Remedy’s is building better bar food

Gotta love those superlatives that aren’t real super — like the barbecue joint in that ’cue desert of Big Pine, Calif., (population: not much) that a website named the best restaurant in the country (much to the surprise of the owner, I might add). It was pretty good, but even he wouldn’t claim nationwide superiority.

Which went through my mind as we pulled up to Remedy’s on Conestoga Way and saw a sign stating that another website had named their burger best in the country. Hmm. I’ll be the judge of that.

And …

Yeah, they had me at fried parsnips.

Not exactly your garden-variety burger topping, but I knew immediately it could work, because the parsnip’s earthy, slightly peppery flavor would be a great foil for beef, and frying them would crisp them up, kind of like french fries. And just the idea of using fried parsnips showed a whole lot of creativity.

And those, of course, weren’t the only things piled atop The Cure ($10.50). It started with ground chuck, a slightly gutsy thing to admit on your menu because a lot of people equate it with fat and cheap, but really chuck contributes plenty of flavor and moistness to a burger. They blended the beef with pork to add even more of both things, and stuffed it with fontina, one of my favorite cheeses for its smooth nuttiness. Then topped it with soy-marinated onions, jalapeno jelly, lettuce, tomato and spicy mayo, on a brioche bun that added eggy richness and also was up to the task of holding it all.

No wretched excess — by today’s standards, anyway — just a really good burger.

Whoever’s behind Remedy’s food (the poker bar is part of a small local chain that also includes the Distill and Elixir brands) definitely is a thinker. I tend to like fried pickles. If you do, too, you’ll know that the slices are always overbreaded and kinda greasy, while the spears, at the other end of the pickle-to-breading continuum, are just too much pickle (not to mention that they stay infernally hot, since all that liquid in the pickle seems to be at the boiling point). Well, Remedy’s fried pickle straws ($4.95) avoid the conundrum by splitting the difference and cutting the pickles into sticks, or straws, thinner than spears and just the right ratio, breading-to-pickle. Chipotle sour cream on the side, in addition to the usual ranch, was another creative touch.

Remedy’s has a whole selection of sliders, and a nice option is the Six Pack ($16.95), which lets you choose three types. And so we had the crunchy-wonder pretzel-crusted chicken, the smoky Western barbecue burger and the Philly cheesesteak with its whole riot of flavors and textures.

Coleslaw with The Cure was cold, creamy and crispy, and sweet-potato fries with the sliders were a nice alternative to regular.

Add the Whiskey Steak Tacos ($11.25), tender beef with cabbage, avocado and salsa in tortillas, for more variety in flavors and textures.

Service throughout was great, our server pleasant and efficient. The decor is pretty much modern poker bar though more attractive than most, and what we really liked was that the bar area is separated by glass from the dining area, which keeps out the smoke.

So, is The Cure the best burger in the country? Can’t say; I haven’t quite gotten to all of them yet. But it — and Remedy’s — are good for what ails you.

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