L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon is the workshop of the Chef of the Century Joel Robuchon in the MGM Grand Las Vegas. The open kitchen allows diners to see artful modern French cuisine made right before their eyes. It is located next to Joel Robuchon, the chef's top-of-the-line restaurant.

While French restaurants often offer limited options for vegetarian diners, there is a complete vegetarian menu and degustation available nightly at L'Atelier. Vegan diners were out of luck on the menu - dishes were almost always made with cheese and/or eggs - but the talented kitchen is capable of turning out great items for just anybody with advance notice.

The open kitchen concept has been utilized by other chefs to great success - visit The Catbird Seat in Nashville to see the approach absolutely shine. The dining room itself is a show with chefs performing acts of culinary precision in a way that puts every diner at the kitchen table.

The beverage program at L'Atelier shows the same rigorous care as the kitchen. The cocktails were divine, and the wine list was filled with gems. The second wine of Chateau Musar (Jeune), a Lebanese red blend, was a steal by the glass.

The amuse bouche was a vegetable fondant topped with avocado cream. Sweet tomato was fattened up by the whipped avocado, and it displayed a rich palate of green herbs.

The soft boiled egg in a vegetarian spinach veloute with a parmesan tuile makes great use of texture. The sauce is thick, the egg is soft, almost hidden in the dish, and the cheese crisp adds a nice crunch that unifies the dish.

The basil tomato spaghetti is rooted in Italy, but the olives give the dish a slight Mediterranean spin. While the pasta was excellent, it paled in comparison to the similar dish at Scarpetta. 

The gelato was artfully presented. It was a fitting conclusion to a great meal. 

L'Atelier isn't cheap, but it is a great introduction to one of the world's luminary chefs. The Michelin-starred restaurant is a destination worth finding in the Las Vegas desert.

Chez du Bon

Chez du Bon is the latest project from Yavonne Sarber's Fab Dining Group, which also includes de-Novo Bistro & Bar and Manifesto Tuscan Grato and Scotch Bar. The concept at this spot is a French market with a small dining area for the kitchen to prepare sandwiches, soups and salads as well as a few other notable French classics.

There were a limited amount of vegetarian items on the lunch menu - one meatless sandwich, a few starters, salads and French toast. The dinner menu has a few additional items including crepes and veggie poutine. Nothing on the menu was vegan. Some of the desserts, like the beignets, were prepared with beef tallow. Check with the kitchen when ordering if you have specific dietary restrictions.

The green salad was topped with fantastic pickled onions, carrots and tomatoes on a bed of peppery mixed greens lightly dressed in a bright vinaigrette. It looked great and tasted even better.

The mushroom crostini came on crusty bread that was the best part of the sandwich. It was crunchy and dense on the outside but soft in the middle. The oven-roasted fungi displayed a great texture that delivered layers of rosemary and garlic flavor. The soft herbed goat cheese melted on the sandwich, giving it a nice acidity.

The restaurant was surprisingly dark and formal. The dining room perhaps could be brightened and lightened to give it a more welcoming atmosphere like the one found in the market. Service struggled to keep up with a surprisingly busy dining room. 

The drinks at Chez du Bon include fun cocktails like the other two restaurants, as well as a small selection of wine and beer.

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire is the heralded chef's sole North American restaurant. Pierre Gagnaire's technique is firmly rooted in the French tradition, but he adds a modern flair with international influences to his cuisine that makes him more forward-looking than some of his fellow countrymen.

Twist is located in the swanky Mandarin Oriental in City Center on The Strip. The dining room has a great view of The Strip, which makes it a great spot for romantic dining.

The wine list is chock full of interesting lots to pair with the fare coming out of the food-science laboratory kitchen. There are great wines from the Old and New World, and the cocktails and beer are selected with the same care as everything else at Twist.

Service at Twist is as exemplary as the food. The kitchen controls the dining experience, and does a phenomenal job preparing artful food for vegetarian and vegan diners.

