Author: John Curtas

I Told You So – ANDRE’S BISTRO

“The food in Las Vegas is a lot better than it has to be.” So said John Mariani to me over a decade ago as we were touring the Strip.

These days, a case can be made that the same could be said about our suburbs.

Do the steaks at Andiron have to be so top shelf? Does the seafood at Other Mama or Japaneiro have to be so impeccable? Couldn’t Marche Bacchus get by with lousier pork?  The answers are: no, no and yes. Each of them could shave a buck or two on ingredients and it probably wouldn’t hurt them at all. No one would notice, except maybe a chef (or finicky critic), and their bottom line would be boosted in the process.

The point is they do care about quality, even if their customers can’t tell the difference. This makes them proud of the product they serve, and builds a level of trust between them and their clientele.

Restaurants like the ones mentioned are few and far between in the ‘burbs, but they are slowly increasing in quantity (even in Henderson – thank you Standard & Pour), and we at ELV are glad that their number just increased by one.

André’s Bistro & Bar took over the old DW Bistro space a few months back and has been packing them in from day one. They’ve kept the same floor plan but lightened up the space, given it a serious bar (and interesting, well-priced wine list), and took to cooking real French bistro food with no compromises.

In other words, they finally took my advice and picked up the restaurant gauntlet I’ve been throwing down for this entire century.

To say I’m pleased by all of this is an understatement. French bistro food is the most comforting, eat-every-day restaurant fare in the world. Only true trattoria cooking comes close, but no one in Vegas has the guts to go the full Roman, so Italian authenticity always gets drowned in a sea of cheap cheese and pizza sauce. I’ll leave the I-told-you-sos for another time(?), but let’s just say they’ve taken a classic formula here and run with it. And the public is responding.

One of the reasons, of course, is that the Stacked Hospitality Group had the good sense to move to this area of town — southwest Las Vegas being so restaurant-starved it makes Downtown Las Vegas look like mid-town Manhattan. The other smart thing they’ve done is to put Joe Marsco and Mark Purdy in charge of things. Marsco is the business/front-of-the-house guy and Purdy the Executive Chef, and years of working at Andre’s in the Monte Carlo taught them both a thing or two about executing a menu of French classics.

French classics is what this menu is all about, no matter how many times they tell you that it’s “American Tavern Cuisine.” (For the record, we know that they have to use monikers like “American Tavern Cuisine” in order to appeal to the yokels who might be scared snail-less by an escargot, but make no mistake, this menu is as French as a sidewalk cafe.)

You don’t get much more French than foie gras, and you won’t get any better seared foie than this beauty sitting atop stewed apples and a caramel custard sauce:

Does it taste like an apple pie under that unctuous liver? Absolutely. Does that make it the most decadent starting course this side of Guy Savoy? “Mais oui!” as the French would say.

Speaking of frogs, you can get their legs here (although we haven’t tried them yet), along with a roasted vegetable terrine of concentrated tomato richness:

Just as good are the escargot (swimming in butter, garlic and parsley just the way they’re supposed to be), and moules frites that cede no ground to anything you’ll find at Bouchon, Mon Ami Gabi or Bardot Brasserie.

Of the salads tried, the Lyonnaise was proper in every way….if a bit uninspiring…and the beets with goat cheese were as beet-y as you could want them. (Chefs know I hate beets and are always torturing me with them, but if you like the taste of dirt, these are as tastily done and prettified as any gussied-up dirty root vegetable can be.)

Seafood continues to improve in the neighborhoods, helped along by a more knowledgeable public that now demands it. That explains the existence on the menu of this seafood risotto:

…as well as a textbook-perfect Dover sole “Veronique” that is old school French at its finest:

Neither of these items dishes would ever have come close to a local’s restaurant menu a decade ago, now everyone sees them and dives in. (I’m told the Dover sole sells out quickly on the nights it is offered, and one bite of the thick, sweet fish and you’ll know why.) Someone on my Facebook page said snarkily (when looking at the sole pictured above), “1985 called, they want their plating back.” Yes it’s as old fashioned as it gets, but it’s also as tasty a fish as you’ll find this far from the ocean.

None of this is ground-breaking cooking; all of it is grounded in good ingredients, treated with respect and proper (which is to say French) technique.

We also enjoyed the house-made sausages immensely — sitting as they are on top of some nice, sweet-sour Lyonnaise potato salad — as well as the nutty golden trout amandine:

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…lightly sautéed (not heavily coated and fried) and properly adorned with a nice, brown butter sauce.

Both the trout and the flat iron steak are about the best $22 entrees you can find off the Strip, and the $12 burger is quite a mouthful (for $12) as well.

On our two visits, things seemed to be running preternaturally smoothly for a brand new operation, which is, again, a testament to having grownup professionals in charge of things.

No doubt there are kinks to be worked out (the wine list is tough to read, both the sauce and maître d’hôtel butter for the steak were too cold, and the mason jar hot fudge sundae tastes better than it looks), but quibbles aside, this place hit the ground running and doesn’t look likely to stop.

