An amateur palate comments on the search for the holy grail of the "right" places to eat in Vegas. Where "right" is a combination of - relaxed atmosphere, excellent service, tasty and original dishes not too overpriced. Experimental recipes added at no extra charge.
okay - Saturday afternoon we went hiking in the hills of Red Rock. On he way back to the strip we decided to stop off somewhere locally for an Italian meal. After consulting my trusty Zagat online, we found a nice looking restaurant at the Red Rock resort - Terra Rossa. Very pleasant surprise - we called ahead, the reservation person said they did not have a table for 90 minutes, but she could seat us at the bar and would find us 2 seats. We arrived 30 minutes later and were greeted by a very friendly hostess who quickly found us a cosy spot at the bar. The two bartenders were absolute professionals - polite, friendly quick and sharp. We started off with a complimentary appetizer plate of crisp zucchini, large green and black olives, artichokes and chunks of parmesan - absolutely delicious. The zucchini was sautéed in the lightest possible batter, the parmesan was rich and sharp. We then ordered shrimp scampi - WOW - lemon butter garlic sauce with sautéed leeks. The dish was perfectly cooked with a delicate red pepper overlay to spice it up. Scrumptious. I ordered the salmon rustico served with sauteed rapini (yeah a hole lot of sateeing going on here). Delicious, although i normally like the salmo undercooked and forgot to request it, it was crispy and moist and the broccoli rabe was perfect. Sweety order the gnocchi cooked with tomato and basil sauce - I thought it was average. No desert and we were outa there in a jiffy. Overall, charming atmosphere, cosy onyx bar, excellent service and mostly great food - 8 out of 10.
Tony, I understand there is a famous hot dog stand just outside of Vegas near/in Henderson. Any word on this? IT seems that it is so unusual a spot that it must have some interesting history. Would love to have you check it and blog on it. thx
Well Terri, I am so glad you asked. Harry's Hungry Hot Dog Hutch on Lake Meade and Boulder Highway is an oasis in the desert of fast food garbaggio. The bratwurst with sauerkraut and mustard is a perfect midday snack on the road to Lake Mead. Highly recommend.
Todays goofy home cooked meal ---- I am a big fan of black beans. As usual we start with garlic, olive oil and red onion. A dash of Japanese sea salt diced pecan nuts and finely diced diced carrots. Also red pepper flakes and add a touch of ground black pepper, saute on high heat for a few minutes and then add black beans and chick peas and chopped tomatoes. Prepare brown rice in the other pot and when they are ready, serve the bean concoction over rice - add a touch of black pepper and grate old stinky parmesan over the dish. Ladies and gents - a very wholesome and hearty meal brimming with nutrition. 7 out of 10 for taste, 9 for simplicity and 5 for originality.
Yo Tony it's me Ed. I will be reading your blog from now on so let's get some good stuff going. If it's ok with you we can get some Thai food next week when I am in LV. Re: Comments on your blog entry Dining at Switch. What did the steak taste like and how was it's texture? The Lobster Salad sounds good but maybe has too many flavors. I like Lobster simple so that one can taste the lobster.
Hi Ed, Great - so happy to have you participating in the blog. I would love it if you added a dining experience, a recipe, anything you threw together and wanted to share with others. I recall your salad dressing was out of this world. Look forward to Thai at Lotus of Siam next week - if its Wednesday, let me know and I will make reservations. C u soon.
Oh yeah - regarding your steak questions ... the steak was not charred enough on the outside and so lacked the flavor of the grill, it was served with a brown sauce that was also a trifle bland. The texture was very good - i ordered it rare, so it was literally black and blue - nice deep red color, aged for 55 days, soft and not too sinewy with a little fat on the outside. On the whole a decent cut of meat but not prepared to its full capability.
Coming to Vegas for the first time in about a month. I'm interested in eating off the strip, in particular. you've mentioned "Lotus of Siam." What else would you recommend? not more than $50 per person (without wine.)
