MORELS IN VEGAS: A VISUAL AND CULINARY TREAT

 
The appetizing charcuterie selection at Morels
If you live in LA, you've probably had a fine respite of some sort at Morels at the Grove, but the Las Vegas location, located inside The Palazzo Resort & Casino, kicks it up many notches, so make it a don't miss on your dining list.  The gorgeous steakhouse and bistro is roomy, housed in a 10,000 square foot space with warm woods and blue walls decorated with provocative, larger-than-life artwork by Tom Cannon.

The restaurant's visual beauty, which includes stunnng Strip views from the outdoor patio, is outmatched by the French bistro cuisine. Mouthwatering menu items include moules marineire, chicken paillard, prime and Wagyu steak, an iced seafood bar with plump shrimp, mussels and clams and a cheese and charcuterie bar. You'll be in foodie heaven with your pick of more than 60 artisanal and farmhouse cheeses and salamis from around the world. The menu is overseen by executive chef J..L. Carrera, who took over the kitchen in 2008. His food philosophy is simple: create dishes that are simple, delicious and based on only the finest ingredients.

 
Make mine medium rare: perfectly seared steak, Morels-style

The wine list host more than 400 selections, mainly from France and California and at least 60 wines are available by the glass. Service is friendly and quietly proficient.  Morels is open for lunch and dinner late and also for Sunday brunch. A bar menu is available at the indoor and outdoor lounge areas and includes is to short rib sliders and classic fondue.  

Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro (at the Palazzo), 3325 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas 702.607.6333

SIN CITY MEETS THE FAR EAST, DELICIOUSLY

Life is short, drink up: One of Dragon Noodle Co’s signature cocktails

The minute you walk into Dragon Noodle Co. and Sushi Bar inside the Monte Carlo Hotel in Las Vegas, you know you're in for a treat.  First, check out the Cosplay Lounge with its handcrafted tiki cocktails served by wait staff in anime-inspired costumes. Exotic drinks like the Purple Pearl, the Blue Rabbit and the Volcano, a rum-based cocktail for two or more served in a smoldering goblet, will get you in the mood for whatever lies ahead.

When you make your way inside the vibrant restaurant, you will find large hand-painted murals, comfortable, plush booths facing an open kitchen and sushi bar as well as a private dining room seating up to 80 people. Three Asian cuisines make up the menu's culinary experiences-- and the traditional Chinese dinners served family style offer guests a multitude of choices created by Chef Yik Chung Fong. Take out the decision-making factor with multi-course menus with playful titles including Cherry, Orange, Firecracker and Fortune The sushi menu, available from 5 p.m. on every day, features traditional and more avant-garde offerings in signature rolls created by sushi chef Jian Bo Li.

A traditional family style feast-- you will not leave hungry

Dim sum specialties are available every day until 4 p.m.--perfect for brunch or a late afternoon snack. Don't miss the steamed shrimp har gow, the beef steamed rice noodle rolls and the house-made barbecue pork steamed buns.

Dragon Noodle Co. & Sushi Bar, 3770 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas 702.730.7965

D.VINO IS D.LIGHTFUL

Happy hour or any time: gather ‘round the high-tech wine machine at d.vino  

In the mood for a glass of great wine, but don't want to do a whole bottle? Make your way to d.vino Italian Food & Wine Bar inside the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. Drinking vino is always fun, but this place takes it to a new level with its state-of-the-art polished chrome wine system that offers 18 hard-to-find vintages that you can taste in 1 ounce, 2 ounce or 5 ounce pours.  It's a great concept for wine lovers, who can also choose from an extensive list of 400 varieties of Italian and domestic wines by the bottle. There are also innovative cocktails including a bruschetta martini and a limoncello margarita. Danny DeVito, beware-- they're delicious but don't have too many before going on a television talk show.

Sit at the bar for lunch or dinner and grab something from the iced seafood bar or a platter of formaggi and salumi. The hand fired pizzas are fabulous--made to order in a gorgeous mosaic-tiled wood fire oven. It's almost like being in Florence.  