The menu changes with the season. Gagnaire typically works in the kitchen for a week or two when the new menu is introduced.

The bread plate and plate of amuse bouche show the careful attention to detail from the kitchen. There were three different risen breads, as well as flavored flatbtreads. They were served with amazing butter and an addictive popcorn foam that adds a sweet, salty backdrop to the baked goods. 

The amuse bouche came in four parts. Many were savory plays on desserts, spicy cookies and cheese marshmallows that were perfectly suited to a one-bite format.

The salad course was made with green and white asparagus, shallot vinaigrette, tomato coulis, avocado and diced mushroom agar. The dressing was augmented by vegetable-gelatin-suspended spices. The plating was almost too pretty to eat.

The next course had cabbage as its centerpiece, and played nicely with sweetness and acidity. Passion fruit adds a nice bite to the crisp, green veggies.

 The carrot fondant was served atop a raspberry and beet reduction. Sliced turnips gave the dish a nice crunch.

The next course was beets in a reduced maple syrup on roasted red pepper and pimento jam. It was topped with graffiti radishes that added a great visual pop.

The sauteed baby potatoes sat in an arugula coulis with enoki and Paris mushrooms. It was a pleasing combination of savory, salty flavors that were completely balanced.

The saffron risotto with baby zucchini, broccoli and corn was as good of a risotto as I have ever tasted. The creamy rice was a perfect vehicle to deliver the lightly roasted vegetable flavor that defines the season.

The dessert tasting consists of six components. They range in order from light and fresh to rich and sweet. They were followed by petit fours.

There are too many great chefs in Las Vegas to count. Vegans and vegetarians looking for fine dining options should take note of Twist when exploring fine dining options. The modern take on meatless cuisine at the restaurant surpasses anything else you are likely to find in Sin City.

Spagio

Spagio is a standout casual cafe on the Grandview strip. Chef Hubert Seifert captains the capable kitchen, which turns out excellent fare with plenty of options for vegetarian diners.

The menu at Spagio typically has two or three meatless starters, an entree and a couple of wood-fired pizzas. The special menu on Valentine's Day was no exception. The staff capably addresses dining concerns, and delivers service evenly with flair.

Seifert has worked all over the globe, including stints in France working for Pierre Troisgros in Lyon, the royal family in Spain and a luxury hotel in Brazil. His international experience shows in his menu.

The tart flambe was prepared in the wood-burning oven. The thin crust was topped with garlic and goat cheese along with roasted bell peppers and onions. The tart was a delicate base that dissolved in the mouth, delivering great vegetable flavor tempered by the acidity of goat cheese crumbles.

The wood-fired vegetables, including zucchini, squash, tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots and peppers, are served with a bright yogurt dipping sauce. Each veggie takes on a different character when roasted, and it makes healthy eating quite a mouth-watering experience.

The vegetable Napoleon was a vegan preparation. Thinly sliced layers of eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms and bell peppers are composed atop a roasted red pepper coulis with asparagus and sauteed spinach. It almost looked to good to eat.

The wine list at Spagio pairs well with the menu. It is fairly priced. Cocktails are fun and somewhat expensive.

While the artful cuisine at Spagio makes it seem like a white tablecloth establishment, the boisterous dining room makes it comfortably casual.

Bistronomic

Bistronomic is Chef Martial Noguier's foray into bistronomy. The One Sixtyblue and Pump Room alum whips up flavorful fare at reasonable rates in a stylish setting.

French food is notoriously vegetarian unfriendly. Bistronomic's menu does not have a ton of options for vegetarians. However, the kitchen was more than accommodating when given advance notice of dietary restrictions.

The menu is tailor made for turophiles with cheese flights and warm cheese plates. The flights are split into local (less than 300 miles away from Wisconsin and Indiana dairies) and more-than-300-mile selections.

Diners order small, medium and large plates, an experience that is akin to a tapas bistro. Sharing orders allows you to try a variety of different dishes.

