Chef Carlos Guía has been such a steady presence in Las Vegas for so long, it’s a little too easy to take his cooking for granted. This is a guy who started his career at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, apprenticed with Georges Blanc and Marco Pierre White, and spent time in the legendary kitchens of Le Bernardin and Lutèce—all before the Venezuelan-born chef made New Orleans his home, found his way to Las Vegas to open Commander’s Palace at the resurrected Aladdin, and earned a James Beard Award Best Chef Southwest nomination.
Today, of course, he is the anchor of Country Club at Wynn, one of the Strip’s most consistent and popular restaurants, where his Sunday Jazz Brunch and multi-course Taste of New Orleans menu are the best examples of this beloved regional cuisine in Las Vegas. Nobody does it better than Guía, and on February 11-17, you can sample even more of his favorite food with the Taste of Mardi Gras menu.
Set for three courses at $39, this magical meal begins with your choice of crisp crawfish beignets with a classic rémoulade sauce or a tangy arugula salad with buttermilk blue cheese, candied pecans and a balsamic reduction made with Steen’s molasses, a Louisiana product shipped specifically for this meal. The entree options are a brown sugar-brined pork chop with Andouille sausage-laden smashed potatoes and Creole mustard sauce, or crispy alligator tenderloins with coleslaw and a beautiful blend of butter and Crystal hot sauce. The gator is a memorable bite, made tender by a soak in buttermilk and falling somewhere between a luxurious fish filet and your favorite fried chicken. Traditional holiday King Cake, with pecan-praline cheesecake filling, rounds out the menu.
Sunday, February 15 is the only day during the week the special menu will not be available, as the Jazz Brunch will be in effect. This food is not to be missed, but if you don’t catch it, the chef’s Taste of New Orleans menu (six courses, $95; wine pairing, $45) is available during dinner service, featuring true treasures such as classic shrimp rémoulade, Guía’s peerless, rich gumbo, and a jumbo lump crab cake that you won’t forget.
The Country Club Wynn, 888-352-3463. Lunch: Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Dinner: Wednesday-Saturday, 5:30-10 p.m.; Brunch: Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Sunday Jazz Brunch, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
