Cornish Pasty Co. provides a slice of authenticity in downtown Las Vegas

Cornish miners, who are frequently cited as popularizing the pasty, might be taken aback at the idea of a lamb vindaloo, pesto chicken or a carne adovada.

But the wide variety of pasties available at The Cornish Pasty Co., 10 E. Charleston Blvd., have made it a popular hangout spot in the Arts District.

“You can’t beat this place,” said Erin Martin a patron who has visited frequently since opening in November. ”Good food, good drinks and everybody is so friendly.

The traditional pasty is a simple dish of meat and vegetables wrapped in a pastry crust. Miners could take them to work and keep them warm with a candle in the days before insulated lunch boxes and microwavable TV dinners.

“It’s like a pizza over in Cornwall,” said co-owner and operator Scott Brunstetter, referring to the county in England. “You come in and they have them hot and ready.”

Dean Thomas founded the first Cornish Pasty Co. in Phoenix because the Cornish transplant missed them.

“You might find a British pub over here that makes them, but they’re never quite right.” Brunstetter said. “Some restaurants in small towns that have mining in them will have them available, but Dean was in Phoenix. He opened up a little 900-square-foot shop and it took off right away.”

At first, Thomas didn’t bother with plates; the pasties came wrapped in paper. Quickly, the presentation and the menu got refined and expanded. Brunstetter and John Bender, who operate the Las Vegas location, were with the company from near its start in 2005.

“Dean asked if I’d come (to Las Vegas) and open it with John,” Brunstetter said. “It took us about two years to build out and get the original location in a commercial center up and running.”

Eventually, they sought out a new location and found the former site of Galaxy Foam, an upholstery shop.

“We just loved the look of the place when we checked it out,” Brunstetter said. “The exposed beams were already there. The room was divided down the center, so we took both rooms and combined them.”

The kitchen is between the two sides of the room, and there is a bar and games area with pool, darts and shuffleboard.

“We’ve got a couple of ideas,” Brunstetter said of a large, sparsely occupied space in the back of the restaurant. “We might put a stage back there and have music and art events. We’ve talked about a brewery and maybe brewing our own cider, but obviously that’s a huge undertaking and that’s something we’ll figure out somewhere down the line.”

To reach East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor, email ataylor@viewnews.com or call 702-380-4532.