Friday, May 2, 2003 | 9:24 a.m.
Muriel Stevens' dining column appears Fridays. Her shopping and travel columns appear Wednesday. Reach her at (702) 259-4080 or [email protected].
On April 8, a glorious spring evening, members of the Las Vegas Chapter of the Chaine des Rotisseurs gathered for a reception in the lush Florentine Gardens of the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas. The grassy lawn and flower-filled garden was the ideal setting for an evening of fine food and opera.
A circle of food stations surrounded the garden. Chefs at each of the beautifully decorated cooking stations offered a different Italian specialty: potato dumplings (gnocchi) with lemon creme fraiche and caviar; paper-thin slices of aged Parma ham deftly carved from its special holder and served with figs glazed with aged balsamic vinegar; basil ice cream with fresh buffalo mozzarella and a tomato crisp -- an original conceit from the chef; spicy fresh crab salad with a touch of Campari that heightened the flavor of the delicate crab; and a divine risotto with Taleggio cheese and truffles.
With the savory tidbits, perfectly balanced Bellinis -- the champagne was the star, yet the peach juice made its own gentle statement -- and an abundance of cocktails were created by Francesco Lafranconi, Southern Wine & Spirit master mixologist.
To get our attention when dinner was announced, a cannonade of red and gold streamers from came the balcony and covered the garden. It was a lovely sight and set the mood for dinner, though a few members dallied, reluctant to leave the bucolic setting.
Still in a festive mood, we made our way to dinner in the Monte Lago dining room.
Dinner, created by Executive Chef Stephen Marshall and Medici Cafe Chef de Cuisine Jeremy Lieb, was a tribute to springtime: seared fresh langoustines with a blood-orange reduction and 100-year-old balsamic vinegar; crispy-skinned sea bass filet with pungent Ligurian olives, tomato confit and shaved bottarga, Sardinian pressed roe; a memorable chilled pear consomme; so-tender braised beef in a red wine velvet sauce over porcini mushrooms, Lombardy-style, was a show-stopper.
The bridge before dessert, a goat cheese and rosemary tart with honeycomb (oozing with honey, the comb so tender) and a small salad of chicory, was captivating.
In between courses Tenor Giovanni Mauro and Soprano Laurel Boyd, accompanied by pianist Voltaire Verzosa, performed portions of arias from operas by Donzetti, Verdi, and Puccino. It was a bravura performance.
The evening ended with a wave of fabulous desserts from Executive Pastry Chef Patrice Caillot and his staff: pistachio and nougat parfait, a hazelnut-chocolate caramel "barrel," and tiered crystal candy boxes filled with Italian cookies; tender, filled macaroons; and handmade chocolates.
Wines chosen by Jay James MS Bellagio were outstanding, especially the rich, robust Brunello di Montalcino, Sugarille, Angela Gaja 1996, Tuscany DOCG. With the desserts: Illy Cafe Liqueur, Disaronna Amaretto and Absolut Vanilla with Fresh Cream.
And for a fond farewell each guest received a bag of gifts from the Ritz-Carlton kitchen. Included were a traditional Easter cake, anise-and-orange biscotti, pistachio-almond nougat and homemade Limoncello liqueur (I share the recipe in the short order section).
Ritz-Carlton General Manager Douglas Brooks and Director of Food and Beverage Kevin Diamond orchestrated the event.
The Ritz-Carlton also designed the menu. The cover included the seal of the Chaine as well as Italian art. Tied with wine-colored ribbon, it unfolded as a libretto would and included the carte, wines, staff and more. It is an extraordinary work of graphic art, one that I intend to keep as a souvenir of this splendid evening in Tuscany, the Ritz-Carlton way.
Charlie Palmer in D.C.: This has been a busy week for acclaimed American chef Charlie Palmer. Charlie Palmer Steak opened this week in Washington, D.C. Located on Historic Capitol Hill, CPS hosted two grand-opening parties before opening to the public Saturday. The parties raised money for the National Military Family Association.
"NMFA is the only organization whose sole focus is the families of service members of the seven uniformed services," according to a press release from the organization. Funds raised at the restaurant will go towards a scholarship fund for spouses and children in the D.C. region.
