Columnist Muriel Stevens: Expanded menu warrants a visit to Tre’s

Friday, March 7, 2003 | 9:27 a.m.

Muriel Stevens' dining column appears Fridays. Her shopping and travel columns appear Wednesday. Reach her at (702) 259-4080 or muriel@lasvegassun.com.

Tre restaurant in Summerlin was abuzz with the news that "Mama Egi" was in the kitchen when I lunched there on Friday. Egidiana, the wife of Sirio Maccioni, founder of the famed Le Cirque and Osteria del Circo restaurants in New York and Las Vegas, is the matriarch of the Maccioni family.

All of the Maccioni offspring, Mario, Marco and Mauro are involved in the restaurants.

Egi is a superb Tuscan cook who created the menus for Circo New York and Las Vegas. Tre is the brainchild of Mario Maccioni. "Mama Egi" as she is affectionately known to her family and friends, was in Las Vegas to make some additions to Tre's menus and to visit her three grandchildren.

She was in the kitchen when I arrived, making the sponge (starter) for the loaves of Tuscan bread she would bake the next day. This rustic bread is a lovely foil for the flavorful seafood soups and stews sometimes available. Egi was using the recipe she had learned from her father.

It had been ages since I'd eaten the Italian appetizer, mozzarella in a "carriage" (carozza). It can best be described as a glorified version of fried mozzarella, only much better (and richer). The cheese is sandwiched between two slices of bread, batter-dipped and fried.

Egi had added anchovies (which I adore) with the cheese. As she said, "We can't eat this too often," but it was worth the indulgence. So was the the portion of pasta laced with Egi's sauce Bolognese. The meat sauce was so gently portioned that it just masked the pasta as it should. Delicious.

Egi left Las Vegas much too soon, but she'll return. Meanwhile we can enjoy Tre's expanded menu.

More salads have been added to the lunch menu and there are more sandwiches (panini) including a Mediterranean hamburger. Two pita sandwiches, heirloom tomato with grilled portobello mushroom and Fontina cheese ($10) and a humus pita with red onion, watercress and tomato confit have been added ($9).

There's lobster quiche ($16) and a roasted vegetable terrine with black truffle vinaigrette ($8). Lunch is offered Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

There's a larger fish selection at dinner: grilled Mediterranean turbot with cannelloni beans, sauteed skate wing with ricotta polenta and baby spinach ($22) and pan-seared cod with fresh porcini mushrooms and fingerling potatoes ($24). Fresh sardines pan-seared then set under the salamander is sometimes offered as one of the daily specials.

I can't wait to try the whole-wheat linguine with sardines and walnuts offered in half ($10) or full ($19) orders. Dinner is served nightly -- Sunday through Thursday, 5:30 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Tre is in the Boca Marketplace center. For reservations call 946-6200.

Bradley Ogden opening: Bradley Ogden will open his namesake restaurant at Caesars Palace on March 17. Ogden's style of American cooking has won him many awards, including being chosen as one of the Great American Chefs by the International Wine and Food Society, awarded the Golden Plate by the American Academy of Achievement, and been named Best California Chef by the venerable James Beard Foundation.

Ogden's philosophy is to keep things simple, use the best possible ingredients and to combine the flavors, colors and textures for the best results. His American cuisine succeeds on all counts.

April 10, Ogden will host a grand-opening party (by invitation only) that will include Las Vegas' newest celebrity resident, Celine Dion, Caesars' soon-to-open (March 25) starattraction.

New York's Stephen Hanson at MGM Grand: Entrepreneur and restaurateur Stephen Hanson has joined with MGM Grand to open a yet-to-be-named trattoria specializing in seafood, pasta and pizza at olio!s former location.

Hanson owns a number of winning restaurants in New York, including two Pan Asian Ruby Foos, two Dos Cominos (Mexican), four seafood restaurants -- Atlantic Grill, Blue Fin in the W hotel (their flagship), Blue Water Grill and Ocean Grill, Isabella's (Mediterranean), Park Avalon and the jewel in the Hanson crown, Fiamma Osteria.

New York Times restaurant critic William Grimes rated Fiamma three stars, recognition of the highest order.

Fiamma chef Michael White was just named Chef of the Year by John Mariani in Esquire magazine and gets more kudos in Food & Wine magazine's April issue.

