[ Chimichurri added seperately on bone in rib-eye with tomato and fried onion ]
Bally's Las Vegas
Overall rating: 3 out of 5
Atmosphere: 4 out of 5
Food: 3 out of 5
Service: 5 out of 5
Price: 50% off entree from Tix4Tonight ($3 coupon per person)
May 3, 2011 8PM [ Note: Pictures do not always show up every time. ]
Maybe there was another way into the casino, but we had gone into a parking garage and then took the elevators down to the casino that had both Paris and Bally's together in the same building. Stroll through the halls of Paris theme structures and passed by a huge slot machine before going through the smoked filled casino and then found Bally's Steakhouse tucked into a corner with open doors.
It was beautiful from the start. Elegant place with great service from host stand to the dining table. I really do not recall any music playing. If there was then it did not stand out very much. If only there was a little more space between the tables to feel less packed in. The carpet and soft walls set the mood with the right amount of lighting. It was fine dining that felt relaxing and charming.
It was not a full house at the time. I only wish the tables were a little further apart to make it easier to get in and out. Sat in the center against a half wall, there was a good view of a larger table and chandelier in front of us.
Our server, Mark greeted us and asked what we would like to drink. My friend had ordered hot tea and I had iced tea. The pot of hot water was served with a cup and saucer with a bag of Harney & Sons black tea.
An assorted basket of bread came out shortly before our drinks. The mini baguettes were a bit too dense. Regular mini dinner rolls along with the rest of the bread became hard once it was cold. This is not always the case with every type of bread. It all depends on how the bread is made and how often it has been reheated. Pumpernickel/raisin/walnut bread was my favorite. My friend is a fan of the pretzel bread.
[ Butter knife designed to sit up ]
To offer a bread assortment is a good idea. It means there is bound to be something for everyone to enjoy. Even though it is great for the guests, the reality is that the kitchen goes through a great deal of trouble to prepare them. It is very unlikely for a vendor to be delivering bread to places that offer an assortment of bread since it would not be cost or time efficient. The places that usually buy from a local bakery tend to offer French bread even though it is not the choice of the French. When they become hard very quickly, you know it is not made in house. Take notice of that the next time a bakery makes fresh, hot French bread. Leave it around the whole day and see how the texture changes.
The steak was not the first thing I have tried when it came out with half a small tomato with herb and fried onions for presentation. It was the side dish of with creamed corn that I was more interested in tasting first. It was a small bowl more fitting for one person than two. You think for the price there would be more, but no.
The creamed corn looked about the same as the ones from a can except the taste stood out. Server only said vanilla bean was added, but we sat there thinking about the other ingredients. Light hint of cardamon, turbinado as opposed to regular, fine, white sugar we usually see. Maybe a light hint of nutmeg. The spice was so faint that one can easily miss it due to the sweetness. But you can definitely tell there is more to it than vanilla bean alone.
Dry aged steak would not be as over filling as a regular one. This one was filling and I would not care for more. It was not bad if you over look the gristle and pieces of fat. Anyone who had an evenly marbled, good, dry aged steak would know how difficult it is to go back to the regular, wet steaks
There were fried onions and half a Roma tomato with a basil, oregano and oil rubbed on it. I had that on the side with a sprinkle of salt to put on the steak. Usually I would not put anything on a steak if it taste good by itself. The most that some restaurants would do is add some salt and pepper. Only need a sprinkle of it, not heavy amounts the way they would put at CarneVino. [ Find video of what the chef does to the steak and what was said. It would make a true steak lover cringe. ]As one cuts into the steak, the bits of fat were random which is disappointing. Instead of having a more even marbling, it was a splotch here and there. What is worse is than that is the gristle in between that made it diffuclt to cut out and chew on. Not as good of a cut as it could be.
Mark was great. Easy to talk to, knowledgeable and a food lover. He had commented that the staff usually knows their food which makes the place more special. Rarely do you come across a staff that does whether it is casual or fine dining.
It is good to rely on the server's suggestion when the server is knowledgeable about food and keeps the guests' interest in mind. If any staff member would not eat at the place they work at then that is a good sign to not dine there. The level of food knowledge from a server is much greater with the French than the Americans. Thank the corporations that make a habit of producing cookie cutter wait staff to push for higher sales and less about the importance of understanding good food. Rarely does one come across a staff that has tried most of the menu and understand how to describe every other ingredient well.
We usually do not like to make a fuss at a restaurant and I know that there is little that Mark can do about the cut of the steak. It was difficult to tell him that the steak was not what we had expected so we did not say anything to him about the matter.
First meal in Vegas and it was not the most enjoyable. Everything else was better than the main entree. It is a bit sad to know that much so much thought was put into everything except the steak.
If the focus is on great steak, you never want to over season or serve it in such a way that a guest would either send it back or have to add sauce and spices to it. It should be perfect when it is served to the guest. Each bite should be as enjoyable as the next that would make one speechless.
