Dirty Fork brings a light and rich spin to avocado toast
At many of the breakfast-and-lunch spots that have cropped up in Southern Nevada the past few years, Hawaiian flavors are included on the menus. Dirty Fork is no exception, and this spot does it a far more interesting manner than, say, a Kalua pork omelet, and by incorporating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.
An example is the 9th Island French Toast ($11.50). It’s made with Hawaiian sweet bread along the lines of King’s Hawaiian, which is rich, eggy and slightly sweet. That was a good start, but what the menu didn’t mention was that it was topped with fresh fruit — strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and chunks of pineapple. With a thick squiggle of a not-too-sweet guava cream cheese and a little coconut syrup smeared on the plate, it was just indulgent enough, the fruit providing refreshing, summery notes.
Vegas-Style Avocado Toast ($11.50) was another dish that felt light and rich at the same time. Its base of multigrain toast was thickly spread with mashed avocado and topped with a mound of field greens. Pile on the poached eggs and pepitas served on the side, break the yolks so they add a bit of luxurious richness to the salmon, greens and toast, and the result is a feast for the eye and the palate, with abundant flavor and textural contrasts.
A little on the tamer side was the Paris Panini ($11), basically a bacon, cheese and egg breakfast sandwich, but artfully toasted in a panini press to achieve an attractive cross-hatch design. The fresh-produce theme continues with a big pile of field greens and a cup of vinaigrette.
All of the above are from Dirty Fork’s breakfast menu but there’s a lunch menu, too, and customers can feel free to order from both. The Dirty Fork Burger ($11.50) is available with tossed greens or fries, which turned out to be strangely addictive, cooked in a twice-fried style. The burger itself had plenty of big, beefy flavor augmented by bacon, and this time the fresh-produce mission was fulfilled by avocado, lettuce, onion and tomato.
One quibble: The avocado toast and french fries both had been sprinkled with dried dill weed, which added a nice bit of color. But considering how much the kitchen at Dirty Fork clearly values fresh fruits and vegetables, and considering the distinctive, unmistakable flavor of fresh dill, it’s a curious choice.
The Dirty Fork decor shows evidence of great attention to detail. Filtered water is served from porcelain-capped bottles, succulents decorate the wood-and-resin tables, the walls have dark wood wainscoting, there are corrugated-wood accents and Edison bulbs hang over the counters.
It’s a comfortable spot, and a good place to get some of your nine-a-day.
If you go
■ Dirty Fork, 3655 S. Durango Drive; 702-982-2111
■ The essence: Island-infused breakfast and lunch spot with an emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables.
Las Vegas Review-Journal restaurant reviews are done anonymously at Review-Journal expense. Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474. Follow @HKRinella on Twitter.