Mastro's Ocean Room

Well, the time has come to tick a new box. Last week, I turned thirty-five. I was torn on where to celebrate, I had a handful of top picks, but the majority have seasonal menus and I wasn't in love with the offerings. Spring staples like peas don't woo me. I narrowed it down to Picasso and Mastro's. I often overlook both despite the rave reviews. Ultimately, I chose Picasso. I'm afraid fine dining will be come a thing of the past as more and more small plates and burger joints take over the strip. So, I want to try all the classics before it's too late. The day of my birthday something else came up and I opted to cancel and reschedule for Sunday. Sunday came along and I screwed up the reservation time and we completely missed our chance. Thankfully, it wasn't too late to secure a reservation at Mastro's.

I've had a number of people recommend Mastro's in cities across the country, it wasn't until recently I realized there was a location right here at home. Oddly enough I was familiar with the space, but never put two and two together. It's the bird's nest, the unmistakable structure in the Crystals.



We were started with a huge bread basket. All of which was fresh and delicious. I also had the Strawberry Mule ($15), which was a refreshing twist on the moscow mule.



If I'm being honest, it was the Dungeness Crab Cocktail ($28) that swayed me to try Mastro's. It's my favorite crab and this was scrumptious. All the flavor, but without the fuss. It is served over dry ice so the presentation is rather striking.



With "Ocean Room" in the name I had to try the fish. I was tempted by the halibut on special, but I chose the Chilean Seabass ($49). It was a huge filet, that was moist and flaky. Surprisingly, their turf seems to be just as good as their surf, Frank had the Rack of Lamb ($49) and it was fantastic. I really like that the preparation is simple, just properly seasoned to allow the flavor of the meat to shine. We went for decadence when selecting our sides. I had to try the Alaskan King Crab Black Truffle Gnocchi ($33) and the Gorgonzola Mac & Cheese ($14) piqued Frank's interest. Both were rich, creamy and gooey. The crab in the gnocchi was too delicate for this dish it was overpowered by the creamy sauce and the bold truffle flavor. Both were mighty tasty, however.





We ate until we could eat no more, and there was a bunch leftover. Rarely do we have leftovers to box up, but it seemed like we hadn't even touched our sides. The portions are quite large and will satisfy the heartiest of appetites. We were much too full to attempt dessert. Their famous butter cake will have to wait. Service was attentive; overall, a really great experience. It's nice to have another option for seafood in the desert.