Dining at Caeser’s Palace

Caeser’s Palace

The word is out among foodies that Las Vegas has arrived as one of the most desirable dining destinations in the country. Red-hot chefs are falling all over each other to follow in the steps of Wolfgang Puck who hit gold with Spago and Postrio ten years ago. One of my favorite places to dine in Las Vegas has got to be the venerable Caeser’s Palace. Opened in 1966, Caeser’s took the entire Romanesque experience and turned it into solid gold. And now, after an extensive remodeling, the Palace is basking in a newly opulent glow and boasting a number of innovative and extremely tasty restaurants.

Why is this relevant to central Texans who visit our site? Because central Texas is one of the top feeder markets to Las Vegas (behind only southern California). I can personally confirm this. Every time we take the Southwest nonstop to Vegas, it is jammed full.
So, here are some of my favorites.

Bejing Noodle No. 9

Aside from a decor that is almost startlingly white, this restaurant serves up some of the most savory Bejing-style dishes I’ve had the pleasure to taste. The dumplings are numerous and offer some wonderfully nuanced flavors. I love the pork and shrimp Shiu Mai. The textures in this traditional dim sum favorite are wonderful and the pork blends with the shrimp so both ingredients hold their own. Chef Li Yu also has a special Pork and Chives Dumplings dish that offers six incredibly tasty pan-fried dumplings. The wrapping is on the thin side, and the flavors just burst out of these. I love to add a bit of chile oil.

Another fun dish is the Noodles with egg and tomato. The eggs are scrambled into the lo mein and a delicate tomato purée completes the dish. The flavors are simple yet quite compelling. I’ve never tasted anything quite like it. And if noodles or dim sum is not your cup of green tea, the menu boasts some uber-cool dishes like the Sautéed Diced Beef with Macadamia nuts. You want to talk about a confluence of major taste sensations? Then this is for you. Their signature Salt and Pepper Shrimp is another example of Chef Yu’s delicate touch on this classic and beautifully spiced dish.

The other unfailing plus at this restaurant is the service. They are a tad irreverent (which I like) and they have a sense of humor. My favorite server is Robert. Ask for him!

Payard Pattiserie and Bistro

Francois Payard is an award winning pastry chef who has created a replication of his New York classic bistro at Caeser’s just around the corner from the aforementioned Bejing Noodle. We first dined here several years ago and were immediately impressed.

The menu is on the smallish side: but it’s reflective of the French mandate that less is indeed more. And every dish is spot on. We know: we’ve tried virtually all of them.

Payard’s take on the Coquille St. Jacques is a good example. The gorgeous, plump scallops rest atop a bed of potatoes gratin along with a savory, yet nontraditional sauce (for this dish). Every bite is gastronomical bliss.

The Short Ribs are vintage Payard, done in a nice wine reduction with the jous. The celery root purée that accompanies the braised ribs is so good that small bites are mandated. And the Cheeseburger with a light peppercorn sauce is simply a delight. I watched it being prepared just a few feet away from our table and it came medium with perfect pommes frittes. The peppercorn sauce pushes this burger over the top.

The desserts are Payard’s true passion (not to discredit the rest of the menu). We tried a variety of Gateaux and Tarts and mon Dieu, they were amazing! The Vienne is an exercise in chocolate indulgence: imagine a dark chocolate mousse, orange marmalade and at the core, soft caramel! I attempted to share this with my wife but after the first exquisite bite, she became unusually selfish, to the point of removing my spoon from my hand, albeit gently.

The breakfasts at Payard are equally delightful. The Brioche French Toast is a must as is the Eggs Benedict on an uber-fluffy croissant. This can take the sting out of any loss at the tables or elevate the thrill of a win. In short, try Payard!

Rao’s

This is the replication of the famous Harlem eaterie Rao’s (hosted by Frank Pellegrino Sr. whom you’ll recognize as the FBI director if you were a fan of The Sopranos). Son Frankie Jr. is also there, fresh off his amazing run at Baldoria in New York (you can read about this in our reviews section).

The classic Bruschetta is a good place to begin. In addition to the usual fresh tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh basil they add artichoke hearts to the fire roasted and inordinately crispy french bread. Yum!

