Columnist Muriel Stevens: Second Street Grill is a first-rate experience

Friday, May 15, 1998 | 10:29 a.m.

The Second Street Grill in the Fremont Hotel, downtown, bills itself as downtown dining's best kept secret. Maybe so, but this excellent restaurant deserves to be better known.

Now 5 years old, Second Street Grill was one of the first to offer diners American dishes influenced by the cuisines of the Pacific rim. Hawaii's acclaimed celebrity chef Jean-Marie Josselin, chef-owner of the noted Pacific Cafe on Maui -- there are now two Pacific Cafes on Maui, one in Kaui and two in Honolulu -- was hired as consultant to the restaurant and created the first menu. Second Street Grill's Chef Rachael Breen, who was originally hired as a sauce cook for the restaurant's opening, trained under Josselin before her promotion to room chef. Breen says, "I get my inspiration from Jean-Marie when I make my annual trip to Hawaii."

I had an opportunity to taste many of the dishes on a new menu at a recent Cigar and Wine Reception celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Second Street Grill.

In the center of the comfortable dining room, a large hors d'oeuvre table was dominated by a splendid ice carving. The hot and cold offerings included crispy crab cakes, shrimp and scallop purses, assorted sushi, smoked salmon on crisp potato cakes, Chinese duck breast, sesame-crusted mahi mahi and an abundance of seafood nestled on ice, in the tray around the ice carving.

A carving station offered chateaubriand, and fresh salmon with a zesty chipotle barbecue sauce.

Additional foods filled tables spaced around the room.

Dessert was a refreshing trio of tropical sorbets elegantly presented in tall stemmed glasses, served at the table.

One of the evening's hosts was Robert Mondavi, Jr., the grandson of esteemed Napa Valley vintner Robert Mondavi. This charming young man manages the family's Napa Cigar company. He spoke briefly about the cigar company and the cigars, then offered Napa Cigar Reserve Petite Coronas at the reception. Later, there was Napa Cigar Pyramids with the after dinner drinks. La Famiglia di Robert Mondavi Pinot Grigio 96 and Robert Mondavi Napa Pinot Noir accompanied dinner; featured spirits with the cigars were Absolut Vodka, Boodles British Gin, 18-year-old Chivas Regal and Martell VS Fine Cognac.

Second Street Grill's new menu is now in place. The appetizer selection ($5.75-$12.95) includes the delicious Pacific-style crab cakes, ahi poke lumpia and shrimp and scallop purses enjoyed at the tasting.

All entree prices ($15.75-market price for lobster) include a salad, fresh seasonal vegetables, potato or rice, and sourdough bread. Among the specialities is an excellent Chinese roasted duck served with a blueberry glaze. Ask for the glaze on the side, as it was served at the tasting. The flavor of the duck is so good, I never did put the glaze on the duck. Another speciality, a whole Thai snapper, is seasoned with fresh ginger, offered wok-fried or baked, and served with vegetable tempura and a plum vinaigrette. Also available are New York, Filet mignon and 18-ounce ribeye steaks ($18.95-$21.95).

Chef Breen may get her inspiration from mentor Josselin, but she's also developed her own style, using fresh herbs, creating lighter sauces and including many Asian spices. "I've added more Asian influence to our recipes and presentations," Breen said, but I noted some dishes influenced by Italy and the Southwest, too.

Seafood selections are flown in "fresh-on-demand," adds the chef -- they come from Hawaii, Thailand and New Zealand.

A selection of desserts ($3.75-$6.25) includes a trio of creme brulee, a creamy macadamia nut cheesecake, sorbets served with fresh berries and raspberry coulis, a tropical fruit gratin, a Triple Chocolate Explosion and a non-traditional tiramisu with caramel and chocolate sauces.

There are many nice touches here. Coffee is freshly-ground and served from a French press. Our server apologized when I ordered decaf -- although made in the press, the decaf coffee is not freshly ground. The quality of the brew made in the press was so good, I would never have known the difference, but I appreciated the information. The staff can describe every dish on the menu. Another nice touch, especially for first-time diners.

Second Street Grill offers dinner Sunday through Thursday, 5-11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5-p.m.-midnight. Call 385-3232 for reservations.

Asian-European mart

Las Vegas now has its first ethnic food warehouse club. At Tropicana and Decatur, the International Market Place, owned by Joyce and Peter Kwan, was not yet completely stocked when I was there a few weeks ago, but there is already plenty of food and merchandise to choose from. There is 40,000 square feet of retail space.

Up until May 1, customers could shop at IMP without being members -- membership is $10 per year. Non-members still are welcome at IMP, but they pay 5 percent more than the shelf prices. Once fully stocked, the warehouse will feature Asian, European, Middle-East and Mexican foods, but the largest selection will continue to be Asian. IMP's customer base is mostly small restaurants, but prices to members are the same.

There is an endless selection of frozen and fresh fish, including: a tank with live Dungeness crab and shrimp; meats, including Smithfield ham; fresh produce; canned and packaged foods; an enormous selection of snack foods; juices and exotic beverages; and a marvelous selection of cookies -- large gift boxes of individually wrapped cookies were $10.59-$11.39.

All but a few items have the ingredient list and country of origin in English. The juices I tried did not include this helpful feature. The grape juice was on the watery side, but did include pieces of grape. Miles of refrigerated and frozen food cases are filled with exotic yogurt drinks, prepared dishes, dumplings of every kind and much more.

The non-food selection was just being put into place, but IMP carries everything from zoris to woks. A hefty jumbo wok, large enough to use on an outdoor grill, was just $8.99. At this price it's a fine bargain. The produce selection included many hard-to-find items. Galanga, the thin-skinned, ginger-like root, was just one of many. Not all of the produce was as fresh as the galanga, and prices for asparagus and other seasonal vegetables were on the high side, but bad weather in the growing areas has affected prices.

Watch out for the freezer section. Some of the fish had been piled well above the freezing line. Everything felt frozen, but exposure to less-than-zero temperature shortens the freezer life of any product. Dig deep for solidly frozen fish.

IMP is not a place you can rush through, at least the first time. Manager Jeanne Chekato is very accommodating and can answer questions. She's usually at the desk where members sign up.

IMP hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Short orders

*Bonjour French Bakery and Cafe at 4012 Rainbow Boulevard in the Von's Shopping Center has hired the baker from the recently closed Operetta Bakery. The croissants are outstanding and the Danish, made from the same dough, are the absolute best. The cafe is small, but attractive and shiny clean. Omelettes, quiche, sandwiches and salads at reasonable prices are offered. A sandwich on a crisp baguette is large enough to share. Pastries and coffees are available at any time. Hours are: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

*Vincenzo's Italian Cafe in Fitzgerald's Holiday Inn, downtown, will serve dinner only, through the summer. Dinner service at Vincenzo's is from 5-11 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Entrees are priced from $5.95; a bottomless bowl of spaghetti and meatballs is only $5.95. For reservations, call 388-2462.

*Fiore Rotisserie and Grill, Fortunes, and Antonio's restaurants at the Rio have new hours. All three are now serving dinner nightly, 6-midnight. Reservations are suggested. Call 252-7777 for Fiore and Antonio's; 252-7818 for Fortunes.

*The price of the breakfast buffet at Sam's Town has been changed to $3.99. Hours at Billy Bob's Steakhouse are now 5-10 nightly.

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