Smith & Wollensky

Smith & Wollensky
Las Vegas

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Atmosphere: 3 out of 5
Food: 3 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Price: $34+

May 5, 2011  After 7pm    [ Note: Pictures may not always show up ]

I had been to Smith & Wollensky at another location in the past and I fell in love with the steak at first bite.  Never had I loved a steak that much bite after bite.  I was craving for more during my meal and days later.  Out of all the steakhouses I have dined at, this was the best.  What made their steak so different is that it has been dry aged.  I was looking forward to going to the place again except it had closed for good in that location.  Imagine how excited I was to dine at Smith & Wollensky again thinking I would get the same savory delight.

Reservations had been made in advance and was told that there was a grill menu and the dinner menu. If we sit at the main dining room, it would be the dinner menu. The bar room offered both menus.

[ No smoking allowed in restaurants in Nevada.  Smoke outside the restaurant. ]
The valet guy was friendly and helpful. He was telling us about how one can rent the scooters for those who need a wheelchair. Something to consider for those who want to get around with more efficiency and can afford the $40-45/day rental. They also put a package of cookies in the cars too.

[ Two peanut butter, walnut cookies in a bag with a single staple allowing air to go through.  The cookies are most likely made fresh on a regular basis. ]

It appears that each Smith & Wollensky has hardwood floors. It adds a bit of casualty and louder setting. White table cloths and a feel that one is in a saloon. The seating was a bit cramped, but there was not a lot of guests at the time. We did notice a table that had a towering, layered, chocolate cake that was fitting for two or three depending on one's appetite.

I do not know if it is the location or the fact we were at the bar area, but the only bread they had were pretzel and the soft rolls that came in the pan they were baked in. It was an assortment of bread sticks, rolls, crispy flat bread at the first place I was at. I was looking forward to that assortment again.

The pretzel bread came with a ramekin of butter with mustard seeds. It was mild and bland which is probably for the best since one can see the salt crystals on the bread. The rolls were soft with a touch of rosemary sprinkled on top that came with regular butter served in a ramekin that was soft and ready to spread on easily.

We did not engage in much conversation with the server and he left us alone for the most part. He got us what we want without delay every time. The setting was overall quiet and the entire staff including management were quite reserved. The feel was more warm and charming at Bally's than here. But this does not mean their service was bad in any way.

It would have been sufficient to order one steak than two. If I knew the cut would be different than what I had before then I would not have ordered one for each of us. I was looking forward to the same concentrated flavors that I had the first time a few years ago. Sadly, it was not the same.

We had both ordered the rib-eye. One with a sauce and one without. I could tell it was not the same cut due to where the bone was. I guess they serve a different cut of rib-eye for the one on the dinner menu that is also higher priced. Even if the cut is different, the flavors should be close. I did not get the same nostalgic taste that I was craving for.

They did not cook it evenly.  Some parts were more cooked and dry.  Not cooked as nicely as Bally's Steakhouse.

A steak au poivre is usually a peppercorn cream sauce with brandy or cognac. It is a basic sauce that should not be difficult to distinguish. Instead of getting a cream sauce, I had something more tangy, orangish and not appetizing at all. The server said it is the cream sauce, but it did not appear to have much resemblence to one. It tasted more of a very strained tomato with enough pepper to give it a kick. He knew what the sauce consists of, but I wonder if he had stopped to consider the color and texture being a bit off.

The creamed spinach came in a small pot that was made for two. I find it slightly too salty, but it would go great on bread or steak. It is made fresh since the spinach held a nice, green color. I do not think the establishment would want to serve canned food left and right.

My steak with the sauce was covered in black pepper. I had to remove some of it since I was not going for the taste of cracked peppercorn. Mine had more gristle and fat than my friend's. I was looking forward to a more even marbling. It was too much to the point that I had to show the manager and ask if that is how it is supposed to be. He did agree that it was a bit more marbling than it is supposed to be. For that, he discounted the steak which is fair.

I was really looking forward to having a great piece of steak from them after all these years. Instead I was not happy with the overall meal. Another disappointing steak experience. But this would not keep me away from trying the other rib-eye for a higher price to make sure that it is how I had remembered it last. If that does not come out right then I would not go to this location again. Until that happens, I will not write off this place since I know what they are capable of serving.

There is not any bit of juices coming out of a rare dry aged steak as it should be. Make no mistake that Smith & Wollensky serves dry aged steaks. In ways, a tad more affordable than all the competitors on the Strip.

They do have a moist, homemade, coconut cake that can finish off the meal right from what I recall. Maybe I would have been happier ordering a side dish with bread and dessert. But why go to a steakhouse for anything else than a steak?



[ The NVCFC donation was not an option. ]

[ I could not make sense of the cow having so much of a coat that it could pass for an over grown sheep. ]