Andre’s Bistro & Bar
Warm Baguette, Butter
Tomato & Burrata Salad – Marinated Heirloom Tomato, Peaches, Burrata Cheese, Sherry Vinaigrette
French Onion Soup – Toasted Bread, Gruyere Cheese
Venison Sausage – Crispy Polenta, Sauteed Spinach, Teardrop Tomatoes, Port-Blackberry Jus
Potato Gnocchi – Baby Squash, Crispy Shallots, Herb Butter
Lobster Roll – Maine Lobster, Blue Crab, Herb Aioli, Toasted Roll, Sweet Potato Fries, Ketchup
Chocolate Walnut Gateau – Chocolate glazed Caramel Walnut Torte, Crème Anglaise
Chocolate Pot de Crème – Oven baked Chocolate Custard, Chantilly Cream, Homemade Vanilla Cookie
Saturday Sundae – Brownie, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Hot Fudge, Caramel, Toasted Hazelnuts, Whipped Cream
Although Andre Rochat’s Restaurants have undergone several changes in the past three years with closures, openings and Chef shuffles there are few places in Southwest Las Vegas where guests will feel more welcome than at Andre’s Bistro & Bar, over a year separating dinner on Wednesday from the last visit but Joe Marsco and his team still greeting guests daily inside the former DW Bistro space on South Fort Apache Road.
Now separated from Las Vegas Boulevard long enough that many in the area have likely forgotten fine dining inside The Monte Carlo, opening Chefs Mark and Marty since moved on and Chris Bulen alongside Kevin Lopez manning the stoves, guests entering the space during Happy Hour may be surprised to find the Bar full and dining area buzzing on a weekday, front of house staff as pleasant as ever while the décor is classy enough for date night but relaxed such that one need not necessarily get “dressed up.”
Changing the menu slightly since opening, seven daily specials added but the plate of Housemade Sausages unfortunately gone, it was with several items discounted till Six o’clock that two Appetizers and three Entrees were selected, the Tomato and Burrata Salad tasted during a catered lunch drawing high praise from two recent imports from the Midwest while a $7 Vessel of French Onion Soup was piping hot but weakly flavored in comparison to versions offered at Scotch 80 Prime or Bardot.
Enjoying a crusty Baguette and Butter alongside opening bites, $4 Iced Teas apparently carry-over pricing from The Strip, it was perhaps ten minutes after plates were cleared that three more took their place, Chef’s seasonal Gnocchi in desperate need of seasoning but otherwise light and soft in juxtaposition to Squash while the Lobster and Blue Crab Roll remains a bargain at $18 for quite a bit of freshly picked Meat atop a buttery split-top Roll.
Compelled to eat several Sweet Potato Fries, some of the Valley’s best and even better than Andre’s golden Spuds fried in Duck Fat, it was without hesitation that the daily special from Chef Lopez was ordered and found to be boldly spiced but still funky, a statement applicable to almost every housemade Sausage from Andre’s past or present but even more valid in the case of Venison.
Sharing everything to this point, the Polenta and boozy Blackberry Sauce both worth fighting over last bites, there was no doubt that dinner should end with Dessert, a variety from Tammy Alana unfortunately – or perhaps fortunately depending on how one looks at it – largely unchanged and highlighted by a Chocolate Walnut Gateau though had it been more obvious than a poster near the door a $15 tableside Bananas Foster would have been the table’s choice.
FOUR STARS: Steadily building a following in the Southwest, Chef changes and a very different clientele than in the past yielding a menu of Bistro classics plus several slightly more “American” options, Andre’s remains the best choice for mid-priced Off-Strip French in Las Vegas and for those seeking Happy Hour bargains a veritable steal.
RECOMMENDED: Venison Sausage, Lobster Roll, Sweet Potato Fries, Chocolate Walnut Gateau.
AVOID: French Onion Soup needs much more depth of flavor while Gnocchi saw diners uncharacteristically reaching for the Salt shaker.
TIP: Happy Hour is offered from 3:00p to 6:00p daily.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
https://www.andresbistroandbar.com/