Charlie Palmer describes his new menu as being "progressive American." Included are aged "artisan" beef, a wide variety of fish, seafood and fowl. Among the specialties are grilled filet mignon with roasted shallots and Cabernet sauce, smoked squab with chipotle glaze and Chesapeake blue crab gratin with shellfish emulsion. A reclining wine tower houses more than 10,000 bottles of American wines from 30 states. Only American wines are featured in the restaurant.
June 1, the peripatetic Palmer will take over the food and wine service at the posh, private Stirling Club at Turnberry Place.
And Charlie Palmer Steak at the Four Seasons has a new Executive Chef, Steve Blandino. Blandino was formerly sous chef at Aureole.
Cypress Marketplace at Caesars Palace: During a recent visit to Caesars Palace I toured the new food court, Cypress Street Marketplace, which replaced La Piazza.
This new concept is terrific. CSM is designed to mimic a real marketplace, complete with life-size California cypress trees and baskets to collect the foods gathered from nine "markets."
A dining passport proffered by a Passport host/hostess enables the guest to pay the cashier after they've eaten and are ready to depart. Prices are reasonable -- $2.25 for a generous slice of pizza; $5.95 for a pint of kung pao chicken, steamed rice included; $8.95 for a turkey dinner gravy, cranberry chutney and two side dishes. A Maine fresh lobster roll is $14.95. I paid more than that in Maine!
A fish fry, Mexican food, Italian food, sandwiches of all kinds and desserts and specialty coffees are offered. This is a relaxed, casual dining option for everyone. Cypress Street Marketplace is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.
Short orders
Mother's Day Weekend with Bon Appetit at Ritz-Carlton: Honor mother with a weekend celebration at the Bon Appetit magazine's Wine and Food Focus cooking seminars, and Mother's Day brunch at the Ritz-Carlton on the landmark Pontevecchio Bridge. Saturday's seminars are 90 minutes or two hours depending on the subject. Brunch is priced at $65 per person; Saturday's classes and events begin at $50 per activity. Proceeds from these events benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. For reservations or information call Bon Appetit magazine, (888) 34-FOCUS or log on to bonappetit.com. Mother's Day brunch reservations also may be made by calling the Ritz-Carlton -- 567-4700.
Limited sandwich at Port of Subs: Port of Subs is returning a sandwich that was a limited-time success, but this time it has a kick. The smoked turkey with pepperjack cheese will be in all stores May 5 through June 29. It's hard to avoid spicy flavors these days. They turn up in foods never meant to have heat, but the Port of Sub sandwich sounds like a good combo.
Chili cook-off winners: First-place winners of the recent Henderson Chamber of Commerce Chili Cook-off are: Henderson District Libraries for Best Decorated Booth; Eldorado Casino for People's Choice Restaurant/Casino; Univision for People's Choice Other; and Henderson District Libraries for City Competition.
Sahara Steakhouse renamed: The Sahara Steakhouse will have much to live up to with its new name, House of Lords. House of Lords was a local favorite for many years, and my first experience with a baked potato shell happened there. It was a dieter's dream come true. A properly mealy baked potato was scooped out almost to the skin. The shell was barely brushed with butter then placed under the salamander to crisp and brown. It's a fond memory. I'm looking forward to more at this namesake steakhouse. John Morrocco, the Sahara's new food and beverage director, has the talent to duplicate this seemingly simple dish that's not so simple to make correctly. I'm counting on it.
Ritz-Carlton's Limoncello: 10 unwaxed lemons, 2 cups water, 12 ounces sugar and one liter Absolut vodka. Place sugar in a tall saucepan. Grate the zest of each lemon over the sugar. Add three ounces of the vodka. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add remaining Absolut. Place in covered container. Refrigerate for five days, then strain and discard zest. Pour into bottles (small ones if making for gifts). Store Limoncello in the freezer. It tastes best when cold. This recipe was created for the Chaine dinner by Gabriele Babini Babini, assistant food and beverage director and Jeremy Lieb, Chef de Cuisine Medici Cafe.
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