Las Vegas is known for many things. When it comes to food, Vegas was best known for its endless buffets. These culinary cattle-lines were designed to keep the gamblers moving, in hopes of getting them back to the tables as quickly as possible. Despite these endless buffets, a diner can find a great meal in Las Vegas among the seas of slot machines and neon. A good place to start is Old Homestead in Caesar’s Palace.
Brothers Marc and Greg Sherry, whose family has been involved with the New York and New Jersey operation of this famed restaurant, were hands on in all aspects of the Old Homestead Las Vegas launch. The Sherry’s meticulously select every vendor to insure that the diner is getting freshest, quality ingredients possible.
Case in point, we started our meal with the Kobe meatball and the fried calamari. The fried calamari were as good, if not better, than what would be served in the finest New England seafood restaurants. The batter was light and crisp, delicately coating fresh tender calamari. The Kobe meatball was equally as impressive, garnished with a modest dollop of ricotta cheese. The Kobe meatball fell apart with a touch of the fork exposing the fresh cut herbs used to prepare the meatball and accompanying marinara sauce.
For an entree, I decided to go with Old Homestead’s signature steak, a 16 oz filet mignon on the bone. The New York Old Homestead is located in the heart of the former meatpacking district. Suffice it to say, The Sherry Brothers know their cuts of meat. The filet was tender and flavorful. We ordered one medium rare and one medium well for comparison. Both steaks were cooked perfectly. Speaking of perfect, we paired the steaks with Opus One, Napa Valley 2006. Could this meal get better?
The sides were all phenomenal, the stand out was the potato gnocchi. Executive Head Chef Tim Henderson was happy and excited to give us insight on all of the foods preparation. Henderson prepares the potato Gnocchi with black truffle shavings and white truffle oil. Chef Henderson is bringing steak and potatoes to an entirely new level!
Old Homestead is a shining star in the midst of the neon desert. General Manager Paul Slagle seems to have assembled a probowl team of wait staff, sommeliers, and chefs. Old Homestead is without a doubt the finest dining Las Vegas has to offer. World class is the only way to describe this restaurant.
On a final note, do not visit Old Homestead without trying the cheddar-bacon dinner rolls. I would seriously attempt to live off those things.
