Schneier

Prime is probably the best steak house in Vegas, but I consider it best of a medeocre lot. Bruce

I've eaten there three times now, most recently three days ago. Right now it's my favorite restaurant in Vegas (it's in the MGM Grand), although it's not as good as the New York original. For those who don't know the original, Craftsteak serves single-note food. You order "salsify" and that's what you get. As such, it's much better to go with a small group than alone. Everything is served family style, and you need a critical mass to get enough different things to taste. There were five most recently, and I did the ordering. Appetizers: "Mixed lettuces," "artichokes," "beets," "roasted red peppers," and "veal sweetbreads." Everything was delicious. The lettuce came with a pretty vinaigrette, and the artichokes with an herbed cream sauce. The beets were three different: red, pink, and yellow--all fabulous. The sweetbreads was the only warm appetizer, and it might have been the best sweetbreads I have ever eaten. That's what Craftsteak is all about: the single perfect thing. I ordered five mains. The grilled grass-fed New York strip was perfectly prepared, as was the Kobe skirt steak. The roasted "pork loin" was the only clunker; it was made with a honey-fruit-like sauce that detracted from the meat. The braised "beef shortribs" is the single dish that I order every time; it's the best thing on the menu--perfect shortribs. Side dishes: The "roasted asparagus" was great, as were the "braised english peas" and the "braised swiss chard." Who knew that cooked peas could be so tasty. The "braised morels" were in a class by themselves. Served in its own mushroom reduction, it was fantastic. We ordered a few desserts, too. I loved the chocolate souffle, and the berry crumble. The money bread was okay. The plate of three ice creams and three sorbets was mixed: loved the lemon and strawberry sorbet, didn't like the tea ice cream at all. None of this is cheap, mind you. And there are no wine bargains on the menu. But that's what you get in a hotel restaurant in Vegas. Bruce

My mother would cook scrambled egges with peas. She called it "green pea combination." Bruce

Dining solo, you have an excellent chance of getting a seat at the bar at Gary Danko. Same menu, but much more informal feel. I enjoyed it a lot. You'll take a cab there and back, but I think it would be worth it. Bruce

In Vegas, every hotel restaurant is either in a shopping mall or in a casino. I don't think that's a strike against it. But I agree with you about Commander's Palace; there are lots of better alternatives. B

Early and late is a good suggestion. Also, call at the last minute. Some restaurants keep tables open for high-rollers at the last minute, and there are lots of cancellations in Vegas. There are a lot of high-end restaurants in Vegas, and if you're not picky you'll get a table at one of them. Bruce

In Europe it's not uncommon for the wine to be opened away from the table. Unless you seriously think that the restaurant is sneaking wine into empty bottles to fool customers, what's the difference? I'd rather the sommelier taste the wine elsewhere, and get another bottle if he thinks it's bad. Bruce

I disagree about Aureole in Vegas. I think it's overrated, by a lot. I am so done with that resturant. Bruce

