The Devil's Eggs at Carson
Kitchen combine pancetta
and caviar for a creamy
wower of an appetizer.
photography
by
peter
harasty
Rock on
Kerry Simon'S new Spot, Carson
tChen, ServeS Some of the moSt innovative fare yet from
the "rocK 'n' roll chef."
by andrea bennett
Sitting on the massive butcher-block bar that separates a few lucky diners
from the open kitchen at Kerry Simon's new Carson Kitchen in Downtown
is a colorfully labeled "swear jar." It's a cute touch, you might think—as I
naïvely did. And then you dip your toasted slice of baguette into the cast-
iron skillet of sizzling bacon jam—sweet, vinegary, and smoky, with just a
little lingering heat—and suddenly understand its purpose. Simon's "Rock
'n' Roll Chef" moniker has stuck since Rolling Stone administered it years
ago, and with his dedicated following, he and partner Cory Har well
didn't have to go small with their next venture. But the 60-seat restaurant
with its 40-seat rooftop patio is precisely what this pre-gentrifying stretch
of Carson Street was crying out for. Occupying the newly renovated John
E. Carson building, a stark white former f lophouse, it is the kind of cozy
neighborhood joint that Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh likely envisioned when
he infused the Downtown economy with $350 million. You'll have to wait
for a seat (reservations are taken only for parties of six or more), but it's
well worth standing on line for serious winners—nothing over $20 —like
the addictively crispy fried chicken skins with smoked honey, the veal
meatballs in silky foie gras sherry cream, and a rabbit ragu whose slight
peppery f lavor doesn't stop where the natural pepperiness of its spaghetti
squash base beg ins. The secret of the mac and cheese is evident the
moment you pierce its crunchy crust (we're not telling). Order both the
glazed doughnut bread pudding, made from day-old doughnuts from
next door's O Face Doughnuts and soaked in three-rum caramel and
vanilla crème anglaise, and the criminally dense bourbon fudge brownie,
with its brown butter bacon ice cream and candied bacon on top. We have
it on good authority that Hsieh, here five nights a week, sometimes douses
his with a shot of Pappy Van Winkle. Now, where's that jar? You'll be
donating. 124 S. Sixth St., 702-473-9523; carsonkitchen.com
V
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