Delmonico Steakhouse
Popovers with Butter
Truffle Parmesan Potato Chips
Apple Cured Kurobuta Bone-In Bacon with Pickled Watermelon Rind and Abita Rootbeer Glaze
Pan Seared Foie Gras with Local Honey Glazed Apples and Brioche Toast
Delmonico’s Steak Burger on Toasted Brioche Roll with Fries, Cheddar, and Bacon
“Emeril’s” BBQ Shrimp with Fresh Baked Rosemary Biscuit
Organic Baby Mixed Greens Salad – Creole Spiced Croutons, Sherry Vinaigrette, Manchego Cheese, Teardrop Tomatoes, Red Onions
Grilled Ricotta Cheese Sandwich with Local Basil and Heirloom Tomato Soup
Crispy Fried Young Chicken with Warm Black-Eyed Pea Salad and Spicy Creole Tomato Glaze
Dry Aged Bone-In Ribeye with Creole Seasoning and Maitre d’ Butter
Certified Piedmontese New York Strip with Olive Oil, Sea Salted, Roasted Garlic, Rosemary
Baked Anson Mills Grits with Vermont White Cheddar and Bacon
Creamed Corn Gratinee
Sweet Potato Doughnuts with Espresso Foam
Caramel Butter Cake with Vanilla Double Cream
Duck Egg Crème Brulee with Berries and Orange Tuile
Pecan Pie with Oatmeal Shortbread Crust, French Vanilla Ice Cream, and Caramel Sauce
Key Lime Pie with Candied Lime and Strawberry Sauce
Located within Restaurant Row at The Venetian, and still flying the banner of Chef Emeril Lagasse under the direction of Ronnie Rainwater, it was at the behest of a friend that I returned to Delmonico Steakhouse on Saturday afternoon and having contacted the kitchen in advance to be sure some dinner selections could be ordered during lunch the meal that followed was the sort of experience that left me scratching my head wondering why I’d not sat down at the restaurant in more than a half-dozen years, let alone why the space does not get the accolades it most certainly deserves.
Admitting up front a fondness for Emeril that stems from my first fine dining experience many years ago at his eponymous restaurant in Orlando, not to mention several equally impressive visits to the celebrity chef’s kitchens in Las Vegas and New Orleans, it was mere moments after the restaurant’s 11:30am opening that I checked in at the hostess stand and quickly led to a seat in the vast main dining area it was with exquisite service throughout that the afternoon would commence, visits from Chef Rainwater as well as the restaurant’s GM and Director of Culinary Operations Sean Roe helping to provide some background on sourcing, techniques, and their history with the man who made “BAM” as much an ingredient as a phrase.
Recently reinventing their logo and constantly tweaking a menu that features no lack of diversity to compliment several signatures, it was to two small popovers and a large bowl of truffled chips that the table was treated as menu decisions were made, and acknowledging that I knew the meal to be hosted even before sitting down a total of eighteen items were received, most of them self-selected, though a few were simply sent out.
Dining in an unfilled space as both the Venetian and Palazzo were without conventions on this rare weekend it was with somewhat jarring overhead tunes from the likes of the Black Keys, Strokes, and Arctic Monkeys that the air above was filled and within fifteen minutes of placing our order the table was soon crowded with plates, a juicy and sizable Steak Burger brought to satisfy the table’s youngest diner while the rest partook in silky duck liver with classic fruit and crispy bread accoutrements plus thick cuts of bacon that almost made the word look like a slight, each fork-tender bite supple without being fatty as brine was boldly balanced by root beer glaze reined in by pickled bits of watermelon rind.
Deciding that a few seasonal plates as well as a classic would be best before progressing to entrees sure to be quite a bit more robust, it was with a light green salad alongside a fine riff on grilled cheese that round two began and with the tomato soup as deep and vibrant as any in recent memory it’s pairing to creamy ricotta on brioche was without doubt a hidden gem, the famous quartet of crustaceans every bit as snappy and smoky as remembered though the teensy biscuit still fails to make any sense.
At this point ready and waiting for a Bone-In Ribeye aged on premises for just short of 60-days it was quite the surprise when not only it, but also a Piedmontese New York Strip arrived, and with the desired earthy funk of the former bullet-pointed through the addition of butter the grassy wet-aged flavor of the Piedmontese was a fork-tender study in bold contrast, both dinner-menu sides setting high standards for their respective ingredients as the crispy fried bird beneath finger-licking tomato glaze immediately stirred debate as to whether it was perhaps even better than that at nearby Yardbird – a question that would make a great throwdown if the two restaurants could get Sands Corporation to set up such an event.
Never once disappointed by dessert in an Emeril establishment it was in one of those “I’ll take one of each” menus that sweets were presented, but keeping in mind the days later eating and the fact that there were only three diners present a bit of restraint brought forth only five, the hefty application of whipped cream unfortunately muting the impact of Key Lime Pie while both Butter Cake and Crème Brûlée were as rich as expected without doing much to challenge convention, the Pecan Pie and Sweet Potato Donuts thus stepping into the spotlight as absolute must orders with the former almost devoid of filler as candied nuts melded with ice cream and caramel and the latter shockingly light at the center despite a shell as robust as that of the chicken, an aromatic autumnal taste rising high on the palate whether enjoyed on their own or dipped in espresso tinged foam.
FOUR STARS: Noting that, per request, our hosted dining experience was a compilation of both lunch and dinner selections it should simply be said that if Delmonico Steakhouse were willing and able to offer both menus simultaneously throughout the day it very well may be the most dynamic Steakhouse option in all of Las Vegas. Nailing the execution of nearly every dish presented over the course of two-and-a-half hours while offering an environment marred only by a soundtrack that would have seemed slightly less out of place across the hall at Batali’s B&B there is no doubt a reason why Delmonico has withstood the test of time in a city where rapid turnover is more often the norm, and although oft overlooked by both locals and visitors alike, those sitting down for a meal are almost assured to find not only the classics and great cuts of meat, but also some bites of brilliance that they never may have guessed.
RECOMMENDED: Crispy Fried Young Chicken, Apple Cured Kurobuta Bone-In Bacon, Certified Piedmontese New York Strip. Baked Anson Mills Grits, Pecan Pie.
AVOID: Key Lime Pie, and that silly little Rosemary Biscuit.
TIP: Apparently tuning down the tunes during the evening, an idea that seems overdue in all but the lounge at lunch, those interested in novelty would be well advised to call Delmonico and inquire about upcoming ‘set menu’ dinners including massive cuts of their signature Prime Beef with sides including seasonal produce and novelties such as a proper spinach soufflé.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
www.emerilsrestaurants.com/delmonico-steakhouse/
