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Alizé, Andre Rochat's new French restaurant at the Palms, is shown with a view of the Las Vegas Strip and the setting sun.
Photo by K.M. Cannon.
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Wednesday, January 16, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
COLUMN: APPETIZERS: Ken White
Alizé blends French cuisine with scenic views from atop Palms
One of the biggest selling points for a restaurant in Las Vegas, aside from the cuisine, is to boast of a great view.
Chef Andre Rochat's Alizé delivers.
On the top story of the Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Rochat's third restaurant affords a sparkling view of the Las Vegas Valley at night.
"Each place has its own charm," Rochat says of his three restaurants, which also includes the original Andre's French Restaurant at 401 S. Sixth Street, which opened 21 years ago, and Andre's in the Monte Carlo, 3770 Las Vegas Blvd. South
The downtown restaurant is "country-style, with small rooms, plaster walls and antiques," Rochat says. "It's like being in France. The Monte Carlo restaurant is a small room, but it's very rich. And this place is like a window on Las Vegas. At the Stratosphere, you only see the Strip from one angle. Here it's in front of us. And we have the food and wine to go with the scenery."
Alizé, open daily from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m., features a 65-page wine list overseen by wine director Hank Maglia and sommelier Shalom Stella that includes more than 1,000 varietals and more than 5,000 bottles. The wine cellar is set in the middle of the room "because everyone wants to sit by the windows," Rochat explains.
A second cellar holds 1,000 bottles of champagne, and a large collection of cognacs, Armagnacs and port is behind glass in the hallway leading to the restaurant.
Seating 90 to 100 people, Alizé features a flower motif on the plates, designed by Lesley Roy, and fresh flowers are placed on each table.
The menu begins with cold hors d'oeuvres, such as pastrami and Moroccan-style smoked salmon with crispy potato and horseradish cream ($12.75); Andre's duck foie gras and black truffle terrine with Sauternes gelée and toast ($20.50); and marinated lamb carpaccio with smoked lamb tenderloin, black pepper and truffle vinaigrette ($13.75).
Hot hors d'oeuvres include seared diver sea scallops with hearts of palm, forest mushrooms and jus de viande ($13.75); escargots de Bourgogne in garlic butter and herbs ($10.75); and pan-seared imported langoustines with basmati rice, pearl onions, oven-dried tomato and red curry butter ($14.75).
Three soups are offered: chilled English pea, Roma tomato, celery root and red bell pepper soup with cheese sticks ($10.75); French onion soup au gratin ($8.75); and Louisiana spicy crayfish bisque en crožte ($12.50).
Salad choices include petite romaine with Caesar dressing and shaved téte de Moine cheese ($8.75); phyllo-wrapped baked Anjou pear and Roquefort cheese, mixed greens and spicy walnuts and pumpkin-seed vinaigrette ($12.25); and ring of Roma tomato salad with baby greens, grilled goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette ($12.75).
Rochat's signature dishes -- oven-roasted domestic rack of lamb with mustard and garlic sauce ($34.75), sautéed prime filet of beef with green peppercorn and cognac cream sauce ($29.75), and imported Dover sole sautéed Véronique (market price) -- are on the menu at Alizé, as well as sautéed free-range chicken breast stuffed with king crabmeat and served with an aged Madeira sauce, shiitake mushrooms and au gratin potatoes ($30.75), and sautéed Muscovy duck breast Charlotte with root vegetables, confit duck leg, Chambertin sauce and herb cannelloni ($29.75).
Alizé also features sautéed marinated cervena venison loin with wild mushrooms, creamed spinach, apple compote and dried cherry sauce ($35.75).
All of Rochat's restaurants offer a vegetarian dish. At Alizé, it's the seasonal risotto a la facon du chef ($22.75).
After dinner, a cart with a selection of imported and domestic cheese is offered ($11.75), along with a dessert cart ($9.75-$14.75). There's also the traditional souffle, chocolate or Grand Marnier ($10.75), and hot chocolate cake with chocolate truffle filling ($11.75).
Chef Michael Demers, former chef at Napa in the Rio, offers a different selection of specials each night. A recent evening featured such entrees as grilled shrimp risotto with black winter truffle ($26.75); pan-seared Chilean sea bass with green and white asparagus, prosciutto and sun-dried tomato coulis ($27); and sautéed Atlantic John Dory, pomme Chateau Rosti, sautéed spinach and saffron cream ($26).
Reservations are suggested.
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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