"Olio! will become a Fiamma-like dining place, except it will be a moderately priced trattoria with some special features," said Hanson.

The ink was barely dry on the trattoria contract when Hanson hired as general manager, Clinton Clausen (previously at NOBHILL). Clausen has been in New York for three months learning how to run a restaurant the Steve Hanson way. Anticipated opening for the trattoria is June.

The peripatetic entrepreneur is this close to acquiring a 200-room boutique hotel in Scottsdale, Ariz., with a restaurant, of course.

The Animal Foundation fund-raiser: Piero's on Convention Center Drive was recently filled with animal lovers who showed up despite a torrential downpour. The bar area overflowed with silent auction items, including a dear little "rare breed" puppy -- part shibu and part inu. Don't ask me which parts. I'd never before heard of either breed. The appealing pup sold for $300.

On display were crafts and jewelry and gift baskets, including one with a survival theme that contained a gas mask, a filter for noxious fumes and all sorts of not-so-fun things. I didn't see any duct tape, but it was probably included. Lunch was a tasty event with an arugula salad with goat cheese and walnuts, ricotta and spinach-filled ravioli in a creamy sauce and custard-filled cream puffs for dessert. Event chairwoman Janie Greenspun Gale, announced that $10,000 was raised.

During March at the Lied Animal Shelter, which The Animal Foundation runs, pet lovers can adopt a dog for $27. The animals have been spayed and neutered, and have a rice-sized microchip in their shoulder for identification. Also included are three doggy obedience lessons. For more information call 384-3333.

Gladiators to cook at ESPNZone: ESPNZone at New York-New York is the place to be Tuesday for a cooking event like no other. ESPNZone is flying in its top chefs from around the nation to share some cooking savvy with members of the Las Vegas Gladiators and their coaches. At least 20 members of the team will participate in this culinary shenanigan.

The game plan is to show the players how to prepare quick, healthy home-cooked meals. OK, that sounds like a good game plan. It certainly should be fun watching these dainty darlings in their aprons doing a hands-on scrimmage with the ESPNZone chefs.

Trading in playbooks for cookbooks should be easy for these fast-running heavyweights. I don't know how much healthier they'll be after preparing the Zone's barbecue sauce, barbecued ribs, and lasagna made with ground beef and Italian sausage. Portions at ESPNZone are always humongous and so tasty -- that's a dangerous combo. Oh yes, they'll also have a recipe for a vegetable lasagna. It's an interesting version.

No matter, this is bound to be a groovy happening and admittance is free. So all you Gladiator fans show up at the ESPNZone at noon and root for the home team.

Transitions: Andre Rochat and Mary Jane Jarvis, owners of Andre's French restaurant and Alize at the Palms are jubilant about their new partnership at Alize with Chef Jacques Van Staden. Van Staden previously with the London Club at the Aladdin recently opened the Cafe and Mariposa restaurants in Neiman Marcus at the Fashion Show.

"Jacques is an amazingly gifted and fabulous chef. I think, together we're going to make an impact on the Las Vegas dining scene," Andre said.

Add to the mix the gracious Claude Cevasco as manager/partner and it's a terrific team.

Romano helping at Charlie Palmer: If the chef at Charlie Palmer Steak at the Four Seasons looks familiar, that's because Joe Romano was formerly executive chef at Aureole at Mandalay Bay and Charlie Palmer Steak. Romano is helping out his longtime friend, Charlie Palmer, who was in need of an interim chef.

Short orders

8-0-8 in La Jolla: Jean-Marie Josselin, with the blessing of Park Place Entertainment, has opened an 8-0-8 in La Jolla, Calif. The Las Vegas 8-0-8 is at Caesars Palace. I'll be in La Jolla this weekend and will check it out.

Wild Sage opens on West Side: Wild Sage Cafe in Henderson has opened a second Wild Sage at 8991 West Sahara Ave. Lunch and dinner are offered. Lunch hours are Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday brunch is offered 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dinner hours are Sunday through Thursday 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. p.m. Same familiar faces (they take turns), similar menu and prices.

Executive chef is Ivan Wolcott. Chef Wes Kendrick, whose banana fritters are awesome, is still the main man at Wild Sage in Henderson. For reservations call 304-9453.10Bradley Ogden's philosophy is to keep things simple, use the best possible ingredients and to combine the flavors, colors and textures for the best results. His American cuisine succeeds on all counts.

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