Postrio
Published by foodette January 6th, 2008 in Las Vegas, Restaurant Reviews, The Venetian, Wolfgang Puck.
Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio was the first restaurant my family and I visited during our stay at the Venetian. As a general fan of the celebrity chef, I really wanted to enjoy my meal there. However, I left feeling like it was both over-rated and over-priced. Even my husband asked, “Has Wolfgang Puck gone the same way as Hard Rock Cafe?” In other words, has he completely sold out?
First, I should probably preface this by saying that my family is from Wisconsin, and they are just not the type of people to get excited over plating technique and use of unusual ingredients. Items such as fennel and ox-tail are foreign to them. And while this may make their perception of a good meal be different than mine, I still think that the flavors and textures of food at fine restaurants should appeal to people of all tastes. Menu items shouldn’t be so complicated as to scare off the typical consumer. Even the salads at Postrio were too complicated. A few members of my family had to ask if a “regular salad” could be prepared (luckily, Postrio obliged with a Caesar). And while I happily gobbled up my sliced beet trio salad with goat cheese fondu, I can see how that shouldn’t be expected to be everyone’s cup of tea.
The entree section of the menu was a bit less complicated, with items such as roasted chicken and beef tenderloin (which came with ox-tail ragout), both of which were ordered around the table. A note - while I tried my best to convince the fam that oxtail would taste like beef, they ordered the steak without it. Hey, at least I tried, right? I opted for the striped sea bass, served with parsnip puree, brussel sprout leaves, and mushrooms. The husband, who wasn’t so hungry, decided to have the appetizer shrimp sausage for his dinner.
All of the items were okay. Certainly, nothing was terrible. My fish was well cooked, but I didn’t love the combinations of flavors. The parsnip, brussels, and mushrooms, while all delicious in their own right, competed too much on the palate. And, I had no option but to eat them all together, as they were layered one on top of the other on my plate. My taste of the tenderloin proved that it was indeed tender, but it just wasn’t too exciting. And my husband’s shrimp sausage did nothing for him nor me - though I must admit, I wouldn’t have ordered it.
All in all, I would just rate this meal as okay. The service was friendly - hey, it was Vegas. But it just wasn’t worth the exorbitant prices. I wouldn’t go back to Postrio, nor would I suggest it. There are just too many good restaurants in Vegas to deal with the highly-priced mediocre ones.
Postrio is located in the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian Hotel and Casino on the second floor in Saint Mark’s Square at 3377 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Phone: (702) 796-1110
That’s a very useful review. Will keep this in mind when I am in Vegas next.
The thing with the Wolfgang Brand is just that..IT’S A BRAND. If you visit a restaurant and it has Wolfgang Puck’s name in the title or states that it’s his restaurant, “It’s a Tourist TRAP” and the food will be mediocre and the prices will be high. The traps are made for the people from that little town in Kansas that’s on vacation that eat at the trap just to say “I ate at Wolf’s place.”
Try eating at his places that don’t mention his name. Spago is one. Foods Great but $$$$$. Chinois in Santa Monica, CA is his and it’s AMAZING. It’s small and you wouldn’t know it was owned by him but he’s always there, cooking in the back, and greeting people after there meal. lettuce wraps are the best.
Thanks Shantanu!
Lama, good point. I definitely want to try Chinois, and have heard great things about it. Maybe that would be a good spot for Valentines Day.