RESTAURANT GUY SAVOY
Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel
Randy’s Third “Restaurant d’Elegance”
 and Second “Service Excellence” Review

Dear Cherry,

In my constant quest to experience the finest restaurants available to me, I recently had the supreme honor to dine at one of the finest restaurants in Las Vegas established by one of the top chefs in the world, Monsieur Guy Savoy from Paris, France.  I had the good fortune to meet his son, Franck Savoy, who invited me to visit his restaurant in Caesars Palace.  Although I have known about Guy Savoy for many years, I did not have the opportunity to sample his wonderful creations until now.  From the Caesars Palace website: “The ultimate experience in refined fine dining, Restaurant Guy Savoy is the only place in America to experience the elegant cuisine of Guy Savoy, one of France's most revered and award-winning chefs.  He's received three Michelin stars, an entry in the Larousse encyclopedia, the Legion d'Honneur from the French Minister of Agriculture and was voted France's Chef of the Year by his peers.  Monsieur Savoy has brought this legacy to Caesars Palace and created one of the city's most unique and unforgettable dining experiences.  It's been listed as one of the country's hottest restaurants by Bon Appetit, given a 3 ½ (out of 4) star rating by Los Angeles Times food critic S. Irene Virbilla, called ‘the best restaurant in Las Vegas and one of the finest anywhere’ by Newsweek and was a finalist for the James Beard Foundation's Best New Restaurant of the Year award.”  To see a video about Monsieur Savoy and his Paris restaurant visit www.guysavoy.com.  For more information about Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace and their menus see http://www.caesarspalace.com/casinos/caesars-palace/restaurants-dining/restaurant-guy-savoy-detail.html.

The Wine List is quite a large book and comes with a wooden table to support it.  I enjoyed looking through it.  Unfortunately, the list is proprietary and I could not obtain a copy to discuss with you here.  With Restaurant Guy Savoy being a purveyor of the finest French food, be assured that the wine selections from France are extensive and comprehensively cover all imaginable flavor combinations.  Other countries and regions are generously represented as well.

