SG Bar’s new head chef Kendrick Ganaway creates “outside the box” tapas menu

Kendrick Ganaway, a native of Trenton, Tennessee, learned to cook from his mother and grandmother. His first job in the industry was as a cook at the pool at Red Rock Resort. Within a year he became a sous chef and stayed at Red Rock Resort for more than four years, ending his time there at Terra Rossa. He joined Golden Entertainment in 2006 as room chef at the Pahrump Nugget Steakhouse, and in 2013 moved on to kitchen manager at a Sierra Gold. He most recently was named head chef of the company’s newest concept, SG Bar at 9580 W. Flamingo Road, for which he created the menu along with Joseph Romano, Golden Entertainment executive chef and vice president of operations.

Review-Journal: Always in your fridge?

Chef Kendrick Ganaway: Chicken.

RJ: Currently obsessed with?

Ganaway: Seafood. So many items are trending; you can do so many different dishes. I just love being creative with it.

RJ:Newest Las Vegas discovery?

Ganaway: I didn’t know so many people liked my mom’s fried chicken. She has a small restaurant in Humboldt, Tennessee, and has this most amazing fried chicken. People line up around the corner every day. If she does not have fried chicken on the menu, people get upset. I went and studied how she makes fried chicken and I brought it to the SG Bar menu. People tell me all the time it’s the best fried chicken they’ve ever had.

RJ: Favorite indulgence?

Ganaway: Sweet potato pie.

RJ: I never eat …

Ganaway: Anything unusual, like balut, a fertilized duck egg.

RJ: Favorite brunch at home?

Ganaway: Chicken and waffles, country scrambled eggs and smothered potatoes, which are steamed potatoes with peppers and onions.

RJ: Best tip for home cooks?

Ganaway: Have fun and indulge and just play around in the kitchen. You never know what you can come up with. Trial and error is the best way to learn at home.

RJ: What are you working on?

Ganaway: We are creating a tapas menu at SG Bar. That’s what I’m currently working on, along with our lunch menu.

RJ: You created the menu for SG Bar. What are you trying to do there?

Ganaway: Be outside the box. I know we are off the Strip, but you don’t have to go to the Strip to have something nice for a bar-style tavern. I wanted to elevate this menu so people have a variety to choose from. We have all types of different styles of food here.

Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Find more of her stories at reviewjournal.com, and follow @HKRinella on Twitter.