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| - This is a review for the family-style tasting menu, which has left me wary of any other pre-fixed menus in the future. If it hadn't been for the attentive servers, this would have been an overall horrid experience.
My family and I were staying at the Encore, which is connected to the Wynn and thus Bartolotta. We made reservations earlier in the day and were told that "there would be no problem" in obtaining a window table to enjoy dinner with a view. It was our last night in Las Vegas, so we were looking forward to a lovely farewell dinner.
The glitches started when we were shown to an upstairs table (the dining room winds downstairs below). I mentioned that we would prefer to sit downstairs in the main dining room if possible, and we were led downstairs to a table not next to a window because all the window tables were taken. It didn't seem right that such a lofty restaurant could not accommodate a premade reservation, so I spoke to the manager, and after quite a long slew of conversation where she informed me that they "do not guarantee tables to anyone, as it's first-come, first-serve," she was able to provide us with a newly-cleared window table towards a side window.
First course:
Tiny clams: (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bartolotta-ristorante-di-mare-las-vegas-3?select=RouM6b8yd4ykkuGQcXtoUg#J-D2TGrEMktEjyym4V-TQw)
Octopus salad: (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bartolotta-ristorante-di-mare-las-vegas-3?select=RouM6b8yd4ykkuGQcXtoUg#DIsrPZq1yvtaLF8gmXFbLg)
Sicilian amberjack: (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bartolotta-ristorante-di-mare-las-vegas-3?select=RouM6b8yd4ykkuGQcXtoUg#2loWJ6zVuLxr79xd9HalUw)
Sea scallops: (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bartolotta-ristorante-di-mare-las-vegas-3?select=RouM6b8yd4ykkuGQcXtoUg#4l74lFN_CizmOrKtZJ0aQQ)
This was my second favorite course (after dessert) because the tiny clams were cooked well, not too rubbery, and absorbed the flavors of the sauce well. The octopus of the octopus salad was poached well, but the flavors were just lackluster and the fingerling potatoes were slightly undercooked. I personally did not enjoy the amberjack; the flavor was very strong and the flesh was a bit stringy. The seared scallops were fine, but one of them had the rubbery evidence of being overcooked. And my biggest pet peeve? The dishes were all lukewarm.. much like how I felt about this restaurant after this course.
Second course:
Tortelli: (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bartolotta-ristorante-di-mare-las-vegas-3?select=RouM6b8yd4ykkuGQcXtoUg#ve43cAl7j0zMfOK1Ku99Hw)
Sea urchin risotto: (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bartolotta-ristorante-di-mare-las-vegas-3?select=RouM6b8yd4ykkuGQcXtoUg#lL8ohuy-0YtySByk9bTedQ)
Rigatoni: (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bartolotta-ristorante-di-mare-las-vegas-3?select=RouM6b8yd4ykkuGQcXtoUg#DGetq5jr9MD3va1a3xBmZg)
Again, the dishes were all disappointingly lukewarm. The tortelli was hard and bland, as was the rigatoni. I don't believe these pastas were freshly made, and the flavors weren't cohesive. The sea urchin risotto was mediocre, and I generally adore sea urchin anything. The rice kernels were slightly undercooked, and I didn't get much sea urchin flavor in the sauce.
Whole grilled fish: orata (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bartolotta-ristorante-di-mare-las-vegas-3?select=RouM6b8yd4ykkuGQcXtoUg#hFVJxel60VheUzBJdD6kOQ)
This fish came as highly recommended by our waiter. I really disliked the texture of the orata; its flesh was mealy and incredibly bland, and the sauces (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bartolotta-ristorante-di-mare-las-vegas-3?select=RouM6b8yd4ykkuGQcXtoUg#WTjh9zIFMSM9Avx1UT3rog) that came with it overwhelmed the palate instead of complementing the fish.
Dessert course:
Gelato, sorbet, ice: (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bartolotta-ristorante-di-mare-las-vegas-3?select=RouM6b8yd4ykkuGQcXtoUg#HZRgerjZ0jizjvpJETANLg)
Mousse cake: (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bartolotta-ristorante-di-mare-las-vegas-3?select=RouM6b8yd4ykkuGQcXtoUg#J8zb4iFlZI6dMerm3LAm2Q)
Chocolate cake: (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bartolotta-ristorante-di-mare-las-vegas-3?select=RouM6b8yd4ykkuGQcXtoUg#rR6Q2H6JdasG834BT03TsQ)
Panna cotta: (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bartolotta-ristorante-di-mare-las-vegas-3?select=RouM6b8yd4ykkuGQcXtoUg#cHl8WSQ0KrfvBawpOP2pdA)
This was my favorite course, as most of the desserts were amazingly well made and harbored the lusciousness that I had expected of all the courses. I wasn't too impressed by the gelato, sorbet, and flavored ice because they tasted rather artificial, but the mousse cake was heavenly and probably my favorite. The chocolate cake was dense but good, and the sliver of dark chocolate tasted freshly made. The panna cotta had a lovely silky texture but was a little too liquidy, although the berry compote set it off nicely.
The tasting menu came out to be upwards of $150 per person, which is an atrocious amount to pay for mediocre preparation and unoriginal fare. I don't believe I'll be back.
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