Food

Bites that bode well for Aria’s new Bardot Brasserie

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Steak tartare at Bardot Brasserie by celebrity chef Michael Mina at Aria.
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It took me a minute to realize that the red carpet I was standing on was a train flowing from the rose-bud gown of a beautiful woman in the doorway of Bardot Brasserie. It's the newest restaurant in Aria's collection, from famed chef Michael Mina, and the mood of the night was exuberantly French, from the roving (and theatrically drunk) mime to the cheese board of Morbier, Saint André, Tomme de Savoie, Fourme d'Ambert and Bucheron with velvety quince paste and fig pâté.

Our peek at the menu came in the form of a pristine, bottomless shellfish buffet (the crab was insane) and passed plates of perfect little bites that got me pretty excited about the full Bardot experience.

Steak frites at Bardot Brasserie by celebrity chef Michael Mina at Aria.

Steak frites at Bardot Brasserie by celebrity chef Michael Mina at Aria.

Tartare is in vogue, and Mina's version is not minced so fine that you can't appreciate the silky chew of raw beef hit with mustard, garlic, egg and whatever else the chef sprinkles in for a clean, tangy flavor. Served on a delicate waffle chip with a single sliver of chive, the demure bite made me want a big-ass plate. Steak frites was broken down into slices of medium-rare hanger steak swaddling a couple of crispy fries, the already-rich bundle drizzled with creamy Béarnaise. I stopped the poor server carrying that tray again and again, and he smiled sympathetically.

Of course there is a spectacular salad of crisp endive and funky-to-the-point-of-floral blue cheese, but Mina knows when to twist a classic. Rather than serve escargot in typical fashion, he snugs the buttery snails inside even more buttery gougères (think cheese pastry) with a buttery herb mixture on top just in case you didn't get the message. It is outstanding. Both the vegetarian and bacon-spiked tartines (think French flatbread) were tasty, one with sharp goat cheese, toasted pine nuts and juicy golden sultanas, and another with caramelized onions, that smoky pork and Béchamel. And the beloved Croque-Madame was served on a stick, with an over-easy quail egg riding the fluffy, sweet bread around salty ham.

A macaron at Bardot Brasserie by celebrity chef Michael Mina at Aria.

A macaron at Bardot Brasserie by celebrity chef Michael Mina at Aria.

Washing all of that down was a treat with Bardot's citrusy-sweet Sidecar, a hint at the level of craft in its beverage program, which ranges from Storming the Bastille (Bastille whiskey, Maurin sweet vermouth, Bittermens coffee bitters) to And God Created Women (Citadelle gin, St-Germain, Angostura bitters, egg white and the wine-based apéritif Byrrh). Speaking of treats, the desserts were textbook, especially the chocolate macaron, its whisper-soft exterior cracking with the same satisfaction as crème brûlée.

While I was tucking into yet another skewer of steak frites, Michael Mina slipped past our table. He looked relaxed, despite the constant churn of high-brow food from his brand-new kitchen. That is a very good sign of things to come.

Bardot Brasserie Aria, 702-590-7757. Daily, 5-10:30 p.m.; brunch Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Tags: Dining, Food
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