Columnist Muriel Stevens: New seafood restaurant is ready to dazzle

Friday, Sept. 19, 2003 | 9:16 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.

Sizzling new restaurants are adding more luster to MGM Grand hotel's already stellar lineup.

Fiamma, the new Italian eatery on Studio Walk, was a hit even before the official grand opening earlier this week. Owned by one of New York's premier restaurateurs, Stephen Hanson, Fiamma features the pleasures of regional Italian cuisine in a hip setting.

Michael Mina's innovative seafood concept, SEABLUE, will debut Oct. 27. Mina is a culinary visionary who broke new ground with MGM's NOBHILL. SEABLUE continues the gastronomic journey.

SEABLUE's celebrated architect and designer, Adam Tihany, has provided a stunning setting for Mina's concept: bold lighting, Matisse-like murals and water effects, including a dramatic tall aquarium at the entrance that will be the home of thousands of swirling anchovies.

What will make SEABLUE a standout is the friendly price point and being able to order food in a variety of ways. Shellfish, such as lobster, prawns, seasonal crab and raw and shucked seasonal oysters and clams, are priced by the piece ($3 to market price). Enjoy these at the large raw bar or at the table.

All service is done at the table, including the meal-size salad selection ($11 per person). Here's how it will work: Using the page in the menu to mark off choices, diners can choose a total of 10 additions -- greens, marinated vegetables, roasted vegetables, raw vegetables, nuts, seeds, croutons, cheeses, bacon and eggs and dressings. Salads can be prepared individually or done family-style if everyone agrees on what goes in it.

Tapas-like small entrees ($5 to $9) can be ordered raw, marinated, steamed, batter-fried or crusted. Each category consists of three choices. Order a sampling plate of all three and the price is less. Entrees are also sized to share.

Selection will change seasonally. Jet Fresh whole fish, cooked on SEABLUE's fire engine-red, wood-fired grill, is flown in every day except Sunday. Jet Fresh selections -- including Loup de mer, wild turbot, Dover sole and Dourade Royal -- will change with availability. Order by the pound -- portions are sized for one to two people. All fish is served with flavored oils, infused vinegars and skewers of seasonal vegetables.

"Having had Aqua (Bellagio) for so many years, I wanted to have a sister restaurant that was not so much on the composed side," Mina said. "I wanted a more organic approach, less formal, a bit more experimental, but friendly and exciting; more of a Mediterranean approach.

"We're not using butter or cream in our dishes, only olive oil, flavored oils, citrus flavors and fish broths. Our good, clean fish will be prepared in its purest state, enhanced by intensely flavored infusions. Our cooking methods are as old as time and cutting edge. We're using Moroccan tagines (chimney-like casseroles) that have been made according to our specifications that will cook the food and bathe it in its own juices."

I was swept up in the passion that Mina exhibited when talking about SEABLUE's evocative cuisine. Table accessories and other adornments were chosen with one goal in mind -- to present the food in the most appealing way.

Central to SEABLUE is a sizeable bar. Cold and hot, light fare will be available here. Among the hot offerings are Manilla clams and Portuguese sausage in a spicy tomato broth, salt and pepper squid, fried clams, corn-battered lobster sausage and more ($6 to $9). The all-seafood cold selection is terrific ($3 to market price).

Desserts include the seldom-seen Baba au Rhum. My choice would be the plate of assorted Mediterranean cheeses served with dried fruits and flavored honeys. Sounds delightful. Soon, soon, soon.

Short orders

Chef Steve Blandino at Charlie Palmer steak: Chef Steve Blandino is now Executive Chef at Charlie Palmer Steak at the Four Seasons at Mandalay Bay. Blandini's zeal for cooking was inspired by his two Italian grandmothers, one Sicilian, one Neapolitan. The love for his grandmothers and their cooking came from spending weekends cooking with them in their Brooklyn homes.

It was from his grandmothers that he developed his keen sense and endless curiosity about food. He refined his skills working at restaurants and by attending the Culinary Institute of America in New Hyde Park in upstate New York.

A friend gave him an introduction to Charlie Palmer, who loves mentoring young chefs. Under the watchful eye of Palmer he made his way up the culinary ladder. A recent dinner at CPS was outstanding. The kid can cook!

It's safe to say that wherever they are, his grandmothers are proud and happy.

Can you create an original? The makers of French original and cheddar French-fried onions are looking for new versions of their classic holiday green bean casserole. The contest deadline is Dec. 30, 2003. It was 50 years ago that the original green bean casserole first graced America's tables at Thanksgiving. Enter your version and you could win the Grand Prize, a $1,000 gift certificate and other goodies.

Send your entry to: French's French Fried Onions Can You Create an Original This Holiday Season Contest, c/o BHG PR, 546 Valley Road, Upper Montclair, NJ 07043 or log on to www.bhgpr.com and click on "contests."