Alize
Rice Flour Roll, Baguette, Pretzel Bread with Butter
Apple Cider Consomme, Pear Terrine, Caramelized Pecans and Almonds
White Sturgeon Caviar, Cured Egg Yolk, Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraiche, Buckwheat Blini
Basil Caviar, Heirloom Tomato, Cucumber, Shallot Vinaigrette
Foie Gras Terrine, Duck and Artichoke Crepe, Orange Marmalade, Candied Pecan, Basil with Toast Points
Angus Beef Carpaccio, Quail Egg Yolk, Parmesan Cheese, Mustard Sauce, Picked Vegetables, Beef Tartare
N’duja Crusted Scallop, Butternut Squash and Roasted Parsnip Hash, Orange-Amaretto Veloute
Escargot, Bone Marrow, Garlic Herb Butter, Heirloom Tomato, Garlic Chips
French Onion Soup, Herbed Croutons, Devon Cream, Swiss Gruyere Cheese
Tea Smoked Duck Breast, Foie Gras, Gai Lan, Crispy Soba Noodle Cake, Spiced Apple Jus
Veal Wellington, Smoked Prosciutto, Mushroom Duxelles, Asparagus, Truffle Shallot Jus
Colorado Rack of Lamb, Falafel, Pomegranate Glazed Kefta Sausage, Broccolini, Tzatziki, Apricot Mustard Jus
Vanilla Yogurt Panna Cotta and Pomegranate
Red Wall Blend Coffee by Colorado River Coffee Roasters brewed Tableside in a Cona Vacuum
Coffee Service with Chantilly Cream, Sugar Cubes, Chocolate Cookies, Shortbread
Chocolate Fallen Cake, Peanut Butter Ganache, Caramelized Banana, Roasted Peanut Ice Cream
Meyer Lemon Cheesecake, Graham Cracker Crisp, Blood Orange Sauce, Caramelized Clementines
Coconut Tres Leches, Ginger Meringue, Mango Sorbet, Black Currant Jus
Warm Caramel Poached Pear, Cinnamon Toast, Cranberry Ice Cream, Poire Williams Sabayon
Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee, Seasonal Berries
Apricot Pate de Fruit, Pear Caramel, Sable with White Chocolate and Raspberry, Mint, Coconut Meringue
Thoroughly impressed by Andre’s at Monte Carlo, but less enthused by a meal tainted by awkward service and a confusing menu a few months later at Alize, it was on the invitation of Director of Operations Joe Marsco that myself and a friend once again ascended to the 56th floor of The Palms’ Ivory Tower, a three-hour seven course tasting comprising fifteen plates for the most part outstanding in a room offering one of the very best views in Sin City.
Toqued by Marc Purdy with pastries crafted by Tammy Alana, undoubtedly one of Las Vegas’ most underrated talents, it was with warm greetings plus jokes about couples trying to thieve the window-side four top that our party arrived for a 6:30pm reservation and although the space was only perhaps half full at such an early hour it would not be long before the crowd swelled to capacity, most treating the space with a proper respect for fine dining while others unfortunately behaved with “Vegas Baby!” entitlement and little regard for the tables around them.
Admittedly ‘known’ to the restaurant, both Chefs paying an early visit to discuss a carte blanche menu tailored to our preferences, service at Alize remains best coordinated when captains are present and unhurried, a similar issue to my first visit noted as food runners are prone to mispronunciation while water glasses often find themselves empty.
Upscale but unpretentious, prices and portions far less affronting than the French Masters on The Strip, dinner began with parallel presentations of caviar, the White Sturgeon version offering a small dollop with traditional accoutrements in an elegant presentation while the vegetarian concept was both bold and refreshing beneath and aromatic shallot vinaigrette.
Starting out small, a good thing considering that which was yet to come, course two came with a presentation of three breads and salted butter, the rice flour roll a “best ever” gluten-free option while the salted pretzel wasn’t too shabby itself, both going well with a meaty plate of raw beef in two styles plus a creamy torchon of duck liver presented along with several intriguing accoutrements.
Not often wowed by scallops, but unable to resist a look at Purdy’s concept coating sweet mollusk with spicy sausage, suffice it to say that the texture comes off something like a Scotch Egg with a far more assertive flavor while the complexities of hash mixed to creamy orange soup threatens to steal the show, a follow-up of French Onion soup served inside a roasted onion as eye-catching as it is delicious with subtle sours invigorating the beefy broth.
Using bread to sop up all the garlic sauce and pommes puree remaining from plump snails served atop a bone that was unfortunately 1/2 porous and thus lacking sorely for marrow it was on to smoky aged Duck Breast served medium-rare that the tasting marched on, a true “embarrassment of riches” sort of dish matching the rosy red meat to a seared medallion of foie gras plus a crispy bed of soba.
Opting to go all-in for entrees, full menu portions of the Rack of Lamb and pastry-wrapped Veal both perfectly cooked, though the latter’s subtle flavor was a little lost in notes of sesame pervading the crust, a great little bite is found in Purdy’s toothsome Falafel as well as the lightly-sweetened Kefta Sausage that is housemade just like the variety of encased meats frequently featured at Andre’s.
Palates cleansed with yogurt there was little doubt that delight would be delivered with any of Tammy’s desserts, but truly going above and beyond by sending out five along with a vacuum pot of coffee the question of which was best largely came down to that of personal preferences, both the creamy Tres Leches and dazzling Cheesecake likely to dazzle fruit lovers while the crème brulee and poached pears offer an update on time-tested classics.
Taking time to savor the rich Chocolate Cake with creamy Peanut Butter, Caramelized Banana and an Ice Cream that added a shocking degree of balance thanks to its savory roasted notes it was with mignardises from a small cart that the meal was ended, a rolled menu with a gold ribbon presented with the last of the coffee as I gazed out over 270+º of The Valley.
FOUR STARS: Subjected to the limitations of its tourist population, far too many selfies and ridiculous “I’m going to toss you out the window” gestures seen by two adjacent tables, there is little doubt that Purdy and Alana are crafting some great food at the top of the Palms, the rare “restaurant with a view” that is actually worth visiting for a true Chef’s Tasting instead of drinks and nibbles at the bar.
RECOMMENDED: N’duja Crusted Scallop, Rice Flour Roll, French Onion Soup, Tea Smoked Duck Breast, Coffee Service, Chocolate Fallen Cake, Meyer Lemon Cheesecake.
AVOID: Bone beneath the Escargots was cut too close to the kneecap and thus yielded less than a teaspoon of Marrow, Veal was lost among the flavors of seeds and what tasted like Rye in the pastry shell.
TIP: Windowside seats are at a premium and should be requested long in advance, though in reality every seat in the house offers a pretty stellar view. Those interested in ‘event dining’ may also wish to check out the March 4th “Table in the Sky” event currently detailed on the website.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
http://alizelv.com/
