Travel Feature Story

I won the Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner Trifecta in Las Vegas

By CANDICE MERRILL
Published: Thursday, September 24, 2009 | 12:49 AM

When I was a kid we went to Las Vegas on vacation from time to time. My dad liked to play the slots and he loved the buffets; those endless displays of bad food and gluttony. It has taken Las Vegas a while to change its reputation but if my last stay was any indication, Vegas has changed and in a big way.

Yes, you can still get cheap hot dogs (they’re $2.00 now) and low priced shrimp cocktails but now you can also find world-class dining. I’m talking outstanding food with fantastic chefs. It’s a foodie’s paradise in the middle of the desert.

Let’s start with breakfast (it is the most important meal of the day). Bouchon, named as one of the 10 best restaurants for breakfast on the strip, is located in the Venezia tower of the Venetian Resort. Its elegant décor is in keeping with the grandeur of the setting. The menu includes fresh pastries as well as a tantalizing array of breakfast specialties like French Toast, Sourdough Waffles, Corned Beef Hash and Ham Steak and Eggs.

To start our meal we were served a variety of pastries all hand-crafted by pastry chef Chris Herrin. A luscious toasty croissant topped with almond paste, strawberry jam (made on premises) and a crumb topping, toasted brioche topped with almond paste and sliced almonds, a chocolate croissant and a lighter-than-air cheese Danish that resembled a popover filled with a sweet cheesy filling and topped with cream cheese frosting. Seriously need I say more?

Creamy and rich iced Lattes and freshly squeezed orange juice accompanied a light refreshing yogurt parfait. The yogurt was studded with Tahitian vanilla bean and topped with housemade maple-almond granola, fresh fruit decorated the bottom. Is your mouth watering? Mine was.

While we snacked on crispy sourdough waffles with fresh strawberries, real maple syrup and Tahitian vanilla bean butter (did I say “snacked” I meant devoured) I was able to look more closely at my surroundings. The restaurant has a patio that looks out onto a green landscaped courtyard, no sounds of slot machines here.

As our entrees I had the Bouchon French Toast and my companion had the Corned Beef Hash. Now you may recoil at the mention of Corned Beef Hash most of it does look unpalatable, however not Bouchon’s. Large diced corned beef brisket is cooked with cubed Yukon gold potatoes and fresh onions all of this is topped with an egg done to your liking (it is suggested you get it sunny-side up) I will never eat standard corned beef hash again.

The French Toast more resembles bread pudding in its presentation and taste. Brioche is layered with custard, apples and spices and topped with a bit of maple syrup all served up in a neat round. No extras are needed for this French Toast its smooth texture and delicate flavors are best experience au natural.

After we finished our breakfast we were taken on a tour of the most spacious kitchen I’ve ever seen by pastry chef Chris Herrin. I had to shake his hand because his pastries were some of the best I’ve outside of France. From prep to proofing, cake decorating to homemade jam any cook would be envious of the equipment and sparkling surfaces.

Bouchon Las Vegas serves breakfast Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., brunch Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., dinner Monday – Sunday 5:00 – 10:00 p.m. and the visit the oyster bar daily from 3:00 – 10:00 p.m. For more information or reservations call (702) 414-6200 or log onto www.bouchonbistro.com. They are located in The Venetian Resort, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South.

For those of you not planning to visit Las Vegas anytime soon (but I encourage you to do so) Bouchon is also opening a restaurant in Beverly Hills in November.

The following day I was treated to another meal in a restaurant in the Venetian but this one is located in the Grand Canal Shoppes. Dining is upstairs in a balcony area with limestone columns, Venetian-style open windows, antique furniture and one-of-a-kind balcony dining over-looking the Grand Canal. It’s all surreal, cover your ears and you could swear you were in Venice. They also have one of the ten best bathrooms in America according to the Cincinnati-based Cintas Corp online poll.

Speaking with Executive Chef Francesco Schintu I learned a bit about the history of Zeffirino. It began as a family restaurant in 1939 in Genova, Italy the family has now expanded to Spain, China and the USA.

If you must, you will find veal parmesan and chicken cacciatore but step out of your comfort zone and open your taste buds to truly incredible food.

Our meal started with tuna carpaccio, thin slices of tuna topped with raw tomato sauce, capers and buffalo mozzarella foam. Shaped like a flower the taste bloomed in my mouth.

