Friday, May 9, 2003 | 8:31 a.m.
Muriel Stevens' dining column appears Fridays. Her shopping and travel columns appear Wednesday. Reach her at (702) 259-4080 or [email protected].
In addition to gifts, celebrate Mother by taking her out for a special meal Sunday.
Wolfgang Puck restaurants: Mom will be feted from brunch to dinner at Wolfgang Puck restaurants. Chef/partner David Robins has created an all-inclusive Mother's Day gourmet brunch buffet at Spago at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace offered from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Priced at $48 per person, brunch includes mimosas, seasonal fruits, Spago's own granola and yogurt parfait, muffins and a variety of bagels and such savory delights as smoked salmon, smoked sturgeon, caviar and cream cheese a variety of omelets, sun-dried tomato quiche, chilled shrimp, Spago's own charcuterie, pepper-crusted prime rib, garlic mashed potatoes, Chinois chicken salad and much more.
Postrio in the Grand Canal shoppes at The Venetian will offer two Mother's Day tasting menus, $45 or $65 (not inclusive) from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Dine on the patio or in the main dining room.
The $45 repast includes a glass of champagne, heirloom tomato and fresh mozzarella salad, Maine lobster ravioli with English peas in a lobster-tomato broth, a choice of grilled breast of chicken with wild mushroom risotto or pan-seared Alaskan halibut in lemon and caper sauce. Dessert is strawberry shortcake with champagne sorbet.
Included with the $65 dinner are a glass of champagne, an amuse bouche of Maine lobster bisque, house-smoked salmon on lemon-herb blini, watercress salad with d'anjou pears and candied walnuts. Pan-seared John Dory with fava beans and morel mushrooms and grilled filet of beef with Parmesan potato gratin and balsamic onion sauce.
For a sublime finish, Postrio's award-winning warm chocolate tart with crumbled toffee ice cream and vanilla creme Anglaise.
For reservations for the Spago brunch, call 369-0360; for Postrio reservations, call 796-1110.
Commander's Palace celebrates Mom and New Orleans jazz: Commander's Palace is featuring a Mother's Day Jazz Brunch for $35 per person that includes a flower for mother, toe-tapping entertainment, "eye openers," mimosas or Commander's Palace Bloody Mary, a choice of appetizer, entree and dessert. Children 12 years and under have their own three-course menu ($12). Service is from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Many of Commander's specialities are among the course choices, including seafood gumbo, New Orleans-style barbecued crawfish, shrimp remoulade, eggs Sardou, grillades and grits and Bananas Foster, a classic created by the Brennan family of New Orleans, which owns Commander's Palace. For reservations, call 892-8272.
Mother's Day at tre: tre restaurant at 1050 S. Rampart Blvd. in the Boca Park center will feature a Mother's Day prix fixe menu from noon to 8 p.m. for $28 per person. First course choices include endive salad with warm gratineed asparagus or a Caprese or classic Caesars salad or minestrone soup. Second course choices -- a frittata with Louisiana shrimp, spinach and new potatoes or eggs Benedict with Scotch-smoked salmon with sweet peppers and Hollandaise sauce or Grand Marnier French toast with warm berry coulis and maple syrup or grilled steak and eggs with tre fries or grilled salmon with vegetable couscous and a white wine mustard sauce. For reservations, call 946-6200.
Las Vegas Hilton and Benihana: On Mother's Day all women (with or without children) who dine at Benihana will receive a $15 gift certificate good for a future visit. Mothers will also have an opportunity to register for prizes, including a grand-prize trip to Las Vegas that includes airfare, a three-night stay at Las Vegas Hilton and dinner for two. If the winner lives in Las Vegas, Benihana will provide a gift package to another destination.
Benihana features such popular Japanese foods as hibachi chicken, sukiyaki, steak and combination dinners. All dinners include Japanese onion soup, a variety of vegetables, salad, hibachi shrimp and dessert. For reservations, call 732-5755.
