After sweet success in New York City, Tao Group Hospitality has delivered two Big Apple culinary concepts to gourmands in Las Vegas. Reservations are encouraged.
Carnivores will love the 22-ounce prime aged ribeye made with rotisserie leeks and sauce verte.
Cathédrale
The dazzling dining room at Cathédrale at ARIA Resort & Casino
THE CONCEPT: Led by executive chef Jason Hall, Cathédrale is a French-Mediterranean concept at ARIA Resort & Casino that pays homage to the grit and glamour of New York City’s Lower East Side. The visually striking space is home to coastal dishes inspired by France, Spain, Italy and Greece.
Chef Jason Hall.
THE AMBIANCE: Designed by Rockwell Group and led by Tao Group Hospitality’s Vice President of Design and Development Susan Nugraha, the 266-restaurant dazzles with soaring ceilings, sumptuous blue leather banquettes and drapery, flickering candles, carved artwork by Vhils and a canopy of metal beaded chains. How’s that for drama?
The Quaternary arrives on an ice block with Castelvetrano olives and Kaluga caviar on the side
THE SIGNATURE DISHES: The Omelette, the whole Dover sole, and the 22-ounce prime aged ribeye
The Adagio per Miele cocktail is mixed with Barr Hill gin, St. George Aqua Perfecta basil eau de vie, Dolin blanc vermouth and orange bitters
THE DRINKS: An expansive wine list is paired with innovative craft cocktails. Don’t miss The Quaternary and The Quintessentia.
THE CHEF’S ORDER: The salt-baked Mediterranean sea bass; “It’s the perfect dish for summer with a shaved zucchini and fennel salad, steamed saffron potatoes, fresh lemon and extra virgin olive oil,” says chef Hall. “It is a dish served throughout the coastal Mediterranean that really transports you there.”
HOT TIP: “We do an amazing tableside crepes suzette for two with orange caramel and vanilla chantilly and also have some visually enticing options, like our Camellia de Mure cocktail, which is served in a teapot and cup, and the Sorrento lemon dessert, which looks like a real lemon on the plate,” reveals Hall.
BOOK IT:702.590.8577, taogroup.com/venues/cathedrale-las-vegas
Stanton Social Prime
THE CONCEPT: “Stanton Social was my first restaurant concept in New York City. We wanted to revive the restaurant with a twist by adding prime meats to the menu offerings,” says executive chef Chris Santos of the new steakhouse at Caesars Palace. “Stanton Social Prime features signature shareable dishes, which I am known for, along with prime steaks seasoned with house dry rub, rested in a bath of Beurre de Baratte butter, finished with pink Himalayan salt and served with roasted black garlic.”
The elegant private dining room.
THE AMBIANCE: Just like Cathédrale, the glamorous steakhouse’s art deco stylings are the brainchild of Rockwell Group and Nugraha. A feast for the senses, the boudoir-inspired space is illuminated by twinkling blue fringed chandeliers, which reveal plush red and navy banquettes in the main dining room. The sprawling private dining room comes alive with suspended red pendant lights and floral-covered walls.
The decadent key lime pie
THE ORDER: French onion soup dumplings; pierogies; the smoked butter board; Dirty Tots served with caviar and lobster creme fraiche; and the Pretty in Pink, a 10-ounce filet with pink peppercorn sauce and pink oyster mushrooms
THE DRINKS: Doors Have Eyes, Lady Elletaria or Where There’s Oak
Chef Chris Santos has been a longtime judge on Food Network’s Chopped and co-founded Tao Group Hospitality’s lauded Essex & Beauty and Vandal in New York City
THE CHEF’S PICK: “The wagyu filet steak tartare, which is served on a hot and crispy comte quesadilla,” says Santos. “It is a perfect yet unexpected combo.”
The 64-ounce super tomahawk is prepared tableside and served with sake-braised short ribs, bone marrow and cognac-flambéed pan drippings.
HOT TIP:“Not to be missed is the showstopping 64-ounce super tomahawk, a bone-in ribeye hung from a trellis with lights and served with flambéed au jus poured tableside,” reveals the chef. “The over-the-top entree is accompanied by a short rib and two pieces of bone marrow crusted with breadcrumbs and au jus.” For dessert, he suggests the whimsical Strawberry Blonde “Milkshake,” a cake served in an edible cup, or the Movie Theater Sundae, which resembles a popcorn carton.
BOOK IT: 702.650.5985, taogroup.com/venues/stanton-social-prime
Photography by: PHOTO BY ANTHONY MAIR; PHOTO BY JUSTIN LEVY; PHOTO COURTESY OF CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT
