Fresh Meat

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Brand Steakhouse Serves It Up
(944 " July 2008)
Written by Brandy Buston

Brand Steakhouse & Lounge made its debut Memorial Day weekend at Monte Carlo, offering a fresh, new addition to the affluent drinking and dining scene in Las Vegas. Already deemed a carnivore's paradise, Brand is home to savory one-of-a-kind chops and seafood, with an added social twist: one part of the restaurant is reserved for traditional dining and the other is a sexy, sophisticated lounge.

The open floor design, which lends itself to the "see and be seen" crowd, was designed by Graft Lab, the same award-winning firm behind Brand's sister restaurants, Fix and Stack. "We definitely want to position Brand as the premier authority when it comes to steak houses," says Alex Acuna of The Light Group, the hospitality and lifestyle company that introduced Brand. "The menu is rife with awesome steak choices and the décor is beautiful. Brand is a great addition to the Monte Carlo."

Its 5,500-square-foot dining room is as gorgeous as it is inviting, and its dramatically lit ceiling is adorned with abstract, pixilated cow-print patterns. Adjacent to the dining room is the lush Brand Lounge, which allows diners full access to the robust menu in a sleek setting, mixed with low-level couches, plasma-screen TVs and rich, earthy tones. To emphasize Brand's urbane-nightlife vibe, the lounge comes fully equipped with a DJ booth.

Now, onto the meat. The menu at Brand displays the culinary craft of Executive Chef Brian Massie who also designed the fare at Fix, Stack and Diablo's Cantina. Massie's menu updates favorite steak house classics and sauces, mixed with subtle, modern fine-dining elements. "We have fun, creative specials here every night, with at least one nightly Kobe beef special as well," Massie says.

For ravenous diners, the Ultimate Steak is the ideal party platter, and features a lip-smacking porterhouse in 40-, 80-, and 120-ounce portions. (Yes, that's right - up to seven-and-a-half pounds.) The mammoth slab comes with potato gratin and sauces, like the house Worcestershire or black pepper cream sauce, and it is presented flawlessly on a lazy Susan for sharing. "Brand is all about big, bold steaks and the Ultimate Steak really defines that menu philosophy," Acuna says. The Ultimate Steak was designed for groups of two, four and six, and ranges from $100 to $300, depending on the portion size.

Not quite ready to battle the Ultimate Steak? Get a little training exercise with Anton's Tomahawk, another favorite among steak devotees. This dry-aged, 20-ounce bone-in rib eye is seared impeccably on a wood-burning grill, with a shank that resembles - you guessed it - a tomahawk. The weapon-like delicacy can be enjoyed for $46 and is perfect with an a la carte side of baked mac and cheese.

In addition to the many steak choices, Brand also offers different "surf" selections to complement the beef, like king crab, jumbo shrimp and Maine lobster tail, as well as a variety of chilled shellfish platters. "The lobster rolls are a guarantee!" Massie says. "You have to have them when you're at Brand." Massie also recommends the king crab scampi appetizer with truffled asparagus and caramelized lemon for a rich, decadent start.

Thirsty? Brand features an elite collection of Bourbons and cocktails (try the Bramble cocktail or passion fruit mojito - both a must), as well as an assortment of more than 200 red wines spanning from the Bordeaux region of France to the California wine country and Tuscan Italian provinces.

Meat lovers rejoice at www.montecarlo.com or call 702.693.8300.