Bistronomic features a grilled cheese sandwich du jour. The Bohemian Blue grilled cheese was made with a Roquefort-style sheep milk blue cheese from Wisconsin, a brighly sharp yet refreshingly clean blue cheese with an intensely rich finish that lingered on the palate. It was not a traditional grilled cheese, but it was truly an elevated take on a humble classic.

The kitchen was also able to prepare a vegetarian version of the parmesan tarragon gnocchi. The pillowy pasta picked up the fresh flavor of the green herbs and the delicate umami of the cheese.

The truffle soup was a revelation of nuanced flavor. It builds mushroom aromas from a creamy base. The flavor never stops. This would be delightful in cold weather (hint hint).

Desserts are also fantastic at Bistronomic. The chocolate and hazelnut mousse candy bars were crispy yet melted in your mouth. It is like a Nutella candy bar with a crispy praline layer served in a subtle orange sauce.

The wine list is heavy on selections from the classic French appellations with some cool options by-the-glass. Service is capable and attentive without being intrusive.

Even though the menu is light on vegetarian options, the talent on display at the restaurant is an excellent experience for vegetarian diners. Noguier is a talent producing great food at a fair price, a hallmark of bistronomy that shines through at his aptly named Bistronomic.

Lindey's

Lindey's is Columbus' back-in-the-day, white tablecloth classic. Chances are, if your grandparents are old money and from Columbus, Lindey's is where they noshed if they wanted to see and be seen.

Lindey's was the starting point for Kent Rigsby, another paragon of fine dining in Columbus. In order to repay the favor, current Chef Jon O'Carroll cut his teeth at Rigsby's eponymous establishments. It's nice to know that the restaurant scene in Columbus is good at sharing. In the end, everybody involved wins.

For the most part, Lindey's offers a limited selection of vegetarian items on their menus. This is to be expected at an establishment of this type. Luckily, the same care is taken with meatless items at Lindey's that is taken with the rest of the menu. The staff did an excellent job alerting me to vegetarian-safe choices on the menu. Service was attentive, prompt and capable.

The bread basket was an assortment of fresh sourdough bread, a buttery dinner roll and lavash bread flecked with fennel and poppy seeds. I loved the sourdough and the lavash, although all three selections were great. The bread came with a healthy (or unhealthy, depending on how you look at it) dollop of artisanal butter.

Vegetarian starters include the house salad, a choose-your-own cheese plate and the tomato and mozzarella flatbread pizza. I ordered the flatbread pizza, and my advice to those who order this dish is that you should plan on sharing it. It is an entree-sized portion that could easily be split by two or three diners. The flatbread was beautifully textured, and the combination of carpaccioed beefsteak tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil chiffonade is absolutely sublime.

There are three vegetarian pasta dishes on the lunch, brunch and dinner menus. There are also a few egg dishes without meat on the brunch menu. The pasta dishes are pasta primavera with seasonal veggies, mushroom ravioli in cream sauce, and a butternut squash tortellini in a sage and brown butter sauce. There are also many waffle and pancake options on the carry-out menu that are prepared without meat.

I selected the portabella mushroom ravioli. The ravioli were stuffed with a portabella mixture, and topped with a rich, cremini-and-cream sauce that is both savory and delicious. The dish was perfect.

The beverage choices at Lindey's are excellent, as you would expect at a restaurant of this caliber. There is an extensive selection of liquor and wine as well as a limited number of beers.

The dining room at Lindey's is decorated with beautiful art work, and the staff keeps the place humming. The bar is also well kept, and it can seat somewhere between 30 and 40 diners.

While Lindey's isn't going to be the first option for vegetarians in Ohio's Capital City, the talented staff does an excellent job with its vegetarian fare. While you pay for quality, you still feel like it's worth every cent at Lindey's.

Lindey's

Lilette

Lilette is part of the creme de la creme of the New Orleans dining scene. Others come and go, but the classic approach to fine dining employed by Lilette creates a timelessly successful experience that is always sure to please.