Delve deeper into the authentic Italian cuisine inside the casually elegant exposed brick wall restaurant designed by noted design firm Ralph Gentile Architects, who also created the decor for Dragon Noodle Co.  

Lunch and dinner menus feature must-try antipasti like diver scallop crudo, stuffed zucchini and crab meatballs. Secondi items include a terrific lasagnette carbonara, chitarra pasta with a spicy lamb ragout and rigatoni with Italian sausage, tomatoes and peppers.  Other tempting choices: fresh halibut with clams, lemon roasted organic chicken and boneless pork ribs. Your waiter can also recommend a prixe fixe menu. For lunch, there are salads, sandwiches and hamburgers.  And of course, pizza.  If you have room for dessert. try the homemade ice creams and sorbets for a sweet end to your dining experience

d.vino Italian Food & Wine Bar, 3770 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas 702.730.7966  

KERRY SIMON'S INDOOR/OUTDOOR DINING DESTINATION

It is rare that a restaurant offers such a diverse dining experience under one roof, in this case, in the Sofitel hotel across from the BevCen. Take your pick on where you want to indulge in renowned chef Kerry Simon's inspired take on American comfort food at Simon LA: outdoors on the casually elegant patio, or inside the sleek, modern dining room. Either place, you'll find items on his carefully crafted, mainly organic menu served in style. Try the yellowfin tuna and hamachi crudo, the beef carpaccio pizza with truffle oil and the red curry chicken soup just for starters. Then move on to Pacific Northwest black cod, roasted loin of veal or cumin spiced skirt steak, with sides of roasted morel mushrooms, fried heirloom potatoes or soft mascarpone polenta. Special multi-course, seasonal chef tasting menus with wine pairings are also available, culminating in a dessert platter with  grown-up junk food like cotton candy and caramel corn, which was so unexpedtedly addictive, we had to take some home. After dinner, step into Rande Gerber's Stone Rose lounge for a nightcap. But this dining establishment isn't just for dinner. It's great for breakfast and lunch as well.

Simon LA, Sofitel Hotel, 8555 Beverly Blvd., LA (310) 358-3979, www.simonlarestaurant.com

LITTLE SLICE OF FOODIE HEAVEN

Take a number: It can be time-consuming to get served 
at Santa Monica’s newest hot spot

 It was once a Carl's Jr. with a low-budget nail salon next to it that looked like it could've been shut down at any moment by the state health department.  Now, on a once nondescript block of Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica, foodies are scrambling to get into the postage stamp-sized parking lot behind the gleaming new incarnation of Santa Monica Seafood and the neighboring upscale bakery and caf� Huckleberry, owned by the same folks behind the popular nearby eatery Rustic Canyon. 

Unlike the old take-a-number utilitarian location on Colorado Ave., the new SM Seafood features an eight-seat oyster and wine bar and a small restaurant, which is packing them in from opening until closing ( 9 pm weekdays, earlier on weekends.)  You still have to take a number for the fish counter -- and you still have to wait.  But you can also pick up pre-made sushi and wine in pretty short order.

Santa Monica Seafood, 1000 Wilshire Blvd, SM (310) 393-5244

Inside Huckleberry, the smell of freshly baked bread is intoxicating 

 Only open for breakfast and lunch for now, the cafe features items like Niman Ranch brisket hash, fennel sausage links and bacon, homemade soups that always include a vegetarian option and a full complement of sandwiches, even peanut butter on brioche with homemade jam or Nutella. There are also rotisserie chicken and duck.  Along with your appetite, bring lots of cash to both places.  There's nothing that could be construed as a good deal--only a great treat for the palate.