One place you will want to stop and linger is the dessert menu. Tammy Alana’s creations are the best thing to hit the ‘burbs since free parking.

All of them are classics —  tarte tatin, chocolate walnut gateau, milkshakes (with malt!), Grand Marnier soufflé, lemon tart (pictured above) — all of them are made in-house, and all of them taste like you’re in the hands of a master.

Which you are.

Just like I told you you would be.

ANDRE’S BISTRO & BAR

6115 S. Fort Apache Rd.

Las Vegas, NV 89148

702.798.7151

https://www.andresbistroandbar.com/

 

 

A Cheesy Happy Birthday to CUT

Why is Matthew Hurley smiling?

Because CUT Las Vegas celebrated its 9th birthday yesterday.

Why are we smiling these days?

Because we, like Matthew, are fromage-a-philes. Lovers of the fermented curd. Crazy for quark. Choosy about cheddar. Passionate for Parm. You get the idea.

Cheese carts are in short supply in Vegas these days. Cheese in general is not given its proper place at the table in all but a few places. Spanish cheeses are well-represented (but not displayed) at Jaleo, Bazaar Meat, and Julian Serrano, Morel’s does a nice job with its eclectic selection, and our big hitter French joints (Robuchon and Guy Savoy) are ripe with the stuff. But when’s the last time you were offered cheese in an Italian restaurant? Or saw any displayed?

Is it because Italy doesn’t make much cheese? Or isn’t proud of what its formaggio? Or perhaps Italians don’t care enough about their curds and whey?

No, that can’t be it.

However you slice it, Italian cheeses are the Rodney Dangerfield of ingredients in Las Vegas’s Italian risorante.

But what about American cheeses? Our artisanal cheese industry has grown by leaps and bounds over the past 30 years, and American cheeses are now some of the best in the world. Why don’t they get any love in Las Vegas?

Is it because Americans don’t eat much cheese?

That’s probably, partially true. We are only 19th in world cheese consumption, well behind such cheese consumers as Norway, Luxembourg and Iceland.

Or perhaps it’s because we’re ignorant about how to eat cheese — as most Amuricans still think of it as a gooey topping for pizza and burgers, or shredded into taco oblivion.

In case you haven’t heard, handmade real cheese, made with the purest, freshest milk is now being made by American fromageries from Vermont to California, Oregon to Georgia.

Many of these cheeses echo iconic European curds — Meadow Creek Grayson is trying very hard to be an Alsatian Munster; Cabot Clothbound Cheddar wishes it were a Neal’s Yard Montgomery — while others like Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue could only be made in the U.S. of A.

The fun part is tasting all of them and deciding for yourself. Europeans have the right ideas when it comes to cheese: either make a meal of it by itself (with some bread, fruit and/or a bottle of vino), or use it as the ultimate digestivo — the amino acids and enzymes in cheese making it quite useful to help you digest whatever came before it.

Great cheese is a fitting climax to any great meal in a restaurant that’s not a sushi bar. Sadly, the head-’em-up-and-move-’em-out mentality of most of our Strip restaurants does not allow for choosing and eating cheese in the leisurely way it should be enjoyed. Kudos to CUT (and Hurley) for bringing something new and fresh (in the form of something old and fermented) to one of the best steakhouses in the country.

What a fitting birthday present for CUT to give itself, and its customers.

CUT

The Palazzo Hotel and Casino

702.607.6300

CUT, Las Vegas

Below is the cheese menu at CUT with appropriate wine pairings. You’ll notice there’s nary a red wine in the bunch — the tannins in red wine always fight cheese, and increase the wine’s sourness. If you want to enjoy wine with cheese, drink a white, or something with a touch of sweetness in it. Port works beautifully. Cabernet sauvignon works not at all, no matter what the Bordelais say. If you’re buying, I’d pick the Beerenauslese; if I’m buying, that Taylor-Fladgate will do just  fine.

The Pasture…

Cow…

Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Uplands Cheese Company – Dodgeville, Wisconsin

Rocket’s Robiola, Boxcarr Handmade Cheese – Cedar Grove, North Carolina

Appalachian, Meadow Creek Dairy – Galax, Virginia

Grayson, Meadow Creek Dairy – Galax, Virginia

Goat…

Goat Gouda, Central Coast Creamery – Paso Robles, California

Wabash Cannonball, Capriole Farms – Greenville, Indiana

Humboldt Fog, Cypress Grove Chevre – Arcata, California

Freya’s, Briar Rose Farms – Dundee, Oregon

Sheep…

Bohemian Blue, Hidden Springs – Westby, Wisconsin

Lamb Chopper, Cypress Grove Chevre – Arcata, California

San Andrea’s, Bellwether Farms – Sonoma County, California

Peekville Tomme, May Fold Farms – Chatahooche Hills, Georgia

 

Artisanal Cheeses, Honey Comb, Toasted Nut Bread

Three 17   /   Five 22

 

