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Tremezzo and Elements

By: The Lady of The Night Out

Why should you eat at Tremezzo and Elements?

Remember the Wrigley twins who bragged spearmint gum gave you two flavors for the price of one. The Aladdin Resort and Casino borrowed the concept. Diners at Tremezzo, a gourmet Italian restaurant, can also order items from Elements, the hotel’s steak and sushi fine dining restaurant. It’s mix and match to the max.

Here’s the best part: the food equals the fare at any of the Strip’s fress to impress joints. But the prices are so downtown. Tremezzo offers a $35, four course feast that is THE best value on the Strip designed especially for theater-goers.

Everything is spiced with wit…. Starting with the name. Tremezzo is an island in Lake Como. It stares at the real Bellagio, a snooty resort town in Italy built on a craggy peninsula that juts deep into the lake. The Aladdin’s restaurant is across from LVNV’s Bellagio…. Get the joke?

Who should eat at Tremezzo and Elements?

Gourmets. Who else in town uses 100 year old balsamic vinegar?
The Adventurous. The food is clever and inventive as well as yummy. It’s like trying to spot Hirschfield’s signature in a New Yorker carton. It’s fun to find the clever touch with each dish. For example: the shoestring potatoes were wrapped around the bone of the lamb chop.
Anyone looking for value. The prices here fit any budget. You get more for less at Tremezzo and Elements. For example, a prime porterhouse steak costs $34 here; the going rate for steakhouses lining Las Vegas Boulevard is $60.
Romantics. Tremezzo has a patio three stories above the Strip, providing a perfect perch for an unobstructed view of the Bellagio’s water show. The music wafts across the street to complete the presentation.
Singles. Both dining rooms go out of their way to make singlets feel at home. The managers make a point of stopping by and saying hi so solos don’t feel ignored. You can also pick up some new friends dining at the bar.
Anyone who wants to be spoiled. The wait staff we met at each restaurant can stand up to their peers anywhere, but they can also do stand up. I never laughed so hard at a restaurant. If you eat at Elements, ask for Phillip. I thought I dreamed of Jeanie.
Theater goers. The restaurants are just an elevator ride away from the front door of the Aladdin Theater for the Performing Arts. I had the $35 theater special, inhaling my appetizer, Caesar salad and main course before the curtain and going back for dessert and coffee after the performance. By then there was no traffic jam in the parking lot.
Locals. 60 percent of the clientele live in LVNV and the management knows this. Complain about the Rainbow curve and they know you belong.

Who shouldn’t eat at Tremezzo and Elements?

Folks you don’t like to walk. If you self-park in the garage or valet at the Blue Note, you have to stroll through the Desert Passage. The merchandise is nice but it’s a long walk.
Couples craving quiet. Elements is located next to the Aladdin’s lounge. The music is foot thumping and can be loud. Tremezzo is a quieter alternative.

Ok, so what’s the food like? Like Olives, the Caesar salad is one of Tremezzo’s signature dishes. This salad has real anchovies; hooray for authenticity. But in case you don’t like the tres salty fish, Tremezzo serves the anchovies in a lacy container – it’s edible since it’s made with parmesan cheese. The beasts never touch the Romaine thanks to this crispy DMZ. But if you do want that lovely anchovy kick, smash the bowl and add even more cheese to the already brazen dish.

No one on the Strip does eggplant with such skill. The breaded eggplant with buffalo mozzarella cheese is a layered work of art. The eggplant has just a whisper of breading, creating a super crunchy crust. Cherry red tomatoes cut like wagon wheels are inserted between the layers of eggplant and the snowy, chewy mozzarella. The veggie tower is topped with arugula glistening with olive oil; it looked like the eggplant had just had a perm. A moat of velvety tomato sauce and a lime green dollop of infused oil ratcheted up the taste.

This was a stunning presentation that took very pedestrian ingredients and elevated them to a super nova.

Elements is a sushi and steak house. The Aladdin’s butcher shop trims the tenderloins every morning. This is a plus because it allows the experts to control the quality of the cuts. And all the meat is grilled over a mesquite wood fire. There’s no way to modulate the flames where you’re using the real thing. So you can be sure the gents at the grill are paid professionals.

