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Captain Mike’s By: The Lady of The Night Out Why should you eat at Captain Mike’s? Shh! Want to hear the best kept secret in LVNV? A neighborhood bar on East Flamingo hosts an elegant seafood restaurant. And this restaurant serves the best lobster in town … at neighborhood bar prices. This is a shell game where everyone wins! If you’re hooked on New England seafood, plane over to Captain Mike’s. Owner Mike Warren, who still owns his own fishing boats in Maine, refuses to let our landlocked status prevent him from serving East Coast favs. His eatery is the only place in Clark County where you can order Ipswich fried clams, the Holy Grail for clam eaters, and fresh haddock. And the lobster. Perfectly steamed, stuffed, sautéed …even fried. This seafood house doesn’t serve crab or oysters because Mike only wants to cook fish he knows best. He personally picks up the catch at McCarran every morning. And forget about bottled cocktail and tartar sauces. Mike insists on making his own. Who should eat at Captain Mike’s?
Who shouldn’t eat at Captain Mike’s?
Ok, so what’s the food like? The food at Captain Mike’s feels like it should be served by the edge of the sea, seasoned with the salt air. For 90 minutes you’ll forget you live in a landlocked valley in the high desert. Lobster is the Maine attraction. A steamed lobster dinner costs $19.99 and that includes veggies and a bowl of clam chowder. You can’t reel in a better lobster deal in LVNV. And this lobster is not only edible (always a problem with inexpensive tails that disgrace local buffets) but sweet, juicy, and delectably pliable. (No table saw required here.) If you left your wrestling gear at home, no problem. Tony, the waiter, will gladly extract the meat for you with the grace of a concert pianist. It’s beautiful to watch a professional at work. Another great choice is the stuffed lobster. It’s hard to imagine any dish better than the lobster… then you stick a fork into the seafood stuffing. Chunks of shredded lobster, haddock, shrimp, and scallops form a moist, flavorful glop. Remember this stuffing next Thanksgiving. .. It will make your turkey soar like an eagle. Lobster Jesse looks like a Matisse still life. The head of the beast sits peacefully at the north end of the plate. The lobster tail is placed at the tail end. The two claws are on either side. In the middle sit juicy lobster nuggets swimming in a deliciously alcoholic cognac sauce. The sauce, flavored with tomatoes, is a lovely shade of salmon. Don’t miss the clams in any of their various permutations. Captain Mike’s is the only restaurant in town serving the legendary Ipswich fried clam. These Cape Cod beauties feature the whole belly of the clam; they look like delicate bracelets when they emerge from the fryer. The potato-chip crisp exterior locks in the saline gushiness of the perfect clam. Kids, these babies live up to their reputation. If you like playing with your food, try the “pissers,” long neck clams that squirt when defrocked. Tony brings ‘em to your table still in the shell. You pluck the meat from their protective casings, then grab the clam by its long neck. It squirts when you pull off its outer membrane. Once you’ve toweled off, you dip the mollusk morsel into a bowl of hot clam juice before a final dunk in drawn butter. North Atlantic haddock is Mike’s favorite fish. He serves it broiled, baked or fried. The baked stuffed haddock actually is a haddock fillet perched atop a bed of stuffing. The fish, glistening in white opalescence, flakes in sheets, like a crystal. Moist, tender and flavorful… this is a fish with an attitude. The sides are four star. Mashers are as wispy as a cumulus cloud and are made from real potatoes. (What a novel idea!). Mike refuses to serve baked potatoes because he’s so proud of his mashed spuds. The green beans are studded with garlic shards; the crunchy green stalks look polka dotted. The clam chowder arrives steaming. I learned over and enjoyed a mini-facial. Captain Mike’s uses real cream in its chowder, clouding visibility down to 20 feet. A school of chopped clams and a state full of Idaho potatoes make the soup a great place to find hidden treasure. A dash of red paprika on top gussies up a winner. Dessert in the desert: Mike’s mother owned a popular bakery. Mike grew up on her oatmeal brownies, which taste like super chewy oatmeal cookies. Mike warms the brownie, then tops it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, hot fudge sauce, and whipped cream. This is “Captain Mike’s favorite delite.” I was so taken with the combo I’m going to try to put hot fudge on my morning oatmeal. History: Captain Mike was born and raised in Wells, Maine. He owned a motel and took tourists fishing. Last year he flew to LVNV to participate in the Super Bowl festivities. He won his bet and liked our town so much he decided to stay. Mike honed his cooking skills during his fishing forays. Nothing fancy…. Just let the fish do the talking. Next week the restaurant celebrates its first birthday. Happy Anniversary, Mike! Favorite waiter: Tony! The last word: Captain Mike’s is the place for lobster and clams in LVNV. If you’re trolling for New England seafood at reasonable prices, Captain Mike’s is da place. Mike Warren is an entrepreneur who takes a personal interest in your culinary well-being. His care makes everything taste that much better! Where is it? Captain Mike’s is located inside Zodie’s at 3055 East Flamingo just west of Pecos. The phone is 702.319.2001. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, but closed Mondays.  By: The Culinary Curmudgeon The Bellagio has its dancing fountains. New York New York has the harbor tugboat with its arching spray. Treasure Island has its pirate show. And Captain Mike’s, which serves the best whole lobster outside of Kennebunkport, has a … storage closet. Yep, the landlord stores his beat up restaurant gear right there by the front door. Lovely. Then, you have the pleasure of traipsing through Zodie’s, a friendly neighborhood bar – just like Cheers. Zodie’s is into vintage furnishings – as in 1968. This setting does have its advantages. Watching an inebriated couple polishing each other’s belt buckles on the dance floor was actually a great first course. Got my taste buds going! And, if you decide to dine on a busy Saturday night when the wait for a table can easily exceed an hour, you can attempt to win your dinner tab at the beckoning video poker machines. In keeping with the decor, all lunch selections come with beer flavored French fries. But once you get past the slightly seedy surroundings, you’ll stumble into Captain Mike’s stylish dining room. This being Las Vegas, could this island of elegance be a mirage? The napkins were folded so expertly they looked like origami. They don’t do that at Olives! One word of advice: dress for the surroundings, leaving any tie you care about at home. Because the best offerings here are messy. Take the steamed clams, for example. Captain Mike’s serves “pissers.” Ain’t that a great name for a food stuff? They’re long neck clams that spit when you pry ‘em open. These clams give a whole new meaning to “food fight.” If you’re dining with someone you don’t really like, position them right next to you and go to town! And they’re a great way to get your kids hooked on those meaty mollusks. But the main attraction is the lobster. Captain Mike must be divorced because the lobster dishes are named after women. There’s “Fresh,” “Chrissy,” and “Jessi.” Also, Captain Mike is proud that he only steams female lobsters. Something about them being sweeter. Obviously, Captain Mike has very little experience with real women. Although he’s right about one thing. You do have to butter ‘em up. Aired 10 January 2003
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