MOREL’S FRENCH STEAKHOUSE and BISTRO
ELV has no idea what these people are doing. Even less what they’re doing on the walls of a steakhouse. But they sure seem to be enjoying themselves! Perhaps they’re just as ecstatic as ELV over the cheese selection here.
What this gal is doing pointing a machine gun at us outside the Men’s Room is also puzzling….
….but it sure makes us think twice before mishandling Mr. Happy.*
The point is, the cheese selection here is so good….
… that our staff overindulged just thinking about it. And unlike some other great venues du fromage, Morel’s isn’t stuffy or intimidating in the least. You check your cheese off of a large printed menu — 3 selections for $18; 5 for $26 (after checking them for ripeness at the cheese counter of course) — and then dive into a buttery Mt. Tam, silky Chabichou du Poitou, or Winchester Super Aged Gouda so sharp you can cut your steak with it.
They even have (on occasion) Castelmagno — something of a holy cheese grail for ELV ever since he tasted the real enchilada in Rome (Italy, not Georgia) years ago. Almost chalky in the mouth, Castelmagno (cas-TELL-man-yo), has an elusive, earthy flavor that reminds us of woodsy mushrooms, leavened with a bit of citric tang. Washed down with a semi-dry, Francois Pinon “Tradition” Vouvray (chenin blanc), it is about as perfect a cheese and wine match as you’re likely to get off a menu in a Las Vegas restaurant.
As for the rest of the menu — the steaks are good, but not great, the sides functional but hardly noteworthy. The shellfish on display sometime look (and taste) fresh and vibrant, and sometimes are best to leave well enough alone.
But the Caesar salad is made tableside in wooden bowls and is probably the best in town. Correction: It is the best in town outside of ELV’s house, and there’s no denying the fabulousness of the (60+) cheeses, and the charcuterie, and the housemade rillettes (Berkshire pork and Scottish salmon), and the wines by the glass that make this place worth going out of your way for.
MOREL’S FRENCH STEAKHOUSE
In The Palazzo Hotel and Casino
3325 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702.607.6333
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* aka The Amazing Python Of Love
Restaurant reviews, quips, picks and pans-with some seriously salivating history-from the man who eats his way through Sin City every day.
March 18th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
ELV, it’s so “Gouda” of you to talk and “Cheddar” all day about cheese, ehh? What “Constant Bliss” it is! Add a little wine, and we can have a “Roaring Forties” party. And next time, please remember to invite everybody, and not leave people in a “Humboldt Fog,” okay? We might have to watch you like a “Red Hawk.” Mind you, this post is so “grate,” I’ll have to give you an … “E – poisses.”
March 19th, 2009 at 6:02 am
Please do not get John into a cheese pun-off. I Cantal you too many stories of groans and eye-rolling. But hey, if that Berkswell for you . . .
March 19th, 2009 at 11:59 am
About all this place does really well is the Caesar and the cheese – agreed there. The steaks are Ok and the sides decent (the fondue is also pretty good). But considering the prices out the door (my dinner for two was north of $450 that included a $125 bottle of Domaine Serene) – I’d much rather stick to my old standy, Neros at Caesars, or STEAK in Henderson (though I was told it might have recently closed).
John – do you have confirmation about STEAK closing its doors?
March 20th, 2009 at 4:15 am
So glad you documented the bizarre paintings… but wait, you did have the Stinking Bishop, didn’t you? No? Crocodile Tears? Tomme de Recoletts? Okay, I’m just showing off (or plugging my own story on Morel’s cheese in STYLE, the Venetian’s magazine. book a room and your copy’s free!) ;-)
January 25th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Uh oh. Morels got an Editors’ Choice Trippie for “Worst Restaurant” and another Editors’ Choice Trippie for “Worst Meat”. What happened? Were they ill-informed, or has Morels only worsened since you last visited? I was thinking of finally trying the place, but now I’m a little afraid…
June 15th, 2010 at 6:19 am
I experienced Morel’s this last weekend. Didn’t do anything overly extravagant – got a 3-cheese selection as an apetizer, the 14oz, 35 day aged New York sirloin, asparagus and their version of scalloped potatoes. The steak was good – I’ve had better – and the sides were good – again, I’ve had better. The best part of the experience was the cheese. I’ve had better food for less than half the cost, but if you combine the food with the first class dining experience, you will leave feeling like you got what you paid for.