Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar
Heirloom Watermelon Salad – Greek Feta, Avocado, Red Onion, Mint Vinaigrette
Tuna Poke – Hazelnuts, Apple, Citrus
Ceviche – Halibut, Compressed Watermelon, Avocado, Basil
Grilled Calamari – Marinated Chickpeas, Roasted Zucchini, Bulgur Wheat
Tomato Toast – Heirloom Tomatoes, Stracciatella, Garlic Toast
John Church’s Figs – Buratta, Duck, Greens, Honey
House Made Sausage – Roasted Apple, Pork and Wild Rice, Lemon
Meatball Flatbread – Short Rib Meatballs, Ricotta, Mozzarella
Wild Caught Halibut – Grain and Legume Salad, Roasted Carrot Puree, Preserved Lemon
Black Truffle Hanger Steak – Truffle Aioli, Crispy Potatoes
Pork Shoulder – Stone Fruit, Pork Jus
Wood Roasted Spring Onions – Sea Salt, Olive Oil
White Asparagus – Bread Crumbs, Soft Poached Egg
Whole Braised Carrot – Beef Fat, Horseradish, Pistachios
Blue Foot Mushrooms – Lima Beans, Lima Bean Puree, Mint
Milk Chocolate Souffle – Almonds, Chocolate Chip, Coffee Crème Anglaise
Hearthstone ‘Secret’ Dessert – Huckleberries, Myer Lemon Curd, Sweet Ricotta, Amoretti Crumbs
Dark Chocolate Birthday Cake – Dark Chocolate Ganache, Sweet and Salty Frosting, American Buttercream
Double Espresso over Ice
Delaying a fifth visit to Chef Brian Massie’s Hearthstone until the Spring menu launch, dinner on Saturday night saw six persons sit down in the spacious restaurant at a table overlooking the pass, and with the restaurant now free from lightgroup after the Hakkasan buyout the cooking has found a whole new level of creativity while the experience is more mature, the kitchen ever diligent in sourcing and preparation while service under newly appointed GM Peter Varela has improved substantially, easily outperforming several Las Vegas Boulevard locations purporting a more ‘upscale’ environment.
Admittedly having contacted the restaurant in advance in order to concoct a tasting menu focused on seasonal items felt to best exemplify the kitchen’s ever evolving approach it was with frequent check-ins by both Chef Massie and Executive Chef Jordan Hoffman that the evening progressed and as everything from Pearl Jam to Fleetwood Mac played overhead the meal started light, an heirloom watermelon salad with feta and creamy avocado undoubtedly listing summer in its influences while a duo of poke and silky ceviche saw similar ingredients juxtaposing freshly sliced fish with a balance of aromatic flavors that acted to highlight the protein without once becoming overcomplicated or fussy in the least.
Transitioning next to a plate of warm calamari married to buttery chickpeas beneath a red pepper and sautéed zucchini veil it was again to the vibrancy of simple tomatoes on toast that we were treated, the stretchy stracciatella providing a deft balance for light smoke and acidity while a pool of creamy burrata proved no less competent at balancing out the flavors of cured duck and greens paired to sliced figs from MTO Café Chef Johnny Church’s back yard, a light touch on honey almost making me wish I was dining alone so I could enjoy the whole bowl.
Having recently begun to make their own sausage in house, a logical next-step considering the quality of Brian’s housemade meatballs of past meals, it was with good fortune that the next two plates featured both of these items with the spicy beef meatball sliced atop lightly blistered flatbread straight from the oven of Enrico Sautto and the sausage presented seared alongside lightly dressed greens and house mustard, the sapor of pork finding its foil in tender rice and simmered apples plus a diverse spice profile that tiptoed a fine line between savory and sweet.
Told that the collar of the halibut featured in the ceviche is occasionally offered as a wood roasted special well worth coming out for it was with two filets from the same fish that entrees began and with sweet carrot pudding serving to highlight the subtle yet meaty fish the whole grain salad was both nutty and aromatic, the same to be said of black truffle butter served atop a juicy hanger steak that unfortunately had spent just a bit too long on the grill for some of our tastes.
Rounding out savories with an off-menu special of smoky stonefruits surrounding tender pork shoulder that ate like ham beneath a lightly caramelized crust it was additionally to a quartet of sides that the table was treated, and running the gamut from simple grilled onions to carrots cooked soft in cow fat it was the tender mushrooms amidst legumes that provided the most elegant of bites, the natural earthy flavors brought to a peak on the palate through the faintest hints of mint.
Admittedly more than sated it was with espresso and tea served that a short wait would thankfully precede desserts and yet when the items finally did arrive it was almost without question that stomach space would located, the “secret dessert” of Aebleskivers topped with fruits and sweet ricotta an absolutely inspired riff on the classic Danish pancake while the lightly sweetened soufflé itself was itself quite well prepared with a proud and proper rise, a pair of Chef Massie’s “personal favorite” Birthday Cakes rich with bitter chocolate but brightened by buttercream and lightly salinity proving every bit as whimsical as the name would suggest, and entirely worth the indulgence even as buttons threatened to burst.
FIVE STARS: Setting aside the location across from my home and the fact that the Hearthstone family has always treated myself and my friends quite well I feel objectively fair stating that the new spring menu at Hearthstone marks a whole new era for the restaurant, the ingredients and execution reaching new heights of boldness while service has evolved in awareness as well as flow. Not yet a year old and recently hiring a new GM I look forward to seeing where the experience trends next and only hope that the evolution continues as Chef Massie and his team open Salute later this year.
RECOMMENDED: Heirloom Watermelon Salad, Wild Caught Halibut, Whole Braised Carrot, Blue Foot Mushrooms, Hearthstone ‘Secret’ Dessert, and provided one is dining with a group both the Birthday Cake and anything the kitchen is doing with Pork.
AVOID: Fans of the Hanger or steaks prepared more ‘medium’ will likely enjoy the version at Hearthstone, but for my dollar a thicker cut more easily prepared rare would probably prove a better choice.
TIP: Now featuring a DJ during late evenings on Friday and Saturday those interested in such things will find both the patio and lounge area of the restaurant quite lively with both locals and Red Rock Resort guests until well past our 10pm departure while those seeking a more subdued affair would be best served to request a seat closer to the kitchen, or to consider the soon to be shifting menu offered during Saturday and Sunday Brunch.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