Some of the accolades that have rested on the mantle of Chef John Harris include him being recognized as one of Food & Wine Magazine's best new chefs in 2002, as well as being named 2001 Chef of the Year by New Orleans Magazine. The restaurant is also often in the top 10 rankings of New Orleans eateries.

The atmosphere of Lilette rests somewhere between staunch formality and that of an upscale bistro. The fare is French and Italian with a New Orleans foundation. The wine list favors Europe but has options to satisfy the New World palate with equal effectiveness.

There are a large number of appetizers that are acceptable for vegetarians, including the grilled beets with goat cheese and walnuts, the cheese plate and potato gnocchi with sage brown butter and Parmesan cream. There are also a number of meatless salads, including a delightful hearts of palm salad in a lemon, olive oil and Parmesan dressing.

I started with the eggplant crisps with skordalia, tomatoes, basil and oil-cured olives. The crunch of the eggplant was offset by the vibrancy of the tomatoes and the basil. The olives provided a nice salty contrast to the rest of the dish.

There is not a vegetarian entree on the menu. However, the staff plans for a vegetarian dish each night based upon what is freshest in the kitchen.

My entree was fluffy gnocchi in an oil and sage base topped with spinach, lima beans and grape tomatoes. The gnocchi were delightful. The pillowy texture of the potato pasta soaked up every last bit of flavor from the vegetables.

The cocktail list was small but well chosen. I absolutely love the Hendrick's gin martini with a cucumber garnish as an apperatif.

Desserts are also very nice. Pastry Chef Beth Biundo makes great treats for after dinner. If you're too stuffed after the meal, you can always contact her side business (Cakes by Beth) and have something made to take home with you.

Lillette

True

My trip to the Gulf Coast started off with a stop at Wesley True's restaurant in Mobile, Alabama. True (the chef) is a Gordon Ramsey alum aiming to bring a Manhattan dining experience to the Alabama shore. True (the restaurant) is an artfully appointed attraction in a modern style that showcases an exceptional attention to detail.

Like the majority of the restaurants in the Old South, True's menu is big on seafood and other denizens of the animal kingdom. However, the best kept secret is that the sous chef David Rowe and his wife are both vegans, and they take great care in presenting vegetarian courses that shine as brightly as the items on the regular menu. It is recommended that you call ahead for vegetarian options (as it is with most restaurants in Alabama and Louisiana).

The amuse bouche was mangoes, walnuts and goat cheese presented on a silver teaspoon. The fruity sweetness was tempered by the cheese's acidity, and the nuts provided a great textural contrast to the softness of the other ingredients.

The salad consisted of haricot verts, hearts of palm and chives in a creamy dressing. The presentation was as dazzling as the flavor.

The main course was pan fried quinoa patties on a foundation of red peppers, zucchini, green olives and ginger. The red sauce was sweet, and the green sauce was light and herbal. The quinoa was crispy and delicious.

True has a great wine list, as you would expect from a Wine Spectator Grand Award winner. The Monday special features the house red and white wines with free refills for $11. The cocktails and sake selections are also very nice.

The service was exceptional. The server (Taylor) did an admirable job considering the bustling nature of the restaurant.

True

Handke's for Restaurant Week

Last night, I reaped the bounty of Dine Original Columbus' Restaurant Week at Handke's Cuisine in the Brewery District.

Handke's has long been a destination restaurant in Columbus. I haven't eaten at Handke's since Chef Asa Rodriguez took over the kitchen from former captain Hartmut Handke. Throw in the benefit of the $30 restaurant week menu, and it's a hard proposition to resist.

The atmosphere at Handke's is stunning. The dining area is an old beer cellar with stone walls. The service is prompt, attentive and friendly.

The cocktails were interesting. The signature martini is actually an absinthe cocktail. The wine list features many old and new world selections at a variety of price points. By-the-glass selections include the delicious Heitz Cellars Zinfandel and Cuvaison Carneros Pinot Noir, as well as a Schloss Zell Spatlese.