My Dining Experience:  Upon passing through the tall wooden doors to Restaurant Guy Savoy, I was greeted by the charming Hostess Ilona Legchilina, General Manager Alain Alpe, and Sommelier Phil Park.  We talked for awhile at the front desk and Phil took my order for a martini while Ilona escorted me to The Bubble Bar, a casual setting where you can sit at the glass topped bar or at one of the tables, all under the warm glow of a beautiful gas fireplace.  Ilona brought my martini, which was very cold and clean as only a well-shaken fine gin can be.  For little treats to go with my drink, Captain Fabrice Malem brought a tiny Foie Gras Club Sandwich of toasted country bread with foie gras cured in salt and black truffle vinaigrette.  Then server Oscar Martinez brought a tiny Parmesan Waffle appetizer.  And finally Aurelien Piro brought a mini-burger of Parmesan Bread with Beef Tartare, French Mustard & Caramelized Onion.  These tiny morsels were served on metal spikes so you just pick it up and pop it in your mouth.  They were very tasty and a lot of effort went into their making so I was excited to discover what was awaiting me in the formal dining room.  After my drink Ilona brought me to my table in the far right corner, which was perfect for observing the room and my writing.  Adrien Piro (Father of Aurelien) brought Badoit sparkling water for me from France.  Alain told me earlier that the chef prepared a special menu for me with wine pairings by Phil who brought my first glass, wonderful Champagne by Jacquesson Cuvee 733 Non Vintage Brut.  I sipped this with pleasure while observing my table setting.  There were 4 glass teardrops on the table designed by the artist Laurent Beyne, which revealed their contents when Fabrice lifted the top halves from them.  The yellow glass appropriately contained French salted butter by Laiterie Cooperative d'Echire and with 84% butter fat, you can bet it was smooth and flavorful.  The clear glass contained their non-salted butter.  The black glass contained ground black pepper and the blue glass held fleur de sel sea salt from France.  From an article by Dan Crane in Slate.com April 26, 2005, “Fleur de sel is a type of sea salt obtained by hand harvesting the ‘young’ crystals that form on the surface of salt evaporation ponds.  The harvesting of fleur de sel always takes place in the summer months when the sun is strongest.  Most fleurs de sel claim to have higher mineral contents than table salts and often smell deliciously like the ocean.”  The bread on the table was Rosemary and Juniper Fougasse originally from Provence, France.  The Champagne was a perfect classic brut with delightful yeast and a fine bead (bubbles).  I tried the bread first with the unsalted butter and then with the salted.  The bread was soft inside with a nice crust and a slight taste of Rosemary.  The butters were so special that I liked both and alternated between them.  Adrien brought my Amuse-bouche and Fabrice explained that it was lentils and croutons in lentil soup infused with langoustine, with fried parsley chips and hidden under the little bowl was a parsley mousse tartlet.  Quite an Amuse-bouche, the soup was smooth and the lentils and tiny croutons added structure and crunch.  When I lifted the white bowl the parsley mousse tartlet was there and was delicious with 2 tiny strips of radish.  All went famously with the Champagne.  Aurelien pushed the huge bread cart to my table, a spectacular display of 12 choices, which he explained to me.  I selected 4 little rolls to snack on and the rest would be served as bread pairings selected by Aurelien to go with my food courses.  Bread pairings were a first for me.  I tried the rolls with the butters and decided this was a bread lovers dream, so many flavors and the butters were wonderful.  My favorite little roll was bacon Parmesan.  Fabrice and Adrien brought a new dish called “The Egg” comprised of Sunchoke Puree with a Poached Quail Egg topped with 7 shavings of Black Truffle, and a few drops of Black Truffle Oil.  Very hot, it smelled great!  From Wisegeek.com, “A sunchoke is an underground vegetable like a cross between a rutabaga, potato, sunflower seed, and water chestnut.  Also called a Jerusalem artichoke, it is not like an artichoke bloom, nor does it grow in Jerusalem.  It’s one of the few native tubers of North America.  A sunchoke, related to the sunflower, makes a delicious addition to salad, salsa, marinade, and soup.”  On the side were 2 Mouillette – toasted country bread with Black Truffle butter to be dipped in the egg yoke.  The Black Truffle was very full flavored and the Mouillette when dipped into the little egg was very good, but I scooped some of everything on the second piece and enjoyed all of it with the Champagne.  The combinations of flavors and textures here were excellent.  Aurelien brought my next bread, Seaweed Ciabata with Nori Seaweed.  For wine, Phil poured a glass of EikoFuji, Glorious Mt. Fuji, Yamagata, Namazake Junmai Ginjo.  I was surprised to be served sake in a French restaurant but intrigued as well.  This course was a pleasant surprise indeed and Fabrice brought the Tuna Carpaccio, with Pickled Carrot and Star Anise Flavor.  There were carrots with star anise jelly and puree with tapioca pearls cooked with calamari and infused with carrots and star anise.  On the side was carrot and star anise juice to drink with it.  Amazingly, the dish was cold steamed by pouring hot star anise broth through holes in the plate which reacted with dry ice positioned underneath and the fish was cold steamed before my eyes, very interesting!  I loved the consistency and chewing feel of the tapioca pearls and the flavors of star anise throughout the beautiful preparation.  On top of the tuna Carpaccio were pickled carrots, a puree, little green leaves, tiny yellow flowers, and plugs of star anise jelly.  This was truly unique and I never had anything like it.  Although the sake was excellent I preferred to sample it only twice with the food and saved the rest for afterwards while I reflected on the wonderful flavors of this cold dish and it’s smoking presentation.  Aurelien brought lemon bread for the next course while I was finishing the delicately flavored Seaweed Ciabata, which was very nice and different.  Phil poured a 2007 Joseph Drouhin Meursault.  A classic white Burgundy, this wine was totally in my favor, delightfully acidic with generous infusion of French oak.  Aurelien brought the Turbotin and Ocean Jus and Alain spooned in the sauce.  Fabrice explained this course as Turbot fish from the coast of Brittany, France lightly coated with a mixture of breadcrumbs, oyster, and lobster with a lobster claw on top.  