August 28, 2012

Restaurant Week: Nove

We kicked off fall Restaurant Week at Nove inside the Palms. Our foursome was seated at 7:15. The restaurant remained pretty quiet until late into our meal.

We started with an amuse bouche of bruschetta and caponata. Plus a bread basket with sesame bread, twists and focaccia. We opted for the $20 wine pairing: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and I missed the dessert wine. Not a moscato, I'm sure of that, but still very sweet. Too sweet for my liking.

Butternut Squash Ravioli; Brown Butter, Sage whet our appetite. The pasta was tender, and a bit rustic. The filling was sweet. I prefer a more savory squash, but it was very good.

Next, we had Baby Fennel and Apple Salad; Endive, Toasted Hazelnuts, Gorgonzola Cheese and Petite Farmers Market Greens; Roasted Heirloom Beets, Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese, Candy Walnuts. Both salads were nicely dressed, crisp and loaded with tasty bits.

Before the third course, we had a second amuse bouche of salumis. The venison was one of the better varieties. Entrees were Salmon; Cauliflower Puree, Truffle Pan Sauce, Arugula and Almond Salad and Veal Scaloppini; Broccoli Rabe, Roasted Garlic, Scampi Sauce. I couldn't find fault in either dish, but I think the veal was a bit better than the salmon. It had bolder flavor and it was so tender, it seemed to melt like butter.

Dessert was odd. The menu read Chocolate Ganache; EVOO, Sea-Salt, Toasted Walnut and White Chocolate Bread, and I interpreted it as individual desserts with ganache over sweet toast. Instead, a single large scoop of ganache was served with a half dozen pieces of toast and two knives were provided. We spread the ganache across the toast, and dug in. It was like a saltier, and a more decadent version of nutella and toast. It was very rich so a little went a long way.

Service was attentive throughout. Nove is perched on the 51st floor of the Palms' Fantasy tower. The views are stellar. We watched the skies fade from day to night. It is always a joy to see the glimmer of lights across the desert. Eats tend to suffer when you get views like these, but Nove seems to get it right.

Nove Italiano on Urbanspoon

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