My first course was a cream of white asparagus soup. The soup was reminiscent of a potato cream with layers of asparagus, green herbs and black pepper. It was outstanding.

My main course was gnocchi plated with grilled zucchini, squash and cherry tomato in olive oil and basil. The flavors were perfectly understated and strikingly delicious.

The desserts were also great. I had the fresh raspberries, strawberries and blueberries in a tuille basket with a chilled zabaione. The clean flavor of the basket coupled with the bright fruit flavors and the richness of the zabione combine into the perfect conclusion of a great meal.

Handke's is still operating in top form. The restaurant week festivities should give people a chance to try places like Handke's even if it might normally be out of their price range. This is definitely well worth the price of admission.

Handke's

The Refectory

The Refectory is always recognized as one of Columbus' finest restaurants. It always makes the top rankings of the Columbus Dispatch, CitySearch, the Wine Spectator and other outlets. The Refectory is a magnet for Columbus diners with access to an expense account.

The atmosphere and presentation at the Refectory are exquisite. This is, however, a vegetarian dining blog. I will have to utilize this forum to log a few complaints (because after all, what else is the blogosphere for).

French restaurants are notoriously veggie-unfriendly. That not withstanding, I expected more vegetarian options than the obligatory vegetarian appetizer, entree and salads from one of the city's top eateries. While the food was delicious and the atmosphere was impeccable, perhaps a wider array of options for a more modern dining public could restore the Refectory and its menu to its former glory.

My other problem is that I believe that places like Rosendale's, M and Dragonfly have menus which reflect the changing tastes of 21st century diners more so than the classic offerings of old guard establishments like the Refectory. Chef Richard Blondin uses classic techniques, but his menu lacks the flair of new domestic French restaurants like Aigre Doux in Chicago, Alain Ducasse's restaurants or any of the other new guard French restaurants. Blondin has the skills--he just needs a few more bells and whistles to keep my easily distracted palate in the seats of the Refectory on a regular basis.

Now that I'm (mostly) finished complaining about the shortcomings of what is still a high quality restaurant, I'll begin to focus on the positive aspects of the experience. The interior is beautiful, with stained glass windows and high-beamed wooden ceilings. It is accompanied by friendly and capable service.

My appetizer was the roasted goat cheese with shallots and olive oil. It was served with finely cut beets and tomatoes. The presentation was nice, and the cheese was mild, complex and delicious.

The petite mesclun salad in a maple salad vinaigrette was plain and uninspiring. The greens were excellent in quality, but the salad was plain. It wasn't nearly as good as the first course.

The main course was a seasonal vegetable pasta. This is akin to the pasta primavera served in most steak houses, but the flavors were far more rich and complex. It was mildly seasoned with plenty of red pepper, zucchini, onion and squash. The egg noodles were piled in the middle of the plate. The portion was large.

The wine list is excellent. It is Franco-centric, but it has many selections from other parts of the world. It is a multiple time Wine Spectator Grand Award winner. I started with the Dagueneau Pouilly-Fume, which was crisp, showcasing apple and other tree fruits alongside subtle spices. The wine was brought from the cellar too warm for proper service, however, a problem that should never occur at a restaurant like this.

The by-the-glass selections were solid. The Lang and Reed Cabernet Franc and the Chehalem 3 Vineyards Pinot Noir were both good and served at the proper temperature. I also tried the after dinner Macallan sampler.

The desserts were well made and delicious. I'm diabetic and I shouldn't eat these things, but I did sample a taste. The dessert menu looked great, as did the dessert course on the table.

The Refectory is definitely a quality restaurant. Unfortunately, I rank it a little more second-tier than some other publications do. It has the tools and the talent to regain its former glory. But the Refectory also has room for improvement. Special note: There is also a special, inexpensive bistro menu--but it typically isn't vegetarian-friendly.