Under the fish was brazed artichoke heart and sea bean finished with lobster emulsion and Basmati rice on the side with ocean butter (butter with oyster and lobster).  It smelled incredible.  This wonderful dish was seasoned by all the seafood ingredients, which blended perfectly, and was salted by the sea bean.  The fish was tender and the lobster claw sweet and the sauce and flavored rice blended all together into a perfect explosion of flavors.  The wine was perfect with such a rich seafood preparation.  I could make an entire meal of this!  I soaked up the remaining sauce with the lemon bread and finished the Meursault.  It can’t get much better than this.  Phil brought the next wine, a 2004 Volnay by Bernard Moreau et Fils, Santenots, a Pinot Noir from Burgundy.  This was to accompany the Artichoke and Black Truffle Soup with Toasted Mushroom Brioche and Black Truffle Butter topped with shavings of aged Parmesan Cheese and on the side a Mushroom Brioche toasted and topped with truffle butter to dip in the soup.  One of the signature dishes here, there were fabulous aromas wafting to my senses.  I conditioned my palate with a big sip of the red Burgundy, which was velvety and full flavored.  I dipped the mushroom bread into the soup as Fabrice suggested and it was delicious.  I followed with alternating spoons of soup with Parmesan cheese and soup with black truffle.  I understand why this is a signature dish because the flavors were strong as I like them, yet velvet smooth and elegant.  The soup that remained, after I finished the shavings of Parmesan cheese and black truffle, I soaked up with the mushroom bread and finished every drop.  This was a very satisfying dish and the wine was well matched.  Aurelien brought some chestnut bread and Phil poured a glass of 2005 Chateau Mont-Redon, Chateauneuf-Du-Pape.  It was bright red and spicy and served at perfect cellar temperature.  I love the wines from the Rhone region of Southern France and Chateauneuf-Du-Pape is my favorite style, a blend of several regional varietals.  Ridrigo Becerra brought the next dish to show me and Fabrice explained it to me before returning it to the kitchen to complete the presentation.  It was in a medium sized Staub cast iron covered pot.  Fabrice brought the finished dish on a hot plate, Foie Gras, Wild Squab, Pheasant, Mallard Duck, Wild Mushrooms, and Cabbage “en Marmite”, with Light Game Jus from all the meats.  It smelled fantastic and was a hearty winter dish, appropriate for the end of December.  I started with the foie gras, which was on top and put it on the chestnut bread to eat it together.  This was rich and powerfully flavored and I loved the Chateauneuf-Du-Pape with it, an ideal wine for wild game dishes.  I transferred my attention next to the 3 kinds of wild fowl.  The pheasant was tender, evenly flavored light colored meat.  The squab was richer and more game like in texture and flavor and the meat was dark, as was the duck, which had the strongest game flavors.  I chose to eat the meats in this order to allow the flavors to build to a powerful crescendo.  I had to have another glass of the perfect wine to finish off this perfect dish.  The cabbage and wild mushrooms blended with the game jus underneath in perfect harmony.  When taken as a whole, this dish reminded me of a country cottage on a cold winter’s night sitting by the roaring fire with this great meal and wine in front of me.  They were perfectly matched and with their powerful flavors, created this lucid imagery in my mind.  How wonderful!  Fabrice brought a dessert Amuse-bouche of Bing Cherries, Guava, Pineapple, Cherry Juice, and Cherry Chips on top of Guava Sorbet.  This little treat was a real palate cleanser with some distinct flavors that reminded me of Southeast Asia.  Phil poured a glass of 2007 Jurancon Uroulat by Charles Hours, a sweet dessert wine.  Then Fabrice brought my dessert.  Simply called “Pear”, it was Poached Pear in Vanilla Syrup with Pear Mousse on top and Pear Chips, Sorbet, and Crème of Cassis over Sugar Crumbs, a little like ground up Graham Cracker piecrust.  The fruit was fresh and clean and the sorbet cold and sweet when mixed with the crème de cassis.  This was a light and refreshing following to the rich and full-bodied dish that preceded it.  The dessert wine was beautiful to look at and the taste was sweet but acidic and clean on the palate.  Thinking this was the end, Fabrice surprised me with a glass of 2007 Inniskillin Cabernet Franc Ice Wine from the Niagara Peninsula in Canada.  This was a light red color and a little thicker in consistency and sweeter than the previous wine, with a hint of chocolate.  Aurelien brought a small dessert cart and prepared my next dessert tableside, Chocolate “Crémeux” and Pistachio Ice Cream.  The chocolate was whipped over ice to chill and placed on chocolate crumbles, and next to it was pistachio ice cream over couscous of chocolate cake.  The pistachio ice cream over chocolate cake was luscious and creamy and tasted great.  Then I went to the heavier side of the plate where the smooth whipped chocolate was powerful like baker’s chocolate and the chunks of chocolate crumble under it were even stronger.  This was real chocolate CHOColate CHOCOLATE!  I drank the sweet Cabernet Franc afterward to savor the chocolate memory.  Amazingly, Adrien pushed to my table a huge dessert cart piled high with 23 more sweet treats.  Already full, I decided to try Macadamia Ice Cream, Macadamia Sable, and Crème Patisserie (a little cornucopia of dough filled with cream).  I had 2 Macadamia Sable with the Macadamia Ice Cream, which was perfect and finished with the Crème Patisserie, 2 of them.  OK, now I’m really going to stop.  But wait!  Adrien brought an Apple Tar with coffee financier with a raison inside, and an Irish Coffee with a bowl of fresh whipped cream on the side.  Overwhelmed, I finished my dessert and Alain brought a copy of my special menu with wine pairings and we discussed my experiences while I enjoyed my Irish Coffee.  All I can say is WOW!  Guy Savoy!  Magnifique!  I have a designation for restaurants so classically elegant that they nearly take my breath away, “Restaurant d’Elegance”, and I hereby declare Restaurant Guy Savoy my third “Restaurant d’Elegance” review.  Furthermore, due to the ultra professionalism of the service staff, I offer to them my special and warmest appreciation for their fine service, and to the restaurant for having such professional staff members, my second “Service Excellence” award.  Restaurant Guy Savoy is the ultimate fine dining experience and one of the top restaurants in my life!  My memories of this night are simply sublime.  Thank you.

CHEERS!

My Best as Always,

Randy