Herringbone
LAMill Pour Over
Plugra Butter, Sea Salt, Radishes
Fat Bastard PEI Oysters, Kimchee, Jalapeno, White Ale Ice Shooters
63 Degree Egg, Caviar, Crostini, Nasturtium with Grandma’s Seasoned Salt
Burrata – Prosciutto di Parma, Pesto, Oven Roasted Roma Tomatoes, Grilled Bread
Maple Bourbon Bacon with Brulee Banana, Peanut Butter Banana Mousse
Godiva Chocolate Covered Bacon
Orange Ricotta Chocolate Chip Pancakes – Tree Sap, Whipped Cream
Sashimi Sampler
Pastry Plate – Apple Turnover, Raisin Twist, Coffee Cake, Citrus Polenta Muffin
Seafood Spaghetti – Lobster, Crab, Scallop, Shrimp, Calamari, Spicy Tomato
Red Mullet with Spring Pea Puree
Chilaquiles – Torillas, Drunken Black Beans, Farm Eggs, Ranchero Sauce, Cotija, Crema
Herringbone Fruit Plate with Citrus Whipped Yogurt
Fortunate to have visited Herringbone shortly after opening, Chef Geno Bernardo doing beautiful work in his long-awaited return to a proper Las Vegas kitchen from day one, it was with a friend and celebrated local Chef that brunch was enjoyed on the restaurant’s outdoor patio this weekend and although several of the items served were offered as Specials there is no doubt the restaurant has progressed in its first four months of existence with Geno’s personal style now filling a menu where something for all awaits to be tasted.
Coastal California in its concept, the sunbathed outdoor space well shaded with upbeat music that never seems *too* loud, Brunch at Herringbone sees a scene in many ways different from that at lunch or dinner, yet with a focus on seasonality as well as top-tier ingredients there are few places in the city serving oysters or shellfish of such quality at this hour, not to mention coffee as good as that from LAMill via Pourover.
Asking Bernardo to cook for the table, first a sunny four-top and then a low-slung couch in the shade, plates were served Family Style by a waitstaff that is hip without trying too hard and beginning with a glass of sparkling wine plus one of a variety of Mimosas the palate was readied with a very British presentation of buttered Radishes leaving no doubt about the quality of Herringbone’s sources, a follow-up of six PEI Oysters briny and well balanced with heat and a kick of hops inside their slippery all-ice vessels.
Turning to his heritage for plate three, the “perfectly poached” egg a gooey backdrop to caviar that blended into a smooth and savory pudding, instructions were given to follow slow spoonfuls with a bright Nasturtium flower graced by his Grandmother’s seasoned salt, the brine cutting through bitter floral accents with the palate soon refreshed for more brunch-y stuff.
Providing a complimentary Pastry Plate to each table, the buttery coffee cake and citrus-striped Polenta Muffin good enough that they could each be sold as sides, menu offerings started out with a plate of soft cheese served with imported Prosciutto and roasted tomatoes, the ubiquitous classic offering all that was expected of it while the Ricotta and Chocolate Chip Pancakes shined beneath “Tree Sap,” segments of citrus and freshly whipped cream.
Offering bacon painted by Godiva with the pancakes, an even better use of the pork provided by a sharable jar of Maple Bourbon crisps with a Brûléed Banana and Peanut Butter-tinged Mousse that was used to make several “Elvis” sandwiches using protein as the ‘bun,’ seafood-centric dining was rediscovered in a plate of fresh sashimi featuring two types of tuna alongside sliced radishes and melon balls, another elegant segue to the flavors soon to come.
Frequently told that Seafood Spaghetti at Nove was a signature worthy of ascending The Palms, it is fortuitous that Geno opted to bring the classic with him to the second floor of Aria, and although MGM Public Relations may wish to pretend Carbone is worth all its hype and grandeur there is no doubt that the Casino’s best Italian plate in Herringbone’s makeshift Cioppino, a light bit of spice imbuing the tomato broth with as vast an array of herbs as there is of perfectly cooked seafood.
Simply grilling three Rouget atop a elegant spring pea puree before rounding out the savories with Chilaquiles that are guaranteed to please a crowd, it was in donning Herringbone branded sunglasses that the meal ended with a Farmer’s Market Fruit Plate, the whole lychee and dragonfruit standout for their novelty while creamy yogurt was a beautiful garnish for everything involved.
FOUR STARS: Still a work in progress, the dessert menu due for change in two weeks while savories and style continue to evolve, Brunch at Herringbone is at its best in the beautiful weather of late-Spring and Early Summer, though the food only promises to improve during the upcoming growing season considering the relationships already established with top tier farms and fishmongers.
RECOMMENDED: While the Maple Bourbon Bacon, Pancakes and Seafood Spaghetti are all noteworthy, Geno is undoubtedly at his best when allowed to take great ingredients and coax then to show their very best, the Red Mullet a textbook example with flesh and skin that slips effortlessly from the bones while light smokiness finds an amicable partner in the natural sweetness of spring.
AVOID: Seats too close to the DJ trend loud and the Burrata is a touch spendy compared to similar presentations elsewhere in town.
TIP: Outdoor seating hinges upon Las Vegas’ unpredictable wind patterns, something the restaurant simply cannot control even with overhead heating and cooling units that should prove great for the city’s seasonal shifts in temperature.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
https://www.aria.com/en/restaurants/herringbone.html#/Menu
