Friday, Nov. 26, 1999 | 9:14 a.m.
Muriel Stevens' dining column appears Fridays. Her shopping column appears Wednesdays. Reach her at [email protected] or 259-4080.
Intimate and beautiful, Renoir at the Mirage is a lovely dining experience at any time, and a fine place for a special holiday meal.
The dining room is glorious. Paintings by Renoir and other French Impressionists fill the walls. It's a joy to behold and certainly sets the mood for dinner.
Chef Alessandro Stratta (Alex) cooks contemporary French cuisine without any pretense. His menu features such homespun creations as braised beef short ribs with horseradish potatoes. Not the kind of short ribs generally found, but a large, plump, meaty short rib, with not a bit of fat. It's as pretty as a picture. The rich red wine sauce that surrounds it is marvelous.
It's unusual to find such a dish in such a fine restaurant, but Chef Alex is not your usual chef. Formerly the chef at Mary Elaine's in the Phoenician hotel in Phoenix, he made the move to Las Vegas and now brings us the same winning cuisine that won him the James Beard Award, "Best Chef in the Southwest." Highly original are both the chef and the menu.
At a recent dinner with four friends we had the opportunity to try many dishes. A chilled snap pea soup accompanied by house-smoked salmon atop a potato latke (pancake) captured the true flavor of the snap pea. A salad of arugula, fennel and apples with Roquefort and toasted walnuts warranted discussion; it was that good.
So was a salad of asparagus and endive with grapefruit and a citrus vinaigrette. Three of us had the Dover sole meuniere with julienne of hearts of palm and braised romaine. Cooked perfectly, the tender fish was exactly the way I wanted it. Dover sole is a much misunderstood fish. It does not require much cooking. Stratta and his sous chef, Steven Varga, know this. The result is a superb sole.
One of my friends raved about the braised veal cheeks with Swiss chard, black olives and creamy polenta that she ordered; the heavenly sauce is finished with 50-year-old sherry. Of course, each of us felt we had ordered the "best" dish, but the truth is all of the dishes were outstanding.
A host of appetizers ($16-$22), soups and salads ($10-$16) and entrees ($30-$44) are offered. Two tasting menus are available. The regular tasting menu includes dishes with Maine lobster, foie gras, crisp daurade, roasted baby lamb and a fabulous dessert
The second is a vegetable tasting menu (not vegetarian) that includes a roasted red pepper soup with ratatouille and ricotta crouton, asparagus canneloni with chanterelles and wilted spinach, a mascarpone and herb risotto with vegetable fricassee, and dessert.
Sommelier David Renna and his staff can help you pair wines with each course. The wine list is excellent.
We had decided to share one dessert, the apple and caramel tarte Tatin with fromage blanc ice cream, but were thwarted in our attempt to be sensible by Chef Alex and Pastry Chef Christophe Ithurritze. First came a plate of Madelaines still warm from the oven (I must get that recipe). Tender and fragrant with citrus and not too sweet, it's no wonder the small cakes were one of French writer Proust's fondest memories.
Bite-size macaroons were sandwiched with chocolate cream. There were other irresistible treats and, later, a dish of chocolates.
Service under General Manager Victorio Gonzales is impeccable. It was a splendid evening.
Dine at Renoir Thursday through Tuesday. Reservations are recommended. Call 791-7223. Jackets are required for men.
Wild Sage Cafe
Very few restaurants these days serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, but Wild Sage Cafe, which opened this week, is no ordinary neighborhood restaurant.
Owned by a trio of young culinary veterans -- Laurie Kendrick and Stan Carroll, who are married, and her brother, Wes Kendrick -- the 60-seat cafe features "ecletic American cuisine." Laurie has worked in restaurants for more than 18 years. After a variety of food-related positions she found a home at Wolfgang Puck's Postrio in San Francisco. It wasn't long before Puck's chef/ partner David Robins convinced her to join him at Spago Las Vegas. Laurie last worked at Chinois as an assistant manager. The Spago/Chinois crew gave her their blessings when she left last year to open her own eatery.
Stan Carroll also worked at Postrio, Spago, Chinois and Lupo before moving on to Wild Sage. He is a member of a team of chefs who travel with Puck to do various events around the country. Wes Kendrick has been working in the food business for more than 10 years. He is now looking forward to the success of his own restaurant.
Wild Sage Cafe is in the McCarran Center at 600 Warm Springs Road. Breakfast is available Monday through Saturday, 7:30-11 a.m. Sunday Brunch, a combination of the favorite dishes from the breakfast and lunch menu, is offered 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Lunch hours are 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday; dinner, 4:30-9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 4:30-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
Featured at breakfast are "lighter selections" such as crispy banana fritters, steel-cut Irish oatmeal and cinnamon French toast ($4.50-$6.25). Egg choices include potatoes and toast ($6.25-$7.75). There's a good selection of homemade breads, muffins and sides ($1.25-$3). Newspapers and stock quotes, too.
Lunch includes soups served with a buttermilk-sage biscuit; and salads ($5.50-$8.75), with herbed focaccia bread. Sandwiches ($7.75-$8.50) include a choice of French fries, pasta or Dijon potato salads. Chicken pot pie, old- fashioned meat loaf and baked ziti are among the lunch specialties ($9-$13).
The dinner menu includes a variety of appetizers ($5.75-$8.75), soups and salads ($4.75-$8.50) and many house specialties ($9.50-$16.50).
Reservations are being accepted for a seven-course New Year's Eve dinner ($75). Wine pairing is available or choose your own.
For reservations or more information about this charming new restaurant, call 944-7243.
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