Over a year after first wanting to go, I finally made it to the kitchen table at Trio. It was the week after Karen's daughter's wedding, and I figured a short vacation would be nice. I made a reservation, booked plane tickets, and got a room in he hotel upstairs from the restaurant. Basically, Karen and I went to Chicago for dinner. And a grand dinner it was. Twenty-seven courses, roughly arranged in two complete meals. Five hours. Interesting and excellent wines. And an excellent view of the line. All in all, a grand time. Karen and I always enjoy kitchen tables. We like watching the bustle of the line, the preparations and the platings. Chef Grant Achatz runs a calm kitchen in Trio. He looks like a mad genius. He's intensely focused on what he's doing, and didn't so much as turn around and acknowledge our presence until the end of the meal when his job was basically done. (Then he was talkative and friendly.) His two sous chefs seem to be his exact opposite in temperament, and the various under chefs somewhere in between the two. The food was all delicious, but I wasn't as impressed as I would have been a year ago. Back then I hadn't really had a bizarre tasting menu before. I had never eaten a menu prepared by someone channeling, or interpreting, El Bulli. But in the past year I've eaten at the French Laundry, Jose's Minibar at Cafe Atlantico, the Fat Duck, and several other restaurants along those lines. I've had many meals that included tiny bites of interestingly juxtaposed tastes, textures, and all sort of other things. I'd already learned that food combinations that you would never imagine serving as a course are delicious and surprising when it's only a single bite. And to make matters worse, I didn't have time after the meal to write it up. So now it's two and a half weeks after my meal. I have the menu, and I have my notes. I'm only going to make short comments on the individual dishes. This is the "Tour de Force" menu, served with the wine parings. (I generally liked the wine choices. They were non-standard and interesting, which I always appreciate.) Served in the kitchen... 1. Caramelized Sri Lankan Eggplant. It was a tiny square; just a bite. Eggplant with caramelized sugar and Sri Lanken spices. A yummy taste of the meal to come. 2. Wild Steelhead Roe, sake, tosaka seaweed, cucumber. 3. Charred Pineapple, smoked salmon, shichimi togarashi, soy. Shichimi togarashi is a Japanese spice blend. This was the first weird delivery mechanism. It was a bite of pineapple, a bite of fish, and a bite of cucumber, all stuck on a slender wire that stuck up from the plate and boinged up and down in front of you. Wine 1-3. Pommery "Brut Royal," Reims. 4. Chilled English Peas, ramps, eucalyptus, yogurt, ham. This dish was delicious in every way:" chilled pea coulis, ham, ham granita, eucalyptus pearls. We watched this dish being made all night; it was part of another of their menus. We would have gladly eaten more. Wine 4. Montesole Fiamo di Avellino, Campania, Italy, 2002. 5. Black Truffle Explosion. This was a liquid black truffle ravioli with broccoli bits and broccoli puree. It just explodes in your mouth. Delicious. 6. Maine Lobster, flavors of Thai ice tea, aromatic bread. Poached lobster and lobster consomme. The "Flavors of Thai ice tea" consisted of cinnamon, star anise, and cloves, and gave the dish a nice pop. The aromatic bread had peanut butter--another Thai flavor--on it. There was also coconut foam, artichokes, orange tea, and Thai basil. The most complex dish so far, and very delicious. Wine 5-6. Birgit Eichinger "Strasser Gaisberg" Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal, Austria, 2001. 7. Roasted California Porcinis, dried bacon, caramelized dairy, walnuts. Another complex dish: porcini puree, parsley juice, paprika, onion, lemon zest, fresh parsley, saffron, walnut milk, the oddly named "caramelized dairy." Also excellent. 8. Hot Fava Bean and Cold Parmesan Purees, olive oil, lavender. A very rich dish, served with lavender petals and olive oil. Yum. Wine 7-8: Conreria d' Scala Dei "Les Brugueres" Garnacha, Priorat, 2001. 9. Chicharrones con Salsa. The pork rinds came seasoned with pepper and served with cilantro puree, vinegared tomato seeds, and avocado. Very tasty. 10. Elysian Fields Farm Lamb, sunflower plant, bag of crispy texture. The lamb was served with sunchokes, sunchoke puree, and lamb reduction. The "bad of texture" was a bag filled with nuts and seeds: sunflower seeds, fried capers, fried oregano, crispy garlic, lamb bits. The idea was to sprinkle the bag over the dish and eat. Really, really good. Wine 9-10. Honig Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2000. 