The opening of MGM Resorts’ CityCenter in late 2009 was the harbinger of a new age, a revolutionary project where residential, retail and hospitality uses combined in an expansive 76-acre complex. To accompany such a feat, CityCenter assembled an impressive restaurant roster to rival the majesty of its engineering. Among the chefs lending their talents to the project were names both familiar to Vegas diners—Michael Mina and Jean-Georges Vongerichten—and famous international chefs with first-time Vegas venues such as Masa Takayama and Pierre Gagnaire. However, it was the lesser-known, but no less heralded, Shawn McClain of Chicago who opened Aria’s Sage to rave reviews.
Innovative use of seasonal ingredients has been the restaurant’s hallmark and after more than four years, it continues to impress. McClain effortlessly exhibits an innate sense of combining delicate ingredients with forward flavors in a litany of well-balanced dishes. For example, a piquillo pepper and Tabasco sorbet and an aged tequila mignonette accompany the Vancouver Island kusshi oysters, providing a hint of heat while not obscuring the bivalve’s salinity. Likewise, king crab and yellowtail crudo comes with Osetra caviar, walnut gelée, black truffle and salsify purée—the seafood ethereally elevated among the varied textures and flavors. Poached honey mussels are topped with bacon.
King crab and yellowtail crudo
The slow-poached organic farm egg impresses with its simplicity. Combined with smoked potatoes and shaved black truffle alongside toasted country bread, it exemplifies how simply excellent ingredients can be showcased without additional fanfare. And if the restaurant has a single iconic dish, it must be the foie gras custard “brûlée.” While the fruit component alters slightly based upon seasonal availability, the combination of the foie gras’ richness and cocoa nibs’ sweetness are always paired with an addictive salted brioche. The versatile dish suits equally as an appetizer or dessert.
Proteins vary from bacon-wrapped rabbit loin to braised veal cheeks: the former an approachable, smoky take on an otherwise rare entrée, while the latter—accompanied by a pork cassoulet—robustly layered in richness. And the pork terrine and crispy tail, a whirlwind of swineful sinfulness, miraculously succeeds in being simultaneously light and hearty.
While the majority of the main menu presents riffs on classic preparations and techniques, dessert offerings tend to be more progressive and avant-garde. In the sweet potato pie, Angostura bitters ice cream accompanies a deconstructed sweet potato pie with hints of burnt orange atop a swath of charred marshmallow. A tropical parfait with passion fruit ganache, jalapeño pearls and shaved macadamia nuts also pleases.
Plus, Sage’s innovative cocktail program ranges from well-crafted mixology offerings to a beer list encompassing lesser-known rarities. Sage also faithfully embraced the return of the green fairy to the States with an impressive selection of absinthes. Inquire about the Czech Republic handmade pipes unique to the restaurant and you’re in for a wildly unique experience—not so unlike your whole Sage dining experience.
Aria at City Center, 5-11 p.m. daily. 877.230.2742
