Kevin Jonas Sr. and his wife, Denise, exuded a great amount of pride earlier this year when they walked invited media members through their labor of love on the Las Vegas Strip: Nellie’s Southern Kitchen. It’s a tribute to his late grandmother and the great-grandmother of mega-famous trio The Jonas Brothers, and every detail in this location has been carefully thought out to pay homage to both Nellie (who’s pictured on a large mural as you enter through the enormous doors) and Belmont, N.C., where Kevin grew up.
Everywhere you look, you’ll find details that evoke different parts of Belmont: Different rooms reflect different neighborhoods; design details, like the legs on the tables, are meant to reflect the city’s natural elements; even some of the fonts used have a special connection to the community. And because of their famous sons, there’s also a stage area for live music (which, of course, will often include the group when they’re in town). It’s a space where you can’t help but feel you’re connected to the spirit of a community.
Keep that good feeling going with one of Nellie’s signature cocktails. The Whoa Nellie combines vanilla vodka, amaretto and pineapple juice; the Cherry Lemon Sundrop is a great blend of Tito’s vodka, fresh cherry liqueur and Sun Drop citrus soda; and the Front Porch Punch packs a wallop with gin, Malibu rum, drunken cherry juice and mixed citrus juices.
Nellie’s is a celebration of Southern classics—more specifically, Nellie’s versions of those classics. Look for Nellie’s picture next to a menu item; those are the ones her family ate on a regular basis. They include Southern rolls, barbecue chicken, macaroni and cheese and drunken collards, rolled in a crispy fried egg roll and served with a signature sauce for dipping. The Nellie’s classics continue with Southern-fried chicken and crispy waffles, served with cinnamon honey and maple syrup and garnished with strawberries, and braised short ribs served with mashed potatoes and honey-roasted carrots. But for a serious comfort food with roots in Belmont, you gotta go with Nellie’s Chicken and Dumplings, with large, house-made dumplings swimming in a rich broth. And Nellie’s picture isn’t just on the menu; it can also be found on top of one of the signature desserts: banana pudding.
There’s also a terrific sandwich menu here, all served on a brioche bun. The Southern flavor continues unabated in favorites like a fried green tomato BLT. The Free Bird, featuring a blackened chicken breast (fried or grilled) with lettuce, tomato, onion and house pickles, is even better when you add pimento cheese. How about a burger? The Carolina version features a specially blended beef with chili, slaw, onion and mustard. And what’s a Southern-style restaurant without pulled pork? The Hawg Hill pulled pork sandwich piles it high with barbecue sauce and cole slaw.
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