11. "Cheese 'n Cracker." A single cracker ravioli filled with sharp cheddar. 12. Moulard Duck Foie Gras, blueberries, cinnamon tapioca, sorrel. This dish was served in a tube, and the idea was to suck it out. It all happened so fast that I couldn't make out any of the individual flavors, but the combination was delicious. 13. Raisin Soda. This was served with hot Hawthorne berry foam. Tasty. Wine 12-13. Ochs Blaufrankisch Eiswein, Neusiedlersee, Austria, 2001. INTERMISSION. Karen and I walked to Lake Michigan and back. 14. Kiwi Seeds - Young Coconut - Lime. If you notice, we're starting a second meal here. Basically, the kiwi was the flavor that dominated this dish. It was served with lime vinaigrette, baby coconut, and passion fruit seeds. 15. Tempura of Maine Shrimp, vanilla, cranberry, Meyer lemon. Everyone seems to rave about this dish, and I can see why. It's a single shrimp tempura served on a vanilla bean. I could have eaten an entire meal of these and not complained one bit. 16. Confit of Melysol Melon, prosciutto, catmint, sherry vinegar. The dish was beautiful: small balls of different colored melons in vinegar and honey, garnished with mint and crispy prosciutto. 17. Virtual Shrimp Cocktail. A spray bottle; you sprayed the taste of shrimp cocktail into your mouth. Silly. Wine 15-17. Luis Pato Maria Gomes, Beiras, Portugal, 2002. 18. Green and White Asparagus, parmesan, geoduck clams, apricot. Another beautiful dish: strips of thinly sliced green and white asparagus, topped with little piles of tastes that go well with asparagus: geoduck clam and seaweed, poached quail egg, apricot call, herb mixture, wine sorbet, pickled white asparagus. This was another dish that was on other menus, and we watched it being made all night. Very tasty. Wine 18. Argiolas "Argolas" Vermentino, Isola dei Nuraghi, Sardinia, 2002. 19. White Pekin Duck, green garlic, Australian rainforest plums, foie gras. The duck was served three ways: poached breast, poached leg, and confit. The duck skin was crisped. The green garlic was cooked in goose fat. There was foie gras. There was more fat drippings. There was hearts of palm. An excellent dish. Wine 19. Rosenblum "Richard Sauret Vineyard" Zinfandel, Paso Robles, 2001. 20. Frozen WillaKenzie Verjus - Thyme. A small frozen disk that you eat with tongs. Amazing thyme flavor that lasts forever in your mouth. Wine 20. Chateur la Rouviere, Bandol, 2000. 21 Ribeye of Prime Beef, spring lettuces, morel mushrooms, smoked tongue. This is another one of those dishes that we saw being made all night. A chef would take a piece of cherrywood and light it. Then he would blow out the flame and put the smoke in an upturned glass on the plate. Under that glass would be the piece of tongue. When serving, the waiter removes the glass and the smoke aroma fills the air. Very showy. And tasty. Wine 21. Oloroso "Pata de Gallina," Juan Garcia Juarana, Jerez, Spain. 22. Transparency of Aged Manchego, white anchovies, peppers, arugula. This is what passes as a cheese course here. It's a small plate of croutons, grilled bell peppers, grilled garlic, braised fennel, dried olives, arugula, and white anchovies, covered in a thin layer of cheese. Very tasty, but not what I'd call a cheese course. 23. Carrot-Mandarin-Smoked Paprika Leather. Probably the best fruit leather I've ever eaten. 24. Australian Finger Limes - Sugar. I don't have any notes on this dish. 25. Red Wine Braised Rhubarb, strawberries, violets, goat milk sorbet. Complicated and delicious. It's a glass with many layers. From bottom to top (also from hot to cold): red-wine braised rhubarb, violet essence, goat milk sorbet, strawberry foam, rhubarb, strawberries. Wine 25. Forteto della Luja Brachetto "Pian dei Sogni," Piedmont, 1998. 26. Warm Guaranda Chocolate, yeast, pistachio, flax seed. Here we are at dish 26, and we get to the first one that doesn't work at all. It's kind of a deconstructed pain au chocolat. The chocolate was delicious; warmed 71% dark chocolate from Ecuador. It was served on a flaxseed pistachio tuille that didn't really add anything. Accompanying this was pistachio puree, oil, flaxseed sprouts, and yeast sorbet. Honestly, I didn't like anything but the chocolate. Wine 26. Vinhos Barbeito "Special Reserve," Malmsey, Mareira. 27. Tripod Hibiscus. Hibiscus popsicle served very prettily. Nice taste and presentation. And that was it. We had a room at the Homestead Hotel upstairs, which made things very easy. And the next morning we flew home. Bruce

