Travel Reference
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served as a “shooter” in a wine glass meant to be downed like a shot of tequila.
Traditionalists may find these treatments, and the frat bar names they're given—
“screaming orgasm,” “sex on the beach,” “rock and roll”—unsettling, but I think
it's great fun. Each dish is an adventure; you never quite know what flavor's going
to hit your tongue next (though most of it is quite yummy). You'll get hot sushi,
as with the “Mountain Roll” ($13), an inside out crab and avocado roll, swathed
in salmon and a mayonnaisey sauce and then cooked to the consistency of clams
casino; or tuna swathed in enough garlic sauce to stun a vampire ($6). It also
comes piled high, as with the “Japanese Lasagna” ($8), which consists of layers of
fish, avocado, and cream cheese with a ponzulike sauce. The aptly named candy
roll ($9) features a sweet sauce so potent that it transforms this eel, cucumber,
crab, and avocado roll into a confection as satisfying as fine chocolate (order it
towards the end of the meal instead of dessert). Along with the oddball rolls, there
is more standard sushi and sashimi and grilled-to-order teppanyaki meals, but
there's no reason to drive this far from the Strip to try those. Instead, be bold,
order imaginatively, and go home with some new ideas for your neighborhood
Japanese place.
$$$-$$$$
You may feel like you've driven to another city by the time you arrive
at
Marché Bacchus
555
(2620 Regatta Dr., near Mariner Dr.,
%
702/804-8008;
Mon-Sat 10:30am-4pm and 5-10pm, Sun 10am-3pm and 5-10pm; AE, DISC,
MC, V),
as it's a loooonng 30- to 40-minute trek from the center of the Strip. Once
you get here, however, the calm and charm of this ultraromantic restaurant, set in
one of Las Vegas' upscale communities, will erase any of the stresses of navigating
the city's sometimes confusing grid. Its setting is sublime, with tables perched on
the edge of a pretty man-made lake, and lit primarily by torches and twinkling
votive candles. On cold or sultry nights, there's indoor seating with A/C (or heat,
whichever you may need) overlooking the patio and lake. You'll start your meal
by wandering into the impressive wine store at the front and consulting with the
affable and terrifically knowledgeable French owner about which bottle to choose.
Put yourself in his hands and he'll come up with a winner, and one that you can
afford (I've never seen him push ultraexpensive wines). In fact, you'll get a superb
vintage for much less than you'd pay on the Strip, even with the $10 corkage fee.
Then you order in reverse, matching your meal to the wine you've selected, an
easy task, as the menu was designed to enhance the
vino.
To that end, Bacchus
offers plates of fine cheeses ($11 at lunch, $12 at dinner; it comes with a delight-
ful grape chutney) or cured meats ($12, pates, salamis, prosciutto, and a red onion
confit), which are hearty enough for a light meal and bring out the best in wine.
Though the menu ranges across the food groups, I like their seafood dishes the
most—the
Moules Frites
($22) steamed in wine, are sided with delightful
Parmesan-crusted french fries; and the salmon is painted with an unusually sub-
tle Dijonnaise sauce ($22). Seafood crepes are pretty nifty, too ($22), as is one of
the few Americanized choices, the gumbo ($19). Midday, Bacchus' menu is sim-
pler: quiches, sandwiches, salads, and brunch fare on Sundays (omelets and lovely
Benedicts). And this being a powerhouse wine force in Las Vegas, there are free
tastings every Saturday between noon and 2pm.
