Craftsteak (2,) Las Vegas NV

My blog in September of 2008 ended something like this. “All told, the food was excellent, though not any better than steakhouses like Nero's and Mastro's where I can get what I ask for. From a chef that demands perfection, I felt Craftsteak was anything but perfect and in a city with hundreds of hundred-plus-dollar meal options it would be very difficult for me to justify a return visit. While I certainly didn't expect the exquisite service of Le Cirque or Alex, I do expect my server to treat me with respect and do his/her best to make my experience memorable.”

As previously stated, after complaining to the GM (at that time a Mr. Jason Bartucci) with hopes that future visitors would not deal with such service we were provided a profound apology and an offer to refund the cost or to come back for a compensatory meal on the house – at the time I declined these options but on further review, a year after many fine dining experiences, I reconsidered. In a city with so many great options I would not generally be the sort to ‘forgive and forget,’ but returning with my two friends – both who love steak – and remembering how good the food was I made contact with the restaurant through the MGM website. While Mr. Bartucci (and our server) had apparently since been dismissed from the restaurant, my e-mail was answered by the new General Manager, Sebastien Vallet, who invited the three of us back for the chef’s tasting with wine pairings on the house.

Arriving just before 9pm, once again clad in hockey jerseys and jeans following a fantastic Frozen Fury XII at the MGM Arena, we made our way through the waiting crowd (a 2 hour wait for persons without reservations) to the podium where the hostess confirmed our reservations and personally escorted us to a booth in the back, chatting casually about the Kings and Avs eating at Craftsteak the night before as we walked. Again the restaurant lighting remained super low – something I consider unfortunate given the attractive appearance of the dishes, but the seats were again incredibly comfortable. Taking our seats we were almost instantly met by Mr. Vallet, a gregarious and friendly man in a great looking grey suit (vastly differing from the black/white clad servers,) who promised us a fantastic meal and confirmed that I did not eat beef while my friends most certainly did.

Within moments our waters were filled – bottled water without even requesting, and our server and his assistant came to our table to once again confirm likes, dislikes, and anything we may need. In order to not belabor service issues too much I will note a couple of issues here that, despite their obviously being overly attentive to our table, were less than impressive. First, while Sebastien stopped by multiple times, our server spent vastly more time at a table of well clad businessmen while the assistant served as our primary server throughout. While not “unfriendly” our assistant’s grasp of the English language was poor at best, wines were not described as presented, and this was officially the only restaurant on my trip to Vegas where I had to fill my own water. Another service issue presented itself later, but otherwise I have to say the team clearly “went out of their way” to please us – yet despite that fact, the service at Mastro’s, CUT, Carnevino, and myriad other fine dining establishments vastly outpaced Craftsteak – their “average” being better than Craftsteak’s “best.”

Similar to our previous visit the menu format consisted of a course of appetizers, a course of mains and sides, and a course of desserts. With the only questions prior to the meal being my distaste for steak and whether “scallops were acceptable” we started off rather quickly with a aromatic 1997 Californian Chardonnay (I had to ask to see the bottle as it was poured in silence.) Not a drinker I have to admit I liked the flavor of this wine and my companions agreed. Arriving shortly after the wine was a pan of their salt-topped butter rolls with additional butter. As good as before these are serviceable rolls for a steakhouse but I’d certainly not write home about them compared to Mastro’s, Cut, or Nero’s myriad options.

Arriving as we chatted and drank our wine the first course of this visit to Craftsteak was two salads and a roasted option - Caesar Salad with Fresh Anchovies, Heirloom Tomatoes with oil and Vinegar, and Roasted Vermont Quail with Vincotto. Beginning with the salad – as my friends don’t enjoy Anchovies I was fortunate to be able to indulge on all three fishes myself – tossed with the creamy Caesar dressing and crisp lettuces this was a good Caesar and the house made croutons were excellent. Following the salad, the tomatoes were as good as the dish last year (the exact same dish, actually) with a mild olive oil and balsamic marinade bringing out the acidic and sweet flavor of each of the 6 varieties. The final appetizer, the quail, was perfectly roasted with crispy skin giving away to supple and savory flesh. Offset with Vincotto and Rosemary plus Thyme the simplicity of this dish allowed the flavor of the meat to shine for itself and showed what excellent ingredient sourcing can do for even the most “simple” presentations.

