Alex is an outstanding, award-winning restaurant located in the Wynn hotel in Las Vegas. In 2010, it received 5 stars from Forbes (formerly Mobil) Travel Guide and 2 stars from Michelin Guide. The restaurant features an incredible modern cuisine with seasonal ingredients and flavors of the French Riviera.
The Chef, Alessandro Stratta, showcases exquisite classical techniques, evolved through a long history of culinary achievements. After graduating from culinary school, Chef Stratta worked for two years with Alaine Ducasse at the prestigious Louis XV in Monaco, where he mastered the fabulous Riviera flavors that define his style of cooking. In the United States, he worked with Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque, followed by an Executive Chef position at Mary Elaine's in Scottsdale, Arizona. In Las Vegas, he opened Renoir which held a 5 star rating for several years. Alex is his newest accomplishment, boasting a 5 star rating since its opening.
Alex's spacious dining room is luxurious with gorgeous mahogany colors and a descending grand staircase. We were seated in a central table with a great view of the whole dining room.
Our amuse bouche arrived almost right away and consisted of five different tastings: a spoon with perfectly tender and succulent Wagyu beef tartare; creamy and refreshing green garlic soup; scrumptious lightly fried beef arancini with hints of mysterious tropical flavors; crispy tempura lobster; and a cute little "cheesy cracker" pastry with liquid Gruyere inside. This was a terrific preview in miniature of the flavors featured on the tasting menu we then explored in detail.
The breads were fresh and delicious including a black pepper brioche, a roll with dark cherries, and a crusty Swiss cheese walnut bread, which was perhaps our favorite.
For wine we ordered a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château La Nerthe 2004, a good vintage with a ripe fruit and good tannin structure. This long time vineyard has been making wines in France for hundreds of years and was served the court of Louix XVI. It provided a nice balance across the variety of dishes to come next.
Our first course was a Santa Barbara Prawn Carpaccio with Ostetra caviar served on a slice of jicama and topped with a giant clam. We liked the concept, as the combination of juicy sweetness from the jicama paired with hints of salty caviar and the clam. However, we thought that there was not enough of caviar to balance the dish. The tiny dish was sized more appropriately for an amuse bouche. In this portion, the flavor of the prawn didn't really come through well, and it was overpowered by the flavor of jicama, which paired nicely with the bite of clam though there was hardly any caviar to be found.
The second course of Butter Poached Maine Lobster, on the other hand, featured a far more generous and satisfying portion. The lobster was tender, sweet, and buttery paired with a lovely black sea urchin linguini and delicious green and purple Brussels sprouts, finished with a rich creamy sauce. This dish was well executed and was one of our favorites of the night.
Next was a Fois Gras Sauté with Dried Fruit ‘Mostarda’. The seared foie gras was cooked perfectly, lightly caramelized and nutty on the outside and delicately creamy inside. We loved the combination of foie gras with a mixture of sweet dried fruits, including cherries, figs, and raisins. Surrounding baby Hakurei turnips were a great seasonal touch.
Moving from courses with notes of sweetness to more savory courses, our next course was Dover Sole, playfully presented in a form of a "fish stick", lightly battered and fried, connected with a drizzle of a red wine reduction sauce to the accompaniments of roasted gem lettuce, chanterelles, and sun dried tomatoes. The vegetables were topped with a gem lettuce foam. Also, on the side, we enjoyed an intriguing pickled egg yolk. We appreciated the visually appealing presentation of the dish, and the components worked well when scooped together in combination. However, we thought that the different components on the plate didn’t quite work well on their own and were not ideal for such a deconstructed plate. I liked the vegetables and unique combination of flavors featured in that part of the dish. The sole, however, was a little bit too dry and under-seasoned when eaten by itself.
The main course of Wagyu Beef with its accompaniments was outstanding. The beef was thinly sliced, perfectly marbled, and melt-in-your-mouth tender. It was served in a Bordelaise sauce that was wonderfully rich and a great compliment to the smoky flavors of the beef. To these was added perhaps the best thing on the plate, a heavenly Parsnip Custard, light and creamy with a delicate cooling taste, with a scrumptious little crispy bone marrow fritter served on the top. Bringing together elements from the opening amuse bouche through the featured sweet and savory offerings, this dish satisfied in every way.
We couldn't pass up the opportunity to enjoy a cheese course and chose five wonderful cheeses to sample. Focusing on European delicacies, we opted for a taste of Valençay, a delightful French goat cheese, Roncal, a raw sheep’s milk cheese from Spain, Epoisses, a creamy washed rind cow’s milk cheese from France, Boerenkass Gouda from raw cow’s milk in Holland, and Roquefort d’Argental, a raw sheep’s milk blue cheese, of course from the Midi- Pyrenées in France. The cheese course was world-class and excellent in every way, accompanied by crackers, apricot jam, honeycomb, and fig confections.
As both a pre-dessert and palate refresher, Coconut Tapioca with tropical fruits was delightful, suitably refreshing, and mildly sweet.
For our main dessert, we enjoyed a lovely Toasted Vanilla Brioche, served as a sweet vanilla brioche cake, with both butter poached apples and maple ice cream. We loved the delicate flavors of this seasonal and not overly sweet dessert, as a perfect finale.
With our coffee, we also received a basket of freshly baked Madeleines, and a plate of gorgeous mini desserts, of which we could only enjoy a few small bites at this point of the meal.
Alex provided a very enjoyable meal, with a well thought-out modern menu, featuring delicious French Riviera flavors, classic techniques, and lovely seasonal ingredients.
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We have now enjoyed dining at 11 of the Forbes Travel Guide rated 5-star restaurants. To see how Alex compares with the other 5-star restaurants, please check out my
5 Star Rating page.
