b.B.d’s
Shacksbury Farmhouse Cider Arlo
Rocket Fuel – Coco Lopez, Malibu Rum, Pineapple Juice, Ice, Amaretto Float
b.B.d’s Lit – Long Island Iced Tea
Japanese Duck Drumsticks – Long Island Farm Raised Duck, Togarashi Spice, Fried Onions, Scallion Ribbons
French Onion Rings – Brined Vidalia Onions, Tempura Fried
1 lb. Bavarian Soft Pretzel – Large Soft Pretzel, Beer Cheese Sauce
Large House-Made Fried Cheese Sticks – b.B.d’s Signature Marinara Sauce
Grilled Candied Bacon Wedge – Iceberg Lettuce, Roquefort Bleu Cheese, Red Onions, Tomatoes, Red Wine Vinaigrette
Urban Seed Salad – Mixed Greens, Tomatoes, Sliced Cucumbers, Shaved Red Onion, Champagne Vinaigrette, Smoked Salt
b.B.d’s Burnt Confit Wings – Rustic Chicken Wings Cooked Low and Slow in Rendered Chicken Fat, b.B.d’s Hot Sauce, Bleu Cheese, Celery
Lamb Gyro Taco – House Seasoned Lamb Meat, Finely Chopped Parsley, Pico De Gallo, Feta, Cucumber, Tzatziki Sauce, Dehydrated Black Olives, Shoestring Fries
Wild Creatures Tears of Saint Laurent – Czech Grape Ale
Prime Dry Aged Steakhouse Burger – 12oz. Beef Patty, Toasted Brioche Bun, Duck Egg, Aged Cheddar Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Crinkle Cut Sweet Potato Fries
3 Prime Mini Steamers – Prime Beef Burger Patties, American Cheese, Brioche Bun, Chopped Onions, Fast Food Pickles, Shoestring Fries
Griddle Burger – Thinly Pattied Prime Beef, Lettuce, Tomato, Fast Food Pickles, Griddled Onions, b.B.d’s Sauce, Shoestring Fries
Broiled Luncheonette Burger AKA Juice Bomb – Prime Beef, American Cheese, Sesame Seed Bun
Strawberry Milkshake – Fresh Strawberry Compote
Peanut Butter Whoopie Milkshake – Peanut Butter, Candied Peanuts, Hershey Syrup, Whipped Cream, Housemade Whoopie Pie
Bananas Foster Boozy Milkshake – Banana Foster Compote, Banana Chips, Waffle Cone, Graham Crackers, Meyer’s Dark Rum, Whipped Cream
Gooey Warm Cinnabomb – Vesta Coffee Ice Cream, Gooey Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing, Saigon Cinnamon
Breakfast Bourbon Waffle Bread Pudding – Housemade Cheesecake Ice Cream, Macerated Strawberries
Valrhona Liquid Chocolate Cake – Chocolate Cake, Gooey Valrhona Chocolate, Vanilla Ice Cream, Chocolate Crunchies, Brulee Marshmallow, Salted Caramel, Edible Flowers
“There aren’t enough Burgers in Las Vegas” has probably never been said, but when Ralph Perrazzo brought b.B.d’s – Beers Burgers Desserts to Palace Station Hotel & Casino none of that mattered to the former Chef at Bradley Ogden – what mattered was bringing an unparalleled experience encompassing ingredients, execution, service and setting – all four present and accounted for when three guests sat down to dinner on Wednesday.
In many ways the centerpiece of Station Casino’s recent renovations at their closest location to the Strip, an Asian Restaurant called Boathouse standing next to Chef Perazzo’s import from Rocky Point, it is hard to miss b.B.d’s no matter where entering from, the acronym blazing like a red beacon with a podium out front and heavy wooden doors fully protecting diners from the gaming floor.
Detailed in Art and Televisions, the former just as edgy as a soundtrack playing Kill ‘em All era Metallica and System of a Down, it is upon entering the first set of doors that guests will notice a room for on-site butchery, Perazzo and his team frequently seen breaking down large cuts of Beef, Pork and even Lamb.
