Dining pick of the week: Black Pepper Grill

MonteLago Village, Lake Las Vegas,
10 Via Brianza, 567-9950

Nothing piques an appetite more than outdoor dining, especially next to a lake. This setting, just about perfect during autumn, is available at Black Pepper Grill at Lake Las Vegas. Appetizers begin with onion soup, four-cheese spinach and artichoke dip with chips and salsa, Caesar salad, shrimp cocktail, meatballs in marinara sauce, seared ahi tuna with soy dressing over curry coleslaw and bacon-blue cheese salad with candied walnuts and red onion in champagne vinaigrette. Among the luncheon entrees are Kobe beef burger, spicy chicken sandwich, steak and frites, and crispy duck with apricot-chile sauce. Several sides are honey-glazed carrots, mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli or asparagus. Featured dinner entrees include 18-ounce, bone-in New York steak, chicken piccata, rack of lamb breaded with smoked paprika, fennel and ground cumin seeds, Atlantic salmon, 12-ounce balsamic rib-eye, coconut-crusted Chilean seabass, and surf and turf (grilled 7-ounce filet mignon with 6-ounce lobster tail). And if the setting really does pique your appetite, settle back and enjoy the 32-ounce seasoned and grilled Porterhouse. Luncheon entrees begin at $12 and dinners at $24. Black Pepper Grill is open from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and noon to 10:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday. -- Jack Bulavsky