Carson Kitchen Opens Thursday At Alpharetta City Center

ALPHARETTA, GA — Beginning Thursday, Georgians will get the chance to sample Cory Harwell’s reimagined comfort food classics without having to fly across the country when the second location of Carson Kitchen, the popular Las Vegas restaurant, opened in Alpharetta City Center.

The success of Harwell’s Carson Kitchen was built on a philosophy of reimagined comfort food prepared with fine-dining ingredients, inspired by the food his grandmother made for him as a kid growing up in Woodstock, Georgia.

“To this day, my grandmother remains one of the greatest cooks I’ve ever known,” Harwell said. “She was a true Southern cook who understood that putting soul and love in the food meant flavor. She truly embraced serving food as a way of serving others and connecting with family, friends or whoever came over to her home. It’s that same level of hospitality that we bring to guests at Carson Kitchen.”

The genesis of Carson Kitchen in Las Vegas was originally a collaboration with celebrity chef and friend Kerry Simon. It was among the last projects Simon contributed to before his death in 2014, due to complications of MSA, a rare form of Parkinson’s disease.

"We just so happened to have Southern influences in our approaches to this food,” Harwell said. “But what we really are is a casual, comfortable, familiar, recognizable way for people to try foie gras, caviar, oxtail, rabbit, frog’s legs and other ingredients that people would never find in such a casual environment. Guests would only find these in places that charge $150 or $200. We just happen to be applying a Southern bent on the approach and the flavors."

Carson Kitchen’s menu boasts plates such as Bacon Jam with havarti and toasted baguette; Black Rice & Oxtail Risotto with parmesan cream; and a Glazed Donut Bread Pudding with triple rum caramel and a vanilla crème anglaise. Other highlights from the Carson Kitchen Alpharetta menu include:

Social Plates

• Crispy Chicken Skins with smoked honey, inspired by Harwell’s grandma’s Sunday chicken
• Grilled Oysters with garlic chili butter
• “Devil’s” Eggs with crispy pancetta and caviar
• Tempura Green Beans served with a pepper jelly cream cheese inspired by the go-to spread Harwell’s mom served for guests when he was growing up
• Lollipop Frog Legs with garlic and parmesan

Meat & Fish

• Cocoa-Espresso NY Strip with red wine demi
• Rainbow Trout with plum tkemali and molasses vin
• Chicken Thighs with general tso’s glaze

Between Bread

• Butter Burger with boursin, cheddar, lettuce and tomato
• Secret Sunday Chicken with spicy pickle aioli

Farm & Garden

• Brussels Sprouts Caesar with black kale and bacon lardon
• Rainbow Cauliflower with garlic and lemon juice
• Funeral Potatoes with sweetwater 420 extra pale ale cheese

Something Sweet

• Beeramisu with wiseacre brewing coffee milk stout and pumpkin cream
• Bourbon Fudge Brownie with brown butter bacon ice cream

Leading the Alpharetta Carson Kitchen culinary team is executive chef Stan Whary, Harwell’s handpicked chef who formerly worked at one of Harwell’s favorite Las Vegas eateries. The Tennessee native says he’s most excited by the opportunity to fuse the elements of fine dining with beloved favorites from his Southern upbringing, along with overseeing an interactive open kitchen.

“We have this big marble slab that serves as our chef’s table,” Whary said. “It’s where the show happens. You can come hang out and talk with us as you watch us make your dinner. It’s a great way for me and the crew to have legit fun at work, which is rare in this business.”

General manager David English is overseeing the second location of Carson Kitchen. English says he shares Harwell’s vision for hospitality, which should exceed just checking the service boxes when a guest arrives.

“It’s something you feel when you walk in the front door,” English said. “We really do care about every person who walks in the door. We’re there to make you feel at home. That commitment is absolutely what makes Cory unique in this industry.”

Harwell’s goal for Carson is simple: “To create a place where you can come in once a week with your friends to hang out and try some new things. Carson Kitchen isn’t for celebrating your anniversary with a $100 bottle of wine. It’s for celebrating Tuesday.”

"The opening of Carson Kitchen marks a significant milestone for Alpharetta City Center, as 100 percent of the restaurants are open, creating an exciting energy around the project," said Ashley Majors, property manager at Alpharetta City Center. "Our team is proud Cory Harwell is expanding his concept in the heart of Alpharetta and looks forward to seeing his vision come to life."

Carson Kitchen is located in Alpharetta City Center at 4 South Main St., Alpharetta, Georgia 30009. The restaurant is open for dinner Sunday-Thursday, 4 p.m.-10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 4 p.m.-11 p.m. For more information and reservations, call 770-696-1752 or visit carsonkitchen.com.