Touting “Craftsmanship you can taste” and taking no shortcuts, everything including various grinds made on-site to ensure each Burger is as fresh as possible, it is from a diverse Beer list that guests are left to peruse after seating, a Cider from Shacksbury Farmhouse chosen to pair with Appetizers just a touch funky but otherwise light and not so carbonated as to make one feel bloated.
Focused on top quality ingredients and scratch made everything, Ralph’s travels building a menu that seeks to elevate “Bar Food” staples across America, it was with Cocktails including Long Island Iced Tea called “Lit” and a Pina Colada improved by Almond Liqueur that course one arrived, juicy flesh sliding right off Duck Legs loaded with umami while “French” Onion Rings may just as easily been have made by a Japanese Tempura master considering the crunchy yet light Breading.
Continuing heavier, quite literally in the case of a one pound Pretzel that is fluffy beneath a good skin and even more impressive with Beer Cheese, one of the newspaper-style menu’s biggest surprises comes in the form of five Cheese Sticks filled with what is presumably a blend including Raclette, the unparalleled stretch easily over a foot on arrival delicious on its own or when dipped in housemade Marinara with lots of Herbs.
Pumping the brakes with two Salads, one locally sourced from Urban Seed but the “Wedge” more interesting thanks to chunks of Roquefort and candied Bacon, it was saving a whole section of Vegan choices for another time that “Burnt” Wings arrived, the confit cooking creating something extra moist and crisp though the Hot Sauce is no-joke and best saved for those with fairly high spice tolerance.
Next tasting a Lamb Gyro recommended by AGM Gil Hayon, he and an assistant providing great service throughout the evening, it comes as no surprise that in-house butchery yields thick cuts that marry well to traditional condiments, but what was shocking came from Wild Creatures Brewery in the form of a Grape Ale that tasted a lot like Natural Wine from the Czech Republic.
Onward to the main event, a Burger quartet cooked in four iconic styles, suffice it to say that Perazzo’s no-shortcuts style yields a Steamer far superior to its famous cousin while the rest shoot even higher, a “Griddle” Burger thin but taking on a nice sear while the “Prime Dry Aged Steakhouse Burger” rivals any in town with 12oz of house-ground Beef on Toasted Brioche that stands up well to a la carte additions such as Aged Cheddar and a creamy Duck Egg.
Receiving plenty of Fries with the Sandwiches, b.B.d’s “Shoestrings” all crisp and outperforming crinkle-cut Sweets that were unfortunately a little flaccid, it was alongside Shakes made from in-house Soft Serve that the “Juice Bomb” was indulged in, Ralph’s broiled-crust tribute to Luncheonettes of old spilling Juice on the tray below with each unctuous bite and most certainly amongst the top three Burgers tasted to date in Sin City, even unadorned.
Making no proclamations as to which Milkshake is best, the fact that all three will clog a jumbo straw at times maddening because it slows down the enjoyment of something so creamy and delicious, be reminded to also save room for plated Desserts as Ralph’s time at Michelin 3* Jean-Georges in Manhattan was not wasted, all the evidence needed found in a riff on Vongerichten’s Molten Chocolate Cake, though the gooey housemade Cinnamon Roll and recently launched Bourbon Bread Pudding with Cheesecake Ice Cream are even better.
FIVE STARS: Rare to call any place “World Class” after a single visit the fact of the matter is that there is no one out there taking on Pub Grub and executing it as well as b.B.d’s, the effort of Chef Perazzo and his team evident in everything from Ingredient sourcing to design while the Food and Beverage both live up to promises of “Craftsmanship you can taste.”
RECOMMENDED: Rocket Fuel, 1 lb. Bavarian Soft Pretzel, Large House-Made Fried Cheese Sticks, Lamb Gyro Taco, Prime Dry Aged Steakhouse Burger, Broiled Luncheonette Burger, Gooey Warm Cinnabomb, Breakfast Bourbon Waffle Bread Pudding.
AVOID: Crinkle Cut Sweet Potato Fries are a bit limp.
TIP: Open noon to midnight daily and frequently offering special events focused on Beer and the local community.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
www.palacestation.sclv.com/Dining/bBds