The Refectory

L'Antibes

The French do not produce cuisine that is particularly noted for its vegetarian-friendly characteristics. Typical menu items in the stereotypical French bistro include any and all kinds of dead animals prepared in a classic fat-laden sauce. However, the basis for much of what people consider haute cuisine in the United States is rooted in French technique. If you ask nicely enough and give the staff enough previous notice, most chefs are more than happy to prepare vegetarian items using the same classic French approach to fine dining. L'Antibes was equipped to do just that.

L'Antibes is considered one of Columbus' top restaurants. It showed in all aspects of the experience, from the classically appointed dining room to the impeccable service. The food was equally exquisite.

The meal began with a salad prepared with an absolutely fantastic goat cheese atop young greens, radishes and onions in a light balsamic dressing. It is a basic salad concept elevated to another level by quality ingredients and skillful kitchen craftsmanship.

The main course was a cabbage, carrot and onion crepe prepared in a savory reduction that showcased a faintly Asian influence. It was very good, and proportioned in order to leave room for dessert.

I can never say no to a cheese plate, so obviously I said yes to L'Antibes' fromage. It was a goat cheese (the same, aforementioned, ultra-creamy variety), Roquefort and Brie with water crackers, strawberries and grapes. I also got to taste the lemon custard, which is pictured above. It was as good to eat as it was to view.

The biggest shortcoming at L'Antibes is hardly a fatal flaw. The beverage list has a few tasty cocktails and a decent selection of wines. The problem, however, is with the by-the-glass wine selections. They are limited in a move seemingly designed to push you toward buying a bottle. Unfortunately, when dining with people with dissimilar tastes in wine, this makes the list more difficult than it needs to be. That being said, there are nice choices by the bottle. If that doesn't float your boat, there are also cocktails and beers.

I might recommend calling a day ahead to make sure the chef can adequately prepare vegetarian eats for you if you go to L'Antibes. Although not essential, if you give the kitchen a chance to shine, they will shine. Even though France can't compete with India in terms of vegetarian reputation, they still succeed in making mouths water when pitted against any other nation or cooking style. L'Antibes might not have a veggie-friendly menu, but the French roots help create a memorable dining experience no matter your level of carnivorousness.

L'Antibes

Michael

Michael Lachowicz is, as would be no surprise, the boss at the restaurant that shares his name. Michael is located on Green Bay Road in Winneta and offers well-priced French cuisine. Lachowicz honed his skills under the tutiledge of the masters (Jean Banchet and Roland Liccioni) at the Chicago area's original home of haute cuisine, Le Francais. Michael is a great spot that offers fine dining priced below your typical four-star Chicago dining outpost without skimping on all the bells and whistles that come with haute cuisine.

The menu has few vegetarian options. However, we had called ahead and the staff assured us that veggie options would in fact be available. After making a comment about the shortage of vegetarian options on the menu, a jovial man at the next table guaranteed us that the chef could do great vegetarian food. That jovial man turned out to be none other than chef Michael Lachowicz.

The staff was equally as friendly and helpful as Lachowicz, deftly explaining the food and drinks while providing great, timely service. The wine list is Gallic-heavy, but it is balanced with a great selection of fairly-priced international options that compliment the beautifully prepared courses.

My starter course was a chilled tomato vodka soup (pictured above). The cold soup was refreshing on a hot summer day, and provided an herbal undertone that followed through on the rich finish. The vegetables in the center of the soup provided a great textural contrast to the silky smooth tomato base.

My main entree was a special order not featured on the menu, but the staff actually gave me two different options that fit my strict vegetarian world view. Lachowicz prepared a selection of grilled vegetables prepared with a mushroom risotto, garlic mashed potatoes and a cold gazpacho-like sauce as a garnish. It was outstanding.

The after dinner menu features a number of classic desserts as well as a library list of dessert wine, cognac, armagnac and calvados. The selections are very good, and like everything else on the menu, well priced.

This is the type of restaurant for people on the North Shore who want top-notch cuisine but don't have the time to drive downtown to get their fine dining. They can even spend the money they saved at dinner from Michael on lunch the next day. Great food, great price, great deal.