Bonjour Casual French Cafe: Bonjour Cafe owners Marie and Bernard Calatayud will offer an a la carte brunch menu for Mother's Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Included are soups ($4.95 and $6.45) and such Gallic appetizers ($9.75-$11.95) as frogs legs Provencale and escargots with garlic and herb butter. Among the entrees ($13.95-$20.95) are omelettes, salmon in puff pastry and steak au poivre. All desserts are $6.95. Call 270-2102.
Gustav Mauler restaurants: Sazio at The Orleans, Bull- Shrimp at Green Valley Ranch Station and Spiedini at JW Marriott in Summerlin will feature Mother's Day menus.
Sazio's menu includes three courses for $16.99 per person. A children's menu is available. Service is from noon to 8 p.m. For reservations, call 948-9500. BullShrimp will feature a three-course menu for $29.99 per person; $14.99 for children 4 to 12 years; kids 3 and younger dine free. For reservations, call 942-4110. Spiedini will offer a special dinner from noon to 8 p.m. for $32.99 per person; $15.99 for children 4 to 12 years; 3 years and younger are free. Call 869-8500.
Rampart Casino and Mother's Day: The Carmel Room will offer a special Mother's Day brunch from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Brunch price is $35 and will include traditional breakfast foods. Or have dinner at the Carmel Room from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Menu is a la carte. Reservations are suggested. Rampart Buffet will offer its Mother's Day feast from 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. at a cost of $14.95 per person. Mother's Day specials will be available in the Promenade Cafe from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. For more info or to make reservations, call 507-5700.
The Cannery in North Las Vegas: Mothers will have many choices at the Cannery restaurants. Each restaurant will feature special selections for Mother's Day. Waverly Steakhouse will offer a three-course prix fixe menu from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. for $39 per person. Reservations are recommended. Call 507-5700. Cannery Row Buffet will offer an international buffet from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for $12.95 per person. Look for specials in Victory's Cafe as well.
Fleming's Steakhouse: Fleming's Steakhouse at 8721 W. Charleston Blvd. in Summerlin will open at 2 p.m. Mother's Day.
Short orders
Honors for Smith & Wollensky: Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group's Las Vegas Steakhouse has been named one of DiRona Award's Distinguished Restaurants of North America. Congratulations to Alan Stillman, Chairman and Chief Executive of Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group, and to Smith & Wollensky Las Vegas General Manager Michael Feighery, a most charming Irishman.
Two McDonald's managers recognized: Two of McDonald's Las Vegas restaurant managers, Fortunato Balanzar and Sam Wong, are recipients of the Fourth Annual Ray Kroc Award. The award is given to the company's top 1 percent of the U.S. restaurant managers who are, "Most successful in achieving superior results in the selected areas of performance -- operations excellence, reinforcing McDonald's commitment to people and building the business."
Fiamma to open at MGM Grand: Steve Hanson's Fiamma in NYC will have a namesake by the end of July when Fiamma opens at MGM Grand in the space previously occupied by olio! This is the first Las Vegas venture for the exuberant entrepreneur, and he promises it will be a Las Vegas favorite. Why not? If he can please those fickle NYC foodies with his other restaurants, he's bound to make us country folk happy.
New chef at tre: Chef Paolo DiRogata of Le Cirque and Osteria Del Circo in New York will soon be heading the kitchen at tre in Boca Park. A new general manager and other changes are on the way.
Puck protege moves up: Scott Irestone is the new chef de cuisine at Chinois in the Forum Shops, Puck's Asian-French eatery. Irestone joined Chinois in the late 1990s after several years at Spago. Irestone takes over the reins from Executive Chef Joseph Bennett, who retired from the Puck Group after many years. Puck's award-winning overall Executive Chef/Partner David Robins said, "Irestone displays a mix of talent and and attention to detail that Wolfgang Puck covets and works to instill in everyone who joins his team. Being named chef de cuisine at Chinois is proof of how far he's come, and we look forward to promoting from within."
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