Mesa Grill’s dinner menu makes decisions difficult. Should a first experience include Bobby Flay’s signature entrées or some other equally tantalizing items you know you may not encounter again in the near future? Servers extol Flay’s blue corn-crusted halibut and New Mexican spice-rubbed pork tenderloin, but cascabel chile-crusted rabbit, fire-roasted veal chop served with chorizo and goat cheese tamale, or grilled lamb porterhouse chops are tempting alternatives. It may be hard to choose which direction to take, but ultimately all roads lead to Flay’s American Southwest.
There are, of course, harder decisions to make in life. Dining at Mesa Grill is not one of them. High wooden ceilings, contemporary décor illuminated with warm lamps and an open kitchen create a casually elegant atmosphere. One of the jewels among Caesars Palace’s restaurant treasures, Mesa Grill is open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, with menu crossover for some frequently recommended selections.
Spicy tiger shrimp perfectly complemented by a roasted garlic corn tamale bursting with creamy cilantro sauce, for example, is a can’t-miss appetizer with lunch or dinner. The blue corn pancake with barbecued duck, a delicacy dressed in star anise sauce, could be Flay’s answer to the question “What is the ultimate Southwestern comfort food?”
The varying levels of fiery tastes must be tempered, though. Mesa Grill’s whiskey selections, stocked by family distilleries in Kentucky, are enough to lure in connoisseurs of ryes and bourbons. Aged tequilas run the gamut from Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia to Gran Patrón Burdeos, the latter handmade from the finest blue agave from the Jalisco highlands. Tequila Valley’s Partida offers Elegante, aged 40 months in barrels that held Jack Daniels, and Blanco, the main ingredient in the tangy but smooth Partida margarita. Contrasting with the agave spirit offerings, the Lorenzo blends Hendrick’s Scottish gin and St-Germain elderflower liqueur in a light-tasting, refreshing apéritif.
The solution to the entrée dilemma is, of course, to give into those signature dishes Flay is most proud of and vow to return for another excursion. The blue corn-crusted halibut is served with warm salsa cruda (on a hot plate, be careful) and surrounded with Sweet 100 tomatoes and Kalamata olives. It’s light, flaky perfection, while the pork tenderloins are medium-rare triumphs basted in bourbon ancho chile sauce. Flay’s favored flavors make their presence known but never overwhelm, emphasizing the care with which the tenderloins are prepared. It’s a pork lover’s dream come true.
Not that equal attention isn’t paid to the side dishes and desserts. Each bite of roasted corn with chipotle aioli can cause involuntary thoughts of giving up all other foods—except for maybe an occasional deliciously crispy and stuffed chile relleno—in exchange for limitless helpings of the simple indulgence. Conclude your dining experience with chocolate cajeta cake, a small monument to moist indulgence accompanied by a sphere of vanilla swirl ice cream and a salted chocolate crunch topping, then make plans for the next visit. Cascabel chile-crusted rabbit and fire-roasted veal chops await.
Caesars Palace 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri., brunch 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat.-Sun., dinner 5-11 p.m. daily. 702.862.3530
