Carnevino
Corpse Reviver #2 – Broker’s Gin, Lillet, Cointreau, Lemon Juice, Pernod Rinse
Gougeres with Gorgonzola
Rosemary Rolls with Lardo and Salted Butter
Crab Stuffed Squash Blossom with lemon, cherry tomatoes, mascarpone
Carne Cruda Alla Piemontese – chopped to order steak tartare
Dry Aged New York Carpaccio with horseradish, caper, beet relish
Veal Tongue in Brodo with pureed parsnip, radish and lemon
Fig Salad with Bitter Greens, Marinated Onions, House Bacon
Beef Cheek Ravioli with aceto balsamico
Tagliatelle Bolognese
Gluten Free Pasta with crab, jalapeno and cipollini
Fried Eggplant with tomato & ricotta
Mascarpone & Guanciale Mashed Potatoes
Grilled Corn with Pickled Peppers and Lime
240+ Day Dry Aged 2.5” Riserva Bone-In Rib Eye
90+ Day Dry Aged Bone-In Rib Eye
Lamb Chops ‘Scottadita’ – 3 Double Chops with Sea Salt, Lemon Zest, and Mint
Pork “Osso Bucco” with Sauteed Spinach and Gremolata
Double Espresso on Ice and Royal Tokaji Co. 5 Puttonyos 2008
Chocolate Bourbon Budino with nutella cream and cherry jam
Apricot Poppy Seed Cake with dindarello raspberries and candied walnuts
Balsamic Cheesecakewith figs and pine nut brittle
Bowl of Fresh Fruit
Amaro Cart
A tradition coinciding with the Olympia each September for the past few years, it was with seven friends both new and old that another exquisite meal at Carnevino took place on Saturday evening, all the old standards including a particularly funky Riserva Rib Eye proving every bit as excellent as ever while a few new additions including some crafted for tablemate battling diagnosed Celiac Disease showed the versatility of Nicole Brisson and a kitchen staff willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to please.
This time forgoing a private booth in favor of the lower ceiling intimacy of a back-room linking the two major dining halls, it was again with superlative service that matched professionalism to a (much needed) sense of humor that a four-course degustation bookended by far-too-many adult beverages was passed, a total of four-plus hours ending with TooL’s Lateralus blaring loud enough to be heard on The Palazzo floor as the Chef herself sat tableside sipping Barolo while discussing topics entailing restaurants, criminal justice, and more…
No doubt a night that will be long be remembered, not least for the food, anyone lucky enough to have taken a seat at Carnevino will realize that the primary focus of the restaurant is its BBL Beef and featured in versions chopped, cured, cooked, and raw it was both the carpaccio and veal tongue in Brodo that offered new glimpses of the Beef Tasting menu, the former so thin that “melts in your mouth” was expressed by more than one at the table while the texture of tongue was smooth and delicate, the pureed parsnips virtually indistinguishable from potatoes a la Robuchon in texture with slightly sweeter taste.
Impressed by the crab-stuffed blossoms in rice-flour as well as pastas that show Brisson’s years in Italy, as well as those with Batali, to have been well spent it was by two more meats that steaks were accompanied and although a trio of fatty lamb chops were as rich and gamy as expected it was the gluten-free presentation of pork shank that nearly stole the show away from the Riserva, each tender bite shredding to gentle fork pressure with flavors reminiscent of the slow-cooked pork steaks made years ago by my grandfather.
Generally going lighter in pastries at Carnevino than elsewhere in part due to the group, but also as a result of the substantial amount of food ordered during prior rounds, it was with three desserts plus a bowl of fruit that the meal found its ending, the creamy budino with cherries and semi-savory cheesecake outperforming a poppyseed cake that seemed to have suffered a bit from drying past midnight, though a great glass of Tokaji and complimentary education in herbal digestifs made such a small thing quite forgivable.
FIVE STARS: Certainly not an ‘everyday’ meal in terms of both cost and calories, Carnevino remains in a class of its own amongst Las Vegas Steakhouses, the product and execution from Brisson’s team on par (or better) than any found to date in the nation.
RECCOMENDED: Riserva Rib-Eye, Pork Osso Bucco, Veal Tongue, Beef Cheek Ravioli, Mascarpone and Guanciale Mashed Potatoes.
TIP: Not ‘always’ available, those interested in the ultra dry-aged Riserva are encouraged to make inquiries and requests when booking their reservation.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
http://carnevino.com/
