7th & Carson

7th & Carson Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: Located adjacent to the Downtown Container Park, 7th & Carson features a menu of New American small and large plates at approachable price points. Décor elements include black wood tables and chairs, a red brick wall, hanging Edison lights, and large windows providing natural light. There’s an open kitchen, too.

Likes: Show up on Tuesdays from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. for several $10 food items, including a double house burger with cheese and caramelized onion; $5 cocktails; and 50-percent off select wines.
Dislikes: Finding parking in this area is challenging, but there is metered parking directly in front of the restaurant and nearby priced at $3 per hour that accepts payment from credit cards or your phone.

Food & Drinks: The menu is curated by renowned chef Sammy DeMarco (aka Sammy D). A good starter for lunch or dinner is the wood oven-roasted beet salad with kumquat vinaigrette, tarragon yogurt and candied walnuts; or at dinner, the “Stove Top” turkey meatballs with sweet potato and cranberry drizzle made with the iconic stuffing. Offered at both mealtimes are the “Big Dipper” (a shaved smoked brisket sandwich with horseradish cream and au jus) and “BLTA XXL” (bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado with chipotle mayo). Exclusively dinner options are grilled swordfish with wilted spinach salad and crispy potatoes, seared U-10 diver scallops with celery root purée and hazelnut brown butter, and strozzapreti pasta with Chianti-braised duck leg ragù and oven-dried tomatoes. White chocolate french toast bread pudding and chocolate brownie with espresso ice cream are among the desserts. Complementing the fare is a small selection of wines, such as Seghesio Zinfandel from Sonoma County, Calif., and original cocktails like the “Cinn City” with Jim Beam Peach Whiskey, elderflower, lemon, cinnamon and kola.