Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Columnist Muriel Stevens: New steakhouse BOA is to cheer for

BOA Steakhouse in the Forum Shops at Caesars offers lunch and dinner in an atmosphere unlike most steakhouses. The California-inspired decor includes 800-year old driftwood "trees." Select pieces of driftwood were chosen by design firm Tag Front for their perfect form.

After undergoing a a series of treatments, including a form of petrification, the driftwood became the elegant trees throughout the dining room. The result is stunning.

And so is the food. After a recent outstanding dinner, I asked BOA's top Las Vegas executive Clinton Clausen what set BOA apart from other steakhouses; his response was instant.

"It has a social sexiness about it that excites our diners. When people want to really embrace their hedonistic instincts and have an excellent steak and original cocktails, they come to BOA."

This seasoned hedonist agrees. Where else can you find a bone-in New York Strip dry-aged for 40 days? This top seller was my choice and it was terrific. After trimming the bone from my succulent steak I wanted to sink my teeth into the tasty beef-filled arch. Instead, I used the French steak knife to delicately carve out choice small bites. Not nearly as much fun as gnawing on the bone, but delicious.

There are so many excellent choices at BOA: bone-in ribeye, bone-in Kansas City filet mignon, Kobe filet mignon, Kobe flatiron and a hearty porterhouse. Free range breast of chicken or veal chop, Atlantic salmon, magnificent ahi tuna, jumbo prawns, Maine lobster, Australian lobster tail and a fish of the day are also featured.

BOA's side dishes are the ideal accompaniment: creamed or sauteed spinach, a mix of seasonal wild mushrooms, grilled jumbo asparagus and a bamboo basket filled with Santa Monica Farmer's Market baby vegetables. Resist if you can the truffled mac and cheese, truffled whipped potatoes or truffled cheese fries. The mac and cheese is much too good. This crusty, aromatic delight is a terrific spin on the usual homespun version.

And it's easy to wax poetic about BOA's creative appetizers. A plump Dungeness crab cake was sauteed with panko crumbs providing a delicate crispness. Inside was moist, Dungeness crab meat, no fillers, just a heap of sweet crab meat. Exceptional. BOA's take on oysters Rockefeller is glorious. Four sizeable oyster shells filled with baby spinach, apple wood smoked bacon bits and oysters are gently blended with a light sauce Bernaise, then baked. These magnificent oysters repose atop a bed of rock salt on a crystal plate. It is a dish to be savored, slowly. Chef de Cuisine Jose Alemon is a master with seasonings.

With a gentle, expert hand he never overpowers the natural flavors of the food. Among his credits are stints in the kitchens of Chicago's famed Everest and Tru restaurants, and the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris Las Vegas. He moved on to a position at Simon's Bar & Kitchen in the Hard Rock Hotel working with celebrated chef Kerry Simon.

BOA's "Grown-up" s'mores, beignet-like cinnamon sugar doughnut holes with a cappucino dipping sauce and pineapple rum upside-down cake paired with a mini coconut ice cream soda are but a few of the scrumptious desserts. The house-made fruit sorbets are true to the fruity flavor.

BOA's winning cocktails were created by general manager Jeffrey Blake, who also chose the choice wine list. In addition to his management skills, Blake is a talented mixologist with a keen sense of humor that transfers well to his heady concoctions.

Al fresco dining (weather permitting) and spectacular Strip views are all part of the BOA Steakhouse appeal.

BOA's hours: Noon to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday; noon to midnight, Friday and Saturday.

Short orders

Wine week at Smith & Wollensky: Smith & Wollensky, on the Strip at 3767 Las Vegas Blvd., will host their 37th biannual Wine Week from Monday through Sept. 23. Wineries from the world over are invited to pour their wines for the lunch bunch. Taste 10 wines for $10 added to the price of your lunch. The selection changes each day. All Smith & Wollensky properties participate. For a complete list of the wines visit smithandwollensky.com.

Rosh Hashana at Lawry's: Lawry's The Prime Rib will offer a special Rosh Hashana menu Oct. 3-4, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day. The menu includes sliced red, green and yellow apples with dipping honey, a round challah, chicken soup with roasted fennel matzo balls and asparagus and shiitake mushrooms. Lawry's spinning salad bowl follows. The main course is Lawry's cut prime rib of beef accompanied by a tsimmes of sweet potatoes and carrots, baked potato and asparagus.

For dessert -- a traditional honey cake. Dinner price for adults is $55, children dine for $30 (does not include tax or tip). Reservations for Rosh Hashana and the regular menu are recommended. Call 893-2223. Lawry's is located on Flamingo Road inside the Hughes Center.

Light fare at Eiffel Tower: Eiffel Tower chef/proprietor J. Joho has created a new Light Fare menu served daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Light Fare menu is the chef's response to the many locals and visitors who enjoy the tower restaurant and its spectacular view during lunch.

Featured on the Light Fare carte are items "that are every bit as classic French as our dinner menu, but light enough for guests to enjoy as they would a casual cafe meal in Paris," said chef Joho. Light Fare selections include grilled sandwiches ($12.95) and a selection of salads priced from $14.95. Salad Nicoise with tuna, of course and a personal favorite ... frisee salad with poached egg. Desserts are priced at $7.95; Eiffel Tower creme brulee, Opera cake, sorbets and more. For more information about the Light Fare menu or dinner reservations, call 948-6937.

Dinner only, at Circo: Osteria del Circo at Bellagio no longer serves lunch. Dinner nightly from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Executive Chef Stefano Chiarugi creates delightful Tuscan fare inspired by matriarch Egidiana Maccioni's traditional home cooking that follows the seasons. It's the Tuscan, Italian way. Circo is a delightful restaurant with whimsical design and decor by Adam Tihany and stunning views of Bellagio's lake and its swaying fountains. For reservations call 693-7111.

Cafe at The Hotel: The Cafe at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay has changed its hours. No longer offering 24/7 dining, the cafe is open daily for breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 5:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Flavor of the fall season at Marie Callender's: Caramel Apple Cream Cheese pie is a scrumptious pie with a dense graham cracker crust, a layer of cream cheese swirled with apples, pools of caramel and billows of whipped cream. Slice it thin. It's as rich as P. Diddy.

Oktoberfest kickoff: Hofbrauhaus Las Vegas will kick off its annual Oktoberfest celebration Saturday with a keg tapping. Doing the honors is special guest Siegfried Fischbacher, who will serve as the burgemeister (mayor) when he taps the first keg of Oktoberfest beer. Siegfried and his longtime friend and partner, Roy Horn, are internationally acclaimed for their many humanitarian efforts on behalf of endangered animals. Oktoberfest at Hofbrauhaus Las Vegas will continue through Oct. 31. Hofbrauhaus is located at 4510 Paradise Road.

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