If you are a seared fois gras connoisseur, Elements is a good place to indulge. The Hudson Valley fois gras is paper crisp on the exterior and still gooey gushy buttery on the inside. The two snippets are served with sautéed peas --- needed for their counterbalancing sweetness— snowy mashed potatoes whipped as smooth as a baby’s skin and fresh spinach perfectly wilted.

Another winner is the lamb shank and veal medallion combination plate. Don’t miss the shoestring potatoes wrapped about the shank. The meats were perfect, but two chips were the most fun: one exquisitely homemade potato chip kept company with an equally accomplished beet chip. The mushroom risotto acted like the glue that held everything together.

Tremezzo has a great bread presentation. A strolling waiter offers a duo of ciabatta breads – the asiago cheese version is so surprisingly sharp it catches you in mid-sentence. A wooden tray holds a trio of spreads. Jalapenos turn up the heat in the spicy one; it’s a perfect mate for the asiago bread. Then there’s a bowl of coarsely cut reggiano parmesan cheese for nibbling. Olive oil sits in the third bowl, begging for dipping. The waiter also offers whipped butter, if that’s your preference. True to form, this restaurant has added elegance to a …. bread and butter offering.

Dessert in the desert: The martini tiramisu. Nope, it’s not shaken or stirred. It’s the classic dessert served in a Texas-sized martini glass. The lady fingers are at the bottom of the glass and that scrumptious rum-soaked mascarpone cheese – that’s feather light Italian cream cheese – fills up most of the glass. Blueberries, strawberries, a cookie and a chocolate swizzle stick complete the confection. Clever… and one of the best in Clark County.

History: Chef Mario Capone (no relation to Al – he grew up in Boston, not Chicago) learned to cook from his mother. His aunt was a secretary in JFK’s first Senate campaign. She wanted to bring her sister over from Italy. Senator Kennedy pulled some strings to get the 19 year old through immigration. Mom made everything from scratch the Italian way. The family would pick tomatoes from the farm in the summer and make fresh tomato sauce that would last the clan the entire year.

The last word: Elements and Tremezzo are the best kept secret on the Strip. You can eat like the King and pay like a peasant; the value is well worth the price. And there’s plenty of al fresco romance on the patio.

Where is it? At the Aladdin Resort and Casino, 3667 Las Vegas Boulevard. The phone is 702.785.9017. The restaurant is on the mezzanine level of the casino; it is not in the restaurant section of Desert Passage.

By: The Culinary Curmudgeon Lady of the Night Out

Last week I pointed out the major benefits of dining on the patio at Olives. There is one drawback, however. If it’s windy, you get wet. That’s not a problem in July, but waves can cause hypothermia this time of year. If you’re determined to dine alfresco, a better choice is the patio at Tremezzo. You can enjoy the breathtaking view of Glitter Gulch AND stay out of the splash zone.

You can skip your day at the gym the night you dine at Tremezzo. You easily can work up a sweat getting to the restaurant if you arrive by motor car. It’s a good 15 minute stroll from the parking garage to the dining room. That’s a long walk after 18 holes of golf. I’ve been tempted to take the pedicab rides to the casino door. I wonder if that’s how Lance Armstrong started out.

I really love the multiple choice concept in restaurant dining. I never would have considered pairing lobster ravioli with California rolls, but why not? The adults can eat seared fois gras and the kinder can have spaghetti with meatballs, and everyone lives happily ever after.

And how can you not love a place that serves 100 year old balsamic vinegar? The cobwebs add a delectable essence.

My favorite table at Elements is right by the grill. The chefs use real wood to sear the steaks -- none of that fou fou charcoal stuff. My idea of roughing it in the wild is to stay at a cabin without high speed Internet connections. So I feel very rustic having dinner next to the wood pile. I loved watching the fire flare every time the chef threw a steak on the grill. However, I was disappointed when s’mores weren’t on the menu. Next time I dine at Elements, I’m going to bring my own marshmallows.

There’s an element of Elements that displeased me. The eatery is just a few steps from the lounge, a showcase for the Strip’s top local vocal groups. I’m a Sammy and Sinatra kind of guy. To me, pink is a color. So I didn’t like my meal spiced with songs like “Let’s Get This Party Started.” Thankfully, you can get that wonderful Porterhouse dining at Tremezzo, where the silence is golden.

Aired 13 December 2002

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