Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

29 Jan 2014

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon – Las Vegas (MGM Grand)

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Joël Robuchon, where have you been all my life?

Just one evening spent under the Chef of the Century‘s spell and I am utterly smitten; I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to make my way to one of his world-class restaurants.

Located a stone’s throw from MGM Grand‘s expansive casino floor, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is one of only two Joël Robuchon establishments in the U.S. The other, Joël Robuchon Restaurant, is located next door and offers a more formal dining experience.

The L’Atelier’s space is positively sumptuous, swathed in glossy blacks and heady reds. Best of all is the open kitchen with court-side seating that allows diners to watch their feasts being prepared. It’s amazing how quietly each cook works and how calmly direction is given—Hell’s Kitchen this is not.

The menu here allows for quite a bit of freedom. One can simply order a la carte from the “tapas” menu, construct an abbreviated tasting menu of four ($78) or five ($105) courses, or go all out with the Seasonal Discovery Menu ($165).

The Astronomer curated a fabulous five-course menu perfectly suited to his tastes and appetite, while I couldn’t resist the “Menu Decouverte De Saison.” Sommelier Ben Spicer ran the “front” of the house during our visit, and we could not have had a better time under his care.

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Restaurant Review

27 Jan 2014

Tom Colicchio’s Heritage Steak – Las Vegas (The Mirage)

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Palm Springs is rad, San Diego is too, but Las Vegas is my favorite weekend escape from the L.A. grind. There’s something about the city’s lights, energy, and glitz that makes traveling four hours out of town feel like a trip to a whole different world.

At the tail end of last year, The Astronomer and I jammed to Vegas for a celebratory getaway following the release of Food Lovers’ Guide to Los Angeles. We stayed at Aria and gorged all over town. It was the perfect escape.

Our first meal in the city was at Tom Colicchio’s Heritage Steak at The Mirage, the chef’s most recent Vegas venture. As luck would have it, the rodeo was in town the same weekend we were. We dined among cowboys this evening, gallon hats, serious boots, and shiny buckles…errywhere.

The specialty here is meats prepared entirely over an open flame—from wood-burning ovens to charcoal grills. I admire that Chef Colicchio only sources antibiotic-free animals raised by purveyors committed to time-honored farming practices and heritage breeds.

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Restaurant Review

24 Jan 2014

The Factory Kitchen – Los Angeles (Downtown)

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In college urban economics class, we studied the concept of agglomeration economies: “as more firms in related fields of business cluster together, their costs of production may decline significantly.”

While car dealerships are the classic example of this phenomenon, I’d argue that trattorias specializing in fresh, handmade pasta in Downtown Los Angeles are currently clustering in an economically savvy way. I’m not sure if my professors would agree, but it’s my blog and I’m going with it!

The Factory Kitchen, located in the Factory Place Arts Complex in the Arts District, is the latest addition to an Italian noodle hotbed that includes the likes of Bestia, Drago Centro, and Maccheroni Republic.

The restaurant is a collaborative effort between Restaurateur Matteo Ferdinandi, former business partner of Celestino Drago, and Chef Angelo Auriana, formerly of Valentino. The offerings aren’t region-specific, but are traditionally Italian, according to the restaurant’s website.

Using Jonathan Gold’s recent review as our guide, we set out to order as much food as a party of four could eat (and afford). This place ain’t cheap.

First up, the barberosse gratinate ($10), a sliced beet casserole swimming in an asiago cheese bath. Sweet, salty, and just rich enough, this dish struck a homey and tasty note.

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