Dinner at Cut

 Our dinner started with a nice selection of breads. We each chose a couple and these were mine. The pretzel roll was warm, soft and delicious. I had two. The other was a soft, moist bread with caramelized onions on top. It was very good also. They were served with a pad of butter with sea salt sprinkled on top. This was a good start to our meal.

Next came the appetizers. I chose the Bone Marrow Flan, Mushroom Marmalade and Parsley Salad. It was served with toast points. This was a little over the top for Dawn but she did try it. I thought it was rich, creamy and very beefy. I've had bone marrow before and this version was the best. Usually its very fatty and greasy, but made into a savory flan it takes on a creamy texture. Very good but very, very rich. You can't eat much. The mushroom marmalade was a nice accompaniment that cut through some of the richness of the flan.

 Dawn and I ordered this one to share. It is a Maple Glazed Pork Belly with Asian Spices, Watercress, Sesame-Orange Dressing with Huckleberry Compote. Overall, while i thought this was good, the pork belly was a tad chewy and I'm just not a huge fan of sweet and savory together. I'm glad we tried it, but would probably not order it again.

Here is Dawn's Maryland Blue Crab & Carolina Shrimp "Louis" Cocktail , Spicy Tomato-Horseradish. The shrimp and crab were made into a kind of seafood salad mixed with a remoulade sauce. Under that was a layer of avocado and on the bottom a horseradish panna cotta. We both liked this one. It was creamy, savory and tasty. I would order it again. Dawn even liked the fresh tomatoes. 

 My Entree. A Tasting of New York Sirloin. On the left is: USDA Prime Nebraska corn fed, dry aged 35 days. In the middle, American Wagyu / Angus "Kobe Style" Beef from Snake River Farms, Idaho. And on the right, True Japanese 100% Wagyu Beef from Saga Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. This was fairly pricey ($135) but it was my birthday and Dawn encouraged me to get what i wanted so i did. I would put this beef up with the top couple of steaks I've tasted if not at the top. The USDA aged beef had better flavor then anything i have tasted. It was rich, beefy with a great charred crust. Wow I'm getting hungry typing this. The American Wagyu in the middle had the best combination of flavor and tenderness and was my favorite of the three. True Kobe is pretty strange. Very rich and fatty but in a good way. When you chew, it basically just dissolves in your mouth. It reminded me of sea urchin if you've tried that. It only came with 2oz of the Kobe but with the richness that was plenty. Dawn tried them all and I think the USDA aged was her favorite. All in all a great group of steaks that were fun to compare to each other.

 Here is a closeup of the American Wagyu and the Kobe Beef. You can really see the fat marbling in the Kobe. If it looks grisly it isn't. It's melt in your mouth tender.

 Dawn went with seafood and chose the Pan-Roasted Maine Lobster with Black Truffle Sabayon. We both agreed it was the best lobster we've had. It was cooked perfectly and the Sabayon was fabulous for dipping in. The presentation was pretty neat. It came out in the shell and claws. The waiter de shelled and plated it table side. He even asked if she wanted the roe...which Dawn declined.

 One of our sides and the dipping sauces that came with my steaks. The potatoes were a Yukon Gold Puree.  They were creamy and good. Honestly I don't remember much about the sauces. The steak was so good it didn't need anything. I tried the one of the left, it was the house made steak sauce. It was good but a bit sweet. I believe the middle is the Argentinean Chimichurri. I can't remember what the one on the right is.

 Another side dish. Cavatappi Pasta "Mac & Cheese" with Quebec Cheddar. Outstanding mac and cheese! I wish i wouldn't have been so full but i just couldn't eat much of it.

Dessert. They surprised me with a free dessert for my birthday. It was a raspberry cake with ice cream on the side. Tasty.

Dawn had the Banana Cream Pie, Creme Brulee, Caramel Sauce and Banana Ice Cream. It was a very good banana cream pie but i think i would give Emeril's the top spot in the category.

Two happy diners getting ready for the meal of a lifetime.

Cut is a restaurant at Palazzo I've wanted to try for quite awhile. The first "fancy" restaurant I ate at was Spago back in the 90's. I've wanted to try another of Wolfgang Puck's restaurants since then and finally got a chance to. I'm glad we decided to give it a try. Al Mancini (a Las Vegas food critic) recommended it to me on twitter. I'm glad I listened to his advice Everything we had was top of the line. I don't know how a steak could get much better. Everything was so good and rich.  The service was very good with out being overbearing. Our head server was very friendly and chatted with us often. The complimentary dessert was a great way to end the meal. This was a very pricey meal for us but if i had another chance to eat here i would jump at it. A truly upscale and delicious dining experience. Well done Cut and Wolfgang Puck.

Here is a link to the menu if you're interested in prices or other items.

Al Mancini is @AlManciniVegas on twitter