Las Vegas Fine Dining Thread

[bears3434]

Originally Posted by hotjenny314

Personally I think it completely obliterates the taste and texture, but if you like it like that then order away. Not to be a jerk, I have just never understood why anyone would want their steak cooked well-done. Anyone care to fill me in?

it just tastes better imo

[Thijs908]

In every country in the world i ask my steak to be blue rare, EXCEPT for in America, the portion is just to big for it

America i always do medium rare or sometimes rare...

[Maximum Rocknroll]

I apologize for asking this in this thread as it probably isn't "fine dining" but I'm finally going back to Lotus tonight. FINALLY!

Did they make any changes I should be aware of while they were closed? Any new menu items worth checking out or anything like that?

Thanks.

[amoeba]

Originally Posted by mephisto

I think I could get down to medium but not medium rare. I might have to stick to high end burgers if I want a nice piece of meat. :P

What is the taste difference between salmon and sea bass? I want to venture out to different fish other than salmon and sea bass seems like a natural extension. Who makes the best sea bass dish in Vegas?

There are many different types of Sea Bass. There is the Chilean Sea Bass (patagonia toothfish) which is a very firm white fish that is excellent when cooked and very difficult to overcook. It has a nice clean ocean flavor and flakes in to big flakes. Has to be eaten cooked.

There is the Japanese Sea Bass or Suzuki, which is a clean fine white fish that is good for sushi or sashimi.

There is also the Mediterranean seabass or Branzino in Italian or loup de mer in French which is typically roasted whole in Italian cuisine. It has a finer texture than Chilean Seabass and has softer flesh that flakes a bit more.

All Seabass really tastes very different from Salmon. Seabass is typically a bit moister when cooked but lower fat content and thus less mouthfeel when raw.

If you are looking for fish like salmon, consider the arctic char or various types of trout.

[fishyak]

Originally Posted by mephisto

I think I could get down to medium but not medium rare. I might have to stick to high end burgers if I want a nice piece of meat. :P

What is the taste difference between salmon and sea bass? I want to venture out to different fish other than salmon and sea bass seems like a natural extension. Who makes the best sea bass dish in Vegas?

First burnt meat and now this? FOOD VIRGIN - we have a FOOD VIRGIN right here!!! But it is a VERY good idea to try and expand your food horizons.

FYI - fishyak used to fish from an ocean kayak. I've caught, cleaned, cooked and eaten all kinds of fish. I proudly admit to fish snobbery.

IMO,...

1) There is a flavor difference between wild and farm raised salmon. There are 5 (?) major salmon species and they each have a different texture and flavor. Kings and Coho's have the best rep., but IMO the real issue is freshness and oil content. I can tell the quality by looking at the fish pre-cooked. You will have to rely on the honesty and training of your servers. Is that special truly special, or some old thing they got a deal on? As a tourist to LV this is why I am not a real fan of fish in a desert.

2) If a fish is called "sea bass" the one thing it isn't is a bass! The Chilean Sea Bass is the perfect example. Patagonian Toothfish it is. As a slow growth species, it no longer comes from Patagonia. For the surivival of the species, we need to leave it alone. Last year, I dined at Todd's Unique Dining and was amazed to be offered fresh California White Sea Bass as a special, which is actually a member of the croaker family. White Sea Bass feed on squid and have a slight shellfish flavor. Awesome. WSB is another species we also fished to extinction but is now making a SLOW managed comeback off the CA coast. But I had to trust a server who had never seen the whole fish and the restaurant said I could not visit the kitchen and they could not send out a piece uncooked for me to confirm the species. It did turn out to be the real deal and was delicious.

3) As with quality beef, fish is best served slighty undercooked. Carryover, the ongoing cooking that occurs after a fish leaves the pan until it is placed in front of you at the table is an important consideration. Here is where waitstaff make all the difference. The more they know about the product and its prep., the more likely they are to get a yes from me.