Tony, your experience at Sinatra's sounds delightful. Thank you for the review. What size were the servings? The Ravioli sounds yummie - that alone would be enough to dream about. How far in advance does one need to make reservations?
tony, it would be great to see you start a type of Robert Parker rating for your review. Also in the future, please continue to add a veggie dish in your tastings. And if possible describe the texture. Bon Jour
Hi Joseph, Thanks for asking. There are a number of great little hide-away places in Vegas. One of the best Japanese restaurants is a new addition called Raku on Spring Mountain Street. The chef's omikase and the yakitori are outstanding. Rosemary's on Sahara is low key fine dining with a cajun influence. Outstanding creations such as barbecue shrimp served with blue cheese cole slaw, outstanding vegetables, baramundi and other delicious fish dishes and a great Italian wine list. more to follow ....
Dining at Switch My friend JM the NY food critic is visiting Vegas - great news for me. Time to explore the latest culinary delights of the Encore. First stop is Switch, an elegant nouvelle cuisine steak house where the decor is the star of the show. At 20 minute intervals, the entire room changes decor between three themes - Moroccan tent with walls of mauve, purple and satin green silk fabric and soft lighting, replaced by French drawing room and then modern chic. Each shift is emphasized with the walls sliding up and changing, the ceiling receding and the lighting transforming to fit each theme. On to the food ..... We ordered - i ordered the Tune tartar (Hawaiian style poke) - it was a composition of delicate flavors highlighted by light ginger and tiny flakes of red pepper and a light mystery sauce - absolutely scrumptious. JM ordered the Lobster salad with artichoke, avocado, asparagus and truffle vinaigrette - also very light and tasty. Entree - I ordered the bone-in rib=eye. rare. It arrived medium and was sent back - 2nd one was cooked perfectly - decent but not great, and at $52 for a smallish steak, this was unimpressive. Side order of Sautéed spinach was decent and the onions and peppers was so-so. Great props, average service and some good dishes and some average. Overall, i wouldn't go back.
Saturday night and a return to the arduous and dangerous adventure of assisting JM in his quest to discover the perfect meal at The Encore Resort. As you may well imagine trusty readers, this treacherously life threatening escapade can only be undertaken by the boldest of adventurers ... don't try this without extreme gastronomical training. We met at Sinatra's, the new high end restaurant. As soon as you enter this elegant foyer, one is struck by the politeness of the hosts and the elegance of the venue. A charming and yet casual lounge with couches and tables in the bar area beckoned me to sit and have coffee. of course i acquiesced and as immediately served delicious coffee and rich cream while I waited for the arrival of my intrepid diner companion. Within a few minutes JM arrived. The restaurant had been made aware of the significance of my host's position as a culinary executioner and were immediately escorted to the best table in the house - a corner banquette with a view of the entire restaurant spread before us and the garden brilliantly lit in the background. Chef Theo emerged from the kitchen to greet my JM and enquire as to any culinary allergies or restrictions we might have - none. Hokay, on with the adventure - he proposed a chef's tasting menu and and pairings. First a delicious sparkling La Cala ( i am guessing somewhat on the wines as my trusty iPhone battery died) to accompany an outrageously delicious Assagini Di Mare (quartet of the sea) comprised of crab, Hamachi yelowtail, tuna tartar and a large succulent shrimp - all excptional - the shrimp was the exceptionally sweet and fresh. 2nd course was a large round ravioli stuffed with egg yolk, ricoota, spinach, brown butter and topped off with white truffles - the whole creation simply melts in your mouth. treniano de bruto 3rd dish - seared maine diver scallop with celery puree and kumquats - perfectly cooked, tender and delicious. 4th course - quail stuffed with veal - simply delicious. 5th course - rare beef with risotto ceneloni - very delicate and sweet risotto and tender beef. Desert - chocolate hazelnut mousse, warm panettone bread pudding, mascarpone gelato, - served with a delicious Muffato desert wine. okay at this point I was experiencing definite gastronomical overload. So of course i ordered a cappuccino. The entire experience was a 9 1/2 out o f 10. A tad expensive but i would certainly recommend Sinatras as a great place to have a night out, a celebration location or a romantic dining spot.
made a great healthy meal tonight .... despite my normal tendency to overcomplicate dishes and experiment to the point of adding too many ingredients or seasinings, I decided to keep it simple.
here is the recipe ....
1st course - 8 large shrimp - heated sesame oil and canola oil to high heat, added garlic, diced red onion and then added the shrimp. Seasoned in the pan with cummin, sea salt, black pepper, paprika and a tiny amount of butter in the pan. after plating, I added a drop of lemon and a drop of Prelobata white vinegar. nice.
