The Buffet
Water and Coffee
Red Velvet Pancakes with Strawberry Compote, Chocolate Chips, Crème Anglaise, Pure Maple Syrup
Parmesan Chicken with Melted Tomato Sauce, Sinatra Family Meatballs, Grilled Vegetable Polenta with Red Pepper Coulis, Olive Loaf, Rosemary Brioche, Garlic Knots
Congee with green onions, pickled cucumber, century egg
Crispy Vegan Spring Roll, Sweet Chili Chicken Wings, Char Sui Bao, Chicken Potstickers
Cranberry Apple Cobbler, Butterscotch Bread Pudding
White Cheddar Mac and Cheese, Applewood Bacon, Pork Breakfast Sausage, Tasso Ham and Cajun Hollandaise Benedict, Baked Caribbean Grits with Creole Shrimp
White Chocolate Orange French Toast with Stewed Apricots, Lemon Ricotta Crespelles, Crispy Belgian Waffles, Blueberry Danish, Neufchatel Cheese Danish, Butter Croissant with Strawberry Port Jam and Pear Cardamom Preserves
BBQ Beef Rib, Pepper Crusted Maple Bacon, Brown Sugar and Whole Grain Mustard Glazed Ham, Pollo a la Brasa
Madeline, Apple Carmelia, Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Snickerdoodle, Caramel Red Velvet Cupcake, Strawberry Shortcake, Cracker Jack Cake, Carrot Cake, Lemon Tart
Green Vanilla Yogurt and Chia Seed Parfait, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Arrowhead Mills Oatmeal Brule, Swiss Blueberry Muselix, Vanilla Yogurt with Vanilla Crumble, Apricot, Almond Granola, Sugar Free Tiramisu, Chocolate Coconut Cake, Magic Bar, Smores Tart, Crème Brulee, Chocolate Molten Cake
Sea Salt Caramel Truffle, Milk Chocolate, Vanilla Chocolate Malt Ice Cream
At this point essentially an arms race, each hotel attempting to not only keep every visitor in house as long as possible but also trying to lure locals to The Strip more often, it was finally in late November that The Wynn briefly shuttered “The Buffet” in order to invigorate its lineup, an early December Brunch showing the space still gorgeous with nearly one-hundred unique offerings and the staff most certainly living up to Steve Wynn’s high standard.
Opening at 8am with a cost of just over $38 before tip or booze, brunch at The Buffet begins at the queue where traffic flow is guided by a pair of attendants, VIPs and guests shelling out an extra $20 ushered past the masses where seating for six-hundred awaits, the most coveted tables those offered in the sunbathed garden room decorated with large balls of flowers.
Divided into sections, in this way no different from any other space on or off Strip, it is well advised to peruse the options thoroughly on arrival in order to identify one’s favorites and ‘must-have’ items, the enticements abound with several action stations and areas accounting for dietary discretions as well as ethnic preferences.
Not touting crab legs, lobster tails, or exotic ingredients like Bacchanal or Sterling, instead focusing on unique takes on breakfast standards with elegant presentations of healthful options like juice, fruit, and salads, those arriving early should check out omelet, crepe, or pancake stations before lines crepe past twenty and with the later offering three batters plus several mix-ins and toppings the execution of the pancakes is on par with that at any number of Las Vegas Boulevard eateries, the same to be said of crunchy Waffles and golden French Toast studded with white chocolate, the Crespelles creamy as can be though a little slight in citrus.
Bolstered by refilled pots of coffee and water that was repeatedly topped off without request, Italian is well represented in pizzas as well as a few hot skillets, the “Sinatra Family” meatballs small but tender with a bright tomato sauce while Parmesan Chicken eats lighter than one might expect, the garlic knots and polenta also well executed, though those with more modest appetites might be well advised to avoid such “filler.”
Passing on Sushi, Shrimp and Salmon, instead opting for a dim sum trio as well as a bowl of congee dressed up in pickled vegetables and a good bit of century egg, pork buns were unfortunately a bit bland while spring rolls and potstickers were both pleasant, the Thai style chicken wings surprisingly meaty with heat and sweetness kept in good balance.
Well represented in breakfast meats as well as roasted chicken and glazed ham, the beef rib and peppered slab bacon both missing the mark by being too dry and too heavily seasoned, respectively, macaroni and cheese sees an upgrade through the use of sharp white cheddar while Cajun Shrimp atop baked grits is one of the buffet’s best bites, the same flavors not as well represented in the benedict’s overly thick hollandaise.
No doubt a sucker for sweets, likely the least costly part of the buffet in terms of those looking to ‘get their money’s worth,’ baked goods including olive loaf and focaccia are nicely made, as are croissants and danishes, a collection of bruleed oats, museli, yogurt, granola, and various fruits all quite nicely presented, the chia parfait not really my thing though the lady at a table next to mine raved about it.
Taking the Petit Four approach to desserts, low sugar and gluten-free options available to those seeking such things, cookies are a decided must-miss as none are better than those from a package, the S’mores tart also disappointing with no smoke or graham cracker flavor evident, far better bites found in the cakes from which both Cracker Jack and Strawberry Shortcake were memorable, as too were the Apple Parfait and liquid centered Brownie, less so the sticky toffee pudding which was just sugary sweet.
Told that the bread pudding is a Wynn Signature, the Butterscotch laden scoop setting a high standard for anything one might find in all-you-can-eat form, it was perhaps even more surprising that the seasonal cobbler was a textbook rendition underneath Vanilla tinged crumble, the only thing preventing the overconsumption of each being limited remaining room in the stomach, that filled by three small scoops of ice-cream, the selection of a bowl over a fresh-made cone indicative of the amount of food eaten, but the malted version so rich and nuanced that there was some brief thought of going back for seconds.
THREE AND A HALF STARS: Assessing only the brunch, The Buffet at Wynn offers a good value for both the quality and quantity of the options, and while some will complain about the lack of Oysters or Crab Legs the recipes they are using are innovative and well executed for the most part, while service is several degrees upgraded from the standard.
RECOMMENDED: Butterscotch Bread Pudding, Seasonal Cobbler, Parmesan Chicken with Melted Tomato Sauce, Sweet Chili Chicken Wings, Baked Caribbean Grits with Creole Shrimp, Cracker Jack Cake.
AVOID: Cookies, Tasso Ham Benedict, Pepper Crusted Maple Bacon.
TIP: The Buffet is open for breakfast Monday through Friday, 8 to 11 a.m. priced at $23.99; lunch Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., priced at $26.99; and dinner Sunday through Thursday, 3:30 to 10 p.m., priced at $42.99. Gourmet dinner is served Friday and Saturday from 3:30 to 10 p.m. and is priced at $49.99. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. priced at $34.99.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
http://www.wynnlasvegas.com/Dining/CasualDining/TheBuffet