Huckleberry, 1014 Wilshire Blvd, SM (310) 451-1322

SEARING IN THE CITY Polished walnut, black leather and heavy metal define the interior of Kobe Club, designed by Dodd Mitchell It is tough to compete against New York's age-old steakhouses, but Kobe Club definitely is making the cut if you want a unique supper club environment and the highest quality pieces of meat. (Just be sure to put the tab on someone else's roomy expense account.) Jeffrey Chodorow's midtown boite specializes in flights of Kobe beef, with selections from the US, Japan and Australia. The house signature Samurai Flight ($225) is served for two with a combination of 4oz filets from all three countries and a 6oz American prime filet, but of course, individual steaks are available, all perfectly cooked to order. (Salmon, grilled chicken and pork chops are also on the menu, if you're not in the mood for beef.) An extensive raw bar featuring oysters, lobster and crab or a starter of iced hamachi or sake-cured salmon opens things up nicely, and sides of unexpectedly delish white truffle creamed corn and roasted mushrooms are perfect accompaniments. If there is any way you have room for dessert after a spectacular meal, you must try the baked Alaska or the truffle chocolate cake. Chodorow, of China Grill Management (other spots include China Grill in New York City, Miami, Las Vegas, Chicago and Mexico City; Asia de Cuba in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and London; Ono at Hotel Gansevoort; Social Hollywood in Los Angeles and Social Miami at the Sagamore) and partner Charlie Walk hired Dodd Mitchell Design from LA--this is his first NY restaurant--in collaboration with architectural firm New World Design Builders. The result: a stunningly sleek and sexy interior, dark, glamourous and seductive, which features more than 2,000 samurai swords hanging from the ceiling, and tying in with the theme of the finest Japanese beef featured on the menu by executive chef E. Chewy Cereceres. It's a setting that's contemporary, intimate and exciting all at the same time. As they say in the beef world, Grade A. Kobe Club, 68 W. 59th St., (between 5th & 6th) NY (212) 664-5623

LE EXCELLENCE IN CENTURY CITY A real find: The charming interior of La Cachette is surpassed by its cuisine It's Cannes time, and since we couldn't be on La Croisette, our thoughts turned to La Cachette, one of LA's best kept restaurant secrets-- recently blown wide open by being named the eighth best place in town by Los Angeles magazine. La Cachette translates to "the hideaway" and it is a little tricky to find, entering through an alley on a residential street west of Century City off Little Santa Monica. Chef-owner Jean Fran�ois M�teigner opened the place in '94, after 10 years at the recently departed L'Orangerie and he still jumps between the kitchen and the customers, making sure everything is magnifique. Put yourself in his capable hands for a decadent tasting menu with pitch-perfect wine pairings (about $150 pp). If you like endangered foie gras, this is the place. Try it done three ways: grilled, with brioche and in pate. The flavor of a fish soup starter will knock your socks off. Jean Francois sold us on the frogs legs, which he gets from Louisiana and serves with a light pesto. Less adventurous diners have their choice of more typical fare like salmon and lamb, all perfectly done. And if you're looking for a place to have an intimate conversation, look no further, but be sure to call for directions. La Cachette, 10506 Santa Monica Blvd., Century City, 310. 470-4992

THE MALIBU PIER IS BACK IN BUSINESS! Closed since 1993, and way in time for summer, the pier has quietly opened—and it’s fabulous Where else can you get a Patron margarita, a Kobe burger, some truffle chips, attentive, professional service and a blanket? The brand spanking new Malibu Pier Club, now open on the pier, and styled in a retro 40's theme that will take you back to its heyday. Just footsteps from the famed site of Alice's Restaurant, which will reopen in July as the Beachcomber, get a head start on summer with drinks, apps and dinner with an incomparable view and a soundtrack of crashing waves. There are even mobile heat lamps to ward off the evening chill before things warm up for the season. The perfectly selected, tight wine list includes Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc, Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon and Rosenthal Merlot. For bubbly: Veuve and Mumm Blanc de Noir. If you aren't feely beachy enough, the bartenders will whip up a Surfrider (rum, curacao, sweet and sour and pineapple juice), a Long Board (Chambord, vodka orange and cranberry juices) a Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai or a Zuma Surfer (Malibu rum, tequila and pineapple juice. Recommended dishes from the competent kitchen of Executive Chef Chris Juers include: Alice's Truffle Chips, New England Clam Chowder, Caesar Salad Fondue, Apple, Pecan and Maytag Blue Cheese Salad, Tiny Ahi Tacos, Brick Pressed Mojo Sandwich and the Beachcomber Kobe Burger. Prices range from $10-$16. At many beach establishments you're paying for the view and the food is secondary if not tertiary, but that is not the case here. This is the beach immortalized in classic surf films from the 60's and you will see surfers catching waves right at your feet. The pier itself is actually a state park and was built in 1908. The two towers at the end of the wharf were built in the 1940s. It was ravaged by storms in 1982, 1983 and 1993 and has been closed until just two weeks ago. And about those blankets--navy blue, naturally--they're emblazoned with the slogan "Stolen from Malibu Pier Club," but you can take one home for $20. And as long as Mel Gibson doesn't stop in for drinks, well, be safe on PCH. Malibu Pier Club, 23000 Pacific Coast Highway, 310.456-9800

