Raising the bar

Drive down any major thoroughfare in the city and see the telltale sign that reads “24/7 Gaming and Dining,” or something like that. Most of these places specialize in a staid American menu centered on burgers, chicken wings or nachos. The odd exception, a place such as Martinis, actually attempts more creative cooking. It’s a commendable idea, but in this case, one that doesn’t always work.

Martinis, located on one of the swankest commercial corners in town, Fort Apache and Charleston, happens to be one of the more lavishly appointed of these establishments. It looks rather like a Greek temple from the outside. Inside, there is wooden wainscoting and wood-paneled walls lined with New Yorker-style illustrations. One of them depicts two tweedy business types, bellying up to a bar, saying, “The boss said no more martinis—so we’ll skip the vermouth and olives.”

Skipping the martinis here is a bad idea. Though pricey at $11, both the pear and blueberry martinis are delicious—among the best cocktails I’ve had this far off the Strip. You’ll choose one from a copper-covered drink menu thick enough to stop a bullet. I’ll be back just to have another one of these expertly crafted libations.

The space is evenly divided between the bar, which is filled with TV screens and video-poker machines, and the dining room, which has a high ceiling and a long banquette to go with a few stand-alone tables. If you sit on the banquette, you’ll have to rest your feet on the railing. Otherwise, your legs will dangle in the air, unless you are 7 feet tall.

This is a nice time of year to dine here. The rooms are filled with Christmas decorations, and there is a menorah on one wall. The executive chef here, Forest Farrell, is obviously serious about his craft. On a Saturday evening, we ordered a flatbread from the brick oven, and were informed that it would be available if we were willing to wait a half-hour. “The chef,” our waiter said, “is going to the market to buy some artichokes for it.”

The dish didn’t turn out to be worth the wait, though. The crust was gummy, and other components, such as roasted peppers and mozzarella cheese, were undercooked. Luckily, there were many saving graces on this menu. One of them was a comforting soup, cream of tomato and basil, topped with cheese and garlic croutons. We ate every drop.

As in many bar/restaurants, appetizers turn out to be the most appealing items on the menu. The chef’s Maryland-style crab dip is a tad creamy, but the crabby flavors make it hard to resist, especially when eaten still warm on wedges of herbed foccaccia toast. Grilled lamb chops are fine, too—meaty, gamy chops paired with a potato salad with roasted peppers and a balsamic-vinegar reduction.

I’d also give high marks to the colossal prawns wrapped in smoked bacon, served with a tangy mango barbecue sauce and a flurry of crispy onions; and a traditional oysters Rockefeller, oysters baked with spinach, watercress and a devilishly clever touch of Parmesan bread crumbs.

Things aren’t always so pretty here, though.

Something called soy-glazed chicken sate, for instance, has little flavor and bears little resemblance to its Indonesian namesake, save a watery peanut-butter sauce that the menu tells us is Thai. (Sate is actually Indonesian in origin.)

And some of the entrees could use inspiration. A pasta du jour, which the server described as fusilli, looked more like elbow macaroni, tossed with a butter and garlic sauce laced with oyster mushrooms that made the dish watery. Better is pan-seared halibut with tomatoes, Kalamata olives, capers and herbs, or just a plain old steak.

At lunch, most customers will probably eat one of the sandwiches, such as a Kobe beef-steak burger on toasted ciabatta, or a marinated grilled chicken breast on a nice grilled foccaccia. Along with the sandwiches, you’ll get oven-baked, crusty spears of rosemary-rubbed potatoes, or good toppings like smoked gouda or gorgonzola, from the nice list of options.

Desserts are worth saving room for. Especially good is a chocolate hazelnut bread pudding, a confection with the texture of a warm chocolate cake, served hot from the oven with a caramel espresso sauce. I liked the streusel-topped apple torte as much as the cake, although I have to admit that it is mostly crust and barely apples. There is a fairly classic crème brulee perfumed with Van Gogh double-espresso vodka. I’ll have mine straight up, if you please, in a martini glass.

Martinis

Suggested dishes: Maryland-style crab dip, $12; cream of tomato and basil soup, $6/$8; prawns wrapped in smoked bacon, $15; chocolate hazelnut bread pudding, $8.