Pros:
- Imaginative, American cuisine
- Elegant atmosphere
Cons:
- No refills on soft drinks
- Some service practices are ostentatious
Description:
- Open 24 hours, including lunch and late-night snacks
- Not particularly kid friendly, but it is in a casino
- Lunch $12 through $41
Atmosphere & Service:
The restaurant gives a commanding first impression with its soaring ceilings and exhibition kitchen. Decorative touches such as large urns, stacks of cut wood (apparently indicative of the “grille” in the name) and suspended antlers further enhance the motif. It is the row of hostesses clustered behind an enormous log-hewn podium, however, that give the restaurant its imposing air -- reservations or no, finding a table in a mostly empty restaurant should not require a committee and a computer.
Seating is plentiful, from several alcove booths for privacy to rows of traditional tables and chairs. There are also some tables stretched along a couple of long, padded benches; these tables are problematic for large parties, however, as access for both the customers and waiter is limited. Tables are set with table clothes, ceramic dishes and decorative napkins – decorative because the white, folded napkin is not actually for your use. It is removed when you are draped with a black napkin during the waiter’s greeting. Something of an ostentatious practice, the switch is apparently made to avoid white lint but results in a somewhat awkward encounter if you grab your napkin prematurely.
Food:
A basket of French and olive breads start off your experience and is served with a saucer of creamy, unsalted butter. Drink offerings are about what you’d expect, except that soft-drink refills are not gratis. Apparently, the restaurant uses bottled soft drinks rather than dispense them via a fountain. The bottle is not a part of the presentation, however, so the extra charge is not apparent when you are asked if you would like another.
The lunch offerings, considered California cuisine, include pizza, sandwiches and entrees. Like other Wolfgang Puck restaurants, the dishes are imaginative. For instance, the Wild Mushroom Pizza is served with a large variety of mushrooms and fresh sliced leeks. The combination of flavors, including Ricotta cheese and basil pesto, is interesting and imaginative.
The Prime Burger is a half pound of quality beef, served thick, juicy and to specified temperature. The combination of white-cheddar cheese and smoked-onion marmalade that serves as its topping is nothing short of inspired, providing a unique and signature take on an old favorite. The thick, untoasted bun, however, serves as unwanted filler that detracts from the flavors of the dish rather than enhance them. Like the topping combination, the burger needs an inspired choice in bun -- something thinner and with enough of its own flavor to provide a compliment to the beef. The burger could also use a better accompaniment; the French fries are thinly cut and inferior to those provided at most fast food restaurants.
The dessert menu has several interesting options, but it is the 12-layer Chocolate Dobos Torte with Chocolate Sorbet that stands out. The high-quality chocolate has a fruity flavor that cuts through the richness of the flourless concoction –- as does the rum, which lends complexity to the dish. The Mocha Praline Mousse, however, is the element that makes the dish memorable; it provides flavor and texture contrast to the rich chocolate.
