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| - This review is for Sunday's Jazz Brunch. I'm a fan of Chef Carlos Guía and hope to come back to sample his vegan dinner menu. I know he's an amazing cook. I was very impressed with the live music and the food, but service issues took away from the overall experience. I do expect 5 star service when I dine at the Wynn, as I think everyone deserves, and not just because you're paying for it. My recent experiences have left me disappointed, with the exception of Society, where the service is always outstanding and highly recommended.
I will start with the positive because I really did enjoy Jazz Brunch and I love the idea. The entertainment was fantastic: a jazz trio with a variety of saxophones, drums, percussion, clarinet, and maybe even an accordion, played a nice selection of Dixieland and some memorable jazz tunes. I haven't spent any time in New Orleans, but I could definitely feel the spirit! Being a bit of a woodwind geek myself, I enjoyed talking to David, the clarinetist, and finding out that we are both owners of alto clarinets, the mostly forgotten member of the clarinet family. The band performed next to the buffet table in the main dining area and later out on the patio. We had been seated in the back dining area, where the band paused for a second before continuing out onto the patio. I guess my table and another two-top didn't qualify as a crowd worth playing for. I was wishing that we had selected outdoor seating, as you enjoy a beautiful view of the Wynn golf course waterfall (with no one playing on a Sunday afternoon) with Las Vegas in the background and the patio is kept cool with a water misting system.
As for the food, this is not your average buffet. There was a station of carved meats and hot plates of delicious grilled vegetables (chayote squash, sweet red onions, fennel, peppers) and tricolored roasted peewee potatoes outside on the patio. I really enjoyed these with the mustard flavor of the creole remoulade sauce. Inside, you will find a selection of soups, salads, cheeses, seafood and tons of shellfish, a table of desserts and breakfast pastries, and a weak attempt at a table geared towards kids. Maybe children who are dragged by their parents to stuffy country clubs for a golf outing do enjoy crudités, fruit and nut granola bars, and yogurt parfaits; this is not my area of expertise, but I'm sure they sip on scotch and demand the finest caviar. Fortunately, I only saw one child in the restaurant. Unfortunately, her crying was prominent in the background of the lovely jazz music. I was very impressed with the cheese selection and tasty accompaniments including fresh kiwi-strawberry jam and candied walnuts. My husband was happy with the seafood ceviche, which always makes me happy. We both enjoyed the tomato and fresh mozzarella salad. He went crazy over the croissants, and I'm a fan of the cinnamon rolls. The Le Rêve bar was my favorite from the dessert selection; it really is a chocolate lover's dream.
For the entree portion, your server presents you with a menu of items that you order from the kitchen. Unlimited servings are included with the brunch price. The hot food is prepared fresh instead of sitting on a buffet table. The portions are slightly larger than tasting size, but not overwhelming if you feel like sampling several options. My husband came in with a goal of trying caviar, so he ordered the eggs Versailles, the only dish featuring American caviar. He enjoyed the poached egg on brioche with smoked salmon and Hollandaise sauce, though I can say it's the first time I've ever seen him eat an egg like that. His verdict on the caviar experience? "Salty," (just like I told him), but I think he liked it. I really liked the french toast bread pudding with candied walnuts and maple syrup (my second favorite dessert), as well as the sides of potato hash with roasted red peppers and onion and the tasty Southern grits-- so creamy and buttery!
I loved the food and music, but I felt let down by the service. This was not a well-attended brunch on the Sunday that I visited, but the restaurant was very well-staffed with two managers. When I asked our elusive server if it had been busy earlier in the morning, he remarked that things were just starting to pick up, around 2 pm. Two tables, really? I saw too many servers walking around, rearranging silverware, while I gazed at my empty water glass. I fear our server was on a perpetual 15 minute break. My coffee was served just barely warm. My husband had to ask more than once for juice refills and I ended up reminding our server to bring my side of grits. Having worked in restaurants, I'm familiar with the too much partying that happens on most Saturday nights and the mentality where no one is happy to work Sunday brunch. To deliver an outstanding Jazz Brunch experience, you're just going to have to look a little more jazzed. Why not include a complimentary mimosa in the $59 price tag to give the illusion of better service?
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