Finishing our appetizers along with the first wine we again sat for a bit awaiting our second dishes. Browsing around the restaurant I was amazed at how many hockey jerseys were present – clearly not the “business casual” Craftsteak desires. Arriving from our assistant server without any description (approximately 1 minute later our main server showed up to tell us what the dishes were) our mains and sides were served with a red wine of which I’m unfamiliar and neither myself nor JT enjoyed – Brad thought it was decent. Featuring mains of a 16oz Ribeye, a 12oz Skirt, and Divers Scallops with Fennel and sides of Yukon Gold Potatoes, Sweet Corn, and Wood Roasted Asparagus this is where the other service issue came up. As previously noted, I don’t eat steak – that doesn’t mean my buddies do not eat scallops. Featuring only five scallops (we received three of the exact same dish as an appetizer last visit) and my friends each deserving to try at least one I explained to our server that this wasn’t acceptable and, surprisingly, met some resistance – apparently my thin frame made him think I can’t eat. Asking if any other fishes were available I was told only tuna – again the same prep I’d had last year (there was lobster, I saw it on another table, but clearly they weren’t giving this away) and inquiring about birds or pork I was told only chicken (I know they had duck and pork loin, I saw the nightly menu) so I requested the chicken. Consenting, begrudgingly, the server asked if we wanted anything else and I emphatically stated some mushrooms would be nice. While it took about 15 minutes to prepare, the dishes were indeed brought by yet another server – someone who actually smiled (aside from Sebastien.)

Getting into the dishes – well, there were a lot of repeats. The scallops were excellent, buttery, and well prepared once again with the fennel only enhancing the dish, not overwhelming it. A mix of woodsy mushrooms were again simply presented and delectable in taste – oil, garlic, rosemary, and with a particularly excellent lobster mushroom and meaty hen of the woods as highlights. The corn and potatoes were equally simple yet wonderful with the corn almost 'sugar-sweet' and the potatoes velvety, buttery, and wonderful.

Talking about the novel dishes for this visit – well, per usual I set aside my overall distaste for beef when someone tells me a particular cut is amazing. With both my pals bragging the Ribeye I tried a 1/2 piece and a similar cut of the skirt…they tasted pretty much the same, like beef – I still don’t get it – c’est la vie – my friends loved it and that is what matters. For myself, the highlight of the mains was definitively the Crispy Rosemary Chicken – clearly brined and likely rotisseried with subsequent braising in the pan in which it was served the dish was accompanied by a couple sprigs of rosemary and accents of ginger. While not quite as good as the prep at Bouchon earlier in the morning an excellent chicken dish. Pairing the chicken with the garlicky asparagus – perfectly tender yet snappy, was a nice compliment.

Collecting our plates – nothing but bones and a few scoops of potatoes our server commented “wow, you fellas can eat – lets see how you tackle dessert.” With JT already rubbing his belly I figured we’d be leaving some sweets on the table – and I was right. First receiving our final wine pairing, a heavy and sweet dessert wine that I cannot recall (but tasted much like a sauterne) and myself opting for coffee – a decadent and heavily fruit nuanced blend from Kenya that is grown specifically for CraftNYC we sat and waiting for only about 20 minutes before desserts – desserts aplenty – arrived.

Starting first with fruits and sorbets – two plates, one with sorbets of Chocolate, Mango, Orange Basil, and Strawberry and another with fresh fruits - Dates, Asian Pear, Melon, Peaches. Not a fan of the melon or the mango I quite liked everything else – particularly the non-creamy yet decidedly chocolate sorbet and the perfect dates.

Getting onto the four (yes, four) primary desserts – first off, Tom’s signature Cinnamon Monkey Bread with Pecan was as good as ever. Secondly, a unique item I’d not experienced in the past – a chocolate Flan served with fresh whipped cream and a chocolate cookie. Not unlike a chocolate gelatin in texture, yet creamy like an untorched crème brulee both Brad and I liked this a lot while JT thought the texture was “odd.” Next, Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Blueberries and crème fraiche ice cream was deemed the favorite by both my companions – rich and heavy, not unlike Junior’s in New York, and topped with a sour ice cream that blended perfectly with the sweet berries and mellow cake – it was indeed quite good and a buttery cookie at top and bottom added texture. Finally, my favorite of the dessert - Fig compote with Polenta Shortcake and crème anglaise. Featuring a sweet polenta cake baked crisp atop and soft beneath sitting in a crème anglaise and topped with a port-poached fig compote this dish reminded me of the best fig newton you can imagine – adding a bit of the cinnamon whipped cream from the flan only served to make things better.

