| rev:text
| - Just about the smartest thing Jamie W. and I did on our trip to Vegas this past weekend was rent a car. Last time, we were stuck on the Strip with either extravagantly expensive restaurants trademarked by brand name chefs or the $6.99 Prime Rib special. Nothing in between...nothing. Driving eight miles west of the Strip on Sahara Drive, you can find a stylish, low-key bistro in the middle of a strip mall. Yes, a strip mall. It's called Rosemary's, and there wasn't a sign of an obnoxious out-of-town gambler in the entire place.
So here's the deal - $55 for a three-course prix fixe dinner, and you don't have to get two desserts. Instead, we went with three appetizers, two entrees and shared one dessert. Bonus points to Rosemary's for allowing such flexibility for the more peckish diners. It ended up being a whole lotta food, and most of it really good. We automatically got two big rolls on our bread plates, a Glazed White Chocolate Pecan and a Potato (see photo). Freshly baked and very tasty. We tried to save one for the dinner itself, but it was hard. Then we were given an amuse-bouche, a little square of Vegetable Bread Pudding with Shaved Chives that was a homey, heavenly pop in the mouth.
The appetizers turned out to be a bit more hit-and-miss. The Twice Baked Parmesan Souffle with Garlic Cream Sauce and Saute of Wild Mushrooms (see photo) was impeccably presented but could have used more kick and texture to offset the excessive creaminess. The prawns in Hugo's Texas BBQ Shrimp were really succulent covered with the thick barbecue sauce, an unusual mix that mostly worked, but the Maytag Blue Cheese Slaw was just a little too mayo-like to fully enjoy (see photo). I think a vinaigrette would have worked better. The winners among the appetizers had to be the Panko Crusted Crab Boulettes with Emulsified Ravigote Sauce and Grandma's Sweet & Sour Cucumbers (see photo) where the crunchiness of the boulette's outer crust went very well with the relish-like sauce.
There was nothing wrong with the Arugula, Endive & Radicchio Salad (see photo) except for the fact that it was completely overshadowed by the showy appetizers. Our luck significantly improved with the two entrees - the Creole Grilled Prime Ribeye with Anson Mills Carolina Quick Grits, Crystal Red Onion Crust and Rosemary's Own Steak Sauce, and the Grilled Veal Tenderloin with Saute of Asparagus, Prosciutto & Maitake Mushrooms and Roasted Garlic Reduction Sauce (see photos). Both were excellent - especially the way the meat was prepared, very tender and flavorful. Jamie and I were pretty full by this time (...we already had a to-go box ready for the leftover meat), but we couldn't leave without trying their Pecan Tart with Brown Sugar Ice Cream. If that wasn't enough, they left us a little plate of little cookies with the check (see photos).
As good and abundant as the food was, it was really the attentive service that was most memorable about the meal. There seemed to be a trio of guys who were making sure we were served at exactly the right time and refilling our water glasses before they were empty. I kept imagining how much this experience would have cost if the place was in the Bellagio or the Wynn. So is it the Strip or a strip mall for you? Let your palate and pocketbook decide.
FOOD - 4 stars...some dishes soared, a few flailed a bit in execution, but the meat was very well prepared
AMBIANCE - 4 stars...quiet, dim lights in the main dining room...the typical romantic spot
SERVICE - 5 stars...truly stellar
TOTAL - 4 stars...a very solid four stars overall for Rosemary's
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)