Steve
09-18-2005, 02:10 PM
RESTAURANT REVIEW: Pullman Grille
by Hiedi Knapp Rinella
Main Street Station's Pullman Grille reminds me of the beloved, but odd, aunt that every family seems to have. You know who I mean -- the one with the annoying little habit (a tendency toward over-imbibing, non-stop evangelizing, enthusiastic flatulence ...) that everyone does their best to overlook, simply because she is so beloved.
The Pullman Grille has similarly charmed me, to the point that it's among a dozen or so local restaurants I find myself visiting most often when I'm not working. And pretty much every single time, I find myself thinking, "Man, the service is really slow." And yet there I go, back again and again to the slaughter.
Why am I so uncharacteristically generous? In large part because of the restaurant's interior. Like most of Main Street Station, the Pullman Grille is filled with gen-u-wine bonafide antiques, including some from a Scottish castle and the Pullman mansion in Chicago (hence the name), and even an honest-to-goodness Pullman train car (hence, again) for evenings when an after-dinner cigar is in order. In this regard, it's unique among Las Vegas restaurants.
And then there's the fact that, though the service can sometimes be sucky, it's sort of benignly sucky. For instance, on the evening of this latest official visit (I had last reviewed the Pullman Grille in July 2000), our waiter was clearly overburdened with a nearby table of at least 18 to 20. We had to wait way too long to order, but while we were waiting, he'd periodically hurl an apology our way as he flew by -- which at least gave us the feeling that he wanted to be there for us. Another point in his favor: The ability to remain polite and professional under pressure.
As for the food, it's a safe bet you won't find much on the menu that you haven't seenā and probably tasted, before. Then again, there's something to be said for the idea that, sometimes, a steak is just a steak -- and also for the idea that no second mortgage is required.
So it was with our New York steak au poivre ($21). The "au poivre" part was just OK -- could've used some revving up -- but the restaurant offers a number of sauces with its steaks, and we decided to take them up on a Bearnaise. Good idea, too; with an abundance of tarragon, it carried lots of flavor and actually worked pretty well with that timid au poivre, so that we really liked the end result.
Really liked our lamb chops ($28), too. This was a very simple treatment -- broiled and served with a Port and garlic reduction -- but they were nice and tender and moist and flavorful, which is everything we want when we order lamb chops.
Another thing I liked about the Pullman Grille: Entrees include salad or soup and a choice of potato. A Caesar was dressed with a mixture that was a little heavy on the acid, but we liked the fact that only the hearts of the romaine were used. And while Sopa de Fideo seemed a bit of a non-sequitur soup du jour, it was the best Sopa de Fideo I think I've ever had -- a hearty, deeply flavored stock with just enough noodles, plus lots of chunks of chicken and cubes of root vegetables.
The rosemary new potatoes were heavy on the rosemary (which is a good thing), with chunks that were nicely browned on the outside, nicely creamy on the inside. And a classic preparation of Lyonnaise potatoes -- sauteed with onions -- reflected the strengths of simplicity.
The Pullman Grille's tendency to be courageous with herbs also showed in the bread included with dinner, which was a fairly simple white with a heavily herbed crust. As my pal said, "Just smelling it makes you think you're taking a hike somewhere."
What else did I like about the Pullman Grille?
I liked the seafood medley ($11), which is a pretty creative (though classic at the Pullman Grille) preparation of lobster, shrimp and crabmeat, with each lump tucked into a depression in an escargot dish, the whole topped with a light sauce and cheese.
I liked the crabcake ($12) because it was rich and meaty -- so rich that we chose not to finish it, with an eye to the entrees on the way. But in the case of the accompanying sauce ravigote, the kitchen show a surprising timidity when it came to the herbs.
I liked the nice tart Key lime pie ($5), which tasted and even looked like the real thing.
I didn't like that the wine list gave no vintages, and we'd have to send the waiter to fetch that information, adding to the delay. But our Kenwood Sonoma Cabernet ($32) was reasonable all the way around -- and wine service was great, because by then our waiter had dispensed with his huge table.
