Le Cirque
Pretzel Bread with Butter
White Chocolate Coffee Bread and French Baguette
Coronette of Soft Quail Egg, White Truffles, Asparagus, Crème Fraiche
Chestnut Veloute, Porcini Cream, Watercress Sponge Cake, Farm Egg Confit, Hazelnuts, Shimeji Mushroom Preserve
Sauteed Foie Gras, Port Poached Fig, Wild Hibiscus Flower Syrup
Creamy Carnarolli Risotto with Alba White Truffles
Pine Nut Crusted Diver Scallop, Trout Roe, Parslet Coulis, Glazed Matsutake
Cervena Venison, Poached Bosc Pear Farci, Cacao Nibs, Kabocha Squash, Parsnip and Vanilla Mousseline
Classic Vacherin for Two, Meringue, Passion Fruit, Coconut Sorbet, Exotic Fruit, Tropical Sauce
Rare to use my blog as a soapbox, instead happy to report things as I see them without the PR “spin,” those in-the-know are no doubt aware that many ‘foodies’ around the globe look down on Las Vegas as a land of overpriced knockoffs and absentee celebrity chef landlords, a fact that cannot be denied but at the same time one which occasionally overlooks a hidden-in-plain-sight gem.
Assuredly one of the most well regarded restaurants in Las Vegas, Le Cirque’s 16+ year run at The Bellagio seeing hundreds of less fortunate establishments shutter both on and off The Strip, it was for the fourth time this year that I sat down within the intimate 17-table space on Saturday evening in celebration of two-full-years a Nevada resident, the newly launched Fall menu solidifying my opinion that Wilfried Bergerhausen is the city’s most creative young talent, and high upon a small list to which this post will act as a local call-to-arms.
Once a Michelin Star holder and consistently awarded the AAA Five-Diamond award from year-to-year as Ivo Angelov exemplifies the role of GM in assuring every aspect of the experience is beyond reproach, it seems absurd that one of the few spinoffs in the city that has far surpassed the original has gone unrecognized by The James Beard Foundation aside from an honorable mention for wine, but with the 28 year old Bergerhausen already logging fourteen years of professional experience what better place to begin than with a nomination for Rising Star Chef of The Year?
Not purporting an expertise on every single twenty-something man or woman running a kitchen across The United States, the few that come to mind are certainly not subject to the intensity of preparing no less than two-dozen different plates for palates ranging from tourists on a pre-theater budget to high-rollers opining for a 3-hour degustation, not to mention desserts and canapes, for six-nights of each and every week.
Easily capable of executing Le Cirque classics like the Lobster Salad, Rabbit Symphony, and any number of souffles, recent visits show signs of a young man equally gifted with protein as he is with produce and with a fondness for acid and mushrooms belying a childhood in France even moreso than his accent one merely need clothes their eyes and point to choose a plate as beautiful as it is delicious, the preparation of each ingredient and their subsequent plating showing a great respect for tradition and an artistry well beyond his years.
Citing family as an influence while his passion and skill are obvious from the moment he begins to speak, Wilfried describes his greatest attribute as curiosity, something those who have not been are encouraged to satisfy by taking a seat and something those who have can reward by signing up here and entering his name.
My Previous Thoughts:
9/15/15
8/29/15
4/17/15
10/18/14
***Rising Star Chef of the Year (Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Spring Water) – A chef age 30 or younger who displays an impressive talent and who is likely to make a significant impact on the industry in years to come.