Restaurant News

    Looking for a classic New York style steakhouse while in Las Vegas?  Smith & Wollensky definitely fills that bill.  First opened here in 1998, this establishment combines dining excellence with classic ambience.  The house features fine dry aged meats and fresh seafood, accompanied by an array of side dishes, soups and creative salads.


    The executive chef, John Piccolino, underwent his formal training at the Culinary Institute of America. Since graduation, he has honed his skills by working at various upper echelon restaurants throughout the country, including the Hilton in Atlantic City, the Playboy Hotel & Casino in Dallas, the Adolphous Hotel in NYC, and ten years as the executive chef at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, before taking his current position with Smith & Wollensky.


    Smith & Wollensky actually represents two different restaurants combined into one.


    The main dining room offers the most formal dining experience.  Although a large restaurant by any standard, (it has three stories of dining areas!) the floor plan is divided into several dining areas with the result that none of the individual rooms is overcrowded with tables.  This results in a more intimate dining ambience.  White formal tablecloths, hardwood floors and discreet, indirect lighting add to the classic flavor of the place.  The restaurant has two separate bars discreetly located away from the actual dining areas, so that customers may enjoy libations while waiting for a table or after dining.


    The dining room’s menu features a plethora of filet mignon options, ranging in price from $40.00 to $53.00.  Other meat options include free range chicken, rib-eye, sirloin, T-bone, New York cut, and lamb chops, and range in price from $22.00 - $47.00.  Smith & Wollensky serves only USDA Prime Beef that is dry aged and butchered in-house.  I have dined here several times and the steaks are large and mouth-watering.


   

    The manager informs me that at present there are currently a number of discounts on some truly special bottles due to the fact that they have only a few of these left and want to re-configure the wine list to account for new arrivals.   Ask your server about these possible bargains.  The wine list here changes quite regularly. 


    Remember to show proper etiquette when bringing in a bottle of wine.   To do so, follow these basic rules:  (1) always offer both the server and sommelier (or manager) a taste from your bottle and (2) include something extra in the way of tipping for the accommodation shown by the restaurant for having such a liberal policy on wine.


    Pinot Brasserie is open daily for both lunch and dinner.  For reservations or further information, call the restaurant at (702)414-8888.

                                 

Pinot Brasserie...

Smith & Wollensky...

The classic restaurant Smith & Wollensky on Las Vegas Boulevard across the street from the Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino...

The main dining room...

    For the seafood lover, the establishment serves grilled salmon, halibut, sushi grade tuna, shrimp and lobster tails.  The non-lobster dishes sell for less than $40.00.


    The dining room also has a dizzying selection of sides, salads and starters to complement the meal.  Two of my personal favorites include the home-made split pea soup and the sautéed mushrooms.


  Smith & Wollensky also has approximately 20 wines by the glass, and offers a good selection of half-bottles for the light drinker or the couple who cannot agree on which full-size bottle to order.  The management informs me that the wine list changes periodically.


    Conveniently situated at 3767 South Las Vegas Boulevard, right across from the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino, the restaurant has ample parking and extended hours of service.   The main dining room opens its doors from 5:00-11.00 p.m. daily.  The Grill opens at 11:30 a.m. and closes at 1:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 2:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.


Catering to the wine lover...

The sidewalk cafe of Smith & Wollensky’s Grill...

     The other restaurant within a restaurant is the Grill.  The Grill features an outdoor sidewalk cafe, which makes it an excellent place for people watching.  The interior has formal tables that run parallel to a long bar that runs pretty much the length of the room.  The bar here has television sets that make it a comfortable place to take in sporting events while having a great meal.  The menu is more abbreviated than the main dining room, but has an excellent selection of sandwiches, including French dip, hamburger, tuna burger, chicken, tenderloin steak, crab cake and even lobster.    The sandwiches range between $13.00 to $25.00 (for the lobster).


    Smith & Wollensky definitely qualifies as a wine-friendly establishment.  The  house allows carry-in bottles for a corkage fee of $25.00.  The wine list specializes in wines that complement the strength of the restaurant; red meat and seafood.  Thus the emphasis tends towards big red wines and Chardonnays.


