for me to return on a regular basis. But my guess is that Chef Nunez is okay with that. I hope the kinks are resolved sooner than later, because what he’s helped to create — a cozy neighborhood place for made-from-scratch dishes — is sadly hard to find. If other chefs would follow suit in their own parts of town, the city’s dining scene would be infinitely better for it.
The Kitchen Table
1716 W. Horizon Ridge Pkwy. #100
702-478-4782
HOURS
Daily 7a-4p