Honey Salt in Summerlin, just outside of Las Vegas, is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Kim Canteenwalla (Executive Chef) and Elizabeth Blau. Opened in 2012, it’s become a favorite of locals, gamblers, and tourists wanting a break from the Strip.
The spacious suburban bistro with its farm-to-table cuisine is set with an eclectic mix of tables and chairs, some done in shabby chic style. High arches bookend the open kitchen and are swaged in fabric. The decor is slightly rustic and homey, done up in weathered woods, painted brick, and antique mirrors and chandeliers. A row of herb bouquets is strung over the bar on a line.
We visited Honey Salt on June 17, the night the Vegas Golden Knights celebrated their Stanley Cup win. So we were happy to get out of town. About 200,000 lined the parade route on Las Vegas Boulevard. We watched part of the revelry from our table that had a view of the bar’s TV.
We started our meal with the Maryland Crab Cake: yuzu aioli, chile relish, and sea bean. It was served with a fennel salad. The cake had an optimal crispy-crunchy mouth feel, and the fennel set the rich flavor off nicely.
Theo, my dining partner, ordered the Avocado Toast & Green Goodness Juice–billed as a “salad in a glass.” The blend was of kale, apples, fennel, cucumber, celery, and ginger. I had more than one sip, it was decidedly light, refreshing, and no doubt ultra-nutritious.
I ordered the Scottish Salmon, which the chef cooks medium, but you can order it any way you like. It arrives with desert moon mushrooms, bok choy, and smoked onion pesto. The fish had a lovely savory crust and was cooked just right, but the flavor was a bit heavy on salt.
We also ordered the Grain Power Salad: quinoa, beluga lentils, avocado, fennel, orange, pomegranate, and lemon vinaigrette. The medley of flavors was all perfectly balanced–a delightfully clean, bright, and nutritious dish. This was Theo’s favorite. “I could have this every day,” he said.
To finish, our server Toni recommended the key lime pie, which turned out not to be my favorite given its sharp sugar rush–although the meringue was fluffed just right and the added strips of candied lime set it off nicely.
Cocktails are playful, and the wine is decidedly American, spiked with a few surprises. I sipped on a Pearl & Tonic (Monkey 47 gin with jasmine tea, lemon, and fever-free tonic. Theo got the Midnight Rambler: Bulleit bourbon, bitters, honey, orange peel, and candied ginger.
Farm to Table Dinners feature a different theme each month. For the September 18 event, the theme is “Cape Cod,” with a menu that starts with oysters, stuffed clams, and lobster rolls and continues to New England Clam Chowder, and a Seafood Boil. Price: $75. Add-on wine pairing is $25.
Honey Salt: A Culinary Scrapbook is a collection of recipes and cooking tips compiled by the restaurant’s founders. Signed copies are available for purchase at the restaurant, or you can order the book on Amazon.
Honey Salt / 1031 S Rampart Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89145 (702) 445-6100
(Header photo: R. Daniel Foster)