STK Las Vegas
Brioche Pull-Apart with Blue Cheese Butter and Chive Oil
Seared Foie Gras – Huckleberry Pancakes, Marmalade, Spiced Rum
Crispy Lobster Tails – Green Chili Aioli, Pickled Chilies, Papaya Slaw
Beef Carpaccio – Aged Balsamic, Pesto Noodles, Parmesan
Bone-In Filet
Roasted Dover Sole – Brown Butter, Capers, Fingerling Potatoes, Baked Lemon
Mushroom Pot Pie
Sweet Corn Pudding
Parmesan Truffle Fries
Americano
ICE STK – Chocolate, Mint Chocolate Chip, Coconut
Banana Bread Sundae – Warm Peanut Butter, Banana Bread, Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream, Whipped Cream
STK Sweet Potato Donuts – Maple Glaze, Candied Pecans
Apple Tart – Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Warm Chocolate Chip Cookie – Chocolate Sauce, Caramel Sauce, Vanilla Ice Cream
Too loud, too trendy, too touristy, too prominently situated on a nationwide list of top money makers and thus too expensive, Los Angeles import STK is one of *those* restaurants that locals love to hate, and although claims regarding of the dearth of affordable dining on Las Vegas Boulevard may indeed be warranted the fact of the matter is that in an economy built on fantasy there are few restaurants pairing quality cuisine with a club-like environment, a look at the work of Chefs Stephen Hopcraft and Brigette Contreras showing The Cosmopolitan’s third floor Steakhouse to offer just that.
Open at 5:30pm with the digital outdoor menu not yet updated to seasonal changes found inside it was followed by a friend caught in traffic that I was greeted on arrival at the hostess podium and undoubtedly setting a standard with staff that is almost *too* good looking it was not long before seating was offered at a spacious four-top, a pleasant and forthcoming media contact named Erica taking the time to sit down and provide a little background on the restaurant as well as herself until my tablemate arrived.
Admittedly a menu with some sticker-shock, the $150 Lobster Thermidore and $22 Sundae not the most expensive I’ve seen but enough to give one pause, it was with excellent service from a surprisingly well-informed and energetic young man that the show got underway and although the DJ did not begin until 7:30 the space was jammed by 6:15, a small kitchen expediting like professionals as staff worked at a breakneck pace.
Energetic but never obnoxiously loud, music from The Doors or Bob Dylan followed by oddities from the Early-80’s playing overhead as patrons chat and dine, every meal at STK begins with their famous-for-good-reason Brioche Pull-apart topped in Blue Cheese Butter with addictive green dipping oil, signature starters of a split batter-fried lobster tail over slaw and seared duck liver with tiny pancakes proving a bit less sharable than one would expect considering the pricetag, though both were well executed and also tasted great.
Well paced and attentive to details, bussers doing a better job than most local fine dining spots at keeping glasses full and dismissing dirty plates, it was after a quick tour of the black and white room with gator skin print plus light that makes anyone look a little more pretty that a dish of carpaccio arrived and although the meat itself is well flavored with balsamic and tomatoes adding acidity, the most impressive aspect of the dish is the unexpected pesto noodles, delicious on their own but even better when placed within the context of the plate.
Duck recently removed from the menu, but still with numerous entrees, steaks and sides made to share, it was on the server’s recommendation that the tender Bone-In Filet was ordered and cooked just past medium-rare the flavor was plentiful, though not as robust as that at Jean Georges, Delmonico or Carnevino, while the Dover Sole spoke to Hopcraft’s skills sharpened while working with Michael Mina, a simple roast rendering the white flesh flaky yet moist with brown butter and capers plus crisp fingerlings that might be even better than STK’s addictive Parmesan Truffle Fries.
Impressed by the manner in which the kitchen allowed the Mushroom Pot Pie to express its intrinsic earthiness without mellowing it for a “club” crowd while taking the corn pudding almost as if it were a pre-dessert considering the substantial use of sugar and cream, the parade of sweetness actually began following a warm Americano that helped to compensate for notably chilly room temperatures, a complimentary trio of housemade ice creams and sorbets highlighted by smooth coconut and a malty version of chocolate both foretelling of good things to come.
Already seeing – and hearing – doubt from the server that two-people could manage four desserts after “so much” food it was with Chef Contreras shattering Apple Tart that the degustation marched on and utilizing phyllo dough plus plenty of butter to construct a high-rising cup around roasted apples the timeless classic found a new level in terms of texture, the robust crust crackling bite-after-bite even as ice cream melted and outperforming STK staples including the rather mundane skillet cookie and exceedingly light donuts that were not excessively sweet despite the maple glaze, best bites being the donut holes with toasty nuts and a dollop of whipped cream.
Particularly intrigued by the aforementioned Sundae, the questions of cost brushed aside with “big enough to share,” suffice it to say that although quite well conceptualized in terms of taste and complexity there are far better ways to spend $22 on Ice Cream elsewhere in Las Vegas, the tender banana bread itself likely better utilized as part of recently-launched Sunday brunch or the previous menu’s bread pudding.
THREE AND A HALF STARS: Although when taken in the context of Las Vegas Steakhouses STK falls somewhere in the middle of the pack as relates to a cost/quality analysis there is little doubt that when considered for what it is there are few places executing on such a level with as many options catering to the “non-foodie” crowd.
RECOMMENDED: Brioche Pull-Apart, Beef Carpaccio, Mushroom Pot Pie, Dover Sole, Apple Tart, Sweet Potato Donuts.
AVOID: The Crispy Lobster Tail is excessively priced and a bit lost in the slaw while the Warm Chocolate Chip Cookie is entirely forgettable.
TIP: Open at 5:30pm with the live DJ Set starting at 7:30pm those desiring less of a scene are advised to arrive early but also to bring a coat as the restaurant trends exceedingly cold until enough bodies are present to warm things up.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
