Author’s Note: Trying a new rating system (and catchphrase!) at the bottom of this review.
I’ll follow a good chef anywhere. Like a rock band with a dedicated following, consider yours truly a “Chef-head”. A few years ago I was treated to one of the most memorable meals of my middle-aged lifetime at Edge Steakhouse located inside the Westgate Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Aside from the incredible dinner, which included beef tartare with Kalgua caviar, perfectly seared scallops and a dry-aged bone-in ribeye - you can read my review here - the night was also remarkable for two reasons: it happened to be my 38th birthday and, only few blocks away, a gunman murdered 61 country music fans from his arial vantage point inside the Mandalay Bay Casino.
As tragic as that event was (the shooting, not my birthday), it could not spoil the memory of a great meal. Chef Steve Young was the head of the Edge kitchen then. I became an instant fan. So when I saw that Young had moved on from Edge to become the executive chef at Vegas Superstar Chef James Trees’s Al Solito Posto, located in a shopping center out in the suburbs, my interest was piqued.
Trees, a 2020 James Beard finalist, has been instrumental in redefining the Las Vegas Arts District, most notably with his popular seasonal Italian spot Esther’s Kitchen. Opening Al Solito Posto during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic might have seemed like a risky move, but judging by the full crowd that sat all around me on my visit, the gamble seems to be paying off.
After turning Edge Steakhouse into a nationally recognized steak destination, Young joined Trees in May of 2021. “The restaurant is already great,” Young told Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I just want to kind of add my style and my creativity to that.” Having not eaten there prior to Young’s arrival, I am unsure where his influence begins and Trees’s ends, except to say that the quality and attention to detail given to every dish I sampled falls quite in line with what I now expect from a Chef Young-led kitchen. Perhaps Trees and Young fall into the category of famous duos, like Jordan and Pippen or Kid n’ Play.
With a wad of money burning a hole in my pocket, thanks to a lucky run at the craps table, I ventured out to Tivoli Village, away from from the glitz and gutter of the Strip, and landed at my table smack dab in the middle of the massive yet quite cozy dining room.
After a warm welcome and a drink order courtesy of a lovely waitress who’s name is escaping me (so we will call her Linda), our meal got off to a fantastic start with their house baked Focaccia, complete with a bowl of warmed olive oil, garlic and sea salt. A little something to chew on while I chew over the menu options.
For our starter course we decided upon a little Surf & Turf action. The Ahi Tuna Crudo, with pickled cucumber, chili oil, lemon, and radish, paired quite nicely with a plate of Nonna’s Meatballs. Covered in marinara and served with a slice of fried polenta, my hat - if I ever wore such a thing - is off to Nonna for these tender meat treats. The fresh and citrusy Ahi Tuna Crudo also deserves kudos. Each bite melted away like those icebergs everyone keeps trying to warn us about.
Speaking of melty tastiness, our Roasted Bone Marrow with pink peppercorns arrived next and announced itself as a top shelf Supplementare, which I think is Italian for supplement. This is a must order.
Next came the pasta course with the black truffle buttered Radiatori. Here might have been the only (minor) misstep of the night. While the pasta certainly did not lack for flavor, the noodles could have used a little more love. There was a slight dryness to them. Just one of those things that happens. The dish was eaten, but I longed for more sauce.
Following the Radiatori was the Linguine & Clams. Here the noodles were up to snuff and the clams cooked to perfection. An amateur’s review of a classic dish like Linguine & Clams usually tend to focus on the amount of clams in said dish. Because to most Americans, it’s mostly about portion size. Hence The Cheesecake Factory’s 2 billion dollars in annual revenue. They tend to ignore the delicateness of the clam meat, the cohesion of the white wine sauce and the clam’s liquor, the brightness of the parsley. All that being said, there was a good amount of clam meat in our offering.
Capping the night off was the superb Italian Rainbow Cake with two shots of Espresso. Moist and flavorful, my partner and I finished this healthy sized dessert in short order. Retrieving the wood board the cake once sat on, and surveying the scene like a homicide detective, our waitress Linda remarked that the multi-colored cake usually feeds up to four guests. So, maybe I should ease up on the Cheesecake crowd.
To recap: a wonderful meal - minus some dry noodles, with the Roasted Bone Marrow and the Linguine & Clams being my favorites -, lovely ambience, an opulent wine and cocktail list, and a support staff that was as knowledgeable as they were friendly (Go Linda!). ChefsTrees and Young have created a must-visit destinazione far from the ring-a-ding of the Las Vegas strip. And whether Chef Steve Young stays or someday ventures to another eatery, I will be there, birkenstocked and tie-dyed, and so, too, will be my psychedelic stomach.
Al Solito Posto: Four Feedbags! Tell ‘em the Horse sent ya.