The Tasting Panel magazine

April 2012

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A Culinary Empire With more than 23 restau- rants and cafés, including 11 fi ne dining venues such as Michelin star-awarded Bradley Ogden and Mesa Grill, and the iconic multiple-Michelin- starred Guy Savoy (his only venture outside of Paris), the Roman empire has risen to new epicurean heights. It is hard for customers to miss a restaurant with a cow perched over the entrance. Nowhere is this more evident than with the legendary Old Homestead Steakhouse, one of New York's most historic restaurants, which has selected Caesars Palace for its newest location—a notable accolade, considering the original restaurant hasn't moved since opening in 1868. Brothers Greg and Marc Sherry, whose grandfather started as a dishwasher and ended up purchasing the restaurant in 1951, continue their family's tradition in the new Caesars Palace location. It is hard to miss a restaurant that has a giant brown and white cow (named Annabelle and moved from the original New York location to Caesars Palace) perched above its entrance. Inside, the décor is warm and friendly, and on a recent Thursday night the dining room, lounge, and bar were packed with both new and old customers. Old Homestead is the epitome of a traditional New York steakhouse, even though, in 1995, it was the fi rst restaurant in the United States to serve Kobe beef. But capitalizing on a successful formula, the Caesars Palace location, while updating the menu, is keeping Old Homestead's signature dishes, including the colossal crab cake, 32-ounce Gotham ribeye steak, 48-ounce porterhouse, and Old Homestead New York–style cheesecake. In addition, more than 15,000 bottles of wine are cellared on-site, and the bar menu features 15 specialty cock- tails created by Eddie Perales, Assistant Director of Beverage for Caesars Palace. They include the Bacon Bloody Mary (housemade Bloody Mary mix and Grey Goose Vodka, rimmed with crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper and garnished with fresh cilantro and bacon strip), and a Cherry and Chocolate Chef Guy Savoy maintains nearly identical menus in both his Paris and Las Vegas locations and the service is impeccable in both restaurants. Martini (spice-infused cherry juice, Belvedere Black Raspberry Vodka, orange juice, fresh lemon sour and cranberry juice, garnished with a "dessert" of chocolate mousse and chocolate brownies). Restaurant Guy Savoy has also undergone some changes since celebrating its fi fth anniversary in 2011. General Manager Alain Alpe, with the restaurant since its opening, has created white truffl e and black truffl e menues, alternat- ing with the seasons. In addition, the Garden Room (formerly the Smoking Lounge, until the passage of the Las Vegas Clean Air act), has become the Cognac Room, with expanded seating and an impressive display of Cognacs. But the most dramatic news came from Guy Savoy himself, who revealed he will be moving his Paris restaurant to a new location after 15 years. It seems like a good omen for Guy Savoy. "I see that 2011 was a recovery year," says Alpe, "as we did a much better business last year than in 2009 or 2010, and 2012 looks even better. And now, with Caesars' new Octavius Towers, we have high hopes for increased business—big time." PURE This wine tastes like authentic Pinot Noir. Probably because it is. Some Pinot Noirs are not pure Pinot Noir. Even some of the most expensive Pinot Noirs are blended with other less expensive grapes. Not at Parducci. This is 100% pure Pinot Noir, blended from small lots that have been nurtured for their unique, authentic flavor profiles. 501 Parducci Road, Ukiah, CA 95482 www.parducci.com Follow us on Facebook & Twitter april 2012 / the tasting panel / 55

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