Columnist Muriel Stevens: New Venetian eatery offers French delights

Friday, Jan. 23, 2004 | 8:19 a.m.

An anticipated opening date, Jan. 31, has been set for Thomas Keller's Bouchon eatery at The Venetian. Until then, Bouchon will do a number of "service practice" dinners to test the kitchen.

"Bouchon" is French for "a stopper or cork." It is also the Lyonnaise name for "brasserie." Bouchon at The Venetian offers a menu of classic brasserie food: hors d'oeuvres, soups, salads and quiche ($8.50-$13.50).

Bouchon puts its own spin on such traditional foods as rillettes, potted meat and poultry. Rillettes at Bouchon is made with fresh and smoked salmon dressed with olive oil.

Plateaus, tiered stands filled with fresh seafood, are a Bouchon specialty. A large plateau ($85) includes lobster, shrimp, mussels and seasonal crab, raw oysters and clams. A smaller plateau for two is $45.

Among the entrees are such succulent bistro dishes as boeuf Bourguignonne, trout almondine and more (entree prices range from $15.95 to $27.50). French cheeses are available, of course. Selections will vary each week.

Desserts are also classic -- profiteroles, little ice cream-filled cream puff shells, chocolate mousse and pots de creme are just a few.

This has been an exciting time for Keller, whose small French Laundry restaurant in Napa Valley, Calif. (Yountville), is such a hot ticket it can take months to get a reservation. There is also a Bouchon in Napa that Keller's brother Joseph helped open. (Joseph is the owner/chef of Como restaurant at MonteLago Village at Lake Las Vegas.)

On Feb. 16 Thomas will debut a grand new concept, Par Se, in the new Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle in Manhattan.

Bouchon Chef Mark Hopper was formerly with the French Laundry. Working with Hopper is Bouchon Napa Executive Chef Jeff Cerciello.

Bouchon's menu is in effect daily from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; service daily at the oyster bar and lounge is from 3 p.m. until midnight. Breakfast service begins Feb. 4. Bouchon is located in the new tower on the lobby floor.

For more information or reservations, call 414-6200.

More Keller: The Kellers are a close-knit clan. Father Edward James Keller is a snowbird with homes in Florida and Pennsylvania. Each year he finds the time to spend a week in Napa Valley with Thomas and a week in Las Vegas with Joseph. He was with his sons for the VIP party Thursday.

Joseph is setting the stage for a new project at MonteLago Village: a culinary theater with cooking and wine classes, visiting celebrity chefs, lunch with wine and so much more. The culinary complex will include retail opportunities including a wine department and a bakery. More is planned as the design progresses.

Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group: With the encouragement of Gamal Aziz, MGM President and COO, the former Wolfgang Puck Cafe at MGM Grand will become Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, a new concept inspired by Aziz.

"Fine dining on the lower end of the price scale, accessible to everyone," said Tom Kaplan, general manager of the Puck Fine Dining Group in Las Vegas. "The food will be similar to the original Spago in Hollywood with pasta, pizza, salads and more. Architect Tony Chi has created a California Beach Bungalow design that defines what design is all about."

Kaplan expects the Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill to open no later than the end of May.

Puck is always a man in motion. He closed Spago in Chicago after seven years, declining to renew the lease.

"Spago had run its course, but we'll still be a presence," Kaplan said. "Our catering services are in great demand. We have a large local following and continue to cater major events for big city conventions, the University of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art and our individual customers. We love Chicago."

AAA Four Diamond 2004 Nevada winners: Medici Cafe and Terrace at the Ritz-Carlton at Lake Las Vegas is a new AAA Four-Diamond winner, it was announced this week. Other Nevada restaurants that were awarded Four Diamonds are 3950 restaurant at Mandalay Bay, Aureole Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay, Eiffel Tower restaurant at Paris Las Vegas, Michael's Steakhouse at the Barbary Coast and Llewelyn's at Stateline in South Lake Tahoe, the Steak House at Harrah's Reno, the Summit Room at Stateline in South Lake Tahoe and the White Orchid in Reno.

In the lodging category the Four-Diamond Las Vegas winners are: Green Valley Ranch Station Casino, Hyatt Regency at Lake Las Vegas Resort, Caesars Palace, Golden Nugget, Mandalay Bay, Paris Las Vegas, The Mirage, The Venetian and Treasure Island.

Only 3 percent of lodgings and fewer than 4 percent of restaurants achieve the Four-Diamond award.

The list of 2004 AAA Five-Diamond awards for restaurants and lodging is much smaller. There are only three in each category: for restaurants, Picasso at Bellagio, Le Cirque at Bellagio and Renoir at Mirage; for lodging, Four Seasons hotel at Mandalay Bay, Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas and Bellagio. Those achieving AAA Five Diamonds were named in November 2003.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!: In Chinese, "Gung Hay Fat Choy" means "Happy New Year!" This most significant Chinese holiday is in its second day; Chinese New Year celebration continues for 13 more days. Some Chinese welcome the new Lunar Year, the Year of the Monkey, by paying off all debts, they decorate their homes with flowers, they visit family and friends and give away little red envelops containing money. You are a "monkey" if you were born in 1980, 1968, 1956, 1944 or 1932.

Dinner and magic at the Aladdin: Aladdin has introduced a special dinner package that includes the "mega illusions" of magician Steve Wyrick and dinner before or after the show in the resort's Zanzibar restaurant. The Steve Wyrick dinner package is $79.94. Dinner includes a choice of entree -- seared shrimp with pasta or broiled T-bone steak or pan-seared king salmon or an Asian selection.

All dinners include a salad, rolls and a beverage. VIP packages, $99.94, include a "Meet and greet" time with Wyrick, a $10 gift certificate in the Steve Wyrick Magic Shop and a book, "102 Magic Tricks."

Show times are 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. every night except Tuesdays. Dinner packages are available at the Aladdin box office, charged by phone -- 785-5000 or (866) 477-5267. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster by calling 474-4000 or at ticketmaster.com.