Archive for the ‘Openings’
Holy Pabellon Batman! VIVA AREPAS is Terrific!
ELV knows as much about Venezuelan cuisine as he does about Lagrangian mechanics, (more…)
POSHBURGER Postulations
The real and only point of Poshburger is whether Sum-R-Lamers are ready to pay $25+ for a chopped meat lunch or dinner — even one as good as this. For when your cheeseburgers run from $15-$20 (topped off by a $29 wagyu beauty), your tariff gets there in a hurry.
At Least Someone Has a Sense of Humor
The picture above is of the recently-opened Park on Fremont:
Here is the menu from Park on Fremont that we perused last weekend — thinking at the time we might want to try it:
Here is what we posted on Facebook:
It (the menu at “Park on Fremont”) couldn’t be less imaginative if it was thought up by a 10 year old.
We also noted at the time:
Park on Fremont had the velvet ropes out, and was hand-stamping people at 6:00pm — even though the place was empty.
#includemeout
Not ones to take such things lying down, the management of Park on Fremont decided to fight back(?) by putting this on the sidewalk:
Bully for them, we say; instead of acting like crybabies and spoiled children,* they responded with a sense of humor.
Unfortunately, the menu still doesn’t give any foodie any cause to want to eat there.
But maybe they’re serving the best farking “chicken bar bites” and “veggie wrap” on the whole friggin’ planet?
But we doubt it.
But in the spirit of fairness, we’ll give it a try….soon….and with an open mind.
As long as no one tries to stamp our fucking hand.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
* cf. Andre Rochat and Paymon Raouf.
Just Thought You’d Like to Know…the State of the Vegas Dining Scene
As the first quarter careens towards its close, our staff thought it was time to take stock of Las Vegas’s dining scene and share a summary of our recent experiences.
And by “recent experiences” we mean the scenes of the crimes at some recent restaurants….along with the usual gossip, gall and gallivanting for which we are known.
Let’s start with the bad news first, shall we? (more…)
NOBU, Negated
Nothing about this place is as good as its reputation. - Seymour Britchky
Nobu is the perfect example of what happens when a celebrity chef gives up, sells out and cashes in. It is the gastronomic equivalent of a once-innovative cook deciding to abandon his legacy to the highest bidder and spend his retirement padding around his culinary house in a succulent silk robe and savory slippers.
None of this is surprising. By now, everyone knows Las Vegas is where they all come when it’s time to settle back and rake in the cash, because our captive audience of 40 million yearly visitors are credulous enough to buy the hype and settle for what little substance they get. But, not being rookies to the celeb chef rodeo, Eating Las Vegas‘ savvy readers know that it is those customers who ultimately pay for the luxury that these (former) titans of gastronomy and their retainers enjoy.
Las Vegas is also where our brimming-with-cash casinos are more that willing to throw money at an established chef’s brand in hopes it will save them from the food and beverage disasters they inflict upon themselves when left to their own devices (cf. Wynn Hotel/Switch). The money men behind Nobu know this, so this is where they’ve decided to plant his flag one last time time before he sails into the Peruvian-Japanese sunset.
Yonaka: Modern Japanese, Even More Modern-er
So, dig on this new restaurant, friends: YONAKA. It’s been open for less than a month, but already it’s starting to beat out a lion’s share of the hip Japanese-fusion restaurants on the strip by a country mile, in my opinion. Granted, we are plagued by those paint-by-numbers sushi joints in disguise, two or three to a casino property (hopefully a tide to be turned by the recent Palazzo top-tier sushi announcement), but honestly the quality and downright artistic creativity I’m seeing here is SHOCKING.
The meal starts out with an Amuse-bouche, mine was a little square of edamame tofu with just a dab of yuzu tobiko roe and maldon salt. The nuttiness of this, I assure you, groves of nut trees would covet. Nice to see this small but appreciated wink-and-nod to the coming meal can be practiced off-strip without being contrived. It’s fun, it’s simple, and the creamy/nutty tofu with just that tiniest bit of citrus and fish comes off pitch-perfect. Hopes, consider yourselves raised. Looking back, this was going through my mind.
I'd covet this.
A cursory glance at the menu won’t give any real indicator to the food to come, but once you start noticing menu descriptors like “apple chips” and “kafir lime vinaigrette” and “preserved lemon”, one does begin to wonder. Mainly choosing with my empty stomach, I got the item with two types of fishes (my stomach is not logical…), Konpa: Atlantic Salmon and Hamachi, with yellow bell pepper, almonds, tiny slices of preserved apricot, super thin jalapeno wheels, and almost transparently thin dehydrated tomato chips, all in an orange ponzu. Whew, that’s quite a list of elements, but it really is a bit of a salad in and around and highlighting some extremely superb fish. The duo of rich, fatty fish cut into sashimi bits contrasted well with the bright, tangy ponzu (like all their sauces, made in-house), sweet preserved apricot, and surprisingly addictive tomato chips. Perhaps most surprising was palate of textures presented, making each bite a fun little game of “find the best combo” (although, if that puzzle was solved for me and topped neatly onto the sashimi, I wouldn’t complain…).
Atlantic Salmon and Hamachi hodge-podge salad
Breaking: Palazzo Planning Palate-Pleasing Panoply
ELV has it on good authority (and by “good authority” he means the principals involved), that the Palazzo is about to up its restaurant ante with a cadre of new concepts helmed by some of the biggest names in the business.
Some deals are set and some are in the final stages of negotiation but coming soon you can expect:
- At least 2 new concepts from the Batali/Bastianich group — one involving an Arthur Ave.-like ode to American-Italian food; the other a gastropub that probably will not have an Italian theme (whew!).
- A top-shelf sushi bar from “one of the world’s greatest sushi chefs.” (Jiro? Morimoto? The mind reels.)
- A very, very French bistro/charcuterie/brasserie concept from a very, very famous French chef who may or may not be someone we are sworn not to divulge, but whose initials just might be Daniel Boulud.
Each of these concepts will be taking over existing empty restaurants in the Palazzo and each promises to inject some much-needed life (and some imagination?) into our moribund Strip dining scene. (Sorry Caesars, but trying to revive Nobu’s fading brand doesn’t count.)
Yours truly spoke with Bastianich last night, and he said a lot of smart restaurant people are guessing that Vegas is on the verge of another boom. (And on this point, he would be right.)
Getting Daniel back would be a shot in the arm for our humble burg, and fingers are crossed that he can bring one of his wildly successful New York concepts (Bar Boulud, Boulud Sud…) to one of our top shelf hotels without all of the interference (and dumbing down) that drove him from the Wynn.
As for the sushi idea, it couldn’t happen a moment too soon and is sorely needed to round out Venetian/Palazzo’s restaurant collective.
Don’t be surprised if some of these joints open before summer.
We at ELV are already smacking our lips in anticipation.
HONEY SALT v. POPPY DEN – a Morton’s Fork?
There is no money in poetry, but there’s no poetry in money, either. – Robert Graves
People keep asking me the same question.
They say “John?”
I say, “What?”
They say, “John, I’m going out tonight in Summerlin; should I go to Poppy Den or Honey Salt?”
To which I say: “Both are worthy of your hard earned dinero. But it’s a Morton’s fork, if you will, as both impress and depress the hell out of me.”
Perhaps I should explain.
Restaurant reviews, quips, picks and pans-with some seriously salivating history-from the man who eats his way through Sin City every day.
