Eat. Breakfast & Lunch Joint by Chef Natalie Young

Me & Chef Natalie Young

The first time I heard of Eat. was about one month ago on a call with Cedric Crear when he mentioned having a great breakfast. Not understanding what he had said, I asked, “Where did you go?” and he replied “Eat.” I said, “Yes, you ate breakfast… where?” ‘Eat. I ate at Eat Downtown.”

Oooohhhh! Duh. I am usually on top of new things in Vegas, but I missed this one. The second time I heard of Chef Natalie’s new restaurant was on my Facebook feed when Gina Gavin posted “A hearty breakfast at EAT this morning. It was good! Thank you Chef Natalie for bringing a great breakfast & lunch joint to the hood.” I had to try this place.

The women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Theta Theta Omega Las Vegas Chapter

The morning started with my mother at our sorority’s (Alpha Kappa Alpha) Emerging Young Leaders presentation at the 100 Academy of Excellence then across the street to the “Get Out the Vote” rally at the William U. Pearson Community Center with the intentions of voting early until we saw the long line (I didn’t vote until the final day of early voting at Albertsons grocery store which was unusual for me since I’ve always voted on day one of early voting. I even got a Civic Duty badge from Foursquare when I checked in.) 

After our sorority meeting I remembered my conversation with Cedric and headed downtown to 7^th and Carson. Because it was a Saturday and the restaurant closes at 2 p.m. on weekends, we only had an hour of which I waste a good 15 minutes trying to find the place  neatly tucked away in an old apartment building. I kept driving past the entrance not realizing it was on the corner where the people were standing out front (duh.)

I parked across the street and luckily found a meter with an hour left. My mom and I lucked out that day because it was not too busy with plenty of seating when we arrived. I have to say I loved the interior and since it was not packed yet, Chef Natalie was able to sit and chat for a good while about the interior.

She designed the space herself and cleverly used reclaimed wood from shipping palettes to add texture to the wall under the counter at the kitchen and the emergency exit. She chose a summery green for her banquettes to coincide with bright orange chairs  made from a recycled material as well and black and white art on the walls. All art is from local artists, the very spirit of Downtown.

Chef Natalie told us artist Krystal Ramirez spent an entire day hand painting the mural “I’ll See You In The Flowers”  on the wall which reminds her  of her mother. It complements the open duct ceiling painted black. It’s cozy and comfortable. A place where you get lost in conversation with friends.

Shrimp & Grits with Bacon and Two Fried Eggs

When James and I dine we make it a point not to order the same dish so we can sample the others plate for variety. Not my mother. No matter how much I tried to talk her into not having the shrimp and grits with bacon and two fried eggs it fell on deaf ears. We had the same meal down to the glass of water and cup of coffee which was really good and not surprising, the Sumatra from Colorado River Roasters. It was creamy and light. I ate the entire bowl. My mother said, “Usually grits are heavy and loaded with cheese and butter and make you want to take a nap.”  To which I responded, “That’s the difference between a seasoned chef and cook.”

My sister Carri

Fast forward to the end of November and Eat was exactly what we did again and this time brought along my sister Carri and my niece Jaslynne who graced us with her presence after attending a concert the night before…teenagers. Three weeks ago being seated was quick as was this time, but only because we arrived as tables were leaving. It was packed as expected since the food, service and atmosphere is exceptional.

My adorable niece Jaslynne

Jaslynne had the chicken fried steak with two eggs scrambled, country gravy, smashed potatoes and toast, our mother had two eggs over medium with smoked bacon, chive potatoes and toast, while my sister and I enjoyed the DWBLT  (smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado) minus the  chipotle mayo (I’m allergic to mayo) on toasted sourdough with a pickle and homemade chips. I cut out the pickle and my sister added potato salad. Since I can’t have mayo I poured freshly made ranch dressing and Dijon on my sandwich giving it an extra kick of deliciousness.  My plan is try everything on the menu at least once before summer. I think I’m off to a great start.

DWBLT:  Smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato avocado and chipotle mayo

Chicken Fried Steak with two eggs scrambled, country gravy, smashed potatoes and toast

Two eggs over medium with smoked bacon, chive potatoes and toast

Address: 707 Carson Street (at 7^th)
Number: 702-534-1515
Hours: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday
8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday

Thank you for reading.

Adrienne xo