30 Minutes, 5 Courses at PICASSO
Some chefs will not be denied…no matter how strenuously you protest you don’t have time for dinner.
Julian Serrano is just such a chef…especially when you give him the challenge of feeding you a five course meal in half an hour.
Truth be told, neither ELV nor his dining companion — Cheryl MacPherson, the new Market Manager for the Downtown 3rd Farmers Market — threw down such a gauntlet. What we said was: “We only have time for a quick drink.”
What Julian said was: “I’ll send something out for you to nibble on.”
What showed up was an entire, coursed-out, dinner for two, served with impeccable timing (and impeccable wines, natch), in less time than it takes to get a cocktail in most nightclubs.
And it was good…damn good…from the torchon of foie to the caviar to the quail to the filet (served with a healthy dollop of “slap my ass and call me Sally” fresh horseradish) to the deep-flavored chocolate, everything was as precise and pristine as anything we’ve ever tasted from Serrano’s kitchen.
Which led us to ask: Could Picasso be that rarest of restaurants? One that keeps getting better, even after 13 years in business? Even when it’s sprinting the food to you in record time?
It would seem so.
No matter how long your meal takes.
Our meal was comped and our über foodie/über friend Cheryl picked up the tip. Thanks, über foodie/über friend Cheryl!
PICASSO
In the Bellagio Hotel and Casino
3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702.693.8105
Restaurant reviews, quips, picks and pans-with some seriously salivating history-from the man who eats his way through Sin City every day.
February 29th, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Jealous!
March 1st, 2012 at 11:13 am
I had turbot at “e” and Le Cirque this trip, but they were not as good as Serrano’s turbot at Picasso. Will have to have that again.