A skewer of fresh bocconcini, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and briny olives battered and fried to a golden brown was accompanied by a tart red bell pepper sauce (with a secret ingredient I promised not to tell, suffice it to say it was noticeable and made a favorable impression). Chef Francesco calls these Mediterranean skewers, I call them delicious.

Fresh green Taglierini in a delicate wine sauce with a bit of spice and tomato and a whole lot of crab tickled my senses. It’s amazing how different and good fresh pasta tastes. It doesn’t need to be drowned in sauce the flavor is delicate and the perfect vehicle for other ingredients like crab.

Agnolotti Verdi in salsa rosa, pillows of tender green pasta filled with imported fontina cheese sautéed in a butter, cream, parmesan mixture. Oh my goodness this was so WOW! Stand-out ingredients and a talented chef combine to create the sublime.

One of chef’s specialties is Filetto alla Ricca Piemontese which is pan seared beef tenderloin filet with Marsala, rum, filed with foie gras served over fontina cheese fondue with truffle and sautéed porcini mushrooms. We were lucky enough to be served this special dish. The complexity of flavors mingled together to provide the diner with a sensory experience combining sight, smell and taste. Each layer of flavor could stand on its own but when combined it was orgasmic.

The meal was finished off with a dish of gelato made from raisins marinated in Marsala. The chef poured a bit of whiskey over the top and decorated the dish with sugar strands; a bit of sweetness to finish off a stellar meal.

Zeffirino is located in the Grand Canal Shoppes at the The Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South. They are open daily for lunch from 11:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., dinner, 4:00 p.m. to midnight and Sunday brunch from 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Call (702) 414-3500 or log onto www.zeffirinolasvegas.com for reservations and more information.

As the final meal of my trifecta I visited Roy’s Restaurant. Now you may wonder why Roy’s when we have one in Pasadena. The reason is that although Roy’s does have some signature dishes that all of the restaurants carry, each chef has input into the menu at each different restaurant so each Roy’s is a unique experience.

Since our Pasadena readers are familiar with Roy’s we thought you should know about the Las Vegas Roy’s; it’s the same but different. It has the same quality ingredients, same level of service but a different chef and a different slant on the menu.

Chef Percy Oani brings his unique fusion of classical training with an Asian influence to the restaurant in Las Vegas. Dishes like Shanghai Style Chicken and Shrimp Lumpia shaped like chopsticks and a Fuji Apple and Grilled Endive Salad combine sweet, savory and spicy to create a new taste category. I call it the yum category.

We started our meal with a couple of Roy’s signature drinks, the 1988 which was served in a martini glass and filled with a tart combination of grapefruit, pomegranate and lychee was my favorite. My companion enjoyed the mango mojito made with mango puree. With dinner I enjoy a glass of sparkling rose (I didn’t have to drive).

We began our meal with Roy’s Signature Lakanilau Roll which is seared Kobe beef wrapped around dynamite crab, tempura asparagus and avocado. No wasabi was needed for this sushi roll; the flavors were best savored unadorned.

Chef Percy’s Shanghai Style chicken and shrimp lumpia came next and was served with a Japanese citrus crème. I really liked these, the chopstick shape made them easier to eat (the filling didn’t fall out). The dipping sauce was sweet and spicy.

Mixed greens and Fuji apple were tossed with bleu cheese, candied walnuts, pomegranate seeds, grilled endive and pomegranate soy emulsion. This was a deliciously crisp and refreshing salad to accompany ones meal.

A taste of the herb crusted halibut served with lemon-scented Israeli cous cous and Vietnamese dill pesto convinced me of the freshness of the fish. Moist, delicate and flakey just another of the many good reasons to eat more fish.

When you visit Roy’s in Las Vegas I encourage you to try the Hawaiian Style Misoyaki Butterfish. With its caramelized topping of sweet miso and the tart Chinese sizzling soy vinaigrette this is a stand out. Butterfish lives up to its name it melts like butter in your mouth.

For dessert we had to have melting hot chocolate soufflé with vanilla bean ice cream. See, Roy’s in Las Vegas is the same but different. As always this dessert was the bomb with its intense hit of chocolate mellowed by the bright vanilla ice cream.

Roy’s Las Vegas is located at 620 E. Flamingo Road about two miles east of the strip in a quieter part of town. They are open for dinner, Sunday – Thursday, 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 5:30 – 10:00 p.m. For reservations and more information call (702) 691-2053 or log onto www.roysrestaurant.com.

MAKE A COMMENT

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website

SUBMIT