Category: Reviews

Reno 911!

If ever a town was in the throes of a restaurant emergency, Reno is it. And if only the food in Reno were half as good as that show is funny, all would be forgiven….Unfortunately, however, what you find in The Biggest Little City In The World are hotels and casinos so outdated and shopworn, that they make Fremont Street in Vegas look like the Champs-Elysee.

If I were forced to find sustenance in this culinary backwater (and lately, I’ve been forced to a lot), I’d steer clear of the hotels-unless you’re fond of restaurants that haven’t changed their menus since 1979. La Strada in the El Dorado* has serviceable Italian food, and believe it or not The Men’s Club (a “gentlemen’s club”**.. a block from Virginia Street-the main drag) does some fine things with seafood, sushi and steaks. That is, if you don’t mind slurping decent oysters and savoring salmon skin rolls among a bunch of pink tacos.

Both restaurants have garnered Awards of Excellence from the Wine Spectator for their wine lists; although neither will give the Wine Directors of Aureole (Bill Scherrer) or ALEX (Paolo Barbieri), any palpitations.

What will cause palpitations (and, perhaps, slight nausea, or, at the very least, visceral confusion) is the sight of gorgeous young things gamely gyrating on patrons’ crotches whilst they pretend to play with their own. Yours truly doesn’t like to mix his pleasures or his perversions, so I begged off–the stripper not the steak.

My two best meals were at Louis’ Basque Corner-a place that’s been serving garlic-laden, family-style Basque food forever-and the relatively new (5+ years) Beaujolais-a classic bistro with superb renditions of French classics.

Eating at Beaujolais made me wistful for everything the Las Vegas restaurant doesn’t have. A neighborhood restaurant, it is located in an old building (just blocks from downtown), has around 50 seats, a four seat bar, and a decent (and surprisingly large) wine list. The menu lists 9 apps and 8 mains, and a couple of desserts. That’s it. My roulade of pig’s trotters couldn’t have been more gelatinous or more perfect, and the gamey and sweet braised rabbit actually tasted of rabbit-not the bland just-like-chicken meat you might expect. Chef/owner Bill Gilbert keeps things simple and precise, and I can only dream of the day some Las Vegas chef takes a cue from such an operation.

* Owned by Don Carano of Ferrari-Carano winemaking fame….And by the way, a member of the Nevada State Bar, i.e. an attorney who’s a legitimate wino, and, unlike some of my bretheren, respected for it.

** Although the number of “gentlemen” in these types of places is highly debatable.

BEAUJOLAIS BISTRO

130 West Street

Reno, NV 89501

775.323.2227

www.beaujolais.com

Louis’ Basque Corner is just a good plate of honest grub, albeit with enough garlic on the meat to make a Sicilian rethink his catechism. Strangely though, we suffered very few digestive consequences from this onslaught. The drill is you sit down at a communal table, are told of the 4 or 5 main courses offered that day, pick one, and then are served a parade of soup, salad and side dishes for the table. Just like the Greeks, they criminally overcook their lamb, but the chicken Basquaise and cabbage soup are winners. Lunch for two ran $25 with a small carafe of chilled red wine (take that, you snooty sommeliers!)

p.s. The Santa Fe Hotel has similar Basque family dinners, and is only a couple of blocks away.

LOUIS’ BASQUE CORNER

301 East 4th Street

Reno, NV 89512

775.323.7203

Here is my meager Reno travelogue, befitting a town with so little photograph-able food.

He was a great chef, as chefs go, and as chefs go, he went (and then came back again.)

EATingLV.com has it on good information that the talented, inventive, passionate, dedicated and baby-faced Adam Sobel, has re-joined Bradley Ogden as chef-consultant. Sobel, who is in his late 20’s but looks like he’s 14 to us, began his Las Vegas cooking career as sous chef at B.O. before seeking more exotic climes at the stoves of Guy Savoy; from where he departed for an ill-fated stint at the (now) pathetically dumbed-down and overpriced Company. Now he returns to the nest created by him and Bryan Ogden, with hopes of sustaining the glory that kitchen has been known for. If anyone can do it, we’re betting on Adam.

Click here to read Al Mancini’s current review of the post-Sobel Company in Citylife Las Vegas. Methinks Al is being kind. What started as an innovative restaurant (featuring Sobel’s cuisine with the able assistance of David Varley and Marcel “Call Me Wolverine” Vigneron) has devolved into just another overdecorated and overpriced Vegas steakhouse. You have been warned.

WING LEI

WING LEI

3131 Las Vegas Blvd. So.

Las Vegas, NV 89109

702.770.1614

Wing Lei, at the Wynn, is the only Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in America. Chef Richard Chen creates a menu that is fascinating (and manageable) whether you’re an Asian high-roller or someone who thinks sweet and sour pork is as exotic as it gets.

I’ve had two recent meals here-one a big deal, pull-out-all-the-stops one with John Mariani-the other anonymously-and both have been deeply flavorful and technically perfect.

The service is also some of the most polished in Vegas-and that’s really saying something.

Amazingly, I also found an Alsatian Tokay-Pinot Gris from Pierre Frick (’03) for $57 that went splendidly with the food. Has my friend-Danielle Price-uber-wino and Wynn Wine Director-heeded my entreaties and worked towards bringing affordable wines to the Wynn’s Murderer’s Row of restaurants? We’d like to think so, and thus are taking full credit for this fabulous Frick find….even if it isn’t deserved. ;-}