Columnist Muriel Stevens: Wolfgang Puck provides an appetizing return

Friday, June 18, 2004 | 8:07 a.m.

It was a full house when Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill opened Wednesday at MGM Grand. So many people found their way to this beautiful new eatery during the soft opening the previous week that it could have been the grand opening.

Guests mingled and munched their way through a sampling of just about every food on the menu. A display of oysters Rockefeller covered one end of the bar; chilled jumbo shrimp were another enticement. A selection of pizzas were passed along with skirt steak skewers and a spicy harissa dipping sauce.

The colorful mango margaritas, prickly pear mojitas and heady Granny Smith apple drinks were created by Puck's Master Sommelier Luis de Santos. De Santos uses only fresh fruit purees for these cocktails -- no mixes. One sip tells what a difference fresh ingredients make.

A selection of desserts was overwhelming. Spago Beverly Hills award-winning Pastry Chef Sherry Yard created a fabulous display of cookies, mini chocolate cakes, Rice Krispy treats on skewers and much more.

The Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill menu includes soups, salads and small bites ($6-$15), wood-oven pizzas and calzones ($11-$13), grilled panini sandwiches and focaccia ($10-$13), a number of charcoal-grilled specialties, including a signature ribeye steak with crushed red potatoes and onion rings ($29) and such specialties as pork chop Milanese with a chopped tomato and arugula salad ($22), and a memorable braised lamb osso bucco with saffron orzo pasta and lemon gremolata ($24).

Mark Djozlija is the chef. Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill hours are 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays. For reservations, call 891-3000.

More Puck: Chinois at the Forum Shops at Caesars has reopened after what has to be the quickest redo ever. Credit goes to design firm Avery-Lenahan Brooks, which completed the face-lift in two and a half days. It must be a record. Chinois reopened with a new look and a new chef, Terry Fong.

Fong is a longtime Las Vegas chef whose many credits include the Palace Court at Caesars Palace (now just a sweet memory) and Malibu Chan's. Still in place at Chinois is the bar and sushi bar. An excellent selection of nigiri sushi, maki sushi, specialty sushi and rolls and a variety of combinations ($15.50-$28.50) are featured. Chicken and beef satays, crab Rangoon, dumplings and potstickers and Vietnamese spring rolls are among the appetizers ($6.95-$10.95).

I love such Chinois classics as the sizzling whole catfish stuffed with ginger, served with ponzu sauce and dry fried green beans ($23) and the Cantonese duck ($26) and the succulent Shanghai lobster, out of the shell, served with steamed jasmine rice and spinach ($31). A large array of meats, poultry, seafood, noodle and vegetable dishes are priced from $5.95 to $14.95.

Desserts from Pastry Chef Christophe Ithurritze are scrumptious ($5.95 each) and light, just the right touch after so many Asian flavors.

Chinois hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. For reservations call 737-9700.

There are many reasons why Puck's restaurants are always so popular. Puck makes frequent visits to Las Vegas. Managing partners David Robins and Tom Kaplan are active members of our community, supportive of many worthy causes. And most of all, the food is wonderful.

Panera Bakery-Cafe opens in The District: When I first met Roger Wagner, franchisee of Panera Las Vegas, he overwhelmed me with his enthusiasm, saying that 10 Panera Bakery-Cafes were planned for Las Vegas and Henderson. Tuesday was the official opening of the third Panera at The District at Green Valley Ranch at 2235 Village Walk Drive. It is a beautiful and well-designed venue.

Display cases overflow with breads and pastries. Orders are taken at the counter, and the customer receives a high-tech timer to place on their table. When the gizmo vibrates it's time to pick up the food.

Everything is available for takeout. My friends and I shared a number of sandwiches, both cold and hot. The sandwiches made with freshly baked breads are delicious. Generously sized sandwiches are so easy to share. And I do appreciate real flatware, not plastic.

Lower-carb breads were recently added, but I haven't tasted these. Most whole-grain breads are lower in carbs. Breads are healthy. Just don't eat a whole loaf. There is a temptation to do that here. Panera offers a variety of loaf sizes. Eat the smaller ones; you won't get into trouble.

There are many so many delicious choices here. My friends and I were hard put to choose, so we shared. Suddenly our casual meal became a party.

Hours are different at the various locations. The District Panera is open from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Orders can be faxed to 896-2823 or phoned in at 896-2294.

There is a Panera at the Galleria on Sunset and one at 5130 S. Apache Road. Panera at 9911 S. Eastern Ave. is opening soon. Another Summerlin Panera will follow.

Sirio Maccioni's Le Cirque 2000 to leave Palace Hotel: Sirio Maccioni will close New York's Le Cirque at the Palace Hotel at the end of the year. Le Cirque 2000 opened in 1997.

During a conversation at a recent lunch and "Sirio" book signing at Le Cirque at Bellagio, Sirio shared with me his decision to close Le Cirque 2000, and said he would like to return to Manhattan's fashionable east side and recreate the original Le Cirque, which was smaller and more intimate.

Finding a suitable location would be the biggest problem. And he was concerned about starting another restaurant.

According to New York Times food writer Florence Fabricant, writing in Wednesday's food section, "Many customers have told Mr. Maccioni they preferred the original restaurant because of its location and cozier setting."

Sirio mentioned that to me. Of course, there were other reasons he wanted to leave the Palace.

Almost 1,000 people showed up for the book signing in New York. With such a loyal legion of diners, if a suitable east side location could be found, it could be another feather in the toque of the venerable restaurateur.

Sam's Town celebrates Dad: Billy Bob's Steakhouse at Sam's Town on Boulder Highway will serve up special entrees "fit for a king" on Father's Day. The blackened prime rib ($32.99) is a generous cut accompanied by smashed sweet potatoes with a pecan demi glaze and coconut pineapple barbecue sauce. Included are a choice of vegetable, soup or salad and Billy Bob's bread.

Herb-crusted roasted chicken ($28.99) includes baby root vegetables, wild mushroom risotto, a choice of vegetable, soup or salad and Billy Bob's bread.

Billy Bob's Steakhouse is open on Father's Day from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. For reservations call 456-7777.

Short orders

Lawry's The Prime Rib manager honored: Ed Lepere, general manager of Lawry's The Prime Rib in the Howard Hughes Center, has been honored with the Rotarian of the Year award. The Las Vegas Rotary honored Lepere "for his outstanding service and dedications to the ideals of Rotary." Additionally Lepere is receiving the Paul Harris Fellow, which "is given in the name of the Rotary founder and represents the national standard for exceptional performance," Las Vegas Rotary President Kathy Delvey Bonar said.

Cannery features blues, brews and barbecue: Kick off summer at the Cannery in North Las Vegas at their second annual "Blues, Brews & Barbecue Festival" today through Sunday. A host of local barbecue restaurants will participate. Featured will be 30 beers and hard ciders from Sierra Nevada, Gordon Biersch, Big Dog's, Anchor Steam and more. Also on tap will be live, high-voltage entertainment. For performance times and other information call 507-5700.

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