This was something I really wanted to do as soon as we decided to go to Vegas. I knew that Vegas is full of very high end restaurants with very renowned owners / chefs, and this rose to the top pretty fast. Part of it for me was that we’d been to restaurants of a few of the other well known chefs that we’d at least like to try at some point. But hey, most of it was honestly our recent love of the show Top Chef.
If you don’t know, the owner of Craftsteak is Tom Colicchio – one of the main judges on Top Chef.
So, I did the research and even got a few third-hand accounts. Basically, the vast majority was very, very positive with a large emphasis on the quality of the steak. That said, there were also a number of glowing accounts of everything else.
Our dinner was on Christmas night at 7:30. We arrived at 7, but were told that all tables were on time. So we waited at the bad for our table to be ready. My wife had a Key Lime Martini, which still makes her swoon. I had a Hendrick’s and Tonic, which wasn’t very good mostly because the tonic was straight out of a little bottle. At 7:50, I inquire as to why our table isn’t ready. We were seated in about five more minutes, and they gave us another drink as an apology. Given Colicchio’s other endorsement, shouldn’t Diet Coke be on tap and cheaper than tap water?
Taking a look at the menu, and the first thought is DAMN! That’s expensive. But we expected that to a point. We made the decision to go big since this was out only big meal, and it being Xmas. We chose the three course domestic Wagyu selection, which wasn’t much more than just getting the steak alone… And boy did we get a lot of food.
First course: Hawaiian Prawns (grilled), Caesar Salad and Marinated Anchovy, Arugula / Blue Cheese / Bacon, and Wagyu Beef Tartare. If we had our choice, we’d have ordered the Caesar Salad, but it was our least favorite of the four. We’d never had Tartare, but damn it was good. That and the Arugula salad were the stars of this course.
Second Course: Wagyu Ribeye, Wagyu Filet, Mushroom Assortment, Baby Broccoli, and Yukon Gold Purée. The sides were all good, but this whole course is about the steak… And DAMN! Had high expectations, but it blew them out of the water. Way out of the water. I never knew steak could be so good.
Third Course: Sorbet Duo (Orange Basil and Quince), Warm Ganache Lava cake with Whipped Cream, Pear and Cranberry Cobbler with Oatmeal and Brown Sugar Crust, and Pineapple Cooked with 5 Spices. We probably would have probably ordered the Ganache, but that was also the least favorite of the choices given to us. Vic liked the Quince Sorbet the best, and I was a big fan of the Cobbler.
We left feeling fuller than either of us could recall. It’s weird, because it’s not like we consumed as much as you’d think by reading the above accounts. We never finished any course, but we each tried some of everything. Some dishes we only had a bite or two despite it being great. Sometimes we felt downright wasteful for not eating all of a dish, but we realized that we couldn’t eat it all and we had to pace ourselves.
So what’s the conclusion to this exercise in culinary adventure? It was amazing. It was expensive, but it was amazing. Though keep in mind, it’s not for everyone. I’m pretty sure I know enough people that wouldn’t think it’s worth it given the price difference from Outback steakhouse.
But for us, a culinary adventure is very much worth it. It has implications in how we strive to cook and experience its ripple effects long after the experience. Sure, we could have spent the money gambling, or on a room upgrade… But going to a place the caliber of Craftsteak is worth it to us. If we make it back to Vegas, I’m not sure if I’d want to go back to Craftsteak, or to have a new culinary adventure at another of the amazing restaurants around the city.