CarneVino – Carne, not so much. Vino, not so much

CarneVino – Carne, not so much. Vino, not so much

Photo by Las Vegas Sun

Stayed at The Venetian for a conference and was thrilled by the many dining options available to me on the premises.  After some consideration, I opted to dine at CarneVino, a dining establishment by Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich.  I was excited to make this meal my ‘high-end’ meal while in Last Vegas and was pleased to see the space when I arrived.

I had reservations and was told to visit the bar until my table was available, which ended up being 45 minutes later.  Not a great start to a relaxing, memorable evening, but still acceptable since the company was good.

Initially, the service appeared above-par with our head waiter being very attentive and helpful with menu options.  My guest and I ordered starters, and I opted for a mid-range bottle of wine.  The waiter came back a few minutes later to say they were out of this wine.  I was slightly annoying, but I selected a second one and the waiter quickly went to retrieve it.  He came back minutes later, after the appetizers had already been served, to say that this second bottle was also not available.  At this point I’m aggravated and select three other bottles that hopefully the waiter can find.  We waited more than five minutes, staring at our appetizers, for the new wine to arrive – not good.

The starters, the beef Carpaccio ($18) and the steak tartare ($22), were outstanding, but before we were through, the waiter arrived with our entrees and laughed off that they came out a bit faster than he’d anticipated and proceeded to place them on the table, after pushing our appetizer plates to make room.  My guest was now annoyed and I could tell dinner was probably ruined – not good.

Our entrees were the bone-in NY strip ($61) and the mixed grill ($62) a selection of interesting-sounding meats.  Both were not up to par for a restaurant with the word “carne” – meaning meat in Italian, in its name.  We’re foodies and some of the items in the mixed grill were barely eatable.  The steak was not cooked rare as ordered and completely under-seasoned.  Hate asking for sea salt in an upscale restaurant, but I did here – not good.

Needless to say, we skipped dessert and called it a night after getting the $296 check (excluding gratuity).  In a town with an endless array of fine dining establishments, there’s really no reason to visit CarneVino.  Want a great steak?  Visit SW Steakhouse at Wynn or hidden gem BOA Steakhouse at the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace – good.

PS: I am a fan of Batali and Bastianich’s other restaurants.  Tip – turn down the hard rock, which I’m a fan of, quite a bit to allow guests to relax and enjoy the handsome space and comfortable atmosphere.

CarneVino

The Palazzo Hotel

3265 Las Vegas Blvd, South

Las Vegas, NV 89109

702-789-4141

 

Casa Mono – Spanish Tapas and Wine Eden

Casa Mono – Spanish Tapas and Wine Eden

Photo by ZagatBuzz

Casa Mono is a cozy Spanish tapas restaurant in Gramercy Park and the brainchild of Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich.  The superb cooking is creatively prepared by chef Andy Nusser.

The first thing you’ll notice when you arrive at this restaurant is that the space a small.  Not small as in “I’m going to feel claustrophobic and won’t be able to hold a conversation with my dining partner(s)”, small as in “This place is great!  I’m going to get to rub elbows with other enthusiastic diners while watching the action in the open kitchen”.  The place has so much energy that diners immediately begin to relax upon being seated.

The food at Casa Mono is served tapas-style – small plates meant to be shared among guests.  Dining in this manner allows for a completely interactive experience for the diners who can share what they’re tasting while trying several dishes they’d normally not have the opportunity to sample.

The menu at Casa Mon is extensive.  There are around 40 tapas to select from, and one sounds more appetizing than the next.  Some clear winners are the snapper crudo ($16), the pumpkin and goat cheese croquetas ($9), the soft shell crab with gazpacho dressing ($16), the pulpo with fennel and grapefruit ($13), and the lamb chop with garbanzos and harissa ($16).  There are also four strong dishes prepared from whole Hudson pigs that are crowd pleasers: a charcuterie plate ($18), pork belly with salsa Jamaica ($16), pork croquetas with green tomatoes ($15) and the chorizo with spring beans and aged Manchego cheese ($16).

Casa Mono Tapas

The snapper crudo is served with micro greens and a tangy dressing that’s worthy of praises.  The pumpkin and goat cheese croquetas are fried to a perfect crunchy dark brown exterior and feature a great balance of sweet pumpkin and tart cheese.  The soft shell crab has a thicker batter coating similar to English fried fish, that could have been lighter, but was served with a flavorful gazpacho sauce.  The pulpo is served with shaved fennel and sections of pink grapefruit and might be the winner at Casa Mono.  The baby octopus in this dish are tender and perfectly cooked and pair beautifully with the licorice fennel and the sweetly acidic grapefruit.  The lamb chops are expertly cooked to a medium rare and are ultra flavorful due to the addition of harissa.  The pork dishes can’t be missed, specially the moist chorizo served with a generous sprinkling of aged Manchego cheese.

There are several desserts offered at Casa Mono like the bread pudding with pear sorbet ($9), the burnt vanilla custard ($9) and the chocolate torte with apricots ($9), but the focus is on savory options at this establishment.

Casa Mono offers an extensive Spanish wine list by the cuartos de vino (small carafe with enough wine for two pours), the copita (smallish Spanish sherry glass) and the bottle. Some recommendations are the 2009 Santiago Ruiz Rias Baixas – a complex Albarino blend perfect for shellfish ($46 for a bottle), 2009 Ameztoi Rubentis Rose Getarioko Txakolina – a great example of Spanish rose ($17 for a cuartos de vino) and the 2009 Pazo Senorans Albarino – a versatile creamy, floral wine ($19 for a cuartos de vino). Sample servings allow diners to try several of the affordable Spanish gems featured on this list.

Casa Mono is a Certified Two Star Green Restaurant in accordance with the Green Restaurant Association’s rigorous guidelines, and a hot spot that foodies shouldn’t miss.

52 IRVING PLACE

NEW YORK CITY 10003

212.253.2773

www.casamononyc.com