Honey Salt, the hotly anticipated Summerlin neighborhood spot from restaurateur Elizabeth Blau and chef Kim Canteenwalla, is tentatively planning to open on October 30 in the space formerly known as Nora’s Wine Bar, at the northwest corner of Rampart and Charleston boulevards. Las Vegas Weekly took a tour of the revamped space, which feels much lighter and open now.
The husband-and-wife duo (Blau’s company has been integral in building Las Vegas into a fine dining institution and Canteenwalla is chef at Encore’s Society Café) decided to knock some walls down and relocate the bar to the left wing of the space, creating a welcoming environment perfect for the family friendly vibe they’re shooting for. There will even be a kids’ menu, recently taste-tested by the couple’s 8-year-old son, Cole, and his friends.
Among the decorative details: a wall of whitewashed brick bearing the restaurant’s homey name; colorful paintings by Blau’s sister, Alexandra, a Nashville artist; a driftwood-looking host stand and marble-topped expo table of reclaimed wood from Wellfleet, Massachusetts; and two big farmhouse tables centering the main dining room. The walls are lined with light green banquettes, all pointing toward the open kitchen. And shelves near the entrance are lined with the couple’s salt and pepper shaker collection, as well as some retail items like “garden in a bag” herbs and gourmet salts from Eatwell Farm in Dixon, California.
Honey Salt will serve a menu of comfort food that balances healthy, farm-fresh choices with some straight-up satisfying fare. Canteenwalla gleefully described his fried chicken sandwich, featuring molasses-brined and buttermilk-coated bird with Southern-style Durkee dressing, a mayo-and mustard sauce. The Caesar salad will be made with kale instead of romaine lettuce. Roasted Scottish salmon comes with a quinoa salad, and pork schnitzel with a roasted beet and citrus salad. Along with chef Joe Zanelli and consulting chef Sean Kahlenberg, the couple is still finalizing the menu. The wine list is focused on approachable and affordable selections, with a few hard-to-find bottles on the “cult classics” list. The bar will feature three taps for a rotating selection of draft beer, a multitude of bottled brews and a seasonal cocktail program that takes its cues from the kitchen and uses fresh, house-made ingredients.
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