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| - Brand was definitely one of the redeeming factors of staying at the Monte Carlo with a group on a strict budget -- good food was actually right there under our noses. Ballers for only a night just two friends and I dined here our last night to cap off our vacation in style. It was about time, too, because I had enough of McDonalds and Rubios from the Monte Carlo food court.
We strolled down to the lobby and got a table with ease from the foxy hostesses around 7pm. Brand is both a steakhouse and adjoining small lounge, with the steakhouse dining room separated from the casino floor by only a waist-high counter. I was already numb to the casino funk, so it didn't bother me at all. We were seated right along the counter, a prime location for people watching.
Steak, steak, steak, and more beautiful steak. I love steak and I might go ahead and say my 8oz filet mignon was probably in the top 20 best steaks I've ever had. They have all kinds of cuts, with or without the bone, and tons of sides to boot. Not quite the selection of beef at Alfred's in San Francisco, but pretty good.
The dinner special for two seemed like a good idea, but sadly, by the day after Valentine's Day they were out of it. My two companions split a hefty bone-in porterhouse and added on three sides ($9 a piece or 3 for $23).
For appetizers, we collectively split two cesar salads, kobe carpaccio, tuna tartare and a jumbo shrimp cocktaill. The cesar was good with whole pieces of romaine with homemade herb croutons. The kobe carpaccio was thin and buttery with capers, shaved parmesan reggiano and a delightfully bitter frisée thinly dressed in what tasted like a nice peppery balsamic, with a few slices of subpar brioche toast. The tuna tartare was mixed with crisp jicama and it came with brioche toast and a bed of watercress. So far, so good.
My filet mignon was medium and had a proportionately flavorful seasoned exterior. Their porterhouse came with a bone about the size of my forearm and two sauces. Steaks come a la carte, so be sure to order something to go alongside. For $25 you can add on lobster to your steak, but it isn't a lobster tail! It's like a lobster in a thick cheesy, buttery gravy sauce. Still good, still plump, it just took us by surprise. For sides we opted for the asparagus, mushrooms and the hashbrowns. The asparagus was my fave, perfectly tender with a white dipping sauce. The mushrooms were earthy and good and the hashbrowns looked like little triangle-cut club sandwiches with bacon in the center with sour cream on the side; I didn't get to eat one because I was so full, but they made for great leftovers.
Brand isn't obscenely opulent nor expensive like many restaurants in Vegas. I felt it was a great value for the money, the staff was professional and attentive and it was easy to walk in without a reservation. In addition to the two steaks, lobster, three sides, three appetizers, two salads, we had one non-alcoholic beverage, two cocktails and one glass of wine, and our bill was $240. With tip, we spent $100 per person and left stuffed.
Now, they do have one special I would like to see someone order... Brand has a 120oz steak, meant to feed six people, for $267. If one person can finish it by themselves, it's on the house! AMAZING!
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