David Clawson Restaurant

I am heartbroken to hear this spot has closed! Located way on the edge of Henderson, surrounded by suburbia, David Clawson Restaurant is a gem in an unlikely place. The understated décor and sushi-​bar-​turned-​chefs-​table keep the focus right where it should be: on the food. Took a group of visiting friends here for an adventurous evening of small plates and wine.
PARKER HOUSE ROLLS: Served alongside a salted butter, this bread was anything but basic. Crunchy outside cooked in a cast-​iron skillet, soft and fluffy inside, this disappeared fast.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS: A roasted version with manchego, mustard, and bacon. Addictive for their crunch, enjoyed around the table.
TIGER SHRIMP: Beautiful, fun presentation of large, fresh shrimp with jicama, chipotle, and cilantro. This ranked lower than other seafood dishes of the night.
BEET SALAD: This is the only dish we had that I can say was pretty average, nothing to set it apart from other versions in other restaurants around town.
HOKKAIDO SCALLOP CEVICHE: Beautiful presentation with mango, lime, and onion, this was a major hit among our group, hitting all the right notes with the fresh fish and balanced flavors.
TUNA: Served sashimi-​style on a brick of pink Himalayan sea salt, this was a bright, fresh dish that all enjoyed.
GARLIC NOODLES: So fragrant, a mere whiff might off a vampire. Chewy noodles, savory sauce, a dish we nearly skipped but were glad we added at the last minute.
SALMON WITH RICE?: A certain member of our group wanted to petition the staff to rename this dish «orgasm salmon», it resonated with her so much. The rice was described by our server as being «like a risotto» but clearly was inspired by Asian congee dishes. Simple and savory.
LAMB: Star of the night. This was one of the best versions of lamb I have ever had. It was painful to have to share it with the other diners. Tender, succulent meat with crisp vegetables and a robust sauce, this is something I would cross town for again, easily.
STICKY APRICOT PUDDING: Warm cake in a sea of hot toffee sauce reminiscent of maple syrup, topped with a mini cannoli. The dessert lovers at our table swooned over this version.
SALTED CARAMELS WITH COCONUT FLAKES: The bill was accompanied by these tiny sweet treats that were a final delight to our meal. I enjoyed the texture and subtle nutty sweetness of the flakes, and the caramel itself was on point.
Service was warm and made helpful suggestions. One of our party had to leave early, and our server ensured that the dishes he wanted to try came out in time for him to enjoy them. I’m not a fan of the location, which was difficult to find, but can find nary a fault with the restaurant itself. Hoping to hear of this spot reopening in a better location, it was going to be a staple spot for us to bring visiting friends and family!