When it was all said and done only some melting ice cream and the melon rested on the table – and JT’s mind was blown by the fact that someone taller and skinner than him could eat nearly twice as much as him. Not a “fine diner” JT conceded that Craftsteak was possibly the best meal he’d ever had and despite being very full he was happy. Brad, the same person who dined with me last time at Craftsteak, was also pleased though he noted that the steak he received last time was somewhat better. Myself – I was pleased with the food again, but still less than sold on the service given the fact that they were clearly “doing their best” and still seemed a little less than in-step with other restaurants of their caliber. When it was all said and done Mr. Vallet stopped by to see how everything had been and I told him it was good – because it was. It simply wasn’t “great.” Leaving a nice tip for our service team (perhaps had they known we’d be leaving a good tip the primary server would’ve been more available) we made our way out of Craftsteak for the last time. Impressed enough that I plan to check out Craft the next time I’m in Los Angeles or NYC, Vegas has plenty of other options in the meats market and if I were attending repeats I’d head to CUT or Carnevino first.

Craftsteak, Las Vegas Nevada

A fan of Chef Colicchio's simple approach to locally grown high end ingredients and a general appreciation of great food and "vegas-y" steakhouses I was very much looking forward to our experience at Craftsteak - so much so that we left the Los Angeles Kings game (my favorite team since age 5 and the reason we came to Vegas in the fist place) with 10 minutes to go in order to arrive for our 9:30 reservation. I must say, in a weekend that included meals featuring the vision of Stratta, Keller, and Ducasse it was only Colicchio who failed to impress.

Dressed in hockey jerseys and jeans, much like 50% of the MGM that evening, my friend and I arrived approximately five minutes early and checked in. While our reservations were clearly listed on the sheet, the hostess gave us an odd look and suggested our table would be ready "in 15-20 minutes." While I realize Craftsteak tries to be "fine dining," I doubt we were under dressed given the multiple persons inside wearing lounge shirts and jeans, but regardless her attitude was less than enthusiastic. Given the wait, I wished I'd have stayed for the end of the game.

After approximately 10 minutes our table was ready and we were led through the surprisingly huge and equally dark restaurant. While there is certainly something to be said about mood lighting, I much prefer "soft" light like Alex or Spago Beverley Hills compared to darkness like Lola or Mastro's. Seating was comfortable and the table was huge. The decor was heavy with lots of dark woods and the noise level was excessive, but certainly not annoyingly so. As we sat,
water was filled and menus were delivered. All was well so far and then things decidedly went down hill. While the food was certainly good and ample in portion, the service, feel, and attitude left A LOT to be desired.

First off, our waiter (Team #6, Cashier JR T) did not introduce himself for 15 minutes, actively avoiding eye contact when it was sought. Thankfully the water and bread servers were on the ball. When the waiter did introduce himself it was as though it was an epic hassle for him to explain the family style menu. Additionally, though the MGM site lists $100 and $110 menus with chefs vs. personal selection, the waiter acted unaware of these entirely. When he finally
did concede that the site had these options, only the chefs choice was offered.....and stuck to.....without question.

While the online menu suggests three mains, three salads, three appetizers, three sides, and three desserts we were only offered the option of two appetizers with all other items to be selected for us. When I attempted to order the scallops and the foie we were informed that both were out of stock. Fair enough, the place was busy and my buddy already ordered his 10oz Filet cooked rare so I opted for the Yellowtail Tuna with olive and tomato cooked as rare as possible. These choices made our waiter disappeared and we were brought the much hyped bread and butter. While the bread was good, it certainly wasn't on par with the similar version
served at Table 10 or Delmonico and the butter was rather cold.

