Glutton makes a fine addition to downtown redevelopment

Staring out Glutton's broad expanse of windows early on a recent evening, it would have been difficult not to think about just how much has changed downtown. Fifteen years ago, 10 years ago — heck, probably even five years ago — much of downtown Las Vegas, and especially the outskirts, including the Carson and Seventh streets intersection where Glutton is located, was no place for the faint of heart to wander after dark.

If you need any proof that redevelopment is working, follow the view out those windows and you'll see tourists and locals walking from one lively restaurant or bar to the next, and people on their way home from work, like the father with his little daughter, head to toe in pink, perched on his shoulders as she sucked on a juice box.

That should suffice, but if you need further proof, take a seat inside Glutton and take in the convivial atmosphere, friendly service and very good food.

Glutton is of the newish genre of small-plates restaurants that put an emphasis on social dining, and there are large communal tables to accommodate that. Regular readers know I'm a great fan of small plates, but that evening I was looking for both a change of pace and a chance to try Chef Bradley Manchester's locally famous burger, so we turned to the part of the menu offering the more substantial dishes.

But first, a stop at the starters. Pickled tomatoes ($9) seemed like a refreshing choice, and indeed it was. If you're at all familiar with pickled tomatoes you no doubt think of them as garlicky orbs, a little tough to bite into because of the skins. These were anything but; tiny heirloom cherry tomatoes had been peeled and pickled in a brine that was indeed flavored with garlic but with a fair amount of restraint. They were served with whipped ricotta, its neutrality a nice contrast in flavor, texture and even color to the tomatoes, plus crisp slices of toasted ciabatta to hold it all.

Wood-roasted chicken ($22) would, we figured, be regular ol' roasted chicken, the stuffing mentioned on the menu served on the side or something. But this was much more than that, chicken breast rolled around the tasso-and-pickled-pepper stuffing and served in standing cylinders. Again, a study in contrasts, the neutral chicken against the salty/vinegary flavors of the stuffing and the subtle sweetness of the light bourbon sauce.

And the Glutton Burger ($14), which seems to be getting a lot of attention lately. The creamy cheese that topped it was billed as house-made American, which surprised me a bit, because I think that's pretty ambitious. There was plenty of beefy goodness there as well (and it was medium-rare as ordered), but I have one quibble: Too much lettuce. I can't even believe I'm saying that because normally I love lots of good crunchy lettuce on a burger, but in this case it served to distract from the prodigious crunch and appealing sweet/sour balance of the house-made bread-and-butter pickles.

For dessert we'd go with a bit of Manchester's whimsy in the caramel-corn profiteroles ($8), the puffs filled with popcorn ice cream (yes, it had crunch, and it was delicious) and topped with a drizzle of rich caramel, salted.

Service throughout was very good, our waiter quite well versed on the menu and friendly as well as informative. He brought extra napkins and flatware without our asking, and refilled beverages regularly.

This is, indeed, the new downtown, of which Las Vegas should be growing quite proud. It's home to an ever-increasing number of great little restaurants, and Glutton rides high among them.

Las Vegas Review-Journal restaurant reviews are done anonymously at Review-Journal expense. Email Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Find more of her stories at www.reviewjournal.com and follow @HKRinella on Twitter.