There are things you can do with small bites of food that you can't do with larger portions. That's one of the key components of this kind of meal; nothing is large. Bruce

What???

Add my votes for Dahlia Lounge and Rovers. I also suggest Shiro's Sushi, but read my review in this section before going. Bruce

Although I would rather order the souffle at the beginning of the meal than wait the extra 30 minutes at the end. Bruce

I have never heard of such a policy. Bruce

And sometimes, context is worth paying for. But it's still nice not to have to. Bruce

Isn't overnight delivery great?

I was there last summer (or maybe it was two summers ago). I had a very enjoyable meal. B

The bordello decor is gone, and the place is much lighter and arier. I agree; it helps. Bruce

Masa's So, I'm sitting in Masa's for dinner. It's 5:30. (My stomach is on Central Time, so that's okay.) I open the menu, and see a kick-ass vegetarian tasting menu. I pick up my cellphone and dial the work number of a vegetarian friend. "Do you have a jacket with you?" I ask. "Can you be here in twenty minutes?" He took closer to 40, but I had a book with me. It all worked out. I think I like Masa's better under Ron Siegle than I did under Julian Serrano. I like the way he puts dishes together. Flavors match and mingle well. I don't know Siegle very well. The waiter I talked to said that he was from Nob Hill, and before than from the French Laundry, Daniel in New York, and some restaurant owned by the Aqua Group. The dining room is pretty and the service is expert; nothing new there. There are four different menus: a regular and vegetarian six-course for $85, an undescribed nine-course for more (okay, I forget), and an Asian-themes kaiseki menu for $150. I was with a vegetarian, so we each got a six-course menu. He also wasn't all that interested in sharing every dish. Honestly, I had a lot of sympathy for his position. Since he couldn't taste what I was getting, it was a one-way process. So I can't speak to most of his meal. But I will list the menu. Two amuses: a chilled asparagus soup with lemon oil--very good--and a slice of raw ahi tuna with ponzu gelee and some microgreens. I would have eaten a meal of it, and taken a tub of ponzu gelee home with me for breakfast. Regular Tasting Menu: 1. Chilled crab salad, mango and red onion chutney, cilanto infused cucumber water. Well-balanced and tasty. I liked how the mango gave a good flavor pop, and the cucumber provided a nice base note. There were some microgreens on top, more for looks than anything else. 2. Maine lobster, hearts of palm, english peas, lobster foam. Another well put-together dish. Perfectly cooked lobster with a lot of flavor, served with a big palm heart, a few peas, and a couple of tiny asparagus spears. 3. Squab breast, squab liver mousse, swiss chard, squab jus. The mousse made this dish shine. That and the chard. There was also a thin slice of bacon on top. 4. Beef rib eye, bone marrow, wild mushrooms, butter beans, bordelaise. I generally consider the beef course to be the low point of these sorts of menus, but this one was pretty good. The bone marrow and mushrooms made the dish interesting. The piece of dead cow in bordelaise was pretty much what you'd expect. Nothing wrong with the dish. 5. Apple and carrot sorbet, pineapple gelee. Better than I expected, probably because the sorbet was more apple and less carrot. 6. Gianduja parfait, tangerine sherbet. Nice mix of chocolate and citrus. Yummy. Vegetarian Tasting Menu: 1. Chilled pea soup, lemon creme fraiche. Only okay. There was nothing wrong with it, but it wasn't very interesting. Lots of pea flavor, but there's only so much pea flavor one needs. 2. Asparagus salad, morel mushrooms, shaved grana padano, balsamic vinaigrette. 3. Artichoke ravioli, melted cipollini onions, natural onion reduction. 4. White corn risotto, fava beans, melted leeks, grilled red onions, corn sauce. This was very good. The risotto was expertly prepared. The onions and leeks gave the corn an interesting complexity. The beans gave the dish texture. Nice job. 5. Pear and ginger sorbet, chilled passion fruit soup. The better of the two sorbets. 6. Study in Citrus: various tastings of lemon, lime, grapefruit and tangerine. An absolutely fascinating dessert. I would have traded if I could. The menus had the option of a cheese course before the first dessert. And we had an assortment of chocolates at the end. Definitely a fine meal. Bruce

