Naked City Pizza on Paradise
Bacon Candle – Basil Powder, Olive Oil Powder, Sweet Balsamic, Himalayan Pink Salt, Crusty Bread
Carpaccio – In-House Cured Bresaola, Crispy Caper, Shaved Egg, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Rocket, Shaved Parmesan-Reggiano
Bacon Risotto – Sorrel, Five Minute Fifteen Second Egg, English Peas, Chicaron
South Buffalo Breakfast Sandwich – Cured and Smoked In-House Pastrami, Sharp Cheddar, Sunny Side Egg, Naked City Mustard, Brioche Bun
Hot Mama – Egg Bread, Salami, In-House Lonza, Provolone, Alfredo, Sunny Side Egg
Breakfast Porchetta – Cured Pork Belly, Maple Sausage, Sage, Basil, Rocket, Lemon
Small Pizza – Half Pepperoni
Nutella Donuts – Apple Berry Compote
Cookie Milk & Cookies
Poo-Poo’d by some for a longtime divey location inside Moondoggies on Arville, even though the Pizzas, Appetizers and Cannolis were amongst the best of Las Vegas from the early days, there is n doubt that Christopher Palmeri and his brother Michael have grown their concept substantially since opening a second Naked City on Paradise where a newly launched brunch once again provided an opportunity to see ideas soon to come.
Admittedly a fan of Palmeri, his skill set and work ethic far more substantial than one might presume for a “deep dish pizza” man hailing from Buffalo, it was with two friends and a child that we sat down to the sounds of Motown and Sinatra with deference to the kitchen for service, the restaurant slowly filling to half-capacity as the NCAA Tournament played on a pair of televisions above.
Slightly less aggressive than the Chef Series event put on by Palmeri in January, but still comprising nine total plates from which seven were new and one was an update, Brunch at Naked City began with the Chef’s soon-to-be-signature Bacon Candle and by adding a bit more balsamic along with a touch of salt the flavor is now far more robust and addictive, the notes of Basil coming through on the end and well utilized both as a starter and to cleanse the palate between plates as the flame was allowed to burn until the two hour meal’s end.
Now curing several meats in house, not to mention making his own pasta and hand-shaking butter, course two featured smooth slices of Bresaola with lightly seared Capers and shaved Egg plus Arugula, a light plate with substantial flavor that suited transition to Rice cooked tender with bacon, a soft-poached Egg Yolk giving the plate a Carbonara spin with fresh Sorrel, Peas, and crispy Pig Skin.
Sourcing Sandwich buns from Great Buns, though the possibility of bringing the baking in house once the new location opens have been suggested, plates four and five saw Palmeri once again focus on House-cured meats as the “South Buffalo Breakfast Sandwich” was presented stacked in fatty Pastrami draped in Sharp Cheddar plus a runny Egg and Naked City Mustard, the “Hot Mama” going one step further as the “most decadent thing I’ve ever created,” per Palmeri, an Italian Croque Madame that may define “food porn” with thick-cut Challah toasted around In-House Lonza, Salami, and Provolone beneath a Sunny Side Egg and Alfredo.
Unable to leave Naked City without a Pizza, in this case a simple Cheese and Pepperoni six-slice ordered to appease a rambunctious youngster in our midst, the meal’s final savory saw Porchetta presented with crisp skin and fat nicely rendered, the Housemade Maple sausage stuffing unfortunately a touch dry but bolstered by a drizzle of syrup and pan juices as the bright aromatics of Sage shined beneath bitter Arugula that helped curtail the rolled meat’s heft.
Still a work in progress as relates to dessert, the old-school Cannoli and Bag of Bombolini a tough duo to top, “Cookie Milk & Cookies” is a cute concept that may be better off converting the “milk” into a shake as the texture runs a touch gritty while the fresh-fried Nutella Donuts do not need a bit of tweaking, nor does the Apple Berry Compote which would have been equally great atop French Toast, Waffles or Pancakes.
N/A: Difficult to “Rate” since almost everything served was a work-in-progress plate, Christopher Palmeri remains one of Las Vegas’ most hard-working Chefs and anyone who has not been to either Naked City location owes it to themselves to visit.
RECOMMENDED: Pizza, Bacon Candle, Bacon Risotto, Hot Mama, Nutella Donuts.
AVOID: The “cookie milk” with the Cookies was not particularly necessary, nor delicious, and one can make the same thing simply by dunking.
TIP: Brunch is 11a-3p Saturdays at Paradise. Follow Naked City on Facebook for up-to-date menus, as well as Thursday evening sneak-peaks at upcoming Naked City Tavern concepts.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
http://www.nakedcitylv.com/
