rev:text
| - Whoa. "Hello Ron. What's a classy guy like you doing in a greasy joint like this?"
Although I have fond childhood memories of Arizona Charlie's when I was a kid, those days are looooooong gone. Now, it reeks of cigarettes and Depends...and I cringe every time mom asks me to meet her there. So you can understand how I cracked my jaw on the floor when I walked into this spot.
The scene opens: Dark, sultry chocolate walls, and red über modern decor. Dim romantic lighting. Enter surprised patron stage left.
Unlike the ambiance, however, the staff are still old school Vegas servers - it is AZ Charlie's. I personally like that. Polite, unpretentious and relaxed service made this entire meal perfect. Karen was our waitress and she was great.
Food: First up, a trio of breads (one sweet like raisin nut, one with a parmesan crust, etc) and a complementary trio of butters (sweet cream, garlic herb, cinnamon something-or-other).... Delicious!
Their salad was presented very artistically, wrapped in a long luscious wafer-thin cucumber slice, and their house dressing was OMFG delicious!
Lobster bisque was OK... Too salty, but huge chunks of lobster. Mmmmm.
Filet mignon Oscar was perfect. Simply perfect. They use some kind of savory rub that was even beyond what I expected. As others have said...the risotto side is tasty.
Deserts were the standards...creme brûlée, etc. nothing spectacular.
So add all this up and you get a solid steakhouse experience, at muuuuuch less than you'd pay on the strip. (most entrees were under $30).
A hidden gem, and a straight up shocker for AZ Charlie's. Holy moly. I'll be back.
|