Las Vegas is no longer the land of low-cost buffet.
Yes, they still exist. But culinary life there has exploded into a whole new level. In the past few years, famous chefs such as Emeril Lagasse and Wolfgang Puck have opened restaurants with the price tag on the menus accompanying the prestige.
Our latest trip there found us eating well, as usual. The choices now are as varied as ones you’ll find in other cities known for culinary mastery, such as San Francisco, New York and Chicago.
Fine dining is about more than just the food. It’s the atmosphere, the company and the memories that come afterward. Our experience at Seablue at the MGM Grand with two friends from Vegas certainly can be defined as one to remember for a very long time.
Seablue is an upscale eatery known for fresh seafood. The extra is the unique preparations and combinations available, not just in entrees but also appetizers and side dishes.
The create-your-own salad is an innovative feature. Those partaking may select up to 10 items, such as Belgian endive, baby artichokes, marinated Crimini mushrooms, marinated eggplant, toasted pine nuts, olive focaccia croutons and ahi tuna confit. Forget sliced carrots, radishes, regular cucumbers and the other usual salad staples.
A chef’s tasting menu consisted of yellowfin tuna kibbeh, fried oyster, fruits de mer, N.Y. strip steak and cherry profiteroles wine various wines served between each course.
The main menu has as varied an appetizer listing as the mind can envision. Choices range from white asparagus soup to prawn scampi and tandoori octopus.
Our friend, Rick, ordered oysters, which are from such places as Mystic River, Conn.; British Columbia, Canada; and Humboldt Bay, Calif. My gratitude to Doug and Rick’s wife, Susan, who don’t like oysters or the wonderful yellowfin tuna kibbeh with bulgar-pinecrust and sweet onion yogurt and were more than willing to relinquish their portions. Susan also shared her lobster corndogs with whole grain mustard. Sublimeness in a biteful.
Herb-infused flatbread had several dipping sauces including an intriguing combo of feta cheese and pine nuts.
The main menu offers “jet fresh market” fish from the woodburning grill with an explanation that this seafood is caught in the wild and flown in by first class freight overnight. Rick chose the barramundi, which is from Australia, is mild and has a buttery sweet taste. Done in a Moroccan clay pot, my Chilean seabass was a colorful presentation with “Hen of the Woods” mushrooms, sugar snap peas replacing the usual cannelini beans and jasmine rice and lentils. Susan had a healthy serving of Alaskan halibut while Doug went for yellowfin tuna from Hawaii.
When we told our waitress the chef was inventive and talented, he later appeared at our table. It was a pleasure to meet Joshua Smith, executive sous chef, who told me he started with the restaurant when it opened three years ago. Smith said guests are especially attracted by the restaurant’s own grill.
There’s nothing shy about me. But knowing how busy chefs are and just so pleased Smith even stopped by, I didn’t ask for one of his own recipes. Since seafood is today’s main focus, I managed to reel in my own catch, metaphorically speaking.
Foil-Steamed Whole Fish
1 whole fish, such as tilefish, bluefish or salmon (about 4 pound,) cleaned, gutted, not beheaded
Stuffing:
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet green pepper
1 tsp. chopped red or green hot pepper, according ot taste
1/4 cup finely chopped fennel
1/4 cup cubed water chestnuts
4 scallions, including most of the tender greens, thinly sliced
2 tbsps. chopped fresh coriander or parsley
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Rinse the fish inside and out, and pat dry. Mix all the stuffing ingredients using salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the stuffing into the fish cavity including the head. Skewer close the openings and lace string around the skewers so the stuffing won’t burst out. Wrap securely in foil, using two layers if the foil isn’t heavy duty and place in a large pan. Bake in a preheated 425-degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove the foil, lacing and skewers, and serve on a large platter with lemon wedges and watercress.
(To submit a recipe, contact Lugene Hudson at P.O. Box 60, New Castle, Pa. 16103 or lhudson@ncnewsonline.com.)
