Postrio's lush design.
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I don’t think there can be any better accolade for a restaurant than to have the luxury globetrotter from the TV series, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” make it a base for his dining odyssey. Robin Leach, host of the now in syndication show, lives in Las Vegas full time and you can see him on a regular basis dining at Postrio, a Wolfgang Puck emporium ensconced in the Venetian Hotel along the replica of St. Mark’s Square.
It took Wolfgang and gang ten years to bring his top-of-the-line cuisine from San Francisco’s Prescott Hotel to Las Vegas, but the wait was worth it, and at a reasonable price that makes it affordable for those of us that are neither rich nor famous.
I took my Irish dining partner, Elyse, to this fine establishment just to check out the American slash European slash Asian cuisine that we had heard has notable tantalizing influences. Be sure to dine in the dining room and not the café (unless you want the Lobster Club sandwich, served only in the café) when making reservations for Postrio. The dining room is elegantly designed by Engstrom Design, with that strong European flavors bursting out, such as the jewel-like lighting and plush velvety interiors.
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Postrio has two dining areas, plus a Café.
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Another reason I was dining at Postrio was because I had heard so much about the restaurant from one of our Jetsetters Magazine writers, Rob LaGrone, whose brother, John LaGrone, is the Executive Chef and Associate Partner at the Vegas dining venue. I knew a tip like that would not lead me astray.
The LaGrone’s grew up on a northern California farm and chef LaGrone attributes his cooking talents to his mother, Lynne. The LaGrone farmboys know what fresh food is like compared to frozen or vacuum packed or canned crapola; John picks the best ingredients from producers and farmers in the land to produce his magical culinary wizardry, such as hand-made Parmesan-Potato Gnocchi with Oregon Chanterelles, Fennel-Crusted Yellowfin Tuna, or the Grilled Prime Côte de Boeuf.
Appetizers
Mussels, above,
The other white meat, below.
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John is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, and while at the school he was offered a position at Wolfgang Puck’s original Postrio. LaGrone graduated from the Academy with honors in 1991.
In 1992, LaGrone moved to Las Vegas to help open Spago at Caesars Forum Shops, under Las Vegas Corporate Chef and Partner David Robins. In the four years LaGrone worked at Spago with Robins, he further developed his culinary skills and learned efficient management techniques. This experience provided him with the background to help open Spago Chicago as kitchen manager in 1996.
LaGrone returned to Spago Las Vegas in 1997 and one year later, he was promoted to Executive Chef at Chinois (another Puck restaurant), where he worked alongside Co-Executive Chef Joseph Bennett. In December 1999, LaGrone opened Postrio Las Vegas as Executive Chef.
With this promotion, LaGrone is responsible for overseeing culinary operations at one of Puck’s newest Las Vegas restaurants. Along with Robins, LaGrone has created such delightful debut entrées as: Shellfish Platters with Pacific and Atlantic Oysters, Lobster, Stone Crab Claws, and cracked Dungeness Crab served with a trio of sauces; Smoked Lobster Club Sandwich with apple smoked bacon and arugula on grilled country bread; and Wild White Salmon en Papillote with herb de Provence compound butter.
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Order the appetizer array!
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For our dining this evening, the fine looking Irish lass, Elyse, chose for starters the Oysters on the Half Shell with Chilled Shellfish Platter ($14.95) that included Calm Cove, Washington State Oysters, Maine Lobster, Alaskan King Crab, and two mignonettes of Poached Shrimp with four sauces — for two!
Elyse is a light eater so she passed on the first course while I reveled on the Roasted Squab Tortellini in fennel broth, crisp pancetta, green tomato, and shaved Italian black truffles.
For our entrées, Elyse took the Mesquite Grilled Prime Beef Tenderloin with the famous Postrio Parmesan-potato gratin, served with young asparagus, micro watercress, and Balsamic onions. While our wine steward, Juan, from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, served yet another round of Australian Grant Burge Barossa Shiraz, I chose the pan-seared Atlantic Salmon, with roasted fingerling potatoes, tomato confit, green beans, Nicoise olives, and citrus Gribuche.
The Kobe Flat Iron Steak.
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My eye did notice the Grilled Kobe Flat Iron Steak served with salt-baked Yukon potatoes (I never knew potatoes would grow in the Yukon.) and roasted vegetables, Maytag Cheese in Chimichurri sauce. I bowed away from the Kobe Steak knowing that Elyse is such a light eater I would have to polish off a portion of her tenderloin — another reason for the expanding waistline.
Other great entrées on the dinner menu included: Traditional Provençal-Style Bouillabaisse with Manila clams, black mussels, Gulf shrimp, calamari, roasted tomatoes, saffron-fish broth and served with grilled bread; Free Range Chicken Breast 'Saltimbocca' with green tomato risotto, rapini, crisp prosciutto, roasted pepper relish, in a red wine glaze; Roasted Vermont Farm Raised Quail with wilted mustard greens, Oregon wild mushrooms, crisp potato cake and Beluga lentils; Peking-Style Roasted Duck with warm sesame crepes, Asian vegetable salad, plum wine with ruby grapefruit sauce; Pan Roasted Dutch Valley Veal Chop with Rosemary polenta, warm bacon-green bean salad, toasted pine nuts, and citrus Gremolata.
Postrio Café on St. Mark's Square.
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The restaurant has an extensive wine and drink list (view the list), too, including Robin Leach’s favorite, Champagne (Perrier Jouet "Grand Brut)!
Reservations are recommended at Postrio because other "Rich and Famous" gourmands are most likely enhancing their dining lifestyles here, too: 702/796-1110.
Postrio is open seven days a week: The Café is open from 11:30 a.m. — 10:00 p.m. daily; the Dining Room is open from 6 p.m. — 10:00 p.m. nightly. Prices in the Café range from $16-$24 per person while the dining room averages about $48 per person (food and beverage). The restaurant offers two private dining rooms with a separate bar. The Café is great for lunch because it is on the St. Mark’s Square patio, a great place to watch people go by; you actually feel like you are in Venice!
— By Kriss Hammond, Editor, Jetsetters Magazine.
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