For their one-​year anniversary, David Clawson Restaurant set aside one night for 50% off food. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try this acclaimed restaurant for a bargain.
David Clawson Restaurant is at the far end of the Anthem area of Henderson. They open five nights a week for dinner, and reservations are recommended, but not required except for this special occasion. The ambiance is rather casual, as is the stated attire — but I would have felt underdressed in a T-​shirt and jeans, which I thankfully avoided.
It’s a considerable drive for anyone who doesn’t live in Anthem, but it’s well worth it. Even at regular prices, this small plates /​«tapas» restaurant easily trumps similar Strip restaurants in terms of price and flavor. The vast menu was too much for the two of us to sample in its entirety, but we gave it our best shot:
— High Mountain oolong tea ($ 5): pleasant enough without sugar, gave me enough alertness to enjoy the rest of the meal. It provided all that I could ask for.
— Albacore shots (blackboard special, $ 6 normal price): truffle ponzu, avocado, and jalapeño. I had more than enough heat from half of the jalapeño slice, but don’t skip it entirely or else you’ll lack a key part of the flavor combo.
— Brussels sprouts ($ 9): bacon, mustard, and manchego. A delightfully crunchy and savory dish that’s shareable.
— Tiger shrimp ($ 11): chorizo, jicama, chipotle, and cilantro over a corn purée. Tasty but not especially memorable.
— Hokkaido scallop ceviche ($ 13): mango, finger lime, and pickled onions. The sourness of the finger limes (the crunchy and sour «caviar») played nicely against the sweetness of the fresh mango. Along with the scallop, I also had a sip of the 2 oz tasting portion of the paired Albariño wine ($ 4), which seemed just fine to my untrained palate.
— Garlic noodles ($ 7): solid but not remarkable. The noodles aren’t al dente — no issue because I haven’t had garlic noodles served al dente — but they also aren’t distinctively better than versions that I’ve had elsewhere.
— Pork belly ($ 9): some of the best that I’ve had in a while, perhaps ever. The sauce was a classic apple pairing, but the achara (julienne carrots and papaya) was a twist that reminds me of banh mi sandwiches, although there’s an additional ginger flavor in this version. The pork itself is meaty, tender and very flavorful, although it could’ve used more than just a slight crunch to the skin.
— Veal cheek ($ 14): bacon, shiitake, and kaboucha squash. Resembles some beef ragouts that I’ve had, but it’s not as sour and the meat is certainly far more tender while having a distinctive non-​beefy flavor.
— Crab cake ($ 15): spinach, grain mustard, and lemon. The only item where I’ll say that I prefer another place’s rendition. There’s plenty of crab meat, and the complementary components were nice, but I thought it was a little on the salty side and could’ve even used a little more crab meat instead of having that salty crust. I could be biased, but that’s my take.
— Foie gras ($ 19): a modest portion of seared liver over a poached pear with shallot jam and some ginger. Perhaps this purer form of foie gras is not for me because I didn’t get too much flavor out of it even when I ate it alone to avoid the slightly overpowering pear. It did open my eyes (and palate) to how important the addition of different livers are in the other versions of foie gras that I’ve tried, so it was worth it even though it was a flavor letdown.
— Duck confit ($ 13). The subtle honey and the blueberry complemented the fantastic duck meat. I couldn’t detect the lemongrass that was reportedly used, but I didn’t long for it. Next to the pork belly, this was one of my favorites of the night. A nice peak to end the savory portion of the meal.
— Banana «tiramisu» ($ 8): the least endearing of the excellent desserts. Didn’t carry the traditional coffee flavor, but the banana cake and bruleed bananas were yummy anyway. Our server said that it’s only been around for a couple of weeks.
— Chocolate «bombe» ($ 9): per our server, a «brand new» menu addition. The thick layer of chocolate mousse, thin layer of crunchy hazelnut, puddle of grand marnier sauce, and crunchy orange-​flavored tuile were all fantastic elements, and they combined to form a masterpiece.
— Sticky apricot pudding ($ 9): served with a nice vanilla cream and a sublime rum toffee sauce. I’m sure we finished the entire pool of the toffee. This was the best dessert and it seems to be a menu mainstay.
A complimentary soft coconut/​caramel toffee arrived with the bill. It was also delicious. And paying that bill was as easy as 1−2−3. Specifically — with tax and with the tip based on the undiscounted prices — $ 123 for a feast for two.
Service was a bit slow throughout the night, but it was nice to be visited by pastry chef Maggie and by chef David Clawson himself. I think we were happy enough to linger anyway.
I’ll certainly be back. Maybe for the second anniversary, yeah?

We went here for the first time last night after seeing reviews on Unilocal and our newspaper food critic. We were not disappointed! Everything we had was amazing! I could eat the Parker House bread with pulgra butter and alaea salt all day! We took Chef’s recommendation and went down the menu with starters, meats and dessert. My husband had the soup and I had the Brussels Sprouts. Delicious! We also had one of the weekly specials, Hamachi Shot. Wow! Best fish appetizer ever!
We then had the ahi and quail. My husband loved his ahi, but the quail was on the bone and chewy… that was my only complaint. The fois gras on the poached pear is out of this world! Best fois gras I’ve ever had!
It’s not just the presentation that’s outstanding but the quality of the food and the taste. Servers are knowledgeable and friendly. The hostess is fabulous. Pastry chef Meg delivers her creations to you and loves to tease when you are scraping the sauce off the Chocolate Bombe plate to savor each delicious morsel. A different tapas experience but so worth it. I dub this a neighborhood gem and we will go back again and again!