Aqua The worst part of a business lunch is that you can't demand to taste everyone's food. On top of that, no one coordinates to make sure we order different things. And some people at the table act like the food isn't the most important thing going on. The things I put up with.... Aqua is a San Francisco seafood restaurant, the best and most interesting in the city. (There's an Aqua in Las Vegas which is good, but not as good.) I go regularly but not frequently; it's one of my San Francisco staples. (Although, to be honest, I wanted to have lunch at the Slanted Door--better for business groups, I think.) First, a complaint. Most people ordered a starter and a main, but one person ordered only a main. The waiter offered that person a salad. "It's not on the menu," he said. "But it's available." I'm sorry, but that's just sleazy. The restaurant wants you to order an expensive appetizer, but if you don't--and only if you don't--they'll offer you a cheaper alternative. Aqua is too high class for this kind of trick. End complaint. To start I ordered the hamachi. It was raw yellowtail served with avocado slices, pine nuts, and chive oil. The waiter spooned shreds of ruby red grapefruit in a vinaigrette on top of the fish tableside. I thought the dish was okay, that the grapefruit overpowered the fish, but that the avocado and fish tasted delicious together. Food at the table I didn't try included a pea soup, a plate of three different cold foie gras preparations, and the tuna tartare. I've had the tuna tartare before; it's one of the restaurant's signature dishes. You get a plate of chopped tuna with a quail egg yolk on top, and then little piles of lemon confit, chopped almonds, chopped dates, various herbs, lemon confit, and probably something else I'm forgetting. The waiter mixes it all together tableside; the dish is fresh if it's eaten immediately after mixing. I found the dish good, but the tableside preparation a bit showy. So I don't order it. For a second course I ordered the Alaskan king salmon, served with morels, shredded green garlic, potato gnocchi, chive cream, and morel bullion. I usually don't order salmon at restaurants, but I was intrigued by the morels and garlic. The dish was definitely a winner, perfect in every way. I wanted very much to try the scallops across the table and the tuna steak next to me. The tuna was served with a mound of shoestring fries and creamed spinach; kind of the "meat and potatoes" dish at this restaurant. The scallops came with pea puree, smokes shrimp ravioli, and bordelaise sauce. Everyone skipped dessert. Them because they had someplace to be, me because I had a dinner reservations at Masa's. Bruce

Slanted Door. Bruce

I would vote for Radius over No. 9 Park. Bruce

Different publications will have different rules, of course. We're still writing our bimonthly columns for Mix, the free newspaper for Twin-Cities-area co-ops, for example. But getting restaurant review jobs is hard. There are very few jobs in any city, and they are open very rarely. Until someone dies of cholesterol poisioning, we're stuck waiting. That's why the "South" job was so good. It was a new postion, an entry job; one that let us regularly write reviews while waiting for something better to come along. Bruce

For the record, we're definitely out of a job. Union rules. No exceptions. Bruce

Can you tell me about the private dinner upstairs. I've been thinking of hosting one, and I'm curious how it goes. Do you choose a menu beforehand, or is there a limited menu that the guests choose from? How many courses? Do you get a private waiter? Etc? And the only jacket I've ever seen Vincent wear says "Le Grand Fromage." Bruce