Emeril's New Orleans Fish House

Description:

• As with Wolfgang Puck, the ubiquitous Emeril Lagasse has probably spread himself too thin. Although we thoroughly enjoy his shows on the Food Network and can attest that his flagship restaurant in New Orleans remains as good as ever, this Vegas outpost seems to have slipped. Part of that may be our prejudice about seafood restaurants in the desert -- yes, we know about airplanes and refrigeration, but we rarely have good fish in Vegas, so there you go.

  For that matter, at our last meal here, the most successful dish was the Creole-spiced aged rib-eye, drizzled with a horseradish Worcestershire sauce (with Emeril's famous kick that is neatly tempered by the mashed potatoes). A salad of duck comfit left us feeling the duck would be better on its own, but the sweet toasted-pecan vinaigrette was so good, it reconciled one diner toward eating previously loathed spinach. A signature dish remains the foie gras-topped ahi tuna, a combination that makes no more sense to us now than it did when we first tried it (because it tasted just fine with the side of spaghetti sauce). But the portions of foie gras can be generous, so you could just deconstruct it into a two-part appetizer. Still, you should try Emeril's famous lobster cheesecake appetizer, a savory delight like nothing you've tried before. The garlic-and-herb butter sauce that comes with the barbecued shrimp will have you mopping your plate with bread and asking for more of the petite rosemary biscuits that accompany it. And a slice of the banana-cream pie with banana crust and caramel drizzle is simple in its decadence.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

CitySearch

•  Salad 2006 – Audience Winner
•  Salad 2006 – Editorial Winner

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2009
•  Recommended 2010