2nd course - broccoli rabe with whole wheat rotini
bunch broccoli rabe (about 1 pound), washed in 2 changes of water
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)
3/4 pound whole wheat rotini
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, or a mix of pecorino and Parmesan
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Trim off the bottoms of the broccoli rabe stems and slice the remaining part of the stems about 1/2 inch thick. When the water comes to a boil, season generously with salt and add the broccoli rabe. Cook for 4 minutes, or until tender, and transfer using a spider or a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice cold water. Let sit for a few minutes and drain. Squeeze out water and chop fine. Set aside the water for the pasta.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic smells fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add the broccoli rabe. Toss together for a minute, season to taste with salt, and remove from the heat but keep warm.
3. Bring the water back to a boil and add the fusilli. Cook al dente, about 9 minutes. Stir 1/2 cup of the pasta water into the greens. Drain and toss the pasta with the greens and cheese. I added sesame seeds.
3 hours later .... time to improve the dish I sauted some mushrooms and spinach and threw the rotini and brocoli rabe in after they were a golden brown add grated parmesan reggiano and a dash of olive oil and black pepper and mmmmmmm
Start with olive oil and sliced white mushrooms. brown the mushrooms, add a red onion and 5 cloves of garlic. Salt and spice with black pepper, red pepper, spicy shrimp flakes. Medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 1 can organic diced tomatoes. add 1 lb squid steaks, diced in 1/2 " cubes. Add 1 cup fish stock, vegetable stock. Add 1 small savoy cabbage, shredded. slow cook for 30 minutes,On the side, Saute 3 strips smoked bacon and add to toast chick peas and pine nuts. To main dish add 1 can red salmon and 1 can tuna. Add toasted nuts and bacon. Add parsley. Stir, simmer and devour.
New resident to Vegas from New York. Non pretentiousness is as important to enjoyment of the meal as the quality of the food. The quest for the top 10 finalists proceeds. Suggestions accepted.
22 comments:
okay - Saturday afternoon we went hiking in the hills of Red Rock. On he way back to the strip we decided to stop off somewhere locally for an Italian meal. After consulting my trusty Zagat online, we found a nice looking restaurant at the Red Rock resort - Terra Rossa. Very pleasant surprise - we called ahead, the reservation person said they did not have a table for 90 minutes, but she could seat us at the bar and would find us 2 seats. We arrived 30 minutes later and were greeted by a very friendly hostess who quickly found us a cosy spot at the bar. The two bartenders were absolute professionals - polite, friendly quick and sharp. We started off with a complimentary appetizer plate of crisp zucchini, large green and black olives, artichokes and chunks of parmesan - absolutely delicious. The zucchini was sautéed in the lightest possible batter, the parmesan was rich and sharp.
We then ordered shrimp scampi - WOW - lemon butter garlic sauce with sautéed leeks. The dish was perfectly cooked with a delicate red pepper overlay to spice it up. Scrumptious.
I ordered the salmon rustico served with sauteed rapini (yeah a hole lot of sateeing going on here). Delicious, although i normally like the salmo undercooked and forgot to request it, it was crispy and moist and the broccoli rabe was perfect. Sweety order the gnocchi cooked with tomato and basil sauce - I thought it was average. No desert and we were outa there in a jiffy. Overall, charming atmosphere, cosy onyx bar, excellent service and mostly great food - 8 out of 10.
How does this compare to other Italian Rest.'s in the Vegas area?
Tony, I understand there is a famous hot dog stand just outside of Vegas near/in Henderson. Any word on this? IT seems that it is so unusual a spot that it must have some interesting history. Would love to have you check it and blog on it.
thx
Well Terri, I am so glad you asked. Harry's Hungry Hot Dog Hutch on Lake Meade and Boulder Highway is an oasis in the desert of fast food garbaggio.
The bratwurst with sauerkraut and mustard is a perfect midday snack on the road to Lake Mead.
Highly recommend.
Todays goofy home cooked meal ----
I am a big fan of black beans. As usual we start with garlic, olive oil and red onion. A dash of Japanese sea salt diced pecan nuts and finely diced diced carrots. Also red pepper flakes and add a touch of ground black pepper, saute on high heat for a few minutes and then add black beans and chick peas and chopped tomatoes. Prepare brown rice in the other pot and when they are ready, serve the bean concoction over rice - add a touch of black pepper and grate old stinky parmesan over the dish.
