All stories about "Charlie Trotter"

Carnevino bar, week one

In an extra special Week in Reviews, S. Irene Virbila takes off to Vegas for what seems like two months of meals (if she really ate everything she mentions) and barely comes up for air. The biggest non-news: Batali's Carnevino, Puck's Cut and Trotter's Restaurant Charlie are 'spensive. The shocker: She actually suggests getting a reservation at Cut in Vegas because its easier than Beverly Hills. We boil it down to the best nuggets. First up: The newcomers at the Palazzo.

CARNEVINO:
"Naturally, the star of the steak menu is that pricey fiorentina for two, which by the time I visited a second time had been reduced to $145 from $160."

"Salt makes too strong an entrance in many dishes."

"Bottom line: As good as the beef is here, I'd rather eat at B&B, Batali's more intimate Italian restaurant in the Venetian next door. It's not cheap, either, but it's got more soul -- and a more consistent kitchen."

CUT:
"Though the menu is almost identical to the Beverly Hills steakhouse, the look is quite different from the cool white expanses of Richard Meier's design for the original Cut. This one, from the local design firm ABA, is warmer, featuring generous booths, a striped rug underfoot and bulky geometric chandeliers."

"Prices, at least compared to Carnevino's, seem almost moderate, though in the real world, of course, they're vertigo-inducing -- a 3-pound lobster is a mere $110."

By all accounts, Charlie Trotter should be as fond of Vegas as PETA is of prime rib. His eponymous restaurant flamed out famously in 1995, after 15 months in the MGM Grand. Bloodied but unbowed, he maintained his flagship in Chicago while (apparently) plotting a return to the High Desert whenever the time was right for a return bout. He doesn’t seem to have the empire-building urges of many of his colleagues---Cabo San Lucas houses his only other outpost---so when word got out that the Palazzo was granting him a rematch, gourmands and bean-counters alike wondered if he was punch drunk. Open almost two weeks now, Restaurant Charlie is primarily seafood-focused and has a "sky loft" chef's table perched above the kitchen for optimum viewing, while Bar Charlie seats only 18 for sushi, Trotter-style (tasting menus only). Our Vegas operative John Curtas grabbed Trotter for a Q & A just two days into the new ventures.

John Curtas: It was a sad day for local gourmands when you pulled up stakes here in 1995. The smart money said we’d never see you again. What happened then and now?

Charlie Trotter: We started out as an all-comp restaurant for high rollers exclusively. It really went much smoother than people think it did. Sure, there were occasional requests for prime ribs and baked potatoes, but we handled them and it was never an issue as got reported at the time.

JC: The rumors were that no one could touch the sacred food of such a renowned chef (serving only rigid, degustation menus every night), and you balked at the low-to-middlebrow tastes of the casino crowd and couldn’t take it anymore.

CT: The real issue was a new management team took over the MGM and wanted to double our size (from 65 seats), change our menu, eliminate the tasting menu and add more “basic” food like meatloaf and spaghetti and meatballs, and we did balk at that. But until that happened, we were happy. I was the one who talked Emeril into opening in the MGM. I had a 10 year contract to be there and was happy with it right up until the point that (the Food and Beverage people) began wanting to tell me what I should serve. They ended up buying me out of my deal after 15 months, so I was happy with that too.