 The Vineyard…

GLASS

Elio Perrone “Sourgal” Moscato d’Asti, Piedmont, Italy  2014                                            14

Torbreck Muscat “The Bothie”, Barossa Valley 2009                                                          14

Château Rieussec, Sauternes 2005                                                                                       32

Taylor-Fladgate, 10 Year Tawny, Port                                                                                    14

Grahams “Six Grapes”, Port NV                                                                                               14

 

BOTTLE

Foreau “Clos Naudin” Moelleux Reserve, Vouvray, France 2005 [750ml]                      165

Weil, Riesling “Kiedrich Gräfenberg” Beerenauslese, Rheingau 2002 [375ml]             228

Jermann “Vino Dolce Della Casa”, Picolit, Collio, Friuli 2007 [375ml]                             95

Valdespino “Cardenal” Palo Cortado, Jerez, Spain [375ml]                                               456

Domaine La Tour Vieille, Vin Doux Naturel, Banyuls, France 2007 [500ml]                  68

D’Oliveiras Terrantez Reserva 1977, Madeira [750ml]                                                       450

Dow’s, Port 1985 [750ml]                                                                                                           218

Taylor-Fladgate, 10 Year Tawny, Port [750ml]                                                                     72

Top 21 Wine Tips

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ELV note: Fine wine times in restaurants are easier than you think. Just follow these easy rules and tasty tips:

  1. In a French restaurant, always ask the sommelier about the brix at harvest of any wine you’re considering. In a German restaurant, always inquire about indigenous yeasts, and in an Italian restaurant, always ask when the pasta is being served.
  2. If you’re tasting with a bunch of Riesling lovers, always mumble from the first sip that you prefer chardonnay. If you’re with some chard bards, always mention that you’re a Riesling fan. This will allow you to enjoy your glass in peace.
  3. Never order wine from a Southern Hemisphere country. Wines from these countries are made by dark-skinned, fun-loving, unreliable folks. Avoid northern hemisphere wines as well — especially when made by tall, surly, efficient, pasty-faced persons. The best wines are made by slightly swarthy, temperate-complected people. NO ONE DENIES THIS!
  4. When swirling your wine in your glass, never swirl in a counter-clockwise direction. Doing this will fool your wine into thinking it was made in Australia.
  5. Beware of any wine steward with a funny name or accent. 90% of the time these are phony affectations used to intimidate you into ordering something you can’t afford…or to get you to sleep with them.
  6. Always ask a female sommelier why she isn’t home raising children. This will immediately win her trust and might result in her letting you have a sip from her spit bucket.
  7. Las Vegas wine lists are notoriously expensive. The best way to find a bargain on a Las Vegas wine list is to start weeping uncontrollably as you look at it.
  8. When some pretentious asshat starts insisting upon ordering all the wine at your table, always be sure and ask him what law or medical school he attended.
  9. Always be sure, when tasting a sauvignon blanc, to mention that it smells like cat pee. Then reach into your pocket and produce a clump of your kitty’s litter to prove it.
  10. When on a first date, always order the second cheapest wine in the house. If she starts to rub your crotch after that bottle, keep moving down the list until she’s under the table.
  11. Never forget that the quality of the wine is inversely proportional to the ferocity of the animal on the label.
  12. Distinctly fruity overtones with an overbearing nose are the marks of a good sommelier.’
  13.  Proper stemware is essential; always rinse that Bud Lite foam off the insides of your glass before filling it with a classified growth Bordeaux.
  14. When in doubt, always say something negative after your first sip. “Sassy yet impertinent” is a phrase that has always worked for me.
  15. When perusing a wine list, always hand it to the guy at the table who makes more money than you and exclaim (while pointing to a name), “I had the ‘o4 but found it a bit sassy yet impertinent. Why don’t you decide?” Then, always be in the bathroom when the bill comes.
  16. Complaining loudly about the obscene markups on restaurant wine lists always works. Try it sometime.
  17. Cheap pinot grigio is a wine to be embraced in all its forms. Without pinot grigio, how would secretaries and housewives get drunk?
  18. Sommeliers love to cross swords with customers about wine knowledge, especially on Saturday night when their restaurant is full. Regaling them with a fifteen minute story about the time you got hammered after hitting four tasting rooms in two hours in Los Olivos — while they uncork that $30 bottle of pinot noir you just ordered —  usually makes their night. Try it sometime.
  19. The next time someone at your table can’t stop talking about what private wine mailing lists he is on, always be sure and ask him what law or medical school he went to.
  20. Women don’t know much about wine and love having it mansplained to them. Nothing gets a girl’s panties wetter than listening to you talk about the brix at harvest, indigenous yeasts, and how that sassy-yet-impertinent ‘o4 didn’t quite measure up to the ’97.
  21. Based upon medical evidence that’s yet to be discovered, scientists know it is impossible to become an alcoholic on expensive wine. Have you ever seen a bum nursing a bottle of ’47 Cheval Blanc?  A ’90 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti? CASE RESTED.

You’re welcome.