    For example, the Chardonnay offerings include more than 30 different selections from California, beginning at $40.00 per bottle.  The most notable wines include Kongsgaard, Plumpjack, Newton Unfiltered, Williams Selyem, Rochioli and Pahlmeyer.  By the way, the most expensive Chardonnay, a Kongsgaard known as “The Judge”, received a 100 point rating from noted wine critic Robert Parker.

   

    As for red wine, the list includes a myriad of all major varietals from the United States.  It also provides a good smattering of wines from France, Spain and Italy, highlighted by some excellent wines from Bordeaux and Super Tuscans from Italy.  The California Cabernet Sauvignon list includes nearly a hundred different wines, with bottle prices ranging between $51.00 to $730.00.  The most prestigious of these include wines by Harlan Estate, Araujo, Hundred Acre, Ridge Monte Bello, and Spottswoode.


Juicy dry-aged beef as prepared at Smith & Wollensky...

Pinot Brasserie’s “sidewalk cafe” area...

The long classic bar of the Grill...

    Moreover, the restaurant has a very comprehensive wine list for those choosing to order wine off the menu.  Again, reflecting its French theme and influence, the wine list seems to focus most heavily on wines from that country, although it also lists many offerings from other regions as well.  They offer a fantastic choice of red Burgundies, including an excellent selection of hard to find bottles from the renown producer Domaine Romanée-Conti.  The wine list also features some very fine Bordeaux finds, including many first growths (i.e., Chateaux Margaux, Latour and Mouton Rothschild), Italian reds, California Cabernets, Pinot Noirs and Australian  wines are well represented on the list.  Most wines are very competitively priced relative to other area restaurants of the same quality.   Pinot Brasserie also has a wide selection of both red and white wines by the glass priced between $9.00 to $18.00.

    Smith and Wollensky sometimes stages special events, such as its famous “Wine Week” and monthly wine dinners, featuring specific vintners with paired foods.   Wine dinners will being again in January.  Vegas Wine News will post all such wine dinner events on the Wine Happenings page of this site.  For reservations or more information, call Smith & Wollensky directly at (702)862-4100, or go to their website at www.smithandwollensky.com .

    Situated on same floor as the casino at the Venetian Hotel & Casino, Pinot Brasserie has long provided a quiet, elegant place to dine and escape from the frenetic activity that transpires just beyond its doors.


    From its furnishings to its wine list, the restaurant has a definite French flair.  The red carpeting and classic décor reminds one of the traditional continental restaurant one might expect to find in Paris.  The primary dining room has a rather formal vibe, with white tablecloths and tables placed well apart from one another.  The effect makes Pinot Brasserie appropriate for that special night out on the town, for talking business, romance or any occasion requiring intimate conversation.  Adding to its ambience, for a lighter touch Pinot Brasserie also features a pseudo sidewalk café, where diners enjoying their fare can people watch.


    The youthful chef, Eric Lhuiller, took his initial culinary inspiration from watching chefs cook on television at a very tender age.  By the time he turned 16, Eric worked in a two star Michelin restaurant in France.  He received classical French education in food preparation before moving to the Untied States, and then becoming a full time chef.   His dishes reflect his French cuisine background.


   Pinot Brasserie has an eclectic menu, offering patrons a wide range of dining alternatives.  For the seafood lover, in addition to several fish options, they have a shellfish platter for two for $48.00.  Adding one-half a main lobster to the assortment of shellfish increases the price to $65.00.  Again, this is dinner for two persons. 


    For meat lovers, the restaurant features rack of lamb (an excellent choice with big red wines), roasted chicken, short ribs, and a variety of steaks.  Entrees range in price from $24.00 to $44.00.  Another favorite is the chateaubriand for two, which sells for $84.00.  Pinot Brasserie has a nice complement of side dishes, soups and salads to complement any appetite. 


    This restaurant really shines when it comes to the subject of wine.  In my humble opinion, Pinot Brasserie takes first place as the most wine-friendly fine dining eatery on the Las Vegas Strip, due its policy of not charging any corkage fee for customers who bring in their own bottle of wine. 

One of the formal dining rooms...