4) If you see these GO FOR IT... a) Santa Barbara Spot Prawns are trapped not trawled and delicious. b) Sand dabs Veronique. Sand dabs are EVERYWHERE off the CA coast and can be had fresh and tasty. Veronique is a butter, white wine and green grape sauce that is old school but tasty with that species.

We need to lay off Atlantic Swordfish and Bluefin Tuna. Serious population depletions.

Do you know where fishing has greatly improved? Off Somalia! The pirates have scared off all the trawlers and the fishing is rebounding nicely (per WSJ).

Get educated about fish - LOTS of variety to eat and choose from.

And then just go nuts and order that dozen oysters on the 1/2 shell with that vodka martini lemon twist to go with it!

Enjoy!

[Maximum Rocknroll]

Mint and Green Chili - Suateed with fresh and dry chili, garlic, bell pepper, and Thai basil

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[*TT*]

Originally Posted by mephisto

I think I could get down to medium but not medium rare. I might have to stick to high end burgers if I want a nice piece of meat. :P

high end burgers are usually served medium rare as well unless you ask otherwise.

[mephisto]

Thanks for the responses to my noob questions foodies. Is the Arctic Char the most similar fish to salmon? Or is it the trout? I once had a wild white salmon from the BC coast and I didn't like the texture at all so I'm discovering that not all salmon is created equal.

Is the white sea bass actually..Sea bass?

I noticed that at the Michael Mina restaurant and other 'high end' establishments that Chilean Sea Bass (Patagonian Toothfish) is one of their main offerings. How come?

On a side note, wasn't the original reason why the Somalian's had to resort to pirating was because there was a radioactive spill that occurred in their fishing zone which prevented them from fishing?

[bulldawgblue]

Originally Posted by rockfsh

If you like seafood try Bartalotta @ Wynn. If you care to go very high end try Alex. (tab there will run you at least twice as much as other Wynn/Encore restaurants.)

Originally Posted by brokestackmtn

Yes - if you like seafood, DO NOT MISS THIS PLACE!!

I'm going out next month and we always go to one nice dinner. I'm a steak person so last time we went to Delmonico. The wifey is a seafood person, so I'm considering this place.

Do you guys recommend the tasting menu? Is it different every night?

[amoeba]

Originally Posted by mephisto

Thanks for the responses to my noob questions foodies. Is the Arctic Char the most similar fish to salmon? Or is it the trout? I once had a wild white salmon from the BC coast and I didn't like the texture at all so I'm discovering that not all salmon is created equal.

Is the white sea bass actually..Sea bass?

I noticed that at the Michael Mina restaurant and other 'high end' establishments that Chilean Sea Bass (Patagonian Toothfish) is one of their main offerings. How come?

On a side note, wasn't the original reason why the Somalian's had to resort to pirating was because there was a radioactive spill that occurred in their fishing zone which prevented them from fishing?

Chilean Seabass (patagonia Toothfish) tastes really good. Its just renamed as Chilean Seabass and not a real Seabass because patagonia toothfish doesn't sound appetizing. In fact you might even prefer the taste of Chilean Seabass to real Seabass. There are some qualms about chilean seabass as its overfished and somewhat endangered right now.

I'm not too familiar with white sea bass from the pacific so I can't really comment on how it tastes.

both arctic char and trout has a pinkish orangish flesh like salmon and similar flavor. all 3 are in the salmoninae family. trout is usually less fatty than salmon. Wild salmon will also be less fatty than farmed salmon hence maybe why you didn't like the texture so much.

Actually you should really get in to flatfishes such as Sole, Halibut, Turbot. Those make for really good eating.

[amoeba]

here is the Bartolotta menu from the Wynn website though seems a bit dated.

http://www.wynnlasvegas.com/pdf/bartolottajune08.pdf

[fishyak]

Originally Posted by mephisto

Thanks for the responses to my noob questions foodies. Is the Arctic Char the most similar fish to salmon? Or is it the trout? I once had a wild white salmon from the BC coast and I didn't like the texture at all so I'm discovering that not all salmon is created equal.

