A Star Is Born
The gentleman’s name above is Antonio Minichiello.
Remember his name…because I think you’re going to be hearing a lot of it in the years to come.
Antonio is the chef at Verandah — the three-meal-a-day restaurant at the Four Seasons.
Unbeknownst to yours truly, the Four Seasons has been experimenting with letting him play with the recipes and flavors of his native Italy for a few months, and offering a killer, three-course dinner for $45, that changes seasonally. This summer, Minichiello has been featuring the bright, sunny and seafood-y cuisine of Liguria, along with such playful and delicious dishes as a “pansotti” (triangular stuffed pasta) napped in a white Bolognese sauce made with filet mignon:
…that’s sort of an Italian take on the Philly cheesesteak (or at least that’s the way he explained it to us….with a twinkle in his eye, I might add).
When he’s not playing with the seasonal cuisines of Italia, Minichiello puts forth regular menu items like baby beets with caramelized oranges:
…or a ravioli Caprese stuffed with bufala mozz that will make you weep with pleasure:
…and astonish you with the delicacy of the pasta.
When you’re finished with those, he (and Pastry Chef Jean-Luc Daul) will finish you off with a Ligurian dessert known as cow’s milk fritters:
…that might be the crispiest, creamiest things I’ve ever put in my mouth.
Your biggest problem will be trying to resist the urge to eat all of them at once.
Just as your biggest regret will be not paying more attention to this restaurant and this chef until now.
Because the dinner menu at Verandah is a serious steal, and Minichiello is a serious talent. You know it has to be good, because no one on god’s green earth is more bored with Italian food in America than John Curtas. And if a chef’s food can make us sit up and take notice like his did, you know it’s got to be something special.
So, like on many other occasions, Eating Las Vegas is alerting you first to this phenomenon…so you can enjoy it before the hoi polloi overruns the place.
VERANDAH
In the Four Seasons Hotel
3960 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89119
702.632.5000
Restaurant reviews, quips, picks and pans-with some seriously salivating history-from the man who eats his way through Sin City every day.
September 17th, 2012 at 10:50 pm
Mancini’s blog is absolute shit
September 18th, 2012 at 4:36 am
Please don’t tell me you ate those beets…..
September 18th, 2012 at 8:16 am
Looks really good and your review convinced me to book there for my upcoming birthday
White Bolognese (ragu’ bianco) brings back memories when I was working in Italy: at the Modena “Autogrill” service station on the freeway you could get a dish of tortellini with ragu’ bianco and a glass of Lambrusco for 7000 Italian lire (about 4/5 US dollars).
The only concern I have are the size of the portions…I’m sure that when Mr. Minichiella prepares pasta for himself he goes for a real portion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9R0yibyGqI
September 18th, 2012 at 8:24 am
ELV responds: All portions were reduced in size at our request to enable us to taste a larger variety of dishes.
September 18th, 2012 at 10:14 am
@ Tom:The portion are not that small at all and as John Curtas confirmed they were reduced at their request..Verandah is a place to dine and enjoy..if you’re looking for a fine, exquisite dining experience then Verandah is the place for you, if you’re looking only to stuff your belly then go to a fast food chain restaurant..there are many along Las Vegas Boulevard!!!
September 26th, 2012 at 9:12 am
booked a table for 4 based on your rec, Mr. Curtas. I hope it’s as good as stated :)