So last year we went to Vegas in December to celebrate our four
month past anniversary at Bouchon. Well, where would we go this
year? It has been four months since our anniversary; we should
probably do something to celebrate. After eating at
CraftSteak and
prior to our disappointment at ‘wichcraft we had stopped by the
divided twin restaurants of Joel Robuchon. The first and more
expensive Joel Robuchon and the more reasonable L’ Atelier du Joel
Robuchon are separated by a wall and about 2X the check average.
Knowing we were trying to get to a few more places this year we
opted for L’ Atelier still expecting excellent service and
extraordinary cuisine. We weren’t disappointed on most accounts. The
interior of L’ Atelier (artist’s workshop) is both light and dark
with a lot of black and red that is all well lit. The best thing
about the space is we were seated at the counter right in front of
the open kitchen where we could watch the staff prepare each plate
with literal “tweezer” precision. This would prove to be both a
highlight and cause for disappointment. |
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The service started off friendly but varied through the evening. Our initial server was joined by a number of positive additions…and then there was his French manager. Pretentious, distant, less than helpful, he was wearing a suit I’m assuming was horribly expensive since it looked like it was ugly as sin our of the box and then he had apparently lent it to a guy who sleeps on a sewer grate to break it in. Oh wait, I already told you he was French, sorry about the redundancy. My apologies to the three or four French nationals who have broken the mold. The chef is also French but he’s not supposed to interact with the locals much. Everyone else appeared friendly and helpful.
Then starts the food. I ordered the Menu
Decouverte De Saison or Seasonal Discovery Menu which consisted of
nine courses and Steph ordered a number of things off of the ala
carte menu. First a basket of bread was set down on the counter
including flaky and crusty rolls as well as mini baguettes. Smeared
with French butter all three were great…if you managed to empty the
basket it would soon magically restore itself to a full status. An
amuse bouche was presented in a shot glass. Just so you know the
menu included the French (Cremeux de foie gras au Porto et son
emulsion au parmesan) but from here on out I will stick to the
English. The shot was a Foie gras parfait with port wine and
parmesan foam. Honestly, it shouldn’t work all that well but it
resulted in a smooth and intensely rich starter that just made your
mouth and brain kick start and prepare for a long ride.
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Steph’s first dish was the seasonal vegetable salad with each leaf, stem and root having been lightly dressed and singularly placed in the bowl. The flavors were distinct but married by the light dressing. She even ate the veggies she typically doesn’t care for. My first course was lobster on a turnip slice with sweet and sour sauce. Again, exceptional but rare combinations of flavors. I was getting really jazzed about our choice. I should mention that the discovery menu this night could be upcharged with some fresh Alba Truffles from northern Italy. We’re splurging right. My first plate to include the earthy slices of the “diamond of the kitchen” was the sea scallop cooked in the shell with chive oil and topped with micro oregano and Fleur de Sel or really expensive salt. The scallop was beautifully cooked and the fungus, salt and herbs kept the night rolling on towards unbelievable. Next I received an onion tart with smoke bacon, asparagus and parmesan. The tart itself, while a little hard to get through, had an amazing onion flavor which paired well with the bacon, greens, and cheese. Steph’s braised short rib then hit the counter. Accompanied by potato salad, parsely vinaigrette and fresh horseradish, the oddly shaped but fatty slices of rib were delicious. |
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Composed Veggie Creation |
Lobster with Turnip |
Look @ The Truffles Around the Perfect Scallop!!! |
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The next, an egg cocotte (baked in a light
mushroom cream) was one of the misses for both of us that night.
Steph had trouble with the amount of egg in the dish…I was hoping
for a little more flavor from the mushrooms or anywhere else. Even
the gorgeous truffles on top couldn’t save this one. |
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Egg Cocotte..ehh |
Stunning Pumpkin Ginger Soup |
Excellent Dover Sole |
A dover
sole with fried baby leeks and ginger hit the second fish course out
of the park. Steph’s next course was a veal ravioli with fried
artichokes. I think the pearl onions on that plate were the only
thing she didn’t eat throughout the entire night. You’ve come a long
way, Baby. |
Foie Stuffed Quail With Truffled Taters!!! |
Veal Ravioli |
Much Lauded Mash...I don't Get It |
Next I
had a choice of hanger steak or foie gras stuffed quail with
truffled mash. Uh…instant decision I had the quail which was
fabulously done and the truffled mash were topped with more slices
of the Alba’s making for a real treat. Steph’s ravioli had come with
a crock of the world renowned Robuchon mash, so I had to try. To be
honest I don’t get it. The butter flavor completely overpowers any
sense of potato and the texture is difficult to adjust to…smooth but
thick…like butter flavored paste. The truffles on the mash with the
quail made for a much better experience. |
We were
down to desserts, two for me, one for her. (Yes I shared, I’m not
completely heartless.) the first to hit the counter was the mojito
in dessert form. Fresh mint with white rum granite and lychee with
fruit slices and a lime cream, all served in a sugar rimmed glass.
This was my favorite dessert by far which surprised me. Bright and
acidic, unique but familiar, a great twist on a staple. Steph had
ordered the chocolate soufflé. Soufflés are not my favorite but this
was a good model of the form with a quenelle of vanilla ice cream
set into the poofy cake. The final dessert was a hazelnut dacquois
with a light mascarpone mousse flavored with almond liquor. Add in
the ice cream the chocolate tuile and sugary nutty garnish and you
had for a rich and satisfying end to the meal. |
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Now for the complaint. The night had started off so well, we really enjoyed almost everything we tried. What could possibly ruin that? Well after the diners to our right left for the evening they were replaced by two very average looking and arrogant women who began bantering with the staff focused mostly on food (they didn’t seem to know much), foodie name dropping (Wow, you went to another restaurant in Vegas?) and ham-fisted, grade school sexual come-on's. Now I don't really blame the diners...some people just have trouble maintaining their self-esteem. The staff, however, should know better! You are in an open kitchen surrounded by diners! You don't pick your nose...how 'bout you keep it in your pants? The last five courses were tainted by a game of are they just teases, or does my uniform mean I'm getting lucky, and a sophomoric one at that. The chef was apparently personally trained by Robuchon, I wonder if the training was 'food only' or if the man with the most Michelin Stars in the world also trains in horn-doggery. And if your whole life is about getting your schwerve on...just remember you still have other tables. |
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Ratings | |||||||
Food |
Service |
Ambiance |
What's Best |
What's Worst |
Overall |
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A | From A to D | From A to D | A+ | D | C | ||
No really, don't
bother...I'm not going to sleep with you, trust me. |
To Many to List | Men | What an Absolute Shame |