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| - Cali cuisine in Nevada. Why not. Balanced, fresh, with the appearance of being healthy. Ladies that lunch, not burgers and beer.
Note: This review is based on multiple lunch and dinner visits (breakfast in Vegas, isn't that called lunch?)
Food, if it sounds Californian, it's good. Skip steaks, skip chops, pass on burgers. Simples.
Standout starters include a toothsome grilled octopus atop a bed of fried potatoes topped by an earthy, nutty, peppery romesco sauce. Excellent balance playing off the bitterness of the octopus. The Tuna tartare, vibrant and refreshing. Ginger, cilantro, soy and lime give it a great aroma and acidic zing, creamy avocado for richness and toasted quinoa to add welcome texture.
"My Wife's Favorite Salad" an excellent interpretation of the classic arugula salad with duck confit topped with earthy pine nuts, tart cherries, and a light poached egg. Duck fat and egg yolk; the perfect dressing.
For mains, the caramelized scallops are excellent. Perfectly cooked, no little golf balls here. The puree of cauliflower with vanilla and truffle sauce work so well to enhance the sweetness and oceanic flavor of the scallop while cloaking the dish in an earthy perfume. My only complaint is how UGLY the presentation; a splat of pure, scallops tossed in, sauce dumped on the plate. "Mary's free ranged brick oven chicken" over a kale and Anaheim pepper mac and cheese, very good. Simple, well cooked chicken, moist and flavorful. The mac and cheese rich with a good backbone of bitterness from the kale. Complex. Perfect foil.
If there is any weakness, it's the pizzas. They are correct but uninspired.
Comfortable space with a homey feel. Friendly off Strip service. Even better off Strip prices. Family friendly.
Listen. Not a single sound of a casino. Ahhh.
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