Las Vegas has a serious steakhouse bracket. And for every flashy powerhouse, there is a nimble workhorse quietly proving that talent isn't confined to the Strip.
Hawthorn Grill, I see you.
The restaurant debuted inside Summerlin's JW Marriott three years ago, mashing up classic and contemporary ideas of America's favorite fancy dinner. But serving a busy resort is about versatility, so Hawthorn Grill also does breakfast and lunch, Sunday brunch, weddings ... It is physically and conceptually designed to satisfy every type of guest, all day, every day. A museum of wine in a wide hallway leads into the bright bar and stylishly cozy lounge. The dining room uses half-walls and window frames to create distinctive nooks without losing the airiness, and warm light from spectacular chandeliers plays against the palette of cool grays, blacks and silvers.
For general manager Greg Monjure, the best seat in the house is a stately booth with fountain views. He calls it a sanctuary, and its sigh-inducing comforts demand a very good cocktail. Despite the purist's Manhattan and trendy White Russian kissed with pumpkin spice, the season is best tasted in the Hawthorn Cider. Four Roses bourbon is the bass note in a crisp swirl of lemon, sparkling cider and ginger (both fresh and in Domaine de Canton liqueur). It has inviting softness without losing the whiskey's kick.
The appetizer menu is full of steakhouse standards like oysters, shrimp cocktail and a Baltimore crab cake. The latter is artfully plated with rich remoulade and bitter frisée, excellent foils for golden-seared, sweet shellfish. The dish packs flavor without being heavy, leaving room for pillowy loaves of artisan bread.
Of course, the salad menu has a wedge and a Caesar. But branch out with a sublimely simple burrata caprese, or the textural romp of kumquats, endive, smoked almonds, buttermilk blue cheese, chives and apple-cider vinaigrette.
Like any good steakhouse, Hawthorn Grill accents the beef with dialed-in sides. This is one area where tradition reigns, because the double-baked potato is a crispy wonder. Watch it being dressed with butter, sour cream and chives tableside as you cut into filet mignon finished with more butter. This silky bite is "garnished" with mashed potatoes, young carrots and green beans, their perfection showing how much details matter. With a glass of Ridge's Three Valleys red blend, it's a feast of familiar decadence.
The oven roasted salmon is an absolute delight, served on a bed of farro, cipollini onions, carrots and haricot verts, and accompanied by a flavorful soubise onion sauce.
Pastry chef Olivier Carlos (who oversees dessert propertywide) fully embraces whimsy. Inspired by his family's flower shop in Paris, a trio of deconstructed pies is served in sweet little terracotta pots. The apple sings with allspice, caramel and almond streusel, while sweet potato melts into cinnamon cream. But banana wins. Carlos bakes the fruit peel-on to boost flavor in a mousse layered with puff pastry, whipped cream, Belgian chocolate and a flourish of gold flake.
Many of his creations are playful—cheesecake infused with Cap'n Crunch, or an orb of solid chocolate hiding a brownie-mousse-graham-marshmallow stack oozing with a from-scratch version of Nutella. With a chuckle, he says he wanted to wrap the orb in magician's paper that could be lit on fire, but he settled for molten chocolate sauce.
At Hawthorn Grill, nothing tastes like settling. The whole place is a sanctuary.
JW Marriott, 6 a.m.-2 p.m. & 5-10 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., 6 a.m.-2 p.m. & 5-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 702.507.5900
