[lost meals] Honey Salt and Patisserie Manon, Las Vegas NV

The lost meals entries consist of meals that occurred at various times throughout 2012 which, for any number of reasons, escaped my documentation – some due to a cross country move and a new job, some due to the Los Angeles Kings run to the Stanley Cup, and some simply as a result of too much travel. Having enjoyed many of these meals with friends or family and with some of them amongst the year’s very best the reality is that with time my memory has deteriorated and as life moves forward I’ve realized there is little hope to ever “catch up” or document these experiences as well as I’d hope, yet in order to preserve them I present these pictures, notes, and thoughts on the experience.

Honey Salt

White Bean Puree with Lavosh and Honey Rolls

XL Sicky Bun with Baked Citrus Brioche, Honey Bourbon Sauce

Crunchy Nutella French Toast with Caramelized Bananas and Whipped Cream

Filet Mignon Stacked Slider with Scrambled Eggs, Creamed Spinach, Beehive Cheddar, Roast Breakfast Potatoes

Warm Bread Pudding with Bourbon Toffee Sauce, Honey, and Salted Whipped Cream

Returning to dining after a bit of shopping our arrival at the highly touted Honey Salt for brunch was met by the expected crowd – the large, warm, and rustic dining room near full – but unexpectedly by one of the coldest hostesses I’ve ever encountered; enough that we nearly considered walking out until another young woman stepped in, welcomed us and assured us it would be only a short wait for a table, and subsequently seated us in the center of the dining room. Say what you will about “first impressions,” this was the sort that most certainly stuck out and probably colored the rest of the ‘experience’ aspect of Honey Salt – service lacking in nearly all regards as our waitress, Julie, neglected both empty glasses and dirty plates as she bustled around the room.

Moving past service snafus to that which was presented on the plate I must say that things improved dramatically as soon as the bread basket arrived and focusing mostly on the sweet half of the menu crafted by Chef Esmeralda Serrano – whose work I was familiar with from her time at Tableau – every single plate that landed on our table was outstanding, particularly the Monkey Bread style sticky bun whose delicate balance of light acidity and sweet honey wowed with each bite and the thick, custard laden bread pudding whose richness found levity in a puffy cloud of whipped cream flecked with salt. Not generally one to order savory at breakfast/brunch, it should be noted that even my friend’s sliders were excellent – the beef so tender that it formed a sort of smoky stew/scramble with the fluffy eggs and cheese.

Having heard similar negativity about the service at Honey Salt I should only hope they iron out these kinks sooner rather than later because much like Raku this is cuisine more than capable of competing with the best of what can be found on the strip, but in order to be worth the travel a front of house matching the skills in the kitchen will be indispensable.

Patisserie Manon

Pistachio, Coffee, and Caramel with Salted Butter Macaron

Mille Feuille

Coffee Buche Noel

Almond Croissant

Ironically serving as a sharp contrast to the experience at Honey Salt a later day stop at Patisserie Manon would present pleasant and competent service despite entirely sub-par French pastry – the seemingly well regarded shop perhaps overrun with holiday orders but unable to impress with a single item; the macarons gummy (albeit quite nicely flavored,) the mille-feuille mushy, and the Buche Noel ornately decorated but tilted far adrift in the frosting to cake ratio making it somewhat akin to spooning frosting from a can directly into your mouth. Good, although certainly not great, the almond croissant was one saving grace for the lot and I’d gladly return to enjoy one fresh/warm/fluffy at a later date to better assess as the shell was appropriately crisp, the frangipane thin and not overly sweet, and butter tones ample…but at the same time, why travel so far off strip when both Bouchon and Payard are more than capable of delivering a superlative croissant without leaving the hotel?