Center Cut raises the ‘steaks’ for dining at the Flamingo

By Ron Sylvester

Wednesday, April 4, 2012 | 2 a.m.

In a little over a month, the Burger Joint was gone and the Center Cut Steakhouse has opened at the Flamingo.

"It was like, bam, we had three weeks to hire a staff, create a menu, do demolition and finish construction on the renovations," said Dan Mykovich, director of food and beverage for Center Cut, Harrah's, Imperial Palace, Flamingo, O'Sheas and Bill's Gamblin' Hall. "We were opening and paint was still drying on the wall."

The Burger Joint closed Feb. 19 to make way for the first steakhouse at the Flamingo in nearly a year. A former steak place was swallowed up last summer with Margaritaville casino.

A sleek black-and-white interior greets diners, as video monitors display a montage of classic photos from Vegas' past.

The menu ranges from $12 soup and salad choices to the $52 bone-in ribeye steak. Or the big appetites can choose from the three-tier seafood tower appetizer ($94), which is meant to feed six, and the 28-ounce Tomahawk steak. All beef is organically raised, free of hormones, at a farm in Kersey, Colo.

"Our demi-glace takes 24 hours to prepare, with wine and fresh herbs," chef Jesus Celis said.

Pork chops and free range chicken breast top off the menu, along with an array of seafood choices, such as Maine lobster, Alaskan crab legs and sautéed scallops over a bed of vegetable couscous risotto.

Pick from sides including lobster macaroni and cheese, steam asparagus, jalapeno bacon creamed corn, pink (as in the Flamingo) organic mashed potatoes and, of course, steak fries.

Among the deserts: caramel apple cheesecake, creme brûlée, coffee toffee crunch and carrot cake.

"Our pastry chef is pretty amazing," Celis said.

Dining is from 5:30 to 10:30 nightly. The CC Bar has a happy hour from 4 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday, offering two-for-one martinis and a tapas menu.

Dress is business casual.