Alize
Iced Tea
Baguette, Pretzel Roll, Gluten Free with Herbs, Butter
SUMMER MELONS Balsamic, Herbs
RUSSIAN GOLDEN OSETRA CAVIAR Salmon Gravlax, Crème Fraîche & Buckwheat Blinis
MAINE LOBSTER Ratatouille, Tomato-Garlic Aïoli, Crispy Potato
SAUTÉED FOIE GRAS Caramelized Peaches, Blackberry Purée, Candied Sunflower Seeds
FOIE GRAS TERRINE Smoked Duck & Artichoke Crêpe, Orange Marmalade, Candied Pecans, Basil
DOVER SOLE Potato Purée, Spring Vegetables, Sauce Amandine
GAZPACHO Strawberry, Tomato, Red Pepper
DUCK BREAST Honey-Lemon Cake, Foie Gras, Sautéed Spinach, Leeks
RABBIT TENDERLOIN Corzetti Pasta, Fava Beans, Rabbit Bratwurst, Espelette Mustard Velouté
RACK OF LAMB Apricot Couscous, Cucumber, Almonds, Cilantro Za’atar, Lamb Jus
GNOCCHI Truffle Parmesan Cheese
LA TUR Port Poached Prunes, Candied Pistachios, Rosemary Raisin Crisp
POINT REYES BLUE CHEESE-STRAWBERRY CROUSTILLANT Balsamic Reduction, Candied Pistachio
ELDERFLOWER Gelee, Exotic Fruits, Kiwi
CARROT CAKE SOUFFLE Cream Cheese
MIGNARDISES
Pronouncing itself proudly as “Alize at the Top of The Palms” in a manner indicating the restaurant’s location matters as much as the cuisine it was with high hopes stemming from an April meal at Andre’s that a friend and I sat down to dinner on Saturday night and although the highly acclaimed 270+ degree view of The Valley more than lived up to the billing I only wish I could say the same for the rest of the night; a middling affair of mostly good food and subpar service marred further by a menu seemingly built to confuse. Every bit the elegant space with fine linens and a subdued color palate perched 55 floors above the casino below the Alize ‘experience’ begins the moment one exits the elevator and quickly whisked away to a prime Strip-side table after checking in with the hostess the night started out well, menus presented and questions answered with two resultant chef’s tastings to follow including a single substitution granted at a $10 surcharge in order to experience Andre Rochat’s signature Sole, a textbook rendition served with sauce Amandine that would prove the highlight of the meal. Featuring the culinary talents of Chef de cuisine Mark Purdy with a trio of options offered at each course it was after an elegant amuse and a trio of breads matched to exquisite butter that the proper menu began and with bumbled presentations including several mispronunciations dotting the evening it should really come as no surprise that it was only after the meal that we were made aware that the “first” course carried an additional $20 charge, the caviar itself underwhelming in quality and quantity while the delicate fish instead proved the star of the show. Moving next through the $135 progression of well appointed lobster salad to a standard duo of foie gras that soon gave way to the luxurious Sole and a pair of underwhelming lighter proteins before a thick cut of lamb it was largely with minimal risk that each course arrived and although culminating in a perfect soufflé after well appointed cheeses one could not help but feel a bit bored, a lively conversation with my friend as the lights of the Strip illuminated notwithstanding, of course.
TWO AND A HALF STARS: Apparently content to rest assured of awed diners based on location alone Alize is yet another in a long line of Las Vegas restaurants serving food that is simply “good enough” without truly pushing the envelope of creativity, several dishes using identical ingredients throughout the course of the tasting menu as clueless servers actually go out of their way to point out the fact that “here we see <blank> again” while simultaneously failing to correctly pronounce words like veloute or Za’atar. While I have no doubt that one could easily craft a memorable meal here by ordering in three courses with a side of gnocchi or lobster thermidore complimenting the full-sized Dover Sole as a prelude to the soufflé I’d personally be hard pressed to return unless looking to wow someone else by the view, there are simply far better restaurants in town in the ~$200 (or far less) range.
RECOMMENDED: Dover Sole, Lamb, Souffle, Gnocchi, Gluten Free Rolls
AVOID: The Rabbit was overcooked and underseasoned while the duck was lost in the sweeter accoutrements. Taking into account the portion size I’d additionally skip the $20 supplement for caviar service – something I’d have likely done anyhow had our frigid female captain actually made us aware that the supplemental cost existed for more than just the bottom truffle option as indicated on the menu.
TIP: For those truly interested, take a look at the current menu (don’t worry, it only changes two-times per year, you probably still have time) and try to decipher course one in the setting of the menu’s description regarding the first option being Purdy, the second being Rochat, and the third being Vegetarian. Is the caviar A) A supplemental course, B) A Course where the third option (with truffles) carries a $20 surcharge, C) A simple mistake where the second is actually the vegetarian option?
NOTE: The $20 Supplement (x2) was taken off the bill once I questioned/complained, but not after snide comment and actual argument from the aforementioned captain. Credit to GM Stavros Georgiou for making nice where his team apparently could not.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
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