Steve
10-02-2005, 07:30 AM
Columnist Muriel Stevens: New steakhouse BOA is to cheer for.
BOA Steakhouse in the Forum Shops at Caesars offers lunch and dinner in an atmosphere unlike most steakhouses. The California-inspired decor includes 800-year old driftwood "trees." Select pieces of driftwood were chosen by design firm Tag Front for their perfect form.
After undergoing a a series of treatments, including a form of petrification, the driftwood became the elegant trees throughout the dining room. The result is stunning.
And so is the food. After a recent outstanding dinner, I asked BOA's top Las Vegas executive Clinton Clausen what set BOA apart from other steakhouses; his response was instant.
"It has a social sexiness about it that excites our diners. When people want to really embrace their hedonistic instincts and have an excellent steak and original cocktails, they come to BOA."
This seasoned hedonist agrees. Where else can you find a bone-in New York Strip dry-aged for 40 days? This top seller was my choice and it was terrific. After trimming the bone from my succulent steak I wanted to sink my teeth into the tasty beef-filled arch. Instead, I used the French steak knife to delicately carve out choice small bites. Not nearly as much fun as gnawing on the bone, but delicious.
There are so many excellent choices at BOA: bone-in ribeye, bone-in Kansas City filet mignon, Kobe filet mignon, Kobe flatiron and a hearty porterhouse. Free range breast of chicken or veal chop, Atlantic salmon, magnificent ahi tuna, jumbo prawns, Maine lobster, Australian lobster tail and a fish of the day are also featured.
BOA's side dishes are the ideal accompaniment: creamed or sauteed spinach, a mix of seasonal wild mushrooms, grilled jumbo asparagus and a bamboo basket filled with Santa Monica Farmer's Market baby vegetables. Resist if you can the truffled mac and cheese, truffled whipped potatoes or truffled cheese fries. The mac and cheese is much too good. This crusty, aromatic delight is a terrific spin on the usual homespun version.
And it's easy to wax poetic about BOA's creative appetizers. A plump Dungeness crab cake was sauteed with panko crumbs providing a delicate crispness. Inside was moist, Dungeness crab meat, no fillers, just a heap of sweet crab meat. Exceptional. BOA's take on oysters Rockefeller is glorious. Four sizeable oyster shells filled with baby spinach, apple wood smoked bacon bits and oysters are gently blended with a light sauce Bernaise, then baked. These magnificent oysters repose atop a bed of rock salt on a crystal plate. It is a dish to be savored, slowly. Chef de Cuisine Jose Alemon is a master with seasonings.
With a gentle, expert hand he never overpowers the natural flavors of the food. Among his credits are stints in the kitchens of Chicago's famed Everest and Tru restaurants, and the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris Las Vegas. He moved on to a position at Simon's Bar & Kitchen in the Hard Rock Hotel working with celebrated chef Kerry Simon.
BOA's "Grown-up" s'mores, beignet-like cinnamon sugar doughnut holes with a cappucino dipping sauce and pineapple rum upside-down cake paired with a mini coconut ice cream soda are but a few of the scrumptious desserts. The house-made fruit sorbets are true to the fruity flavor.
BOA's winning cocktails were created by general manager Jeffrey Blake, who also chose the choice wine list. In addition to his management skills, Blake is a talented mixologist with a keen sense of humor that transfers well to his heady concoctions.
Al fresco dining (weather permitting) and spectacular Strip views are all part of the BOA Steakhouse appeal.
BOA's hours: Noon to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday; noon to midnight, Friday and Saturday.
Source:Las Vegas SUN: Columnist Muriel Stevens
BOA Steakhouse in the Forum Shops at Caesars offers lunch and dinner in an atmosphere unlike most steakhouses. The California-inspired decor includes 800-year old driftwood "trees." Select pieces of driftwood were chosen by design firm Tag Front for their perfect form.
After undergoing a a series of treatments, including a form of petrification, the driftwood became the elegant trees throughout the dining room. The result is stunning.
And so is the food. After a recent outstanding dinner, I asked BOA's top Las Vegas executive Clinton Clausen what set BOA apart from other steakhouses; his response was instant.
"It has a social sexiness about it that excites our diners. When people want to really embrace their hedonistic instincts and have an excellent steak and original cocktails, they come to BOA."
This seasoned hedonist agrees. Where else can you find a bone-in New York Strip dry-aged for 40 days? This top seller was my choice and it was terrific. After trimming the bone from my succulent steak I wanted to sink my teeth into the tasty beef-filled arch. Instead, I used the French steak knife to delicately carve out choice small bites. Not nearly as much fun as gnawing on the bone, but delicious.
There are so many excellent choices at BOA: bone-in ribeye, bone-in Kansas City filet mignon, Kobe filet mignon, Kobe flatiron and a hearty porterhouse. Free range breast of chicken or veal chop, Atlantic salmon, magnificent ahi tuna, jumbo prawns, Maine lobster, Australian lobster tail and a fish of the day are also featured.
BOA's side dishes are the ideal accompaniment: creamed or sauteed spinach, a mix of seasonal wild mushrooms, grilled jumbo asparagus and a bamboo basket filled with Santa Monica Farmer's Market baby vegetables. Resist if you can the truffled mac and cheese, truffled whipped potatoes or truffled cheese fries. The mac and cheese is much too good. This crusty, aromatic delight is a terrific spin on the usual homespun version.
And it's easy to wax poetic about BOA's creative appetizers. A plump Dungeness crab cake was sauteed with panko crumbs providing a delicate crispness. Inside was moist, Dungeness crab meat, no fillers, just a heap of sweet crab meat. Exceptional. BOA's take on oysters Rockefeller is glorious. Four sizeable oyster shells filled with baby spinach, apple wood smoked bacon bits and oysters are gently blended with a light sauce Bernaise, then baked. These magnificent oysters repose atop a bed of rock salt on a crystal plate. It is a dish to be savored, slowly. Chef de Cuisine Jose Alemon is a master with seasonings.
With a gentle, expert hand he never overpowers the natural flavors of the food. Among his credits are stints in the kitchens of Chicago's famed Everest and Tru restaurants, and the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris Las Vegas. He moved on to a position at Simon's Bar & Kitchen in the Hard Rock Hotel working with celebrated chef Kerry Simon.
BOA's "Grown-up" s'mores, beignet-like cinnamon sugar doughnut holes with a cappucino dipping sauce and pineapple rum upside-down cake paired with a mini coconut ice cream soda are but a few of the scrumptious desserts. The house-made fruit sorbets are true to the fruity flavor.
BOA's winning cocktails were created by general manager Jeffrey Blake, who also chose the choice wine list. In addition to his management skills, Blake is a talented mixologist with a keen sense of humor that transfers well to his heady concoctions.
Al fresco dining (weather permitting) and spectacular Strip views are all part of the BOA Steakhouse appeal.
BOA's hours: Noon to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday; noon to midnight, Friday and Saturday.
Source:Las Vegas SUN: Columnist Muriel Stevens