Shrimp cocktail
If you’re not a frequent Las Vegas visitor, then you may not have noticed downtown’s gradual gentrification. In November, the revival progressed even further with the reincarnation of The Lady Luck as the Downtown Grand. The hotel/casino opening represented a milestone, as it was the first in downtown Las Vegas in 30 years; with it came a wave of new restaurants enhancing the culinary scene.
Stewart & Ogden is among the new downtown venues ushered in with Downtown Grand’s opening. The room has a sort of rustic diner flair, while the menu—conceptualized by locally renowned restaurateur husband/wife team of Kim Canteenwalla and Elizabeth Blau—elevates typical comfort cuisine.
Begin your meal with the pub cheese—a bubbling hot, addictive combination of cream cheese and cheddar with cayenne pepper. Topped with roasted jalapenos and served alongside house-made potato chips, the dish has just a hint of heat; you’ll want to order another after scooping the bowl clean.
You’ll also want to check out the meatball skewers. The meatballs are served swimming in a rich roasted tomato and provolone fondue and alongside an order of garlic sticks playfully wrapped in aluminum foil straight from the oven; a whimsical touch for a serious dish lets you know the kitchen is enjoying itself while serving you quality dishes. And the classic shrimp cocktail gets a twist with the “horsey” sauce.
From the salad selections, look to the eponymous Ogden chop salad. The name is a bit misleading because while the laundry list of toppings—including roast turkey, smoked Gouda (which makes every dish better), raisins, walnuts, avocado and dried cranberries—are finely cubed, the mixed greens remain intact. Nonetheless, the result is a myriad of flavors and textures resulting in a differing experience with each forkful.
And speaking of forks, a nice presentation detail is that all salads are served with their own chilled forks. While not necessarily impacting the dishes’ flavors, it’s the attention to the minutiae that’s represented in the dishes themselves.
Entrée-wise, Ogden’s over-the-top mac and cheese melds a five cheese-blend with bacon, peas and caramelized onions. This dish remains surprisingly light while highlighting the individual ingredients. In a similar comfort food vein, tender Dr. Pepper-braised pot roast is served atop browned sweet potatoes with charred broccoli and a hint of fresh horseradish.
Save room for dessert, where a molten brownie awaits. This double fudge behemoth oozes chocolate with each spoonful; getting a scoop of vanilla ice cream cuts the dish’s richness—and what dessert doesn’t improve with ice cream? Or order the butter brioche bread pudding. Rather than an ice cream addition, you can choose bananas Foster sauce to accompany the already rich raisin rum sauce. Decadence, thy name is dessert.
With its opening, there is no other restaurant like Stewart & Ogden in downtown Las Vegas. The downtown dining scene is better off for it.
Downtown Grand, 7 a.m.-1 a.m. daily. 702.719.5100
