Nobhill Tavern MGM Grand Las Vegas 20 June 2011

We were meeting our friends Brian & Liz for dinner out in Las Vegas, who said "you pick the place, you know Vegas.  Something laid back and casual."  This was no easy task, since there is very little middle ground on the strip - it's either a quick slice of pizza, a chain, or high end dining.  We had found a place the night before in First Food & Bar at the Palazzo (which I have to write about still...), but didn't want to go two nights in a row.  C'mon - it's Vegas.  There's another option somewhere. After googling menu after menu, we decided on Michael Mina's Nobhill Tavern inside the MGM Grand.  We had eaten at one of his other Vegas restauarants, Stripsteak at Mandalay Bay last year, and food was fantastic, so thought it was a good choice.

When you enter, it's dark and cozy - I imagine like the old clubs of the 50s and 60s, except with modern decor. Brian & Liz were already there, and Liz had the signature house cocktail - a cable car martini.  Spiced rum, orange curacao and sweet and sour, in a raw sugar and cinnamon lined martini glass.  The sugar/cinnamon rim breaks up the citrus well, and is easy going down.  Which I went to my standby for my next drink (Woodford Reserve Manhattan), otherwise I'd have 6 of those cable cars quickly and on the floor. The ambience is nice - music softly playing and dining noise is a minimum, so you can easily carry on a conversation.

The signature dish at Nobhill is a lobster pot pie.  There is actually a station on the dining floor where this is prepared.  It's recommended for 2, and is wheeled out and served tableside out of a beautiful copper pot.  Well, it's 100 degrees.  In Vegas.  And being on the east coast and have had lobster pulled straight from the Atlantic to my plate, I wasn't quite feeling it, and apparently none of the rest of us were.

We started the meal with some New England Crab and Lobster rolls (OK - I know what I said about lobster...but if lobster's his thing....this made up for not getting the pot pie...), which 4 pieces came out on french bread slices and topped with greens.  A classed up lobster roll - not exactly a wonder bread roll. Seafood is fresh (for flying cross-country).  

The other appetizer was tomato fondue with garlic bread grilled cheese.  I admit this is the reason we chose Nobhill.  Why hadn't I thought of this before???   The tomato fondue is served in a fondue pot, and a whole grilled cheese sandwich is cut into 9 squares on a wooden cutting board.  A classed-up comfort food.  I would go back for this again and again.  A far cry from the Campbell's and Kraft slices combo I make in a pinch.

For dinner, Brian & I both chose the Hawaiian Big Eye Tuna. The tuna was served sliced with its beautiful rareness exposed over a bed of arugula and pickled red onion.  Piquillo peppers were served along side, which gave the tuna new dimension.  Easily the best tuna I've ever had.  Liz went with the Scottish Salmon,  served with japanese eggplant, sun dried tomatoes, gypsy peppers and basmati rice pilaf.  Mike ordered the only meat entree - the braised beef short rib with sweet carrot puree, english peas and natural jus. I had a bit of Mike's short rib, and it was so tender and melt in your mouth.  Delicious.

Brian & Liz agreed Nobhill was the perfect call for what we wanted - good food & good conversation in a laid back atmosphere.