Table 10 puts a new twist on Emeril’s legacy with creativity and solid cooking
By Brock Radke
Photos by Sam Morris
Suckling pig porchetta
Table 10 was named after a small table at Emeril Lagasse’s very first restaurant in New Orleans. It was at this table where early morning and late-night meetings were held, menus were created, and the foundations of an American culinary dynasty were formed. The name Table 10 encapsulates that excitement, and when this restaurant debuted with The Palazzo’s opening in 2008, it captured that spirit along with the big, bold flavors identified with this celebrity chef extraordinaire.
But there is much more to the man than just his “Bam!” Lagasse demonstrates flexibility with an amazing revamped menu at Table 10, anchored by farm-fresh ingredients and an eclectic mix of light, refreshing salads and hearty, satisfying entrées. Is this a kinder, friendlier Emeril? Well, he’s already pretty friendly. This is an impressive step in a modern direction, showing a bit of restraint at the right times and letting loose with that “Bam!” when it’s needed.
To pull it off, Emeril assigned a top lieutenant to the Table 10 kitchen. Chef Sean Roe, formerly of NOLA in New Orleans and Lagasse’s seafood and steak restaurants in Vegas, brings supreme skill and creativity, all while maintaining the idea that dining out is supposed to be fun. As Exhibit A, please see the candied North Country farm bacon, a dish that is equally appropriate as an appetizer or dessert. Strips of thick, crisp, smoky bacon, made sweet and spicy with a touch of cayenne pepper, are served with a bourbon maple syrup dipping sauce. Consider this the fine dining version of the simple, nostalgic pleasure of getting a little syrup on your bacon at breakfast, and then multiply those flavors by a million.
Dungeness crab salad
Pork is a prominent part of the menu. One of the signature entrées is whole roasted suckling pig “porchetta,” which offers a variety of textures and tastes on one plate, all wrapped up in a succulent ribbon of crispy pig skin. And the Kurobuta baby back rotisserie ribs, served as a whole rack at lunchtime, are quite simply some of the best ribs on the Strip, incredibly tender and juicy with a rich, spicy barbecue sauce. The Colorado bone-in filet mignon demonstrates magnificent beefy flavor for such a lean cut, or opt for the aged ribeye from Creekstone Farms. Don’t be fooled by the fun snacks or light salads on the menu; this kitchen knows how to handle a steak.
But vegetables are important, too. The Farmer’s Market heirloom tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad is stacked with beautiful, ripe garden treasures. There are California radishes served simply with butter and sea salt, an organic spinach salad with pickled onion, roasted garlic and goat cheese, and another salad of salt-roasted beets, feta cheese and arugula in citrus herb vinaigrette. Feeling fishy? The Dungeness crab salad with avocado is not to be missed, and there’s a salt-and-pepper-crusted striped bass served with fresh herbs and broccoli rabe.
Of course, it’s back to good ol’ Emeril for dessert as the signature triple-decker banana cream pie is everyone’s favorite. How does the saying go? The more things change, the more we want banana cream pie. Is that right?
The Shoppes at The Palazzo
11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Fri.-Sat. 702.607.6363
