Andiron Steak & Sea takes Sunday brunch up a notch

Don’t expect to find any stuffy jazz or boring omelets at this Sunday brunch. Andiron Steak & Sea — open during the week only for dinner at Downtown Summerlin — really lets its proverbial hair down for this end-of-the-week affair.

The atmosphere, which is chic but not uncomfortable, would lend itself well to a seaside eatery in South Beach or maybe even the South of France. The stand-alone restaurant at 1720 Festival Plaza Drive, located at the far north end of the shopping center near Ethan Allen, is all white wood interior with light green couches anchoring the wallside tables. The decor reminded me a bit of Honey Salt, 1031 S. Rampart Blvd., which makes sense since it’s by the same Las Vegas husband-and-wife duo as Andiron, chef Kim Canteenwalla and restaurateur Elizabeth Blau, who also own Made L.V. at Tivoli Village.

A DJ played a variety of ‘80s and ‘90s hits (everything from Michael Jackson to Vanilla Ice), but while the brunch tempo was kept upbeat, the music was never so loud as to drown out diners’ conversation. Some of the diners had children with them, and a dessert table with Easter candies and treats welcomed them at the front door.

During the week, Andiron’s menu is highlighted by a selection of appetizers, large plates, sides and steaks (the Prime Rib Sunday offering features a herb-crusted prime rib and a Sunday Sundae for $42), but from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays, it’s all about the brunch menu, divided into four sections: Shareables, Early Risers, Afternoon Delights and Sides. Prices average around $20 for each item except the sides, which are $6 to $10 each (except toast and jam, which is $4).

The Early Risers entrees run the gamut from savory (steak and eggs, $24; ham and eggs, $16) to sweet (Sunday Morning Pancakes, made the “chef’s way today,” come with maple syrup and are $13). Two standouts: For the savory, the Andiron Hash Skillet ($19), cooked on a wood-burning grill and featuring braised short rib, fingerling potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cippolini onions and poached eggs; and for the sweet, Caramel Custard French Toast ($14) with pomegranate syrup, almond brittle and whipped cream.

Other selections include The Benedict ($16; add butter poached lobster for another $10), with poached organic eggs served on a whole wheat English muffin with shaved porchetta, breakfast potatoes and spinach bearnaise; and the Breakfast Burrito ($19) with braised beef, smoked tomato salsa, aged cheddar and a sunny side egg served in a buckwheat tortilla.

From the Shareables section, we tried the Avocado Toast ($10, served on grilled wheat bread and topped with tomato, pickled Freso chili and arugula) and the Andiron Pastry Basket ($12), which comes with whipped butter and seasonal house jam (which this day tasted like some sort of slightly spiced apple butter). Both were tasty and could easily have been breakfast in themselves: The order of filling toast featured four loaded slices, and the pastry basket (with treats made by the in-house pastry chef) featured a large blueberry muffin, a savory scone-type of pastry with hints of pepper and bacon, and a delicious item that would best be described as breakfast cake.

There’s also a Donut Plate ($8), which features a seasonally inspired selection of house-made doughnuts, so you might want to make Sunday your “cheat day” if you’re brunching here.

And what Sunday brunch would be complete without some bubbly: For $19, diners have the option of selecting bottomless champagne cocktails, including Classic Mimosa, White Peach Bellini and Grapefruit & Sage Fizz, or the build-your-own Bloody Mary bar for $22.

Andiron Steak & Sea is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday and for brunch only on Sunday.

Visit andironsteak.com or call 702-685-8002.