NOT JUST ANOTHER LA SUSHI BAR KULA Sushi Bistro's Saikyo Miso Grilled Black Cod: marinated for three days in Saikyo Miso imported from Japan It’s not a steakhouse: Spacious tables create a zone of privacy for confidential conversations Crowded, noisy, cramped. The story of many sushi bars. Not the case at the newly opened Kula Sushi Bistro just outside Century City, at the site of the old Lunaria. Unlike the current crop of trendy spots, it’s actually Japanese-owned. Kula features seasonal, organic and local ingredients whenever possible, with some specialty items imported from Japan. It’s a great new spot for after work drinks as well, with an expansive list of sake, shochu and house cocktails. Kula Sushi Bistro, 10351 Santa Monica Blvd., Century City 310.282-8870

Geisha House has been Hollywood’s premier sushi joint for the past few years, but that domination is ending with this month’s opening of SBE’s Katsuya—and the adjacent S Bar at the once-iconic, recently crack-infested, now becoming fashionable corner of Hollywood and Vine. Katsuya features the same menu as Brentwood, different Philippe Starck-designed interior, featuring huge colorful photo blowups and stainless steel chairs.
 

Lift, 6533 Hollywood Blvd., 323.469-1848 

 Lift: open 22/7 (closed between 4-6 am)
A few blocks away, in the renovated Hillview Apartments building, Lift is serving up a seasonal menu from chef Keith Silverton, formerly of Stars in San Francisco and Chez Panisse offshoot Fourth Street Grill in Berkeley.  The innovative menu features fare like lobster mac ’n’ cheese, Sonoma duck confit hash and oatmeal cr�me br�l�e—plus more traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner items. It’s a coffee shop bucking to become a Hollywood institution, when the only time you can’t get served is between 4 and 6 a.m. Not sure though what’s up with the name, the British term for elevator…maybe after we’ve gotten higher. 

MARTINI MADNESS ON RODEO
With the price of a few rounds of “designer” martinis requiring a C-note these days, it’s hard to imagine five for less than $20. But that’s exactly the deal at the Luxe Hotel’s Bar 360 Monday-Friday, 5:30-7:30 pm: $3.60 drink specials include a fresh watermelon martini, or, shades of Sex and the City, a cool Cosmopolitan, both giving deeper meaning to “happy hour.” Small plates like fried green tomatoes and fresh burrata, lobster rolls and lamb lollipops add a little more joy to an after-work respite.
Luxe Hotel Bar 360, 360 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310.273-0300

LAST DAYS OF DAUGUST

It’s the calm before the storm when after Labor Day, in quick succession, boom boom boom: its Fashion Week in New York, the VMAs in Las Vegas and Emmy Week in LA.
One man is aiming to break new ground at Bryant Park, and he’s not in the schmatta business. Executive chef Andy Pastore wants to feed the fashion masses with his take on Asian-fusion cuisine.  What, you say? Food at Fashion Week? That would be a first. You could drink yourself silly, partake of any one of a number of controlled and uncontrolled substances but not run across a morsel for days and nights on end, save for a couple of chocolate-covered strawberries backstage at the shows.  (At least in LA, you can buy snackies at Smashbox to soak up some of the alcohol.) 
Maybe the California sunshine got to the native Brooklynite, who at press time, was searching for an NYC venue in which to temporarily hang his toque and serve up his delicacies like an heirloom tomato and mozzarella Napoleon, Thai bouillabaisse with Maine lobster tail or grilled Szechuan pepper-crusted filet mignon. Normally you can find him turning these dishes out from the kitchen at Ritual, on the site of the old White Lotus in Hollywood, with its sultry, candle-lit patio and adjacent nightclub. Pastore began his career in New York under some of the greatest names in the business, including Jean-Georges Vongerichten,  before moving West for stints at Wolfgang Puck’s fondly-remembered Granita, Michael’s, the Sunset Room, Sterling Steakhouse and Cabana Club. 
 Chef Andy Pastore wants to cook for the catwalk crowd who normally forego food for fashion at New York’s upcoming Fashion Week
Ritual, 1743 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood 323.463-0060 

