Corner Bar Management has built a portfolio of Las Vegas bars and lounges around a framework of eye-catching art, stylistic surfaces and sexy, vibrant energy. Everything about the company’s new restaurant, Peyote at Fergusons Downtown, reflects that aesthetic, including a lush cactus garden that is in bloom outside and draws visitors with a Palm Springs vibe.
The difference is the food, and it’s a huge variance.
“[We’ve] traditionally done bars and nightlife and have stayed away from the food for good reason. I’m scared to death serving someone a plate of food, “says Ryan Doherty, founder of the Corner Bar.” I have friends in the restaurant business [and they] run impeccable restaurants and it’s really hard to get it right. “
Doherty recruited a dream team of downtown culinary stars to create peyote, starting with hospitality entrepreneur Jolene Mannina, founder of Vegas Test Kitchen and Secret Burger. Her extensive experience in developing innovative food events was a natural addition.
“I am all hospitality. I love it, ”she says. “I love taking care of people. That’s why I produce so many events. I like it when things are activated all the time. “
Her long-time associate Justin Kingsley Hall, cook and partner at Main St. Provisions, was the next to join the peyote team – “obviously it fits perfectly,” says Mannina. “[He’s] someone who would take it and add that nice education and history with their food. “
Every story Kingsley Hall tells is based on the “story of where I’ve been,” he says. His formative years in California and visits to Baja and Tijuana shape the open fire kitchen, which forms the heart of Peyote’s offerings. “You have this whole California-style grill that many people don’t know exists … this rich history of oak fires, cuts of meat, and other beneficial dishes.”
Peyote’s seasonal New American cuisine is also pleasantly full of gluten-free and plant-based options. The restaurant serves breakfast, brunch, and dinner with great dishes including the creamy Carolina Gold almond milk-based rice risotto ($ 18), seasonal tomato cakes with heirlooms ($ 14), and grilled pork chop with bourbon ($ 26).
The Santa Maria Tri-Tip Steak ($ 70) feeds two to six people and is cooked over an open fire while guests sit on a large, brightly-lit patio.
“When you have a fire, you know it’s a situation where people want to gather and hang out,” says Kingsley Hall. “There are great cacti everywhere, you have the grill and light show [artist Keegan Arthur Olton] has put together. It’s that whole backyard feeling. “
Peyote opened in the former La Monja room in Fergusons on Fremont Street in September and has already caused quite a stir. Some community members have expressed a desire to see the restaurant’s name change; Peyote is actually a backbone cactus native to Mexico and Texas, and some indigenous tribes are known to use it in sacred religious ceremonies.
Doherty says he is aware of a name change petition and has consulted several tribes, including the Paiute tribe and the Oneida tribe in Wisconsin. He says Peyote’s name will stay, but invites people who feel strongly about it to come and see him at the restaurant to give their opinion. “I like to listen and have a conversation about it,” he says.
PEYOTE 1028 Fremont St., 725-210-0306. Wednesday-Thursday, 6 p.m. – midnight; Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-midnight.
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