Enoteca San Marco
3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South
(702) 677 3390
My family and I spent the week of Nov. 19th in Las Vegas. It was my husbands birthday and we thought this would be the spot to have some fun, see a show or two, get some sun and of course win or lose a few bucks, depending on our luck.
As with every vacation the challenge is to figure out where to eat. First we decide what we want. Should it be casual or a more formal affair and then of course how much do we want to spend. On this particular evening we take a gamble on a Restaurant that’s within the Venetian. Enoteca San Marco is the name of both the restaurant as well as the square where it’s located.
As we walk through the Venetian shops I admire all the work that was put into creating a village like atmosphere. Each shop has its own unique store front. a slight resemblance to walking through the streets of Venice. The ceiling is a beautiful mixture of crisp white and soft baby blue giving you the feeling of a beautiful Las Vegas or Venetian day.
Crossing the bridge into the San Marco square we spot the restaurant. Most of the seating is outside in the square. A large area that contains a round bar with outside kitchen sits in the middle. Beautiful dark wood adorns everything. We’re greeted by two friendly hostess and decide to sit just inside the restaurant where it’s a bit more intimate and romantic.
Our waiter is very friendly and accommodating. The service is very good. The menu is simple and covers all the basics for an Italian meal. For our antipasti we choose: Cauliflower Siciliana, which is not as spicy as I had hoped but tasty, Eggplant Caponata, it’s good but a little to sweet for our palettes, and finally the Roast Beets with saba. Both golden and red beets were used here, very earthy and sweet a great combination.
I tried the Caprese Mozzarella Pesto Tomato salad. A delicious spin on the classic tomato, mozz., basil dish. The Roma tomatoes in this salad were roasted and then served chilled with a nice portion of fresh mozzarella topped with a delicious pesto. Caprese is my favorite and this one certainly ranked up there. I will defiantly try to re-create this one at home.
Our dinner entree’s were as follows: My daughter chose the Quattro Formaggi. A four cheese pizza that included taleggio, cacio, ricotta and mozzarella on top of a tomato sauce. The crust was thin and crispy as we like it and the combination of cheese, oh so tasty. My only comment here is that the cheese needed to be more evenly distributed amoungst all the slices.
I had the Albacore Tuna that was pan seared and served with a caper berry, geato olive and fingerling potato mixture on top. The first bite was tasty but as I took another bite I found the mixture on top to be just to salty and so overpowering that it took away from the fish. A smaller portion of the topping over to the side of the fish would be a better presentation in my opinion. That way one can enjoy either one together or alone.
My husband ordered the Gemelli Gorgonzola. The first bite was a shock to his teeth and taste buds. The pasta was so undercooked that it crunched between our teeth and was sticky. When we told a passing waiter he said that they cook the pasta to “al dente” and many do not like it this way, he’d be happy to take it back to the kitchen to cook it a while longer. Now I’ve traveled through Italy and had many, many pasta dishes and never was the pasta so displeasing as this was. When it was returned the result was not much better. I’m to understand that they sauteed it a little while longer. As an Italian speciality chef with my Personal Chef business I know that a couple of minutes in a dry pan won’t do to much. In the end we will say that the flavors of the dish were very well put together but I would defianlty recommend that the word “al dente” be re-visited.
We tried some house made gelato that was so smooth and yummy. The apple basil flavor I was afraid to try but turns out it was our favorite and very refreshing. A great way to end the meal.
Overall our evening was just what we we’re looking for. A quiet spot away where we could eat some food and be with one another. Mission accomplished.
