tasty trifecta

Here are three scrumptious reasons to venture away from the Las Vegas Strip.

By LYNN GOYA | July/August 2008

Although celebrity chefs on the Strip continue to be the big news on the Las Vegas food scene, an interesting trend is developing off the Strip. We all know that Emeril and Wolfgang don’t sauté onions in their namesake kitchens.

Instead, they pick the best and brightest young chefs and install them as head chefs of their signature restaurants. A number of these top-notch restaurateurs have decided to stay in the Vegas area and make a name for themselves in their own right. Still others forgo the Strip altogether to set up shop in locations that can put them in the heart of a culinary explosion but with less hassle, more autonomy, and lower costs that they are able to pass along to their devoted patrons.

We offer the following restaurants in Henderson run by chefs who may be a little less known but have the gusto to create their own dining traditions.

Todd’s Unique Dining

Todd’s Unique Dining is a charming little restaurant under the stewardship of Denver native Todd Clore, who garnered a national name for himself before undertaking this solo venture. Clore turned the brunch at Bally’s into a national sensation with accolades from the likes of ZAGAT and The Food Channel. Gourmet Magazine called him a “chef to watch.” Clore specializes in intense flavors that are hard to dissect.

You’ll want to try the Malaysian Barbeque Shrimp with cucumber salad, Johnny Cakes ($10), and Goat Cheese Wontons ($8). The giant shrimp are rubbed with a smoky, slightly tangy barbeque sauce that flares within your sinuses only to be doused by the vinegary cucumbers and warm pancakes. The snappy wontons are filled with a creamy goat cheese and adorned with a raspberry sauce seasoned with a hint of basil.

Clore’s braised boneless short ribs ($26) are one of the restaurant’s signature dishes, with deep earthy flavors of wine and herbs complemented by zesty jalapeño mashed potatoes and sweet caramelized onions. If the beef is earth, the seared ahi tuna ($26) is deep blue summer sky pierced with a shaft of wasabi sunlight. The meal pairs well with an Australian wine suggested by the staff, assuring that Clore’s wine cellar is as impressive as his food.

Chandelier Mediterranean Restaurant & Hookah Lounge

The wide range of Greek, Turkish, Italian, and Indian dishes presented under the theme of Mediterranean cuisine at Chandelier comes naturally to Gaurav Varma. Born and raised in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and schooled in Switzerland, Varma earned his degree in hospitality at UNLV. You could even say the restaurant business runs in his blood. Varma’s family owns more than 15 restaurants and food establishments around the globe. Wine dinners, offered every four weeks or so, sell out weeks in advance and have become a networking as much as a culinary event. Varma shoves the tables together in a family-style get-together.

The signature dish is chicken makhni ($15.95), which also can be ordered as a vegetarian or seafood meal. Varma’s mother sends the spices directly from the Middle East to his house where he prepares the makhni seasoning in secret—the only way his mother agreed to pass along her recipe. The classic shish kabab ($15.25), made of tender chunks of beef marinated in garlic, onion, and olive oil, is superb. A light lemon rice ($3.75) adds a touch of citrusy fragrance to both dishes.

Ventano Italian Grill & Seafood

Executive Chef and Owner Arnauld Briand is one of those chefs who paid his dues before venturing out on his own. He studied at the French Culinary Institute, L’Ecole Hoteliere, before he perfected his classic French cooking at Societe Lenotre, the largest pastry shop in Europe. He later served as the private chef for General Simon, France’s last five-star general. He was only 24 when he became the executive chef at Cellar in the Sky, the gourmet room at the World Trade Center, where he quickly came to be recognized as one of the top chefs in Manhattan. Caesars Palace in Vegas snatched him up to become chef de cuisine for the late Palace Court, which repeatedly won a Mobil Travel Guide Four Star Award, before Desert Inn lured him to be executive chef for the resort’s four restaurants. 

Ventano in Henderson has a spectacular view of the Strip and Spring Mountains. Inside, an oyster bar and separate cocktail lounge (with meal service) attract the lunch, happy hour, and late-night crowd. As expected, Briand’s wine list is superb and Ventano is adding wine dinners. Briand and his partner, Carmine Vento, are particularly pleased that Ventano is seen by locals as a family restaurant. A favorite for young and old is the grilled Shrimp on a Stone appetizer ($11.95), a half pound of gently spiced marinated shrimp with a sizzling presentation. Traditional Shrimp Scampi ($18.95) is a subtle combination of lemon and garlic butter served over risotto. The Costoletti Di Maiale ($19.95) simmers baby back ribs in honey, balsamic vinegar, and bay leaves, then dishes them up with garlic roasted potatoes. Ventano offers wine pairing by the glass, including impressive dessert pairings.