Ah, the warm Vegas weather in November: it doesn't get any better than this. Now that I am blissfully self-employed, my boss doesn't mind me taking an occasional two-hour lunch with a bottle of Pinot Grigio. One of my favorite lunch places is a few blocks from my house in Summerlin: Vintner Grill.
Tucked away in a very improbably location (W. Charleston Boulevard at Hualapai) in a large, nondescript office complex that is home to the Howard Hughes Corporation (with Vintner Grill serving as their unofficial cafeteria), Vintner Grill would be hard to find except that everyone, from John Curtas to Max Jacobsen, has been talking about it for more than a year.
Vintner Grill achieves the feat that many restaurant attempt but manage not to get right most of the time: outdoor dining. Where I am from (Austria), food is consumed mostly outside, even when it's less than summery, on charming plazas or small side streets. In Vegas, for some reason, many off-Strip restaurants insist on offering al fresco dining in a parking lot, which isn't exactly charming. Guilty: Lindo Michoacán on Flamingo. Guilty: Grape Street Café. Guilty: the now-defunct adorable Bonjour Bistro, which had a patio right next to the 215. Not guilty: Marché Bacchus, Olives at Bellagio and Vintner Grill.
VG's charming patio, although only a stone's throw away from busy Charleston , creates an almost-Mediterranean ambiance, with white gazebos, comfy green and white benches, wicker chairs, and plenty of oversize umbrellas, which are still in use in November, while the fireplace is patiently waiting for its turn. The gorgeous setting is outdone only by the quality of the food.
VG's menu, presented in a low-tech fashion on a simple clip board, changes every day, but the Morrocan ahi tuna salad has remained one of my favorites. The halibut with couscous -- just light enough -- is also a great choice. The crab ravioli with mushrooms and peas was a bit on the heavy side, but still a good fall dish.
Although VG's espresso machine was broken, we chose to linger over regular coffee and a softball-sized serving of tiramisu, which was denser than I usually like, but still quite tasty. Between the two of us, we barely made a dent in it. VG slightly transports me to one of my hometowns, Vienna, but then I remember that in Vienna it wouldn't be sunny, the service would be less than spectacular and the portions would be half the size. While it's certainly not the most inexpensive lunch in Summerlin, VG is cheaper than a trip to Europe. And the service is outstanding.
Vintner Grill
10100 West Charleston Boulveard Suite 150
Las Vegas, NV 89135
214-5590
Tucked away in a very improbably location (W. Charleston Boulevard at Hualapai) in a large, nondescript office complex that is home to the Howard Hughes Corporation (with Vintner Grill serving as their unofficial cafeteria), Vintner Grill would be hard to find except that everyone, from John Curtas to Max Jacobsen, has been talking about it for more than a year.
Vintner Grill achieves the feat that many restaurant attempt but manage not to get right most of the time: outdoor dining. Where I am from (Austria), food is consumed mostly outside, even when it's less than summery, on charming plazas or small side streets. In Vegas, for some reason, many off-Strip restaurants insist on offering al fresco dining in a parking lot, which isn't exactly charming. Guilty: Lindo Michoacán on Flamingo. Guilty: Grape Street Café. Guilty: the now-defunct adorable Bonjour Bistro, which had a patio right next to the 215. Not guilty: Marché Bacchus, Olives at Bellagio and Vintner Grill.
VG's charming patio, although only a stone's throw away from busy Charleston , creates an almost-Mediterranean ambiance, with white gazebos, comfy green and white benches, wicker chairs, and plenty of oversize umbrellas, which are still in use in November, while the fireplace is patiently waiting for its turn. The gorgeous setting is outdone only by the quality of the food.
VG's menu, presented in a low-tech fashion on a simple clip board, changes every day, but the Morrocan ahi tuna salad has remained one of my favorites. The halibut with couscous -- just light enough -- is also a great choice. The crab ravioli with mushrooms and peas was a bit on the heavy side, but still a good fall dish.
