Tag: French food

OPUS TOO Lunch

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The only problem with the $10, three course lunch at Opus Too in the International Culinary School in Henderson is only two more days are available to dine there (next Tuesday and Wednesday) before it closes for a break. It will then re-open on July 15th.

If you can reserve a table at the tiny, 32 seat dining room, do so. because it not only helps these students hone their craft, it’s also the best friggin’ deal in town for a three course, hand-made, finely-tuned French lunch.

And did we mention that the whole kit and kaboodle costs ten bucks?

For food like a savory lamb stew, fried goat cheese salad, and sweet, properly sauteed scallops — followed by desserts that would be right at home at any high falutin’ Strip restaurant.

Instructor/Chefs Claude Cevasco and Edward Shortsleeve (Claude, French to the bone; Edward, of Algonquin Indian lineage) oversee what is actually a living classroom — the students rotate through in 33 day cycles — with every one of them working as a chef and waiter, in equal portions, during that time.

All of the food is made according to classic (mostly French) preparations, and most of it will have you dropping your fork in appreciation. In fact, the onion soup — a deeply rich, long-cooked,  onion-laden classic stock, capped with good Gruyere — is among the best versions we’ve had, anywhere. Ditto the pretzel bread. And the jelly roll cake.

The menus change every week, so what we enjoyed will be a dim memory by the time a new kitchen crew starts experimenting. But the tiny space, and those students, are so charming, you are guaranteed a good time.

One more thing, the place, when it IS open, only serves lunch and dinner Tues.-Weds.-Thurs.. So if you don’t get in next week, you’ll have to wait for the summer session to start to get a taste of Las Vegas’ best restaurant bargain.

Believe ELV…it’s worth the wait.

Lunch at Opus Too is $10; dinner is $15. The food would be worth it at twice the price. There is a small, moderately-priced wine list.

OPUS TOO

At the International Culinary School

2350 Corporate Circle

Henderson, NV 89074

702.992.8500

GUY SAVOY – Perfect Food

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While everyone knows ELV eats better than just about anyone on the planet, his staff is often left to scrounge and forage for leftovers in the office fridge.

So as a treat, we took some of them to Guy Savoy the other night to sample the new Spring menu.

One of them remarked: “This food is fuccen great!”

And ELV had to admit it was all that and a bag of chips.

The pictures tell the story.

Just look at the tasty snaps.

You can practically taste the perfection.

PS:  The new Executive Chef at GS is Hugo Coudurier, as Eric Bost has left to head the stoves at Guy Savoy Singapore. We loved Eric’s cooking and will miss him, but this place hasn’t missed a beat.

I’m ELV and I’m an Addict

Two of these men can cook, one writes about it.ELV in the throes of his addiction with two of his favorite dealers.*

(ELV note: Yours truly has a book in him that will probably never be finished or published. Here is one of the chapters.)

“Hi ELV!” is how all those twelve-step programs start, and then they sink into one maudlin account after another of each individual’s slide into personal oblivion. Here’s my story:

It started innocently enough, as all addictions do. In 1982 in Wheeling, Illinois. “The first one’s free,” said Jean Banchet – at the time the celebrated chef/owner of Le Francais (considered at the time the best French restaurant in America). Then, in 1983. Andre Soltner, the dedicated Alsatian running New York’s best French restaurant, made a personal appearance at my table at Lutece. “Just take another hit, no one will notice,” he purred. And so I did.

Oh yeah, and Jacques Pepin — he of the velvet delivery and oh so elfish countenance — he was one, insidious seducer as well. Maybe the worst of them all.

Continue reading “I’m ELV and I’m an Addict”