Salads arrived in a matter of minutes and consisted of the Butter Poached Diver Scallops with Fennel (I thought they were out?,) Satur Farm Mixed Lettuces with Olive Oil and Vinegar, Heirloom Tomatoes, and Prosciutto San Daniele. Admittedly all dishes were good with the scallops and Heirloom tomatoes being particularly excellent. The scallops were butter braised and lightly poached with a perfect sashimi-style inside and lightly crisp exterior. The tomatoes were amongst the best I've ever tasted with a mild olive oil and balsamic marinade bringing out the acidic and sweet flavor of each of the 5+ varieties...as my buddy does not like tomatoes I was given the bulk of these lovely items and was grateful to oblige.

Soon after the arrival of salads and appetizers we were brought our mains and sides which consisted of the aforementioned 10oz Fillet and Yellowfin Tuna with Olive and Tomato tapanade, Whipped Yukon gold potatoes, Mixed Mushooms (Lobster, Hen of Woods, Shiitake, Chanterelle) in Garlic, and Sweet White Corn. As was the case last year in Vegas my buddy got me to try a piece of steak which he claimed was better than the Grade 12 A5 Waygu at Alex....it tasted merely like beef to me but he claimed it to be the best steak he'd ever tasted. My tuna was quite excellent and cooked flawlessly with the interesting contrast of sweet tomatoes and bitter/briny olives forming an excellent medley of flavors. Not the best yellowtail I've experienced, but certainly fantastic.

Like the mains and appetizers, the sides were delectable and featured a stockpile of woodsy mushrooms simply presented and delectable in taste - I was particularly thrilled to get such a large lobster mushroom as it lags behind only a morel as my favorite fungi. The corn and potatoes were equally simple yet wonderful with the corn almost 'sugar-sweet' and the potatoes velvety, buttery, and wonderful.

The meal was slightly sabotaged here, once again, by our server who committed multiple mistakes.

Number one: My friend ordered a half bottle of wine for $65. Once again in his avoidance of us the waiter forgot (admitting this and apologizing later) until after appetizers were consumed and mains/sides delivered....and considering we were essentially rushed out the door by 11:15 (we received mains at 10:25) wine consumption was anything but leisurely.
Number two: More bread was promised.....it was never delivered. When sides were given and we were asked "is there anything else you would like?" I stated we'd like to try the Sweet Potatoes.....they were never delivered.
Number three: Well, read on...

Dessert was next and given my love for bread pudding and souffle (and the rave reviews I'd read of each) I specifically explained to my waiter, in great detail, that these were my favorites and that I'd heard good things about the versions at Craftsteak. In response to my accolades the waiter simply noted "we do lots of great things" and proceeded to serve us NO bread pudding or Soufflé. Admittedly the desserts that were served were quite good and consisted of melon and fresh strawberries with grape and raspberry sorbet, Cinnamon Monkey Bread with Pecan
Toffee and Caramel Ice Cream, and Chocolate Lava Cake with Espresso Ice Cream. While the melon and grape sorbet were misses for both of us, the Monkey Bread was sublime and tasted like a more natural and more delicious cinnamon roll while the chocolate cake simply oozed with delicious filling when poked and was quickly devoured by my friend who ate past the point of satiety just to finish the cake. Sure, these were good, but to rub salt in a wound the neighboring table received the souffle which looked amazing and I got a glimpse of the bread pudding being
enjoyed by a diner at the bar on the way out. All told, the food was excellent, though not any better than steakhouses like Nero's and Mastro's where I can get what I ask for.

From a chef that demands perfection, I felt Craftsteak was anything but perfect and in a city with hundreds of hundred-plus-dollar meal options it would be very difficult for me to justify a return visit. While I certainly didn't expect the exquisite service of Le Cirque or Alex, I do expect my server to treat me with respect and do his/her best to make my experience memorable.

While I'm not the sort to complain after a meal, my disappointment and hope that this wouldn't happen to future visitors led me to E-mail the restaurant my opinions. Two days later I was contacted by the General Manager with an apology and an offer to refund our entire meal cost. Feeling uncomfortable with this I politely rejected and simply told him I would very much appreciate if my thoughts could be forwarded to Colicchio himself as not to taint his beautiful concepts and cooking. The manager agreed to this and invited me back for "special" experience
on my next visit to Vegas and promised to make amends...I'll consider it, but honestly with all the options in Vegas and my living in Ohio I don't even know that I'd return for free.