Jean Georges Steakhouse
Ginger Daiquiri – Siete Leguas Reposado Tequila, Fresh Lime Juice, Ginger Syrup, Ginger-Salted Rim
Cheese Lavash, Pretzel, Baguette, Walnut Cherry Bread, European Butter
Crispy Sushi Sampler – Salmon, Tuna, Hamachi, Crispy Rice and Chipotle Mayonnaise
Wagyu Carpaccio – Black Truffle Fritters and Lime Salt
Hamachi Crudo – Rangpur Lime, Mandarin Orange, Cocktail Grapefruit, Radish, Fresno Chile, Bergamot, Rosemary, Ginger
2014 Chateau de Sancerre Blanc
Iceberg Wedge – Blue Cheese and Crispy Bacon
Baby Beets and Pear – Gorgonzola, Walnuts and Herbs
Tomato Salad – Hearts of Palm and Coconut
Crunchy Organic Chicken – Spinach and Buttery Hot Sauce
Roasted Chilean Sea Bass – Miso-Yuzu Glaze, Maitake Mushroom
Double Cut Bone-In Pork Chop – Candied Kumquats, Wild Arugula
Fennel in Forms – Pressure Cooked Puree, Seeds, Braised and Caramelized
2013 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon
USDA Prime Aspen Ridge 18 oz Bone-In Rib Eye
16-Oz Rangers Valley Australia Wagyu Bone-In Dry Aged NY and 6-Oz Filet Mignon
Soy Glazed Short Rib – Granny Smith Apple, Micro Celery, Jalapeño
A5 Certified Kobe Beef – Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
Chimichurri, Housemade Hot Sauce, Soy Miso Butter, Béarnaise and JG Steak Sauce
Braising Greens – Roasted Beets, Bacon, Garlic
Brussel Sprouts – Avocado, Balsamic, Walnuts
Nantes Carrots – Slow Roasted and Basted with Butter, Garlic, Rosemary, Crème Fraiche, Dill
Bread Pudding – Brioche, Fontina Cheese, Hedgehog Mushrooms, Black Trumpet Mushrooms and Black Truffles
Double Espresso on Ice
Vanilla Panna Cotta – Seasonal Citrus, Almond Tuille, Streusel
Salted Caramel Sundae – Fudge, Candied Peanuts, Caramel Popcorn
Market Apple Pie – Maple Pecan Ice Cream
Although endoedibles has never been monetized in any way, one of the best rewards of a site with so many visitors is the friends made over the last ten years of dining and travel, thus when one of my most frequent dining pals and two others decided to make Las Vegas their destination for a mid-week Bachelor party it was with little hesitation that the request for a “great steakhouse” saw reservations made at Jean Georges Steakhouse where Chef Sean Griffin took ‘carte blanche’ to a new level for a three-hour feast would prove difficult for anyone else in Sin City to rival.
Having now sat down to dinner at the Aria’s long-tenured house of Meats four times, the first as a solo and the last just after Christmas with two close friends, it was just past 5:15pm that our quartet presented to the hostess podium where greetings were offered, followed by a quick walk to the left side of the room where a table with great lighting awaited, both Sean and his General Manager stopping by early before the restaurant filled to capacity with convention-goers at 7:00pm, the service nonetheless attentive throughout the night with drinks refilled quickly and plates cleared as they were finished without ever feeling like the table was being watched *too* closely.
Not yet changing up the menu for Spring, though Vongerichten and Griffin’s close relationship with Intuitive Forager Kerry Clasby is always certain to feature the season’s best produce enlivening everything from Salads and Sides to garnishes on the big proteins, it was with a refreshing Ginger Daiquiri that palates were whetted for a trio of shared appetizers to start things off, the Crispy Sushi making a good impression on a trio who’ve all been to Japan largely based on its novelty while Hamachi Crudo amidst winter Citrus was beautifully punctuated by light heat and herbs, the signature Aussie Wagyu draped over Black Truffle Fritters always a menu highlight that packs a whole lot of flavor into each mouthful.
Pouring a glass of Chateau de Sancerre to go with the next two courses, the light florals and fruity finish equally capable of matching lighter proteins and three Salads including a simple but perfect Wedge, Beets plus Pears and Hearts of Palm perched atop Tomatoes, those disinterested in Beef will be heartened to know that Jean-Georges Steakhouse is more than capable of making an impression by way of white Meats, the Crunchy Organic Chicken still a personal pick for best in the city while Miso-glazed Sea Bass is a ubiquitous Jean-George mainstay, the Double Cut Bone-In Pork Chop that Griffin “came up with while messing around in the kitchen” definitely worthy of being added to a future menu whether with Candied Kumquats or some other seasonal Fruit while off-menu Fennel in various forms showed off the ingredient’s versatility in a way that would not be out of place at a place like Blue Hill at Stone Barns or Saison in San Francisco.
Presenting a whole bottle of 2013 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon and decanting it tableside in anticipation of the main event, not much could have prepared the table for just how much meat was about to land on a four-top soon to be overwhelmed, both Griffin and his Sous-Chef carrying out sizable plates along with three servers, the Aspen Ridge Bone-In Rib Eye, Dry Aged Rangers Valley Strip along with its Filet and a Soy Glazed Short Rib all perfectly cooked and showing off the diversity of the kitchen’s sourcing while a few ounces of A5 Certified Kobe Beef from the Hyogo Prefecture happily defined decadence.
Going light on the quintet of Sauces, most of them used on the Rib Eye due to the excessive portion size, it was with a bit more Pretzel Bread requested that excess Béarnaise was sopped up almost like Fondue, a power-move reserved for those with a big appetite that certainly did not lessen the enjoyment of four sides including Braising Greens with Bacon, a Vegetarian-friendly Brussels Sprouts dish featuring Avocado and highlight-reel-worthy Bread Pudding with Black Truffles plus ‘fork and knife” Nantes Carrots rendered soft on the inside beneath a caramelized crust created by long, slow Butter-basting.
Going lighter than most places on dessert, that menu having undergone little change since Chef Lynn’s departure, it was with a Double Espresso on Ice that two old favorites plus one new one landed on the table, the city’s best Apple Pie arriving piping hot in an oval as opposed to circular skillet while the burnt-sugar flavor of a Salted Caramel Sundae was as appealing as ever, the Vanilla Panna Cotta now featuring Seasonal Citrus and an Almond Tuille plus buttery Streusel added for texture.
FIVE STARS: Truly a grand showing this time around, Chef Griffin and his team going above and beyond to make three Angelinos further question their high rent, traffic and frou-frou “steakhouses” like Gwen, Jean Georges Steakhouse continues to shine seven years since opening its doors, the staples always likely to be there in order to please conventioneers but the new items and daily-specials really where the kitchen is at its best.
RECOMMENDED: Tomato Salad, Wagyu Carpaccio, Crunchy Organic Chicken, 16-Oz Rangers Valley Australia Wagyu Bone-In Dry Aged NY, Market Apple Pie. (Also, Pork Chop, Truffle Bread Pudding, Nantes Carrots if available.)
AVOID: The table next to us ordered the Aussie Wagyu cooked Medium-Well. It looked Sad. Don’t do that.
TIP: If available, sit on the left side of the room (looking in) where it curves back towards the front. Music is lower, lighting is better and the bulk of the crowd is displaced at a good distance for conversation. Also, ignore the online menu, it is woefully out of date and lacks prices.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
http://www.aria.com/dining/restaurants/jean-georges-steakhouse
