The Palm steak house

It was my friends and I last night in Las Vegas. After 6 nights of hard partying, we decided to take it easy our last night. We were thinking of getting a few lap dances at Spearmint Rhino and were deciding on what steakhouse to dine at. After all, what is a trip to Vegas without a trip to the local strip club! A few days earlier, my friends and I were at the Forum Mall at Caesar’s Palace, when a familiar smell hit my nose, steak. My friends and I followed the waft to The Palm Steakhouse. Yes, the same Palm Steakhouse in New York City. I wanted to try something different but my friend brought up a good point. He said we must have walked past 50 steakhouses and none of them had a delicious smell like this floating out of it. He was right and I was in the mood for a real steak. Not a prissy filet mignon sliced and stacked with goat cheese and micro greens served over a bed of risotto with decorative sauces around it made from plastic squeeze bottles.

The Palm Steakhouse is located in the Forum shops at Caesar’s Palace. The décor is the same as the one in Manhattan, dark cherry wood with green accent seating. The bar has two LCD televisions and there is seating outside of the restaurant. My friends and I decided to eat outside and watch all the girls walking by while eating our half cooked slabs of meat. The waiter brought over bread and menus. My friends started off with a ceaser salad and sesame seed seared ahi tuna. The lump crabmeat cocktail was calling my name but I decided to go with the shrimp cocktail. We all ordered the 16 oz New York strip cooked medium, along with the creamed corn and the three-cheese potato au gratin and a glass of Melleni Chianti Classico from 2003. Yes, I know a cabernet goes better with steak but I haven't had this wine in a long time and was in a sick mood for it.

While waiting, my friends and I were talking about all the crap we ate all week and a heated discussion went down between my two friends. They argued that the wings at Hooters are better in Vegas then they are in New York. Yes, my friend you read correctly Hooters! A man can’t live on beluga caviar and Kobe beef alone. Our appetizers arrived. Four simple jumbo shrimp, served over a bed of lettuce with a little cup of ketchup and hors radish to mix the cocktail sauce to your taste. A ceaser salad, mixed with croutons and ceaser dressing and tuna lightly seared served over seaweed salad. The shrimp was tender and cold. The ceaser salad was a salty but good. The tuna was cooked perfectly. Lightly seared on the outside and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

While waiting for our steaks our plans changed. Spearmint Rhino was out and we decided to go to Club Pure for the last night. It was close to the Palm Steakhouse so it was convenient. One last drunken night in a club was needed. Besides winter is on its way. In New York we board up the windows and hide until the sun shines again.

Ours steak arrived exactly how I wanted. My 16 oz steak was cooked halfway and served on a plain white dish with creamed corn and three cheese potatoes. No squeeze bottles, stacks, foams or fancy square dishes with separate compartments. I usually pick up my dish to smell the food to get my palette going but the smell coming off the steak was strong and it was good. I cut into my steak and it was cooked to perfection. It was pink almost ¾ of the way starting from the middle. I took my first bite and the meat melted into my mouth. The steak was simply seasoned with salt, pepper and a hint of butter. The creamed corn was fresh shucked and swimming in a butter cream sauce. The potatoes were cooked to perfection, well done, with a crust from the cheese on top. Everything was delicious. Also, the wine complemented my steak very well.

I was crying as I took the last bites of the steak. Mostly, because it was so delicious but also because the steak shared the dreaded name of the city I had to return to tomorrow afternoon. Back to reality, bills, work, deadlines and dating (ick). How can something so good be so bad? I was stuffed. We cleared every plate in front of us. We were offered dessert but we declined. I don't think any of us could eat another bite. This had to be the best meal I have had in Las Vegas this vacation. Which really doesn't say much because I was eating like a truck driver for the past week. The bill came to be $300 with tip for 3 people. I give Palm Steakhouse a 3 out of 4 and I highly recommend visiting this place if you are ever in Las Vegas.