Have you heard about those choose-your-own-path adventures? Where each choice can lead to a different outcome, or lead you back toward your original destination? Well, at Bazaar Meat by José Andrés at SLS Las Vegas, your meal can be like that adventure, where you can follow the small plates path or steer yourself toward the entrée course.
Since it opened, the plush, eclectic Bazaar Meat has earned a reputation for excellence and innovation; it’s a good reflection of chef Andrés himself, who is both playful and passionate about his creations. The dining room itself progresses from a classic old-school steakhouse feel on one end to a decidedly more modern look on the other; open kitchens (including a meat bar and fire pit) run the length.
Although the carnivore will be well pleased with their choices, the non-meat eater who boldly ventures here will be pleasantly surprised to find that a vegetarian menu rounds all your choices up. And many Bazaar Meat “classics” can be and are prepared vegetarian.
The starters here, petite and pretty, get you ready for what’s to come. Salty olives are prepared two ways: traditionally stuffed, and transformed into a little liquid ball (originally created by chef Ferran Adriá). You and your dining partner may find that this is the point at which your paths diverge. Gazpacho shots make exactly one mouthful, as do the cro-
quetas, and the tiny bagels and lox cone, filled with dill cream cheese and topped with salmon roe, make that one bite perfect.
Perhaps the idea of that roe will inspire you to order a caviar flight—the restaurant offers three 2-ounce sets—should you head down the path with rainbow trout roe, or wander up to the Petrossian Tsar Imperial Shassetra? A big treat is the “Beefsteak” tomato tartare, which looks like beef tartare and will fool your visual senses. It’s flavored with balsamic vinegar, cucumber and black olive. Or you may choose to try cured meats; one of the highlights on this board is the Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, which is made from free-range acorn-fed Spanish pig (yes, you can taste the acorn in the meat).
Andres’ fire pit and grills offer more treasures, from the suckling pig roasted in clay cookware (which Bazaar Meat is known for), to a 3-pound grilled lobster, and pork loin and pork steaks from that acorn-fed pig. The chateaubriand is picture perfect, pink inside and served with Périgord truffle sauce. The vegetarian among you may want to break from the group and order a grilled cauliflower steak accented with pine nuts and preserved lemon.
The sides and salads are delectable. Grilled baby corn, a take on Mexican elote, comes drizzled with mayo and sprinkled with chile piquin and popcorn powder—wow. A light, simple “greens” salad pops with spectacular lemon dressing. Delmonico potatoes provide creamy goodness and a cheddary crust. You may need to retrace your footsteps for this one.
What awaits you at the end of your journey? Well, the dessert cart is among the cutest in the world, filled with tiny delights. Choose one or several for a custom-created plate that will wow. A little espresso and then—the end.
SLS Las Vegas, 5:30-10 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., 5:30-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 702.761.7610
