Refined plates in historic ambiance
It all started with a wheel of Maytag blue cheese for Adam Glenn. The high schooler was visiting a friend’s house over the holidays when a giant wheel of cheese was set on the counter for guests to snack on. “I didn’t know what it was, but I asked if I could try some,” he says. “It was just an explosion of flavors that I was not prepared for and it opened some places in my mind that were previously unexplored.”
Adam has explored plenty in his culinary journey and today is the executive chef at Carson’s in downtown Sikeston. The elegant but approachable eatery focuses on upscale cuisine with a French influence. Adam’s commitment to high-quality ingredients and developing flavor have been drawing customers to Carson’s for more than a year.
Adam’s culinary skills were honed through restaurants locally and across the country. When the owner of an historic building in downtown Sikeston approached Adam and his wife, Carole, their interest was piqued. The Stallcup Building was built in 1896 and had previously been a bank, men’s clothing shop and women’s dress shop before it was ordered to be vacated by the city due to unsafe conditions in 2017.
“It was a big renovation project, but we really wanted to have the modern amenities and accessibility of a restaurant that blends well with the historic pieces of the building,” says Carole, who grew up less than a mile from Carson’s. “We began dreaming about what our culinary vision would look like? What atmosphere and aesthetic would support that? And Caron’s was born out of that.”
The name is a nod to the comfort and approachability they wanted the restaurant to be known for. “Growing up, my mom would always make sure our guests would have the best seat at the table and offer them a fresh drink, and I wanted that hospitality here,” she says. “Carson is the butler on the show ‘Downton Abbey’ and when people sit down Carson is in charge and everything is just right.”
The menu at Carson’s is ever changing based on what fresh fish can be flown in, what inspiration Adam has or what in-season items he finds at the Cape Riverfront Market. He’s created mouthwatering meals using more exotic protein as well, such as antelope. “We’ll always have a beef, a chicken and seafood main dishes available,” Adam says. “Then we try and have six or so small plates too.”
For a fresh start to your meal, order a cheese plate to share. According to Carole, there are usually eight to 10 cheese offerings sourced from across Europe and the U.S., including Grison Dairy and Creamery in Ava. The plate comes with toast and fresh fruit.
Carson’s small plates offer a variety of flavors in items such as stuffed mushrooms, arancini, poutine, spinach dip and candied bacon “steaks,” made with Maytag blue cheese. One of the most popular small plates showcases Adam’s attention to every last detail: shrimp and grits. The French influence in Adam’s cooking is shown in the southern staple with a Cajun twist. “It starts with real stone-ground grits that are as coarse as I can get them,” Adam says. “I don’t measure how much salted water I’m adding, I’m just looking for the perfect sheen as I whisk.”
Adam cooks the grits for at least three hours before they’re cooled and refrigerated because, “grits are always better on the second day.” The dish is cooked to order with hot sauce and Adam’s proprietary Creole sofrito. “I’d give about any recipe away but this one,” he says.
The colossal shrimp are cooked in the mixture with a lager beer before topping the grits with celery leaf, scallions, parsley and chives. “The flavors of the vinegar and butter kind of smooth out all of those Creole flavors,” he says. “I get photos from people all the time of their shrimp and grits telling me these aren’t as good as mine. I think that’s because of how good the sauce is.”
Another tasty small plate is the lobster tortelli. Adam’s housemade pasta pouches are filled with lobster, brie and leeks. The dish is finished with a garlic, ginger and red bell pepper beurre blanc that tops the pasta when plated. Want more lobster? Be on the lookout for the lobster trio featuring the tortelli alongside a lobster risotto — with a tarragon-chevre butter — and beautifully plated lobster salad.
“The salad has citrus, avocados and greens with the cold lobster,” Adam says. “It’s a good palate cleanser between the other dishes.”
If you’re a meat-and-potato diner, you can’t go wrong at Carson’s. They feature beef tenderloin or rib-eye cooked to your liking and topped with compound butter served with housemade mashed potatoes and vegetables. A popular seafood plate is the mahi-mahi. The fish is seared before finishing in the oven and served over cauliflower and potato purees. It’s topped with a celery leaf salad.
Using the celery leaves in the mahi-mahi and shrimp and grits is indicative of Adam’s goal to waste as little as possible. He brings in as many raw ingredients as he can and tries using every part. “The trim on the veggies goes into my stock. Lobster shells become lobster stock,” he says before laughing. “We’re probably throwing away the pineapple tops, but the point is we want to use everything.”
The details Adam puts into his dishes and the work Carole has put into renovating the historic structure and growing the Carson’s brand combine for an unforgettable meal in a unique atmosphere.
“The freshness of the food and quality of the ingredients are really the draw,” Carole says. “We have so many people that come here on a regular basis or will drive 30 minutes here when they see a certain item on the menu. Seeing them leave happy is why we do this.”
Carson’s
Specialties: Small plates including shrimp and grits, lobster tortelli and candied bacon. Curated fruit and cheese plates. Main courses including beef tenderloin, rib-eye and mahi-mahi.
Price: Salads and small plates from $10 to $37. Main courses from $42 to $65. Menu items and prices can change often.
Details: Open Wednesday through Saturday, 5 to 9 p.m. Closed Sunday through Tuesday. Nonsmoking. Wi-Fi. Located at 104 E. Front St. in Sikeston. Contact at 573-475-6457 and on Facebook.