Columnist Muriel Stevens: Menu make-overs pass the taste test with flying flavors

Friday, March 27, 1998 | 9:38 a.m.

Two new Bally's chefs are revitalizing the menus and the food at the venerable Seasons and Al Dente restaurants.

The race to keep up with the changes taking place in restaurants nationally and locally means never letting up, not even for a minute. Long-established Las Vegas hotels are determined to keep pace.

At a recent tasting at Bally's that included Executive Vice President Paul Pusateri, Vice President of Food and Beverage Frank Rigley, Executive Chef Werner Zefferer and Director of Restaurants Ilario Pesco, I had an opportunity to meet the new chefs, and to sample a number of the new menu items.

Both tastings took place in the kitchens of the restaurants. We dined at tables that faced the cooking stations so we could watch the chefs as they whisked, sauteed and roasted.

Seasons Chef Michel Re is from Nice, France and has cooked in many locales, here and abroad. He brings to the table a variety of cuisines. Two years in Istanbul established his style of Mediterranean cooking, and of course, he excels at classic French and Nicoise/Provencale. He is also proficient in regional Italian and California cuisine.

There were touches of all in the dishes tasted in the Seasons kitchen: sauteed shrimp with truffle potatoes; peppered diver scallops; escargot Michel; tomato confit tart; capon en casserole; and roast Maine lobster. The sauces that accompanied most of the dishes were miracles of flavor and technique. Re is a master saucier. Each sauce was delicate, yet richly flavored. The flow was perfect, gently masking each dish, but not overpowering it.

Shrimp sauteed with white wine, garlic and chives were presented around a portion of mashed potatoes; in between the jumbo shrimp were a Chef Re original -- truffled potato chips. Paper-thin potato slices were sandwiched with a slice of white truffle, then fried. Formidable! The aroma of the truffle wafted from the dish before it reached the table. A basket of these sensational chips would be the ultimate accompaniment to a glass of champagne.

Peppered diver scallops were sauced with a beurre blanc flavored with dry vermouth and topped with salmon caviar -- a fried noodle nest, on the side, was soft, yet crisp. A mound of escargot nestled atop a breaded portobella mushroom was another of the chef's delicious, stylish dishes. His tomato confit tart featured roasted Roma tomatoes atop a round of puff pastry. How he roasts the tomatoes to elicit such a rich tomato flavor is a secret known only to the chef. He credits some of the flavor to the tomato essence that is used for the sauce.

Two entrees, capon en casserole and roast Maine lobster, were just a delicious introduction to the many new entrees the menus will include. In addition to the lobster meat, there was a lobster cake made from the leg meat, saffron-infused potatoes, snow peas and baby carrots; the capon breast arrived in a handsome white porcelain casserole. Big enough for two, it's meant for just one happy diner. The capon is cooked with tiny tomatoes, artichoke hearts and Kalamata olives. The result is a dish of great flavor. Resist the temptation to sop up the sauce with Seasons house-baked bread and you've got a good dish for waist watchers.

Al Dente Chef Craig Bianco comes to Bally's from Andriotti's at Harrah's. His credits include two years at the Culinary Institute of America and stints at a host of American restaurants. When we arrived at Al Dente's kitchen for the second phase of the tasting, it was the chef's task not only to present new dishes, but to pique our waning appetites. He was ready.

Scampi portobella was a mellow combination of grilled portabella mushroom, sauteed shrimp and a sauce of white wine and balsamic vinegar; carpaccio vitello made us sit up and take notice -- loin of veal had been gently seared, then chilled, then sliced wafer thin. The rosy pink slices of range-free veal were arranged on the plate petal-like, and centered with a small savory tuna salad made with capers, lemon juice, shallots and Italian extra virgin olive oil.

Chef Bianco's spinach ravioli are filled with fresh, bright green spinach -- the tender house-made pasta is lightly sauced with mascarpone cheese -- simple and delicious. Also tasted were pan-roasted veal tenderloin with artichokes, mushrooms and porcini sauce; and grilled fresh salmon, Italian-style, with white beans and basil.

Gluttony has no limits. We managed to taste a number of desserts from Executive Pastry Chef Dan Molchan -- warm apple tart with vanilla bean ice cream, creme brulee, chocolate persuasion -- a rich chocolate and hazelnut pate with vanilla sauce and a Grand Marnier Napoleon made with phyllo pastry. The much lower calorie phyllo has replaced the fat-laden puff pastry traditionally used, but at this point in our tasting orgy it hardly mattered.

The new Seasons and Al Dente menus are expected to be in place by Wednesday. Reservations are suggested for both restaurants. Call 739-4111.

Short orders

*Bagels N' More has opened a second location at Sahara and Valley View on the former site of Las Bagels. The new full service deli is a vast improvement. Booths line the walls of the restaurant, the deli and bakery counters are appetizing, and service comes with a smile. The baked goods are being made by Don Feldman, who was the former owner of the popular Rancho bakery. The challahs are gorgeous. Bagels N' More hours are: Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Orders may be faxed to: 222-2438.

*Sunset Station will hold a grand opening of its new Sunset Brewing Co. today from 4 p.m. This newest micro brewery features the Sunset Girls, bathing beauties who will be the logo reps for three new beers -- Beach Blonde, Red Bikini and Deep Dark Tan. Sunset Brewing Co. also features a 350-seat restaurant offering lunch and dinner, a cigar bar, and live entertainment Wednesday-Saturday.

*April 6 is the opening date of the Rio's posh new Chinese eatery, Fortunes. Geared to the Rio's Chinese clientele, Fortunes's Master Chef Chi Kwon Choi will prepare traditional Chinese cuisine with his own spin. Fortunes is lavishly decorated with marble floors, richly upholstered walls and Chinese artifacts worth a small fortune. Manager for Fortunes is Tang Lam. Craig Gilbert, the Rio's Vice President of Food and Beverage, said: "Fortunes is yet another example of the Rio's continuing dedication to redefining the fine dining experience in Las Vegas."

*Summerlin is celebrating the grand opening of Summerhill Plaza at Lake Mead and Buffalo. Home to a number of restaurants, speciality food outlets, and other businesses, Summerhill includes Grape Street Cafe, a delightful bistro and wine shop; Chin Chin Cafe and Market; Koo Koo Roo Rotisserie Style Chicken; Baja Fresh; Einstein Bagels; Poco Chile Shop; Northside Nathan's Pizza; New York Burrito; Power Smoothie; Dairy Queen; Elite Health Foods; and Starbucks. Additional businesses are scheduled to open in May.

*Mark Miller's Coyote Grill Room in the MGM Grand has translated its menu into Japanese and Chinese. The response has been terrific. Asian diners are thrilled to have menus in their own language. The menu is the same as the one in English. "No changes have been made in the dishes," says Grill Room partner/ chef Tommy Birdwell, and the customers love it."

*The MGM Grand is offering a number of show/dining packages. See EFX and have dinner at the splendid Gatsby's for $115, Tuesday-Saturday; Catch a Rising Star and a three-course dinner at Tre Visi Italian restaurant is $29.85 (plus tax and gratuity) -- a Tre Visi and Catch a Rising Star dessert package is $17.65; EFX and dinner at the Studio Cafe is $59.99. For show packages, call 891-7777.

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