Ladies and gents - a very wholesome and hearty meal brimming with nutrition.
7 out of 10 for taste, 9 for simplicity and 5 for originality.
Yo Tony it's me Ed. I will be reading your blog from now on so let's get some good stuff going. If it's ok with you we can get some Thai food next week when I am in LV.
Re: Comments on your blog entry Dining at Switch. What did the steak taste like and how was it's texture? The Lobster Salad sounds good but maybe has too many flavors. I like Lobster simple so that one can taste the lobster.
Hi Ed,
Great - so happy to have you participating in the blog. I would love it if you added a dining experience, a recipe, anything you threw together and wanted to share with others. I recall your salad dressing was out of this world. Look forward to Thai at Lotus of Siam next week - if its Wednesday, let me know and I will make reservations.
C u soon.
Oh yeah - regarding your steak questions ...
the steak was not charred enough on the outside and so lacked the flavor of the grill, it was served with a brown sauce that was also a trifle bland. The texture was very good - i ordered it rare, so it was literally black and blue - nice deep red color, aged for 55 days, soft and not too sinewy with a little fat on the outside. On the whole a decent cut of meat but not prepared to its full capability.
Coming to Vegas for the first time in about a month. I'm interested in eating off the strip, in particular. you've mentioned "Lotus of Siam." What else would you recommend? not more than $50 per person (without wine.)
Tony, your experience at Sinatra's sounds delightful. Thank you for the review. What size were the servings? The Ravioli sounds yummie - that alone would be enough to dream about. How far in advance does one need to make reservations?
tony, it would be great to see you start a type of Robert Parker rating for your review. Also in the future, please continue to add a veggie dish in your tastings. And if possible describe the texture. Bon Jour
Hi Joseph,
Thanks for asking. There are a number of great little hide-away places in Vegas. One of the best Japanese restaurants is a new addition called Raku on Spring Mountain Street. The chef's omikase and the yakitori are outstanding.
Rosemary's on Sahara is low key fine dining with a cajun influence. Outstanding creations such as barbecue shrimp served with blue cheese cole slaw, outstanding vegetables, baramundi and other delicious fish dishes and a great Italian wine list.
more to follow ....
Dining at Switch
My friend JM the NY food critic is visiting Vegas - great news for me. Time to explore the latest culinary delights of the Encore. First stop is Switch, an elegant nouvelle cuisine steak house where the decor is the star of the show. At 20 minute intervals, the entire room changes decor between three themes - Moroccan tent with walls of mauve, purple and satin green silk fabric and soft lighting, replaced by French drawing room and then modern chic. Each shift is emphasized with the walls sliding up and changing, the ceiling receding and the lighting transforming to fit each theme.
On to the food .....
We ordered - i ordered the Tune tartar (Hawaiian style poke) - it was a composition of delicate flavors highlighted by light ginger and tiny flakes of red pepper and a light mystery sauce - absolutely scrumptious.
JM ordered the Lobster salad with artichoke, avocado, asparagus and truffle vinaigrette - also very light and tasty.
Entree - I ordered the bone-in rib=eye. rare. It arrived medium and was sent back - 2nd one was cooked perfectly - decent but not great, and at $52 for a smallish steak, this was unimpressive. Side order of Sautéed spinach was decent and the onions and peppers was so-so.
Great props, average service and some good dishes and some average.
Overall, i wouldn't go back.
Saturday night and a return to the arduous and dangerous adventure of assisting JM in his quest to discover the perfect meal at The Encore Resort. As you may well imagine trusty readers, this treacherously life threatening escapade can only be undertaken by the boldest of adventurers ... don't try this without extreme gastronomical training.
We met at Sinatra's, the new high end restaurant. As soon as you enter this elegant foyer, one is struck by the politeness of the hosts and the elegance of the venue. A charming and yet casual lounge with couches and tables in the bar area beckoned me to sit and have coffee. of course i acquiesced and as immediately served delicious coffee and rich cream while I waited for the arrival of my intrepid diner companion.
Within a few minutes JM arrived. The restaurant had been made aware of the significance of my host's position as a culinary executioner and were immediately escorted to the best table in the house - a corner banquette with a view of the entire restaurant spread before us and the garden brilliantly lit in the background.