Went here on a Wednesday night at 6:30PM. Restaurant is clean, modern, and has a great wrap around bar in the center of the restaurant. There wasn’t much of a crowd at 6:30PM, but it started to fill up a little bit after 7PM. It’s a small/​intimate restaurant (with some booths on one side, regular tables on another, and about 15 seats at the bar). There were people seated to the tables next to us, and we could hear their conversations unfortunately (that’s the only downside to this restaurant).
Food was AMAZING!
we ordered:
— scallops ceviche: anything with ceviche means the meat is raw, and the juices from the lemon «cook» it. This was the best ceviche I’ve had. It was slightly sweet, had a little sweet balsamic vinegrete in there, with sweet pickled onions, mango slices, advocado, and a thai chili for each of the four scallops. It was beautifully presented too, and really easy to fit on your spoon, and to eat it whole (which is recommended because the flavors of the mango and chili really go well together with the scallop).
— brussel sprouts: sweet balsamic-​like brussel sprouts cut in half length wise, with bacon or some kind of pork. it wasn’t bitter, like brussel sprouts can be, and the outside was nicely crispy with the balsamic (i think) caramelization.
— lamb: we ordered it medium rare, and even though it looked rare, it was not. IT WAS SOO DELICIOUS. also pricey at $ 18 (and remember this is a tapas restaurant so the order of lamb didn’t come with two sides), but totally worth it. Lamb can be gamey, but this wasn’t.
— bread: also delicious. it was so cute! it tasted a little like those Hawaiian rolls you get for Thanksgiving when you’re too lazy to bake actual rolls, but way better. It also came with salted butter, which was simple and surprisingly amazing. I need to start doing that with my own buttered toast.
— crab cake: also very good. came with a ton of actual crab meat that looked like crab meat. Most crab cakes are mostly bread crumbs, and mashed crab meat (or it looks like mashed crab meat because you can’t actually see the crab meat). This was not like that. My description doesn’t make it sound appetizing, but it was delicious and perfectly crispy on the outside.
No room for dessert, which was sad. They also have a board of specials, which I definitely want to try for my next visit.
Service: guy was super nice & helpful. We explained it was our first time, and the server gave us a list of recommendations for us to choose from.
It’s definitely pricey, total for two people came out to $ 59 (pre tax & pre tip), but it’s so worth itttttt!

Easily a 5 star review! Eric R. and I went on a double date with Ben W. and Jaclyn L. that we arranged a week ago while at a happy hour. We all wanted to try David Clawson and luckily had a free night to do so. Everything on the menu looked good, including the specials. We could have ordered almost anything! Luckily, we were able to agree on all dishes, and there was only one I did not try because it had pork.
Our server looked exactly like Sandra Bullock (and she told me everyone says that which I figured). She was so nice and very attentive. We started off with the Japanese milk bread (which I forgot to take a picture of) which was tasty. Then, Jaclyn L. and I both got the hamachi shot, which had hamachi, avocado, wasabi leaf, truffle, and jalapeño. It was delicious!
Our next set of dishes included the duck confit with blueberry sauce, which fell off the bone and had crispy skin, the shrimp with chorizo and corn (I did not try this but everyone else liked it), and the hamachi salad with frisee, daikon-​carrot pickles, and red chile miso. I love frisee (favorite lettuce!) so this was awesome. It also had thai bird chile.
Our next round had the garlic lo mein, tuna tataki, and quail with fig. Everything was delicious! We ended with the sticky apricot pudding and it was gone in no time. I really wanted to try the scallops but did not get enough votes, so I will have to eat here again next time I get back to LV. We were given salted caramels covered in coconut with our check, which were soft and creamy. The server swiped the credit cards at the table, just like in Europe! That is the first place we have seen that in the U.S. Overall the price was incredibly reasonable, with each couple paying just over $ 50 with tip!
For a suburban spot that is not well known, the service and food are excellent! All four of us liked everything we ate and saw many other menu items of interest. Definitely give DC a try. Closed Sundays and Mondays.

Wow, where do I even begin? This was an absolute wonderful dining experience that I hope to repeat again soon. The 5 star reviews are well deserved. We arrived at 6 and were seated immediately. We asked for a booth but were told they were all reserved for a party. Not a big deal but the tables for 2 are very close together and don’t offer any privacy. Other than that, I have no complaints.
Our server, Beth, came over right away and welcomed us. She explained the small plates concept and recommended a few things according to our taste. We started with 4 plates and ended up ordering 8, including dessert.
We had the yellowtail salad which was basically yellowtail sashimi on some greens with a spicy sauce. Then they brought out the Ahi tuna tataki which was excellent (we ended up ordering a second). Perfectly seared tuna on a fried wonton with avocado and a wonderful sauce. Next up was the garlic lo mein noodles, if you love garlic you wont be disappointed. Then we had the potatoes with ham and chives and the crabcake. The crabcake was very good, very little filling and large pieces of lump crab.
Now I am saving the best for last. The seabass in miso broth was nothing short of incredible. It was one of the best dishes I have ever had, and that is saying a lot! The fish was cooked to perfection. Crispy on the outside and moist on the inside sitting in the most incredible miso broth. I could have eaten 2 or 3. We ended this fantastic meal with the apricot sticky pudding. Another incredible dish worthy of the 5 stars.
This was just a fantastic meal with great service. Beth did a great job checking on us and making sure we were happy. I will definitely be returning to David Clawson for more of his food.

