Fiamma Trattoria & Bar
Focaccia and Soft Rolls with Tomato Basil Butter and Unsalted Cow’s Milk Butter
Grilled Mediterranean Octopus – Pee Wee Potatoes, Kalamata Olives, Red Pepper Romesco, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Frisee
Beef Carpaccio – Shaved Fennel and Celery Hearts, Classic Cipriani and Citonette Dressing, Shaved Parmigiano, Brioche Croutons
San Danelle Prosciutto – Apricot Jam, Bleu Cheese Mousse, Mixed Greens, Grilled Flat Bread
Caprese Salad – Fresh Bufala Mozzarella, Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil Pesto, Aged Balsamic, Roasted Peppers
Red Pepper Risotto – Lobster, Cream, Garden Peas, Fresh Basil
Spicy Broccolini – Roasted Garlic, Chili Flakes
Raviolini – ShortRib Ravioli, Black Truffle Cream, Vegetable Confetti, Red Wine Demi-glace
Lasagna Bolognese – Three Meat Ragu, Parmigiano, Mozzarella, Ricotta Cheese
Spaghetti Chitarra – San Marzano Tomato Sauce, Basil, Parmigiano
Fiamma Linguini and Clams – White Wine Garlic Sauce, Manilla Clams, Blistered Cherry Tomatoes, Chili Flakes
Beef Tenderloin Marsala – Fresh Tagliatelle Pasta, Sliced Beef Tenderloin, Mushroom Marsala Sauce
Strawberries & Cream – Yogurt Mousse, Crème Fraiche Sponge, Strawberry Coulis, Yogurt Sorbetti, Strawberry Lime Sauce
Peach Bellini – Prosecco and Vanilla Panna Cotta, Caramel Peach Infusion, Peach Sorbetti, White Chocolate Pearls, Bellini Macarons
Classic Crème Brulee – Vanilla Brulee, Mixed Berries, Cookie Tuille
Nutella Tiramisu – Nutella Mascarpone Mousse, Frangelico Lady Fingers, Coffee whipped Cream, Caramelized Hazelnuts
Tempted by Chef Pawan Pinisetti’s daily Instagram updates to take a look at some more of what MGM’s Fiamma Trattoria & Bar has to offer, it was with two others plus a late addition that dinner took place at one of the spacious four-tops in the restaurant’s second level, a total of fifteen plates served in three courses one again showing the work of a skilled kitchen staff using really good ingredients.
Overlooked by critics and locals despite a heritage dating back to Michael White with several of the city’s most respected Italian Chefs having spent time in the kitchen, Fiamma’s 2016 Summer Menu shows subtle updates from the previous season and although the room may at first seem enormous and brooding, the feel is actually far more intimate, largely in-part to a service staff offering great attention to detail and a noise level conducive to *talking* rather than shouting.
Requesting the kitchen to approach the evening Carte Blanche with a focus on Pasta, each noodle and sauce scratch-made in-house beginning at 4:00am, course one featured a total of five Antipasti, all but the vibrant Red Pepper Risotto teaming with Lobster experienced during a prior visit, though the Caprese has been reworked around a new Heirloom variety of Tomato that comes across sweet with assertive acidity while Apricot Jam has replaced the Fig Marmalada served with Prosciutto.
Fully engaged in conversations ranging from food to mortality to cinema, it was with great patience that the staff kept watch and slowly cleared plates before preparing the table for round two, and with Chef Pinisetti personally describing each dish as options overflowed to a sideboard the only questions were where to start and how much stomach real-estate to mortgage for each, the Linguini and Clams a little lost in the Garlic and Salt for my tastes while the Raviolini remains famous for a reason, as too should be the Spaghetti Chitarra that uses a thicker, more springy noodle than many as a backbone beneath crushed San Marzano’s, shredded Basil and a touch of Parmigiano.
More than a bit impressed by the Broccolini cooked tender in a bath of confit Garlic and spicy Chili Flakes, one of the city’s loudest voices in produce sourcing going back to this dish more than once, Fiamma’s Lasagna nearly matches the high standard set by Portofino without being quite as rich in the meat department, the Beef Tenderloin Marsala more than making up for that with thin slices of Tenderloin atop ribbons of Tagliatelle in an aromatic Sauce of Mushrooms plus a whole lot of reduced Marsala.
Completely retooling the dessert menu while also reining in the number of options slightly, Fiamma’s pastry program remains the very best Italian option in the city thanks to the sort of thinking more commonly found at Joel Robuchon or other French kitchens, the Crème Brulee a textbook example safe for the unadventurous while the Tiramisu is benefitted by both Nutella and the aromatics of Frangelico, the tableside preparations of Strawberries & Cream as well as Bellini a pleasant but unnecessary step since the flavors and textures of each are as elegant as they are delicious, the Prosecco’s juxtaposition to Buttermilk particularly impressive in the Stonefruit Parfait with delicate Macarons hidden at the bottom.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS: Doing far more than they have to considering the space and nightly number of covers, Fiamma Trattoria & Bar continues to shine outside the eyes of local writers and publications with Chef Pinisetti’s commitment to teamwork and impressive work ethic evident in every aspect of the evening.
RECOMMENDED: Beef Carpaccio, Spicy Broccolini, Spaghetti Chitarra, Raviolini, Beef Tenderloin Marsala, Peach Bellini, Strawberries & Cream.
AVOID: Linguini & Clams needed something to help round out the salt.
TIP: Currently offering a Summer Prix-Fixe, the website menu offers only a glimpse of what this kitchen can do. Stop by, call or follow Pawan on Instagram for more information as well as daily specials.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
https://www.mgmgrand.com/en/restaurants/fiamma-italian-restaurant-bar.html
