BLT Steak

People take pleasure in all sorts of things... for me, there is nothing greater than sharing a meal. It can be prepared at home, or out at a restaurant. Although, I prefer the latter, it's less stress and it allows ample time for conversations and laughs.

We were fortunate to receive an invite to BLT Steak, the newest restaurant at Bally's Las Vegas. Our table for four wasn't quite ready for us, so we grabbed a drink at the bar. Our bartender happily suggested one of their signature cocktails with basil and watermelon. It was mighty refreshing, slightly sweet and herbaceaous. I enjoyed it, but the overall crowd pleaser was their take on the Long Island Iced Tea. It was refreshing, with some bite. Just what I like in a cocktail. In addition to cocktails, they offer top shelf liquors, bottled beers and varied selection of wine. Prices range $8-$15 for most libations.



Once seated we were given an amuse bouche of pork pate and jelly, with toasts. It was a lovely presentation, but a bit rich. Later came the popovers that just might have made BLT famous. These monsters are light and airy, simply perfect with a pat of butter and pinch of salt. The egginess couldn't help but remind our group of Yorkshire pudding.



Appetizers followed ($10-$17), we sampled the scrumptious crab cake, the smoky double cut grilled bacon, and both, the chopped and caesar salad. The salads were very fresh and well flavored. The caesar had boldness that I loved but I found it a bit overly dressed.





The menu offers seafood and poultry, but you must try the steaks ($20-$60). They are aged (mostly dry), broiled and finished with herb butter. We had the filet and bone in NY strip. Both had beautiful crust and were cooked to a perfect medium rare. More juicy and tender than you might expect. They offer sauces to accompany the steaks for a few bucks, but we agreed we liked the steaks on their own best. Though, the horseradish that came with the three mustards was the favorite. We also had the 2 pound lobster which had a lovely presentation, great flavor, it was delicate and tender; the trouble was there wasn't enough meat to it.



The sides ($10-$13) were heavy on taters, you could have them six different ways. We opted to try a variety, we shared onion rings, potato skins, hen of the woods mushroom, and caramelized brussels sprouts. We found the sides, with the exception of the brussels sprouts - now, those were delicious - to be the weakest link of the meal. We thought they were too basic, we expected a twist that would elevate your traditional onion ring or potato skin, but nope they fell flat.



Dessert ($10) was really decadent! Portions are large and good for sharing. We had the crepe souffle, warm chocolate tart, peanut butter chocolate mousse and mini doughnuts. The passion fruit sauce on the crepe would've been better served as a drizzle. It was cloying and overpowering. The tart was more of a lava cake, but the pistachio ice cream was wonderful. The PB and chocolate mousse was rich and heavenly, though, I didn't care for the banana ice cream pairing. The doughnuts were light and similar to churros and I really enjoyed the coffee ice cream.



Overall, it was a great meal. The staff, while warm and welcoming, still have kinks to work out, but in time they should be operating a well run ship. Rumor has it, the Sterling Brunch will return.