Dining Guide: New American
Each week Neon spotlights a different cuisine in the Dining Guide, with New American restaurants this week. Restaurants are rated on a letter-grade scale, from A to F. Opinions by R-J critic Heidi Knapp Rinella (H.K.R.) are indicated by initials. Price symbols are based on the cost of an average entree: $ = entrees less than $10, $$ = entrees $10 to $20, $$$ = entrees $20 to $30 and $$$$ = entrees more than $30.
ANDIRON STEAK & SEA
1720 Festival Plaza Drive in Downtown Summerlin; 702-685-4015
We’ve become accustomed to the perfectionism of Elizabeth Blau and Kim Canteenwalla and figured those standards would apply at Andiron, but they surpassed expectations with a soft, elegant space in which to showcase their carefully chosen and executed food. We loved both the idea and the reality of the bacon-wrapped matzo balls, plus the fillet of Scottish salmon with crust of Serrano ham, an indulgent and generously sized pork schnitzel with mustard spaetzle and red cabbage and a lovely little brown-butter lemon pie. (5/15/15 H.K.R.)
$$$$
DAVID CLAWSON RESTAURANT
2840 Bicentennial Parkway, Henderson; 702-466-2190
David Clawson is a small-plates restaurant with a difference, in that one dish is associated with each category — beef, say, or salad. Service and atmosphere were top-drawer, and we loved the milk-potato bread, foie gras atop sliced pear, crabcake, duck leg confit, beef tenderloin and chocolate pate on tangerine coulis. (1/12/15 H.K.R.)
$$$
FIX
Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 702-693-8300
Signature dishes: Bobby Baldwin Burgers, Very Adult Mac & Cheese
GRAPE STREET
2120 Festival Plaza Dr. (also at 7501 W. Lake Mead Blvd.); 702-478-5030
The tone was set by excellent service (ask for Brennan) and easy-on-the-eyes decor (a towering and expansive wine wall) but the food shone as well, in dishes such as crab-stuffed shrimp, Chicken Gorgonzola, short ribs and the du-jour creamy tomato-basil soup. (7/3/15 H.K.R.)
$$$
GUY SAVOY
Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 702-731-7778
Signature dishes: Colors of Caviar, Crispy Veal Sweetbreads.
HONEY SALT
1031 S. Rampart Blvd.; 702-445-6100
One of the things we liked most about Honey Salt was the flexibility of a menu that would enable one of us to have a pizza Margherita, the other a lamb Porterhouse — and a kitchen with the skills to prepare both of them flawlessly. We also liked My Wife’s Favorite Salad, with its arugula, frisee, duck confit, pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and poached egg, and the homey goodness of the Brown Bag Apple Pie. (5/31/13 H.K.R.)
$$$
MADE L.V.
Tivoli Village, 450 S. Rampart Blvd.; 702-722-2000
Elizabeth Blau and Kim Canteenwalla’s new restaurant is just as delightful as, in truth, we would expect from such perfectionists, but we weren’t prepared for the full-on truffle aroma that presaged the Black Truffle Cheese Fondue with house-made potato crisps. We also loved the black mission figs, Smoked KC Style BBQ Ribs, shrimp-and-kale-stuffed brook trout, eggplant “pastrami” and Loaded S’mores Nachos. (11/7/14 H.K.R.)
$$
MOZEN BISTRO
Mandarin Oriental, 3752 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 888-881-9367
The Mandarin Oriental is, by definition, both exclusive and expensive, but Mozen Bistro is not only approachable for a large swath of the populace, it’s excellent on all levels. Worthy of note: the Five Spice Pork Belly, Hong Kong Grouper, Thai Green Curry and Cherry Cordial Cloche. (5/9/14 H.K.R.)
$$$
Rx BOILER ROOM
Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 702-632-7200
Bacon-wrapped bacon is the kind of whimsical dish you might expect to find in a restaurant with an equally whimsical steampunk theme; what makes this Rick Moonen spot special is the high quality across the board. In addition to the aforementioned dish, the Buffalo Fried Oysters, Moonen Tater Tots, Shellfish Shepherd’s Pie and tiramisu showed that whimsy needn’t get in the way of quality. (6/20/14 H.K.R.)
$$$
TODD’S UNIQUE DINING
4350 E. Sunset Road, Henderson; 702-259-8633
Todd’s is one of the few remaining gourmet rooms in the suburbs and it’s doing a fine job of upholding the tradition, with a steady stream of regulars attesting to that. We liked the classic goat cheese wontons with raspberry sauce, beet salad, beef short ribs with jalapeno-flecked mashed potatoes and pork tenderloin with stuffing. (1/18/13 H.K.R.)
$$$
WOLFGANG PUCK BAR & GRILL
10955 Oval Park Drive in Downtown Summerlin; 702-202-6300
We think Wolfgang Puck’s first foray into the suburbs of Las Vegas will succeed where others have failed in large part because of the varied menu, but no less because of the excellent food and service. The truffled potato chips were an indulgence that was well worth it, and we also liked the oxtail pappardelle, wood-roasted sea bass and molten chocolate cake. (1/16/15 H.K.R.)
$$$
