The Stove
Coffee
Blueberry Streusel Muffin
Frosted Lemon Raspberry Muffin
Mixed Berry Custard Tart
Frosted Berry Scone
The Mason Jar – Coddled Egg, Potato Puree, Herbs, Country Pate, Country Bread
Savory French Toast – Onion Egg Batter, Challah Bread, Country Ham, Sauce Mornay, Parmesan, Swiss, Eggs
Bananas Foster Pancakes – Caramelized Bananas, Housemade Vanilla Ice Cream, Cinnamon, Banana Liqueur, Rum Glaze
Although Henderson has dominated the local Brunch scene for at least the last three years it was not until The Stove opened that any off-Strip Restaurant took an approach to daytime dining that could rival Chicago or Los Angeles’ in terms of aggressiveness, Chef Antonio Nunez drawing on ideas developed at Kitchen Table and taking them a step further with Established Culinary Management teammate Scott Commings.
Quickly approaching two-months in the market and officially red hot, the “ProperTea” still a tough sell but Breakfast and Brunch generating lines daily and particularly on weekends, it was at 8:30am sharp that stairs were ascended to the former home of Firefly, a small crowd including several families already present and every seat accounted for within thirty minutes.
Without doubt a space of high aspirations from day one, Standard & Pour’s failure to sell items like Venison Tartare not dissuading Chefs Nunez and Commings from putting ingredients like Foie Gras and house-recipe Pate on a menu offered from 7:00am until three o’clock daily, it was shortly after seating that GM Landon Pugmire stopped by to say hello, the morning then left in the capable hands of Chef Nunez’s son who shows a lot of Dad’s personality whether describing plates or assuring Coffee is topped off.
Told that Pastries have yet to become big sellers, a narrow case at the bar certainly not drawing the same sort of attention as Jaret Blinn’s outstanding collection at CRAFTkitchen which sits front and center, those in the know will nonetheless reap great rewards by ordering either Cookies tasted last visit or new items such as a flaky Tart filled with Berries and Custard, the Blueberry Muffin once again a touch dry but still decent though certainly not as buttery and rich as one kissed by Lemon and stuffed with Raspberries.
Finally tasting one of The Stove’s Scones next, the Tea time classic certain to offend British guests by being dense and delicious instead of dry and in desperate need of Clotted Cream plus Jam, it was taking a play from Eggslut and going long that Antonio next delivered “The Mason Jar,” a sous-vide Egg placed gently atop Pommes Puree tinged with Herbs that eats like Pudding on its own or even better spread on Chef Commings’ housemade Bread, the accompanying Pate produced by Bently Ranch lighter than most and smartly replicating the Potatoes’ herbal aromatics for an elegant transition from bite to bite.
Intrigued by additional items not offered elsewhere in town, a dish simply described as “Savory French Toast” along the right-hand column of page two catching the eye at a cost oddly two dollars less than the more familiar Croque Madame, suffice it to say that unless harboring a personal preference for crisp Toast it would be hard to imagine even the Paris’ best Ham and Cheese Sandwich outperforming this masterpiece topped with two Sunnyside Eggs, each flavor melding nicely yet remaining distinct while a simple Salad does its part to refresh the palate between bites.
Rarely the sort to go all-savory at Breakfast, thus the Hangover Corndog, Muffalata and Chicken Fried Foie will all require another visit soon, it was on server’s advice that Bananas Foster Pancakes were selected over Pecan Pie or Birthday Cake iterations, Chef Nunez rolling a stovetop tableside and explaining Brennan’s tradition before hitting the pan with fire and pouring the boozy Sauce over three fluffy Flapjacks topped in rich housemade Ice Cream.
FIVE STARS: Quickly winning fans thanks to a progressive menu that still offers plenty of choices for more timid diners The Stove’s biggest challenge going forward will be deciding what to keep and what to cut while retaining interest in an ever-evolving market, and considering what has been tasted thus far that will likely not be an easy decision to make.
RECOMMNDED: Frosted Lemon Raspberry Muffin, Mixed Berry Custard Tart, The Mason Jar, Savory French Toast.
AVOID: A small quibble, but the Blueberry Muffin remains dryer than the rest and either needs more Berries or Butter to remedy.
TIP: 7a-3p daily in the main dining room and 10a-5p daily in the tea lounge. Reservations accepted by phone or online check-in using TablesReady.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
www.thestovelv.com
