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| - Vegas has quickly become the Mecca of celebrity chef eateries. You'd expect Wolfgang Puck and Jose Andres to be here, of course, but Chefs Gordon Ramsey, Scott Conant, Christina Tosi and Chris Santos all have eateries here, with rumors of more to come from leading lights like Alex Guarnaschelli. So when I heard that the "Muscle Chef," Robert Irvine was coming here, it wasn't exactly a shock. But experienced fans and foodies alike know that you NEVER go to a restaurant on Opening Week. You give them a chance to work out all the bugs and the kinks FIRST, and then try it, so that if stuff still goes wrong, at least you know it's not because of 'premiere jitters.'
So we finally found our way to the Public House, and WOW. It was everything I expected and more. Besides the fantastic view of the Strip, with the MGM Grand directly across the street, the food was definitely all that and a bag of hickory chips. Those who follow Chef Robert know that his particular M.O. is taking comfort food classics and putting a healthier spin on them. (To look at the man, you'd think he only survives on huge haunches of mutton or beef.) So the grub was everything associated with the Irvine brand and then some.
Take the poutine, for example. When you hear the word, if you've had it before, you know what to expect: hot, cripsy fries smothered in rich gravy and ooey-gooey cheese curds. Chef Irvine's version still has the ooey-gooeyness thing going, but he dials it back with marinated and grilled sliced Shiitake mushrooms and onions and fresh greens, with tender, shredded pork subbing for the usual crispy bacon bits. With just a taste of the curds still asserting themselves, the meaty goodness of the pork and 'shrooms informs the app in a way that finds you not missing all the extra calories!
And can I get a witness on the French Onion Fondue? They just need to bring a LOAF of Ciabatta bread to the table to go with, because the fondue itself is so damn good, you WILL finish it off with a spoon once the bread slices are gone...trust and believe!
Where Bear had the fish and chips for his main course, (and one taste told me to order THAT on our next visit), I stuck with the Shepherd's Pie. It was lovely enough, but a little on the dry side, because I was missing the gravy that comes from mixing a roux in with the natural juices of the meat - in this case, ground lamb. I mean the mashed potato crust does provide texture and moisture, and I know it skirts the extra calories. But not having the gravy was my only...'BEEF' with this dish. (Sorry...)
The 'Banoffee Pie' was something I'd never heard of before, so that was my go-to for dessert. Light, fruity, with just a hint of the toffee within, it's the espresso ice cream that finally sends you into Sugar Nirvana, instead of Sugar Overload.
Our wait person, Raimonda (sp?) was funny, knowledgeable and kept the drinks and recommendations coming...not to mention that she walked us out and made sure we had her card before we left. Now THAT is customer service!
We don't frequent the Strip THAT much, but we'll definitely be requesting seating in her section, the next time we're back down there.
Overall, Chef Irvine shoots and SCORES with his new digs! You should go...like yesterday.
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