Jean Georges Steakhouse

Inside of Aria Resort and Casino is Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's newest Las Vegas restaurant, Jean-Georges Steakhouse. Vongerichten was born in Alsace, France and the foundation of his training was completed there before he traveled across Asia picking up new techniques and a love for exotic flavors and spice. His menu directly correlates with his culinary background; lots classic steakhouse dishes with exotic touches which creates a modern and trend-forward experience for each guest.

The decor was contemporary with lots of black and mustard coloring. There was "dripping" glass above the bar in the entry that was made to look like milk flowing out of udders. The walls were covered in abstract cow noses. The chandeliers had leather cut-outs instead of crystals. There was a floor to ceiling wine wall in the middle of the dining room with the bottles stored horizontally and stacked vertically. This place was an interior designer's dream project.

First came the bread basket. Four different choices and unfortunately they were served room temperature as the pretzel bread would have been delicious had it been served warm.  For our first course we wanted to order the Grilled Foie Gras Terrine with Apple-Jalapeno Marmalade but our server mentioned that we simply "had to" order the Tempura Calamari with Pea Shoot and Chili Dip because it was "the best".  It arrived quickly and was presented beautifully. The crunchy coating that was light and airy and then there was the surprising chili dip....it's consistency was somewhere between a solid and a foam. The flavor was lovely, a sort of creamy sriracha sauce.  Next we split the Baby Iceberg Lettuce Salad complete with blue cheese dressing and crispy bacon. The baby iceberg was bitter in comparison to normal iceberg lettuce. The salad dressing was great; the chef used sour cream instead of a mayo base which gave it an unexpected tanginess.

For our entree we attempted to order the Rib-eye but our server mentioned that he felt the 24 oz wet-aged wood-grilled Porterhouse was the better choice because the chef would cut it just for us and it would be a "true" porterhouse which was "hard to find". Again, we went with our server's suggestion. The steak arrived with house sauce (a cilantro paste) and soy-miso butter (absolutely to die for) on the side.  We ordered the creamed spinach and black truffle and comte fritters as side dishes. The spinach was cooked to perfection with just the right amount of creaminess.  The fritters were more like little balls of hot truffled cheese...so ridiculously indulgent. For dessert, a scoop of poppy seed sour cream ice cream.

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