Yup another 5 star review. What can I say that hasn’t already been said in the previous 27 five star reviews?
— «The food here is amazing», Duh, the chef is like a 35 year restaurant vet.
— «Décor is a little on the plain side», Hmm… when you’re face is buried in a plate of food do you really care what’s hanging on the wall?
— «It’s a little pricey», That’s the normal cost of gourmet food. Sorry Vegas not every eatery boast a $ 7 lobster tail and steak special.
— «The portions are small», this is actually the normal sized portions a person should be consuming.
This back and forth rant between my dueling foodie personalities could go on forever, and trust me it does, but lets cut to the chase. David Clawson’s is a truly special restaurant, where else can you find food of this caliber off the strip? Not just of this caliber, but with the attention to detail and heart.
You can tell each plate of food that comes out of this kitchen has been painstakingly mulled over, delicately placed, and handbuilt for pure palate pleasing satisfaction. No careless or throwaway dishes in this place. The layers of flavor here are something like that of a foodie geography lesson, with each new found layer of flavor it almost forces you to sit back and mentally dissect what you just ate.
When I first came here, I sat at the counter or bar area and was immediately greeted by a server and a busser, one to welcome me and one to take my drink order. I got a weird japanese feeling when I walked into David Clawson. The plain walls and minimalist décor is something like a traditional dojo or L.A. hipster’s living room. When I asked about the previous owner of the space I was told it used to be a sushi restaurant. Well, now it all makes sense.
I ordered about 6 plates of food which myself and my foodie partner in crime shared. Like mentioned earlier, everything here is thought inducing and delicious. The menu matches the décor, minimalist and direct, with one word options like: potato, mushroom, sausage, and cheese. This is a very smart move of David Clawson, he’s sort of masquerading the menu as simple and unassuming, with these singular word menu writings. Then when your food arrives, you realize you’ve gone from a single word snack to a lengthy and descriptive paragraph of foodie delight.
As I finished eating, I noticed the executive chef himself David Clawson came out and personally greeted each and every customer. Amazing customer service and it adds that human factor to the food. If you noticed I didn’t mention what I ate in this review, because it would simply take me forever to describe the experience. Just look at the photos I posted along with review and make the decision for yourself.

Michael U and I decided to try this new place. We made a 6:30 reservation for the Chef’s Counter. On arrival, we were greeted and promptly seated. The two sided, 20 seat Chef’s Counter is the remnants of what was a sushi restaurant at this location. The other restaurant seating consists of booths one one side along the wall and the side toward the windows consists of tables but not booths. The Chef’s Counter gives you the chance to see some of the work being done by the chefs.
We ordered 22 plates and asked our server, Sean, to arrange them in courses which he did quite well. The menu lists items as bread, beef, whitefish, etc. and then describes the ingredients. Over the next two and a half hours, we had:
Salmon belly amuse-​bouche
Simulated sea water with uni and seaweed amuse-​bouche
Bread
Corn bisque soup
Yellowtail salad
Scallop plate with tamari, finger lime and tobiko
Mushroom bruschetta plate
Foie gras
Jumbo lump crab cake
Rice with uni, salmon, and reggiano cream
Boudin blanc
Berkshire pork belly with pear
Chicken with green chile and macaroni
Black tiger shrimp
Duck leg confit
House made lo mein noodles with garlic, more garlic
Lamb t-​bone with shishito peppers
Beef tenderloin
Yukon gold scalloped potatoes
Sticky apricot pudding with vanilla cream and rum toffee
Chocolate feuilletine crunch
Crème brûlée
Eposisses cheese with quince and truffle honey
Truffle gouda with fig and marcona almond
Chocolate truffles with basil with the bill
We shared everything except for getting two orders of bread and soup.
Rather than go over everything, I’ll try to mention my favorites although there was nothing that wasn’t excellent! The scallop on rice with lime was stunning in how good it was. The lime in the rice just made the scallop shine. The rice with uni was very creamy and tasty. The noodles with garlic and more garlic was a stand out for sure. House made lo mein noodles with lots of garlic and some scallions was superb! The chicken and a nice zing with spices and the black tiger shrimp were equally spicy. We ended the meal with a trio of desserts – all excellent – and two very good cheese courses. Finally were were brought two homemade chocolate truffles with basil. What a great addition for a chocolate truffle.
Sean delivered some of the plates and explained their ingredients. Sometimes another server would bring the dishes and explain. Sean tried to get around to do some more in depth explanation. Service was excellent. It matched the food.
Chef Clawson’s restaurant has been open for about 5 weeks. The menu is well thought out with a diverse list of items from which to choose. We tried almost everything but it would be a great place to come and have one or two items and some drinks. The back of the menu suggested alcohol pairings for each of the menu items and are available in 2 or 5 ounce tasting sizes.
It certainly was worth the trip to the other side of town to try Clawson’s restaurant. A great menu with all items very well executed!