THE CONTINENTAL TOUCH

An array of  Exec Chef Vincent Cachot’s tantalizing appetizers at the InterContinental’s Park Grill 
So, you’re looking for some quiet luxury, a bit off the beaten path, but still close in and a tad undiscovered. It’s no further than a stone’s throw from the heart of Century City. Not many people realize that InterContinental has taken over what was formerly the Park Hyatt and for those with really long memories, the JW Marriott property on the edge of the Fox lot. Now that the St. Regis has gone condo, this is the hideaway hotel in the ‘hood, close to CAA, ICM and the best shopping mall in LA. New executive chef Vincent Cachot is wowing diners with his Cal-French seasonal organic menus. We carnivorously recommend the Wagyu ribeye and the Black Angus tenderloin. And unlike many places, you can actually enjoy a conversation along with the fabulous food. The spa features completely private cabana treatment rooms, each equipped with a shower, Jacuzzi, locker, bathroom and treatment table for massages and facials. Tight on time? Try the Little of Everything, an express facial, massage and manicure (90 minutes, $175.)
InterContinental Los Angeles Century City, 2151 Avenue of the Stars, Century City 310.284-6500
 

PARTY AT THE PINK 
Mojitos, margaritas and tacos will be flying everywhere tomorrow night as Harry Morton, son of the Hard Rock’s Peter Morton, opens Pink Taco in Century City, with a boisterous crowd expected to the christen the place.
Pink Taco, 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., 310.789-1000, www.pinktaco.com 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUDDHA BAR 

What do you do to celebrate your first year in business? If you’re Buddha Bar NYC owner Nina Zajic, you send out invites with fans, incense and cherry blossoms in wooden boxes to 250 of New York’s finest (names like Denise Rich, Kevin Spacey, Nile Rogers, Terry George, LA Reid and Ally Hilfiger) for an elaborate five-course meal followed by specialty cocktails created by TY KU’s (www.trytyku.com) world famous mixologists. Then, you cheer on  bidding wars over high-profile live auction packages which benefited The Institute for Civic Leadership, like a vacation with Jordan’s royal family, a dinner date with NY Giants’ Michael Strayhan, Yankees’ Legends Owners box seats and sommelier’s wine tours of Sonoma, Napa Valley, St. Croix and Tuscany. While the winners pop more corks, you clear away the tables and open up for an afterparty, joining forces with David Bowie’s inaugural H&M High Line Festival-- with DJ Sam Popat and DJ Timka spinning beats into the wee hours--and cap it off with guests given custom CDs with soon-to-be released tracks. Oh, what a night.
Buddha Bar NYC, 25 Little West 12th Street, 212.647-7314
 

NOW SMOLDERING: CHARCOAL AT THE ARCLIGHT
It’s always cool to see a film at the ArcLight, but the downside was a dearth of dining places aside from the lobby caf�, unless you count Jack in the Crack across Sunset, of course.  Well, welcome to Charcoal, Adolfo Sauya and Michael Sutton’s first collaboration since the Lodge. (Next up for them: Goa.) Although the interior is somewhat reminiscent of a Houston’s, and all that cozy dark wood, stone and fireplaces are a good thing, the food is more in step with the cuisine at the Lodge—with an emphasis on mesquite-grilled steak, baby back ribs and seafood. A knowledgeable and very personable sommelier, Gaspar Arabian, is there to guide you with your wine choices. And although the kitchen stops serving at 11, the bar’s open until 2.
Charcoal, 6360 Sunset Blvd., 323.465-8500

