Hearthstone restaurant returning to Red Rock Resort in Summerlin

Diners spoke. Red Rock Resort heard.

Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar, a restaurant beloved by locals, closed at the property in late April 2023 after almost a decade. Leoncito, a modern Mexican restaurant, replaced Hearthstone in early November 2023.

Sometime during Leoncito’s tenure sending out queso fundido, chicken tinga tacos and lamb shank birria, Red Rock conducted focus groups as part of what Scott Nelson, vice president and general manager of the property, called continual “refinements to our food and beverage offerings and what our guests want.”

From the focus groups, “it was evident a lot of our guests had been missing the concept,” Nelson said of Hearthstone. “In this particular instance for Red Rock, if our guests feel particularly strongly about something, we want to create that experience for them.”

The upshot? Leoncito closed Sept. 28. Hearthstone is returning to take its place.

“We had a great run. I wish them the best,” Nelson said of Leoncito, “but we are looking forward to answering our guests’ call to bringing Hearthstone back.”

Let’s do it again

It’s not unheard of, but it’s still unusual, for a major Las Vegas gaming property to bring back a restaurant it had closed, at least a nonchain restaurant. Clique Hospitality created the original Hearthstone, and the hospitality company is creating the redux, too.

Andy Masi, founder of Clique, recalled when the company’s deal with Station Casinos for Hearthstone was nearing the end of its 10-year term in 2023. “Station said, ‘We want to try something new,’” Masi said. “It wasn’t a surprise. Its time came up.”

But in the past year or so, Station officials approached Clique about Hearthstone, Masi said. “We had a conversation: ‘Would you bring Hearthstone back?’ We said, ‘Sure, let’s do it!’ We’re super excited. It’s a concept near and dear to my heart.”

Expectations

The revival of Hearthstone comes with name recognition and years of accumulated goodwill. It also comes with challenges, Masi acknowledged.

“The pressure part of it is, there is so much anticipation of Hearthstone coming back, we really have to deliver on that and create a restaurant as incredible as the old Hearthstone. The fun part is asking, ‘What was great about the old Hearthstone? What could we do better? What does the demographic want now?’

“The old Hearthstone opened almost 12 years ago. What was cool and fun then — food trends are completely different. We’re having a great time putting together a re-envisioned Hearthstone.”

Old, new, terrace

Some of that involves the menu, of course. Wood-fire pizzas with blistered bottoms and cornices were a mainstay of the old Hearthstone, and they’ll be back for another engagement, along with the French dip sandwich and penne in pancetta cream sauce. Rotisserie whole pigs and rotisserie chickens, however, won’t be called back to Hearthstone duty.

Among the new dishes are red wine-braised short ribs with tomatoes, herbs and ribbons of housemade pappardelle, and cobblers built with seasonal fruits and crumbly toppings.

The new Hearthstone will occupy the former 6,500-square-foot space with expanded bar seating, lounge seating, a wine room and doors that still open to the terrace. The old Hearthstone celebrated a rustic Americana feel. The new incarnation, Masi said, is “now looking at a more contemporary version, more elegant pieces to it. Let’s reimagine the design.”

You don’t often get a second go at a restaurant. Hearthstone now has that chance.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.