I like that I can count on good food at reasonable prices and a great atmosphere at the Pullman Grille, though not that service moves on a glacial scale. But as is the case with that beloved aunt, some things are worth forgiving.
reviewjournal.com -- Neon: RESTAURANT REVIEW: Pullman Grille
by Hiedi Knapp Rinella
Main Street Station's Pullman Grille reminds me of the beloved, but odd, aunt that every family seems to have. You know who I mean -- the one with the annoying little habit (a tendency toward over-imbibing, non-stop evangelizing, enthusiastic flatulence ...) that everyone does their best to overlook, simply because she is so beloved.
The Pullman Grille has similarly charmed me, to the point that it's among a dozen or so local restaurants I find myself visiting most often when I'm not working. And pretty much every single time, I find myself thinking, "Man, the service is really slow." And yet there I go, back again and again to the slaughter.
Why am I so uncharacteristically generous? In large part because of the restaurant's interior. Like most of Main Street Station, the Pullman Grille is filled with gen-u-wine bonafide antiques, including some from a Scottish castle and the Pullman mansion in Chicago (hence the name), and even an honest-to-goodness Pullman train car (hence, again) for evenings when an after-dinner cigar is in order. In this regard, it's unique among Las Vegas restaurants.
And then there's the fact that, though the service can sometimes be sucky, it's sort of benignly sucky. For instance, on the evening of this latest official visit (I had last reviewed the Pullman Grille in July 2000), our waiter was clearly overburdened with a nearby table of at least 18 to 20. We had to wait way too long to order, but while we were waiting, he'd periodically hurl an apology our way as he flew by -- which at least gave us the feeling that he wanted to be there for us. Another point in his favor: The ability to remain polite and professional under pressure.
As for the food, it's a safe bet you won't find much on the menu that you haven't seenā and probably tasted, before. Then again, there's something to be said for the idea that, sometimes, a steak is just a steak -- and also for the idea that no second mortgage is required.
So it was with our New York steak au poivre ($21). The "au poivre" part was just OK -- could've used some revving up -- but the restaurant offers a number of sauces with its steaks, and we decided to take them up on a Bearnaise. Good idea, too; with an abundance of tarragon, it carried lots of flavor and actually worked pretty well with that timid au poivre, so that we really liked the end result.
Really liked our lamb chops ($28), too. This was a very simple treatment -- broiled and served with a Port and garlic reduction -- but they were nice and tender and moist and flavorful, which is everything we want when we order lamb chops.
Another thing I liked about the Pullman Grille: Entrees include salad or soup and a choice of potato. A Caesar was dressed with a mixture that was a little heavy on the acid, but we liked the fact that only the hearts of the romaine were used. And while Sopa de Fideo seemed a bit of a non-sequitur soup du jour, it was the best Sopa de Fideo I think I've ever had -- a hearty, deeply flavored stock with just enough noodles, plus lots of chunks of chicken and cubes of root vegetables.
The rosemary new potatoes were heavy on the rosemary (which is a good thing), with chunks that were nicely browned on the outside, nicely creamy on the inside. And a classic preparation of Lyonnaise potatoes -- sauteed with onions -- reflected the strengths of simplicity.
The Pullman Grille's tendency to be courageous with herbs also showed in the bread included with dinner, which was a fairly simple white with a heavily herbed crust. As my pal said, "Just smelling it makes you think you're taking a hike somewhere."
What else did I like about the Pullman Grille?
I liked the seafood medley ($11), which is a pretty creative (though classic at the Pullman Grille) preparation of lobster, shrimp and crabmeat, with each lump tucked into a depression in an escargot dish, the whole topped with a light sauce and cheese.
I liked the crabcake ($12) because it was rich and meaty -- so rich that we chose not to finish it, with an eye to the entrees on the way. But in the case of the accompanying sauce ravigote, the kitchen show a surprising timidity when it came to the herbs.
I liked the nice tart Key lime pie ($5), which tasted and even looked like the real thing.
I didn't like that the wine list gave no vintages, and we'd have to send the waiter to fetch that information, adding to the delay. But our Kenwood Sonoma Cabernet ($32) was reasonable all the way around -- and wine service was great, because by then our waiter had dispensed with his huge table.
I like that I can count on good food at reasonable prices and a great atmosphere at the Pullman Grille, though not that service moves on a glacial scale. But as is the case with that beloved aunt, some things are worth forgiving.
reviewjournal.com -- Neon: RESTAURANT REVIEW: Pullman Grille