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Wednesday, May 03, 2000
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
COLUMN: Appetizers, Ken White
Aqua strives for range of offerings, from decadent to earthy
By Ken White
Review-Journal
Aqua at Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South, strives for a balance between rich and light menu items, says executive chef Mark LoRusso.
The second location of the famed San Francisco seafood restaurant has "a good combination," LoRusso says. "There are definitely some decadent things on the menu, but also some light dishes."
Decadent as in roasted whole foie gras with caramelized Granny Smith apples, calvados glaze and toast points ($80).
But there's also a vegetarian tasting menu with five courses of the chef's selections ($55).
LoRusso worked at the original Aqua in San Francisco for about 5 1/2 years before moving to Las Vegas five months before the opening of Bellagio in 1998.
A native of Stamford, Conn., he attended a vocational high school to study culinary arts. He graduated in 1985 and took a job at a restaurant at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Stamford, where he was a breakfast cook.
Wanting to move up in the culinary world, two years later LoRusso attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and did a six-month externship at the Trellis restaurant in Williamsburg, Va.
After graduating in 1990, LoRusso moved to Los Angeles and worked as a sautˇ cook at a hotel restaurant called Checkers.
He moved to San Francisco in 1991 and got a job as a line cook at the Cypress Club. Three months later he was promoted to sous chef.
LoRusso then got a job at Aqua, owned by chef Michael Mina, where he was a sautˇ cook and, four months later, sous chef.
A job at Aureole in New York followed in 1997, but he returned to Aqua in 1998.
Aqua's menu features such first courses as tempura New Zealand langostines with soybean coulis and truffle cream ($20); black mussel souffle with chardonnay, garlic and parsley ($12); a tasting of Hudson Valley foie gras with pineapple and black peppercorn cake and watercress salad ($20); tartare of ahi tuna, sesame oil-infused with Scotch bonnet chilies ($15); terrine of alderwood smoked salmon with a caper and lemon creme fraiche, Russian caviar and red onion bagel ($18); seared sea scallops and domestic foie gras with rhubarb and lime compote and endive salad ($19); and select chilled shellfish with littleneck clams, gulf prawns, Maine lobster and oyster ($32).
Featured entrees include medallions of ahi tuna (rare) with seared Hudson Valley foie gras and pinot noir sauce ($34); miso-glazed Chilean sea bass with mushroom consommˇ and shrimp ravioli ($29); pan-roasted Dover sole with fava bean and lobster agnolotti and braised asparagus ($41); porcini-crusted wild turbot with truffle mashed potatoes and mushroom jus ($36); crispy skin black bass with fennel and potato puree, braised artichokes and steamed Manila clams ($31); and Maine lobster pot pie with spring vegetables, morel mushrooms and black truffles (market price).
The dessert menu, overseen by pastry chef J.J. Stith, contains an old-fashioned root beer float with warm chocolate chip cookies, strawberry shortcake made with lemon poppy seed cake and buttermilk ice cream, Grand Marnier creme caramel with amaranth nougatine and basil essence, and a milk chocolate banana cake served with gianduja sorbet ($11 each).
A full dinner is served at the bar.
And, of course, there are some original paintings on the walls, including "Aquacade" commissioned from acclaimed artist Robert Rauschenberg.
Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends (693-8199).
Aqua seats 150. The last seating is at 10 p.m.
Aqua is in the Conservatory area of the hotel and is open from 5:30 to 11 p.m. daily.
"Appetizers" is a weekly informational column about new developments on the Las Vegas dining scene. Items should not be considered reviews or recommendations and none is a paid advertisement.
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Aqua restaurant at Bellagio specializes in seafood dishes and original art by Robert Rauschenberg.
Photo by John Gurzinski.
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