Is the white sea bass actually..Sea bass?

I noticed that at the Michael Mina restaurant and other 'high end' establishments that Chilean Sea Bass (Patagonian Toothfish) is one of their main offerings. How come?

On a side note, wasn't the original reason why the Somalian's had to resort to pirating was because there was a radioactive spill that occurred in their fishing zone which prevented them from fishing?

Regarding salmonids I think it is often the size of the fish that impacts its role as table fare. IMO, the bigger fish simply hold up better than a small trout in the trip from stream to plate. Hence the appeal to the fisherman of eating this day's or this hour's catch. IMO, the smaller the fish the shorter the "shelf life." But fresh trout, caught minutes ago coated in cornmeal and cooked in bacon drippings and served with the bacon. OMG! That same sad trout, served day's later overcooked in a desert location...cat food! A texture issue with white salmon sounds more like a preparation/transportation problem instead of a problem with the taste of that species. Also, try steelhead if you can find it, a trout/salmon cross.

CA White Sea Bass is actually a member of the croaker family, same as yellowtail. Beware the yellowtail tuna! It is the sign of an idiot fishmonger. There is the yellowtail (croaker) and the yellowfin (tuna) also called Ahi in Hawaii, but they are different species and cannot mate.

It's hard for a restaurant to stop serving a high profit/demand item like Chilean Seabass. I allow myself to have it once a year. The species has so much fat, the good high omega kind, that it causes oil flare-ups on the BBQ in the cooking process. But it is a deep, cold water (=slow growth) species and we have badly overfished the species. I've made a personal choice not to add to the demand.

[ike]

Originally Posted by xker17x

Rao's is pretty good italian food with a chill atmosphere

I am not a fan of Rao's. It's pretty cookie-cutter Italian American (think upscale Olive Garden) and for the price it's not very well executed. The fried mozzarella appetizer tasted like it was mass produced and frozen, the pasta was pretty badly overcooked and the sauce was too heavy and not very flavorful, etc. I would go almost anywhere else on the strip for Italian before going back to Rao's. In particular, any of the Mario Batali places at Venetian/Palazzo (Carne Vino, B+B, Enoteca San Marco) or Circo at Bellagio, or Sirio at Aria. If you specifically want Italian American, I'd go to Sinatra over Rao's. I haven't been there but it can't be worse.

[ike]

Originally Posted by rockfsh

If you like seafood try Bartalotta @ Wynn. If you care to go very high end try Alex. (tab there will run you at least twice as much as other Wynn/Encore restaurants.)

Bartolotta is one of my very favorite restaurants in Vegas (I like it a lot more than Alex, for instance, which is also very good), but be prepared to spend just as much there as you would at Alex. Bartolotta offers two tasting menus, for 135 and 155 per person. Alex has a 125 prix fixe and a 185 tasting menu. You can order a la carte at Bartolotta, but I don't think you're gonna get much food if you try to spend less than $100.

[brokestackmtn]

Originally Posted by ike

I am not a fan of Rao's. It's pretty cookie-cutter Italian American (think upscale Olive Garden) and for the price it's not very well executed. The fried mozzarella appetizer tasted like it was mass produced and frozen, the pasta was pretty badly overcooked and the sauce was too heavy and not very flavorful, etc. I would go almost anywhere else on the strip for Italian before going back to Rao's. In particular, any of the Mario Batali places at Venetian/Palazzo (Carne Vino, B+B, Enoteca San Marco) or Circo at Bellagio, or Sirio at Aria. If you specifically want Italian American, I'd go to Sinatra over Rao's. I haven't been there but it can't be worse.

Agree with this completely, with the caveat being that Italian is not my favorite cuisine. But, Circo is definitely better by far.