Honey Salt chef launching pop-up dinner series downtown

Chef Kim Canteenwalla will launch a four-week pop-up dinner series at Fremont Street’s Vegas Test Kitchen on Wednesday.

Canteenwalla, who has been at the forefront of the local culinary scene for more than two decades, will offer a pair of menus every Wednesday through April 21.

The first, which he’s calling Play Dough, will feature savory pies, assorted dumplings and other doughy delights. The other, known as Picks, Sticks &Fingers, will offer a global selection of skewers and finger foods.

“I’ve always loved pies, but then we wanted to go further — like let’s do some pierogis, let’s do some samosas,” the chef says of the first concept. “The other one, Picks, Sticks &Fingers, is street food, market food.”

Canteenwalla came to Las Vegas in 1999 to serve as executive chef at the MGM Grand. After leaving that position, he joined the fledgling restaurant consulting and development company Blau + Associates, founded by his future wife, Elizabeth Blau.

As the company’s managing director, he has developed and consulted for restaurants around the world. Locally, he was an integral part of the late Kerry Simon’s restaurants at the Hard Rock Hotel, the Palms and Luxor, as well as Society Cafe in Encore, Buddy V’s in the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian and locals’ favorites Honey Salt and Andiron Steak &Sea.

Yet Canteenwalla says special events and pop-ups offer him an opportunity he rarely gets in that role.

“At this stage of my career, the most I do with really touching every plate is menu development in any of the restaurants. But I’m not there every day in the kitchen. So, when we do events, that’s when you get really involved and you’re in there.”

Canteenwalla will be touching plates and greeting customers at each pop-up. He’ll also being paying close attention to what works and what doesn’t, as he develops both concepts for more permanent incarnations.

But he’s not quite ready to share when and where those might appear.

“It’s in incubation right now. I can’t go much further than that,” he says.

Pressed for a hint, Canteenwalla offers a bit more of a tease.

“When you go to events right now, whether it’s a hockey game or a baseball game or a concert or something, you get more serious food now — much better quality. And I like that factor. And when I think of these (pop-up concepts), that’s channeling in my head. But there’s nothing confirmed.”

You can taste what Canteenwalla’s channeling in his head every Wednesday through April 21, from 4 to 9 p.m., at Vegas Test Kitchen, 1020 Fremont St. Dishes start at $4, topping out at $21 for a lobster pot pie. If you don’t want to risk them selling out before you get there, pre-purchase dishes online at secretburger.com.

The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Sheldon Adelson, the late CEO and chairman of Las Vegas Sands Corp., which operates The Venetian.

Contact Al Mancini at amancini @reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlManciniVegas on Twitter.