TOPPING TOPPERS: THE PENTHOUSE

On top of the world at the Huntley Hotel’s 18th Floor Penthouse 

Remember that kitschy Mexican dive Toppers, that place you took out-of-towners for a couple of cheap beers, marginal Margaritas and free nachos for happy hour? Those bad/sad memories will be forever altered as soon as you step into the gauzy, elegant yet beachy Penthouse atop the Huntley Hotel (designed by Thomas Schoos, of Koi and NY Tao renown.)  Open just over a month, the Penthouse is packing them in for happy hour, dinner and partying late into the evening with its white wood and black leather interior and killer skyscraper view of the entire Santa Monica Bay. Dinner reservations are a bit scarce on the weekends, so if you have to settle for simply appetizers, the ahi tuna, cheese plate and shrimp cocktail suffice quite nicely. 
The Penthouse, 1111 2nd St., Santa Monica 310.393-8080 

WELCOME TO MOONSHADOWS

Sun and fun on deck in Malibu
It will forever go down in the annals of Malibu history as the place Mel Gibson got his drunk on before speeding down PCH and into the clutches of a Jewish CHiPpie. But Moonshadows, which has been around since the 1970s, is also happening place for Sunday brunch, boasting surprisingly good food for a view restaurant. Best spot is a reserved table on the patio, atop a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean. Round beds aren’t especially comfortable for dining, but great for just hanging out and enjoying the sun and scene, which becomes somewhat night-clubby in broad daylight-- including a cover charge if you just want to drink.
Moonshadows, 20356 PCH, Malibu, 310.456-3010
 

TENGU FOR TWO
It’s about damn time another high-end Asian-fusion/sushi place hit Santa Monica. Just down the street from the firmly entrenched and ever-popular Sushi Roku, Tengu has opened in the space on Ocean Ave. near Colorado vacated by Ivy at the Shore, and fans from its Westwood location and legions of Westsiders are keeping the reservation lines humming. The black-and-white themed dining area, with marbled walls, adds some much-needed casual elegance to the beach restaurant scene. Also mesmerizing:  the aquariums behind the sushi bar.  Despite a scathing review in the LAT that focused on being charged $40 for four pieces of stringy toro, I found the new Tengu offers a pleasurable dining experience with friendly service, perhaps even a little too friendly. The master sushi chef was trained by Nobu Matsuhisa himself. If you’re concerned about the tab, stick with the sushi menu instead of the specials—and skip the toro. 
Tengu, 1541 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, 310-587-2222

THE UNKINDEST CUT OF ALL
Since it became the carnivorous stomping grounds for everyone from George Clooney, Brad & Angie, Matt Damon (together), TomKat and the royal Beckhams (together), not to mention Sir Elton and Jeffrey Katzenberg (together), it’s pretty tough to get a rezzie at Cut at the RegBevWil. But be persistent and plan ahead, or go early or late. It’s worth it. Wolfie may be there, and the kitchen is under the practiced toque of Lee Hefter. The Wagyu steak is to die for, and much more edible than Japanese Kobe, which is far too fatty for most people to take more than a few bites and not feel incredibly sated and perhaps even a little ill. 
Cut, 9500 Wilshire Bl., Beverly Hills, 310.276-8500 

CHOW DOWN
If you haven’t been to Mr. Chow lately, well, don’t worry, the house specialties haven’t changed a bit, but there is a bit more room for some of us claustrophobic types. You know, the ones who don’t like the whole establishment to know you have to hit the ladies’ room, because the tables on either side of you have to move so that you can move your butt off the banquette. This is after your this-close neighbors have overheard all of your confidential convo, and you theirs. The new, second room—just to the left of the entry, features actual real estate around the tables—and the same efficient, knowing service from the professional wait staff. Not to mention beautiful new bathrooms that are easily accessible without having to navigate stairs in 4” heels after more than a few glasses of Veuve Clicquot. 
Mr. Chow, 344 N. Camden Drive, BH, 310.278-9911, also in New York 210.751-9030 and Knightsbridge, 0207.589-7347, www.mrchow.com