Chef Theo emerged from the kitchen to greet my JM and enquire as to any culinary allergies or restrictions we might have - none. Hokay, on with the adventure - he proposed a chef's tasting menu and and pairings.
First a delicious sparkling La Cala ( i am guessing somewhat on the wines as my trusty iPhone battery died) to accompany an outrageously delicious Assagini Di Mare (quartet of the sea) comprised of crab, Hamachi yelowtail, tuna tartar and a large succulent shrimp - all excptional - the shrimp was the exceptionally sweet and fresh.
2nd course was a large round ravioli stuffed with egg yolk, ricoota, spinach, brown butter and topped off with white truffles - the whole creation simply melts in your mouth. treniano de bruto
3rd dish - seared maine diver scallop with celery puree and kumquats - perfectly cooked, tender and delicious.
4th course - quail stuffed with veal - simply delicious.
5th course - rare beef with risotto ceneloni - very delicate and sweet risotto and tender beef.
Desert - chocolate hazelnut mousse, warm panettone bread pudding, mascarpone gelato, - served with a delicious Muffato desert wine.
okay at this point I was experiencing definite gastronomical overload. So of course i ordered a cappuccino. The entire experience was a 9 1/2 out o f 10. A tad expensive but i would certainly recommend Sinatras as a great place to have a night out, a celebration location or a romantic dining spot.
wines we consumed in sequence and accurately recorded ...
cadel bosco
bidis
marramiero
palari rosso
san leonardo
braida brachetto
made a great healthy meal tonight .... despite my normal tendency to overcomplicate dishes and experiment to the point of adding too many ingredients or seasinings, I decided to keep it simple.
here is the recipe ....
1st course - 8 large shrimp - heated sesame oil and canola oil to high heat, added garlic, diced red onion and then added the shrimp. Seasoned in the pan with cummin, sea salt, black pepper, paprika and a tiny amount of butter in the pan. after plating, I added a drop of lemon and a drop of Prelobata white vinegar. nice.
2nd course - broccoli rabe with whole wheat rotini
bunch broccoli rabe (about 1 pound), washed in 2 changes of water
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)
3/4 pound whole wheat rotini
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, or a mix of pecorino and Parmesan
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Trim off the bottoms of the broccoli rabe stems and slice the remaining part of the stems about 1/2 inch thick. When the water comes to a boil, season generously with salt and add the broccoli rabe. Cook for 4 minutes, or until tender, and transfer using a spider or a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice cold water. Let sit for a few minutes and drain. Squeeze out water and chop fine. Set aside the water for the pasta.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic smells fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and add the broccoli rabe. Toss together for a minute, season to taste with salt, and remove from the heat but keep warm.
3. Bring the water back to a boil and add the fusilli. Cook al dente, about 9 minutes. Stir 1/2 cup of the pasta water into the greens. Drain and toss the pasta with the greens and cheese. I added sesame seeds.
3 hours later ....
time to improve the dish
I sauted some mushrooms and spinach and threw the rotini and brocoli rabe in after they were a golden brown add grated parmesan reggiano and a dash of olive oil and black pepper and mmmmmmm
regarding the meal you described at Sinatras on Saturday- I would need a chaser of Pepto Bismol.
Mr Food Fundie,
I have missed your valuable and insightful thoughts regarding the cuisine in the Las Vegas area. Where did you go?
Signed,
wondering
Fantastic Fish soup recipe.
Start with olive oil and sliced white mushrooms. brown the mushrooms, add a red onion and 5 cloves of garlic. Salt and spice with black pepper, red pepper, spicy shrimp flakes. Medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 1 can organic diced tomatoes. add 1 lb squid steaks, diced in 1/2 " cubes. Add 1 cup fish stock, vegetable stock. Add 1 small savoy cabbage, shredded. slow cook for 30 minutes,On the side, Saute 3 strips smoked bacon and add to toast chick peas and pine nuts. To main dish add 1 can red salmon and 1 can tuna. Add toasted nuts and bacon. Add parsley. Stir, simmer and devour.
Mr. Foodfundie,
I am surprised you have not written a review of B&B the fine Italian restaurant in LV.
Signed,
Wondering
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