At Bally's Steakhouse, my only complaint is the quality of the cut and lack of dry aging. A rib-eye at one place is not the same at another. They vary in prices and everything else for a reason.
I was taking a chance with another steakhouse hoping it would be a good and memorable, dry aged steak to start off my first meal in town. Sadly, it was not the case. I really wish that I could rave about this place, but then I would be guilty of deceiving those who seek a great steak.
If it was not for the half off entree coupon that cost $3 per person, it would have been very hard to accept a 22oz steak for $45 that was not up to par. Tea cost $3.50 which is a bit high. Side dish is $8 and states it can be shared and usually it is made enough for two people in many places. Sadly, this was not made for two people. It was a small bowl that would be more appropriate as a single side dish.
The way the steak was compared to everything else, I think one may be better off ordering anything, but the steaks unless one wants to spend good money on a filet mignon. A bit sad knowing they are a steakhouse. It is also odd that they are limited in cuts for a steakhouse too.
We did not have room for dessert nor did it seem worth it. I did ask the server about the prices. He said a range of $8 - 19 with the higher one being flambé
We usually do not like to make a fuss at a restaurant and I know that there is little that Mark can do about the cut of the steak. It was difficult to tell him that the steak was not what we had expected so we did not say anything to him about the matter.
First meal in Vegas and it was not the most enjoyable. Everything else was better than the main entree. It is a bit sad to know that much so much thought was put into everything except the steak.
If the focus is on great steak, you never want to over season or serve it in such a way that a guest would either send it back or have to add sauce and spices to it. It should be perfect when it is served to the guest. Each bite should be as enjoyable as the next that would make one speechless.
At Bally's Steakhouse, my only complaint is the quality of the cut and lack of dry aging. A rib-eye at one place is not the same at another. They vary in prices and everything else for a reason.
I was taking a chance with another steakhouse hoping it would be a good and memorable, dry aged steak to start off my first meal in town. Sadly, it was not the case. I really wish that I could rave about this place, but then I would be guilty of deceiving those who seek a great steak.
If it was not for the half off entree coupon that cost $3 per person, it would have been very hard to accept a 22oz steak for $45 that was not up to par. Tea cost $3.50 which is a bit high. Side dish is $8 and states it can be shared and usually it is made enough for two people in many places. Sadly, this was not made for two people. It was a small bowl that would be more appropriate as a single side dish.
The way the steak was compared to everything else, I think one may be better off ordering anything, but the steaks unless one wants to spend good money on a filet mignon. A bit sad knowing they are a steakhouse. It is also odd that they are limited in cuts for a steakhouse too.
We did not have room for dessert nor did it seem worth it. I did ask the server about the prices. He said a range of $8 - 19 with the higher one being flambé
at the table made for two people. I really doubt it is made for two.
There is not any doubt that a great deal of thought had been put into everything. The details of the soft ambience not too dark or too light, the brand of tea to serve, the way the butter was served, the knowledgable staff, the appearance of the steak and temperature, the bread assortment and the list goes on and on. Despite all the care for details, I would only return for the great service, atmosphere, good bread, real butter and tea. There are non steak dishes that I am curious about. But as a steakhouse, I really prefer to spend my money else where.
Most steakhouses recommend the rib-eye since that is the most flavorful cut. They would not recommend the filet mignon every time since that is usually most expensive. Some would consider ordering a filet mignon as a fail safe approach, but then it defeats the purpose of offering a selection of cuts when that is the only cut to order.
The best way to order a steak is medium rare. When it is over cooked, the flavor and texture is not as good for the ones who want to taste their steaks the way it ought to be. Any steakhouse that knows their steak would recommend it to be cooked medium rare. Anyone who orders pass medium does not know how to enjoy a good steak the way it should be enjoyed. For those who order it well done, may I suggest beef jerky or marinated sirloin or perhaps ground beef?
There is not any doubt that a great deal of thought had been put into everything. The details of the soft ambience not too dark or too light, the brand of tea to serve, the way the butter was served, the knowledgable staff, the appearance of the steak and temperature, the bread assortment and the list goes on and on. Despite all the care for details, I would only return for the great service, atmosphere, good bread, real butter and tea. There are non steak dishes that I am curious about. But as a steakhouse, I really prefer to spend my money else where.
Most steakhouses recommend the rib-eye since that is the most flavorful cut. They would not recommend the filet mignon every time since that is usually most expensive. Some would consider ordering a filet mignon as a fail safe approach, but then it defeats the purpose of offering a selection of cuts when that is the only cut to order.
The best way to order a steak is medium rare. When it is over cooked, the flavor and texture is not as good for the ones who want to taste their steaks the way it ought to be. Any steakhouse that knows their steak would recommend it to be cooked medium rare. Anyone who orders pass medium does not know how to enjoy a good steak the way it should be enjoyed. For those who order it well done, may I suggest beef jerky or marinated sirloin or perhaps ground beef?
No comments:
Post a Comment