Restaurant Week 2011. The wife and I only planned on going out once for Restaurant Week, but after perusing all the menus we were persuaded to try one more place — Scarpetta at the Cosmopolitan. We were seated at a two-top by the window overlooking the Bellagio fountains. One of the better views in town, it makes for a great spot for a romantic night out. The clean lines and modern motif of the restaurant interior add to the upscale and elegant atmosphere.
Scarpetta might have one of the best bread baskets around, but that can solely be attributed to the stromboli found within. Warm, chewy and delicious, it’s almost a meal itself. The focaccia isn’t bad either. They were accompanied by mascarpone butter, an eggplant spread, and olive oil.
The first two dishes were yellowtail and polenta. The raw yellowtail consisted of four slices of fish topped with olio di zenzero, pickled red onions and microgreens. a couple slices were bland and under seasoned, while others were perfect. The other app ordered came on the recommendation of our waiter. And, I’m glad I listened. The creamy polenta came in a decent sized bowl along with a pot filled with truffled mushrooms fricassee, which the server promptly spooned into the polenta. The rich and savory dish was unlike any polenta I’ve had before. No doubt this dish ruined all polenta I’ll have in the future.
The aged sirloin beef entree came sliced, cooked medium rare as ordered and was accompanied by a few light and fluffy potato gnocchi, wild mushrooms, barolo ragu, and topped with paper thin slices of parmigiano. The sirloin was good, but not nearly as good as the other entree.
The short rib agnolotti didn’t look like much when it was placed on the table — a shallow bowl filled with a modest amount of small stuffed pasta. But, the flavor from each bite was amazing. Each one was a thin, ethereal piece of pasta stuffed with tender short rib, with an intensely rich sauce. I loved the added texture that the bread crumbs added. It was a great dish on every level. I just feel sorry for whoever has to stuff each one. They’re so small and delicate I wouldn’t be surprised if Scott Conant had a team of elves in the back creating them — I’m picturing Keebler elves, but Italian.
Desserts were tasty, as well. Amadei chocolate cake with toasted almond gelato and salted caramel sauce was dense and moist. The coconut panna cotta with coconut sorbetto, guava soup and pineapple was surprisingly light, creamy, and not too filling. It was a beautiful presentation with the guava soup covering and contrasting the panna cotta below.
Our service was a perfect compliment to our meal. Luis timed everything perfectly and provided the kind of personalized, friendly service that every top-notch restaurant should have.
I’ve had plenty of underwhelming experiences over the years for restaurant week, but this was definitely one of the best. I’m already thinking about when I’ll be able to come back and enjoy more great food and service.
5 Stars
The Cosmopolitan
3708 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 698-7960
