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| - 4.5 STARS
Being a Top Chef fan, my bf and I were very excited to go to one of Tom Colicchio's restaurants. Being the hard ass that he is on the show, your food better be darn good to place your name on a restaurant. Craftsteak lived up to ALL my expectations and that shouldn't be taken lightly (I'm a very critical person that's very hard to please...)
On 12/6, being that it was the night of the De La Hoya and Pacquiao fight, it was PACKED. Luckily, we had reservations for 5:30 PM and were seated promptly.
I loved the super swanky décor --high ceilings with hanging lights, and huge decantors lined up on one side of the room which gave the room a dramatic effect. Not sure if because it was the week of the National Rodeo event, but they were playing country music which did not jive with the décor and was very off-putting.
On to the food...
My bf and I both ordered the Domestic Waygu 3-Course Tasting Menu ($130/person). Before our 1st course, we were given bread which tasted and resembled Pan De Sal. It was nicely toasted on the outside. Upon tearing it in half, the inside was light and fluffy.
First Courses:
*Diver Scallops: Very good, it was nicely crusted and tender. The creamy white sauce with a hint of rosemary was a perfect compliment.
*Kobe Tartare: Very good, the quail (?) egg yolk added an extra later of richness to the already buttery texture of the tartare. That combined with the warm, crispy crostini was a good combination of textures.
*Caesar Salad: Excellent, the best Caesar I've ever tasted. The dressing had the perfect amount of seasoning and kick. It had an intense depth of flavor to it without being too salty.
*Roasted Red Peppers: Eh, I'm not a fan of bell peppers in general, so I didn't care too much for this.
Main Courses:
*Kobe Skirt Steak: OMFG--MIND BLOWING!!!! Words can't describe how AMAZING this tasted. I'm not a fan of skirt steak; I normally go for the Filet Mignon or NY Strip. But, after tasting this cut, it has changed my mind forever about this cut.
It was cooked PERFECTLY; it was nicely charred and cooked to an exact medium rare. It was served on a caste iron plate surrounded by its juices. It was nice and crisp on the outside and SUPER TENDER and moist in the inside. It had SO MUCH FLAVOR (w/o being overly salty)--it was like an INTENSE EXPLOSION in my mouth.
The first time I had Kobe was from Lark Creek Steak where I was quite disappointed. But, Craftsteak's Kobe tasted nothing like this. No doubt about it, the ABSOLUTE BEST STEAK EVER!!!! If I had one last meal on Earth, this would be it!
*Kobe Strip: It was just ok...it wasn't tender and didn't have much flavor--disappointing.
*Sides:
-Mashed Potatoes: The BEST mashed potatoes I've ever tasted. It was whipped perfectly. It was super creamy and buttery; just way mashed potatoes is suppose to be. Again, it was very flavorful without being too salty (I'm very sensitive to salt).
-Asparagus: It was nice and tender. It was topped off with crispy lemon zests which gave the dish a great texture combination.
-Shitake and Chanterelle Mushrooms: Eh, could have passed on this one.
Third Course:
*Molten Chocolate Lava Cake Crusted with Macadamia Nut and Espresso Ice Cream: Very good; at this point, I was stuffed and spilling out of my dress, so I was only able to enjoy one bite. Upon cutting the cake, which was nice, and crisp, rich decadent chocolate oozes out. That paired with the rich ice cream led to a great combination of flavors, heat (hot/cold), and textures.
*Spiced Apple Cake with Maple Ice Cream: OMG GOOD! The cake was crisp outside and moist and light inside. It paired perfectly with the maple ice cream. Again, great texture and flavors. The ice cream had pieces of maple candy in it which took it to another level.
*Pineapple and Grapefruit Sorbet with Fresh Fruit: I ate most of this dessert, as it was light and refreshing. It was a great ending to the meal.
Service was impeccable and not pretentious.
BTW, the portions are MASSIVE. The two 3 course menus we ordered could have easily fed 4 people. I liked the fact that they mixed up our menu since we both got the same tasting menu. This way we didn't end up with two of everything.
If it weren't for the Kobe Strip which was disappointing, Craftsteak would have gotten 5 stars in my book.
The bill came to about $400 including 2 glasses of wine which was definitely worth it for the quantity and quality of food you receive.
All in all, we had a wonderful experience here from start to finish, and will ABOSULTELY be back here the next time we come to Vegas. Now I only wish Tom would open a location in SF...
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