Friday, March 26, 1999 | 11:42 a.m.
In just under one month, Charlie Palmer's Aureole restaurant at Mandalay Bay has become one of our town's biggest success stories.
Aureole was up and running for Mandalay Bay's opening just weeks ago and they've never stopped. Whatever refining had to be done was done with such skill and talent, the staff never missed a beat.
Aureole General Manager Richard Femenella is so cool. Thanks to him, I was able to go behind the scenes before the restaurant opened, and was witness to the Aureole team's remarkable accomplishment.
This week Palmer, with Aureole's Master Sommelier Steven Geddes, played host to the Las Vegas chapter of the international gourmet society, the Chaine des Rotisseurs.
Dinners of this caliber are usually limited to 80 or fewer diners, but the fearless Palmer and his Aureole LV chefs, Joe and Megan Romano (husband and wife) cooked for 150 and made it look easy.
During the reception, guests toured the restaurant and the unique four-story wine tower. This one-of-a-kind conversation piece livens up any party.
The large staircase landing of the wine tower was the stage for the comments from Bailli (president) Larry Ruvo, Chef Charlie, Sommelier Steve and later, for the chefs.
Before dinner, a cadre of servers passed trays of delicious hors d'oeuvres. Among them: lobster salad on toast, small shrimp with ponzu (citrus-flavored soy sauce) and succulent slices of duck. The bowls of small spoons were filled with such delights as salmon mousse topped with osetra caviar. The server stood by to take the spoon as soon as the delicious morsel was devoured -- a thoughtful bit of extra service typical of Aureole.
With the hors d'oeuvres: Charles Heidsieck, Mis En Cave, 1992 champagne.
Dinner was a tour de force for the chefs. First came a slice of roasted foie gras and preserved duck wrapped with a ribbon of prosciutto and accompanied with a fig confiture (jam) and slices of toasted brioche. The rich, velvety texture of the foie gras was a fine counterpoint to the coarser-textured, flavorful duck.
A "block" of seared yellowfin tuna with a tamarind glaze was perched atop a bed of braised kale and baby bok choy. The sweet and sour flavor of the tropical tamarind gave the greens a piquant touch.
Rosemary-roasted Colorado lamb was superb. Two perfect slices of the rosy lamb were presented on a green lentil-studded round of corn bread that also included flecks of yellow beets. The flavors at play here were wonderful.
Chef Palmer is so particular about the food he serves that he'll go to any lengths to achieve perfection. He owns the New York creamery that makes almost all of the cheeses and dairy products used at his restaurants. Rich and robust, the goat cheeses are as good as any I've had.
The cheeses in our next course -- thin slices of goat cheddar and Estancia on toast, heated just until the cheese almost melted (the warmth released the full flavor) -- came from the Creamery, Palmer's farm.
As a bridge between the cheese course and dessert came a tangerine "consomme," a charming conceit created by Pastry Chef Megan.
Chef Megan mixed together watermelon, papaya, mango, pink grapefruit, tangerine, and Cointreau liqueur; lightly bound it together with gelatin and poured it on a cookie sheet to set. She then cut out oval-shaped slices, placed them in a shallow soup plate and swirled around it the colorful, tangy "consomme" -- a combination of tangerine, Meyer lemon, papaya and blackberry juices with a touch of mint.
Dessert was a warm seckel pear with a thin crust of brioche dough. On the side was a mound of homemade sour cream ice cream. Batons of sugared phyllo dough were crossed over the top. It was another triumph.
Each course included a different wine chosen by Geddes to complement the food. We rejoiced over the Austrian Heidi Schrock, Ruster Ausbach Fume, 1995 with the foie gras; the Alsatian Zind-Humbrecht, Reisling, Rangen, 1996 with the tuna; the Bitouzet Prieur, Volnay Taillepieds, 1996 from Burgundy, served with the lamb; and the Hendry, Zinfandel, Block 7, 1996 from California -- the only American in the well-chosen bunch -- with the cheese.
A Soucherie, Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu, Cuvee de la Tour, 1996 came with dessert. All of these wines are worth looking for. The next time I speak with Geddes, I'll get some idea of the price range and local availability and share them with you.
Service throughout dinner, under the watchful eye of dining room manager Aziz Zhari, was marvelous.
After dinner, guests were invited to the lounge for cognac. A satisfying ending to an outstanding event.
More Mandalay Bay
I'm happy to report that access to the Mandalay Bay restaurants just got easier. For the first time I was able to valet park my car to go to the dinner at Aureole. The west valet entrance opens right into the restaurant corridor, but each time I went there it was blocked. I shared my frustration with Aureole General Manager Richard Femenella and he enlisted the aid of Mandalay Bay Vice President Michael Starr, who immediately corrected the problem. Thanks to Starr, going to dine at a Mandalay Bay restaurant is now a cinch.
Short orders
Yan cooks at Flamingo: An evening of cooking and dinner with PBS cooking star Martin Yan will take place at the Flamingo Hilton April 2. Yan is a personable host who spins wonderful yarns while cooking delicious Asian dishes.
Tickets for this evening of culinary fun are $59, all-inclusive. In addition to watching Yan cook on stage, a five-course meal, with beverages, and a copy of his latest book, "Martin Yan's Feast," is included. Dinner features golden spring egg rolls, walnut-crusted scallops, shrimp and crab salad, five-spice chicken, tangerine peel beef, lobster Cantonese and a stir-fried vegetable with fried rice. Dessert is a delicate almond tulip basket filled with berries, and coconut ice cream with Asian fruit.
Doors open at 7 p.m.; the program begins at 8 in the Flamingo Hilton's Main Showroom. For more information, call 733-3333.
Beard Awards: When I wrote about Chef Julian Serrano's Picasso restaurant at Bellagio being a James Beard Award finalist in the category of Best New Restaurant in America, I failed to note that I am the James Beard judge for our locale who made the nomination. I've been doing this for some years now, but only once did a chef or restaurant I nominated make it to the first ballot.
Part of the problem was that many of the judges had never been to our city. When Bellagio opened, it changed the perception of food writers around the country who come here now in great numbers. I know -- most of them call me for information.
Now, for the first time, a Las Vegas restaurant is one of the five national finalists and is in contention for the top award.
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