I also love the Baked Littleneck clams stuffed with seasoned bread crumbs. I like the Italian word for clam, vongole, as it rolls off the tongue. This dish rewards the tongue and all it’s pleasure sensors. Wonderful flavors.

The Fusilli with Sausage and Cabbage in a light marinara sauce is a variation of a dish I first enjoyed at the late Baldoria 11 years ago. The hot and sweet Italian sausage goes so well with the cabbage (done al dente) that when mingled the pasta, the confluence of flavors is riveting!

And who could resist the classic Linguine with Vongole? The clams are sauteed in garlic and served with the linguine in a white wine sauce. Add plenty of Pecorino parmesan and you have a dish that is vintage east coast Italian.

Of course, veal is a mainstay option at most Italian restaurants. The Veal Chop is pricey at $48 but worth every bite. The hot and sweet cherry pepper sauce that accompanies this pan-seared chop offers up an amazingly comforting taste profile that simply has to be sampled.

Mesa Grille

While Food Network folk hero Bobby Flay might be suffering from a bit of over-exposure at the moment, there’s no denying the appeal of his Mesa Grille southwest-style restaurant. The restaurant, located adjacent to the sports book and around the corner from the famous night spot Pure, is Flay going back to his passion.

The Roasted Corn soup is a great place to begin. This smokey paen to all things southwest is adorned with smoked chiles (of course) and tortilla strips. I love the flavors.

The Goat Cheese Queso Fundido is another version of a classic that’s not usually made with goat cheese. And that’s what I really like about this take.

The Rajas (roasted chili strips with seasoning) give this dish beautiful contrast and flavor accents. Way to go Bobby!

Another dish we can’t resist is the Blue Corn pancake with barbecued duck. There’s a classic Asian version of this dish but I equally like Flay’s take. The duck really takes on an entirely different flavor with the habanero sauce and the result is truly lip-smacking!

For entrees, I tend to default back to the New Mexican Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin. I use the word default because it’s really hard to make a choice from this way cool menu. The ancho chile sauce and bourbon with an amazing sweet potato tamale and crushed pecan butter are an incredible complement to this dish.

And I also recommend the Cornmeal Crusted Chile Relleno. The flavor profile of this Mexican classic is off the charts in Flay’s version. Imagine a roasted eggplant and manchego cheese in an unusual (for this dish) sweet red pepper sauce. I’ve never quite had a relleno like this and I’ve tried many. Kudo’s to Flay for this robust presentation.

Bradley Ogden

This is the namesake restaurant for this James Beard Foundation award-winning chef. He’s known for continuing the farm fresh and organic trend pioneered by the celebrated Alice Waters of Chez Pannise and this homage to freshness permeates his creative menu.

Ogden lights up his menu with dishes like the Roasted Chestnut soup adorned with honey crisp apples, jicamas, and a sneaky but lovely black truffle vinaigrette. I had two bowls of this on my last visit. The Braised Pork Belly with an astonishing amalgam of cornbread puree, collared greens and yes, hush puppies is absolutely off the taste charts it’s so good. This is an immediately and inordinately endearing dish.

And since we are still unable to purchase Kumamoto Oysters (from Puget Sound) in Austin do avail yourselves a favor and order this cold-water delight at Bradley Ogden!

The entrées begin and end with my ultimate favorites, The Chicken and Dumplings and the Duroc Pork Loin. The chicken is, of course, free range, and goes beautifully with the dumplings in a chicken broth and sweet potato hash and Belgian endive. it’s a tender and thoughtfully accessible dish with myriad and complimentary flavors.

The Duroc Pork Chops are the Wagyu Beef of the pork genre and are revered by pork aficionados. They are organically raised in northern Iowa and feature multiple loins along with that great bone-in flavor. And what better way to present these amazing chops than with a terrific mustard spaetzle and a garlic cheddar puree. I would expect nothing less from Ogden and he delivers in abundance!

I could go on but perhaps I’ve said enough for now. Clearly, the restaurants at Caeser’s are representative of some of the best preparations currently available to foodies. Write to me with any questions or log on to caeserspalace.com. Oh, and lest I forget, Celine Dion is back at Caeser’s.