Whist Stove & Spirits, Henderson NV

Whist Stove & Spirits

French Onion Soup – Sweet Onion, Gruyere, Crouton

Mac and Cheese Omelet – Swiss, Cheddar, Elbow Macaroni with Fruit

Pretzel Sticks – Cheese sauce, peanut butter, mustard

Fresh Made Biscuits and Daily Strawberry Jam

Blueberry Muffins and Raspberry Coffee Cake

Peanut Butter Pancakes – Toasted Nuts, Peanut Butter Sauce

French Toastowitz – Challah Bread, Frangelico Bourbon, Maple Syrup

White Chocolate and Walnut French Toast – ‘maple syrup…if needed’

Serving as a last-minute substitution when plans for Green Valley Ranch’s new Pizza Rock fell through it was admittedly not my first visit to Whist Stove & Spirits on Saturday, but having walked out due to truly disastrous customer service without tasting a single thing that first time around it seemed only fair to actually sit down to a proper meal this time, the waitstaff still spotty at times but the cuisine proving far better than any of us had anticipated at a pricepoint that puts many Las Vegas Boulevard brunches to shame.

Owned by the group behind Park on Fremont, but far larger in size with an outdoor patio that was completely full on our noon arrival, Whist features a similar feel to the overhyped and underwhelming DTLV spot largely as a result of décor but with both lunch and brunch menus available on weekends from 10a-4p one would be hard pressed to find any similarity between the two as it relates to food, an actual Chef at Whist infusing the menu with quality to match creativity while service proves informed enough, though perhaps stretched a bit thin.

Opting to order in two courses, a quartet arriving at each as a result of the complimentary muffins and coffee cake being forgotten as the meal began, round one of the experience was a mix of plates from both the lunch and brunch menu and although opinions on the subtle Mac and Cheese Omelet as well as the crock of surprisingly vegetal French Onion soup ranged from ‘delicious, great texture’ to ‘odd, but not in a bad way’ not a single word short of praise was due for the pitch-perfect pretzel sticks with cheese fondue and fresh-ground peanut butter nor the trio of buttermilk biscuits with house-made jam, the latter particularly impressive in a city where good biscuits are finally starting to become a ‘thing.’

With the missing muffin basket issue remedied by the General Manager, who later brought the chef by to say hello, those interested in excellent coffee cake would be well advised to make sure that they are not shorted of the brunch-only gift, and yet as good as this was it was much to the surprise of everyone at the table that actual menu items proved even better, the substantial stack of pancakes absolutely riddled with peanut butter while both styles of French Toast offered up entirely different, yet equally well crafted, experiences – the chocolate imbued bread of the light and crispy variety while challah was dense with custard beneath roasted fruits and boozy notes minimizing the need for slightly-better-than-average pseudo-syrup to a light drizzle.

THREE AND A HALF STARS: Sometimes a backhanded compliment, but in this case a well intended bit of praise, Whist Stove & Spirits is far better than it ‘needs’ to be and while a few more servers plus a bit more attention to details like refills, syrup, and expediting could really make a difference the concept is already far better developed than the disastrous Park on Fremont ‘brunch’ with a price that more than justifies getting off the strip for good food in a space every bit as splashy as those charging twice the price.

RECOMMENDED: French Toastowitz, Biscuits, Coffee Cake, Pretzel Sticks

AVOID: Fans of traditional French Onion soup may be put off by the use of tomatoes and a more vegetal broth in Whist’s iteration, but for myself I found it far less cloying than other versions with more nuance and less pungency or heft.

TIP: Technically open 24/7, but with limited offerings both late night and early morning, those with their eyes set on specific items would be well served to call the restaurant in advance as no online menu is posted save for the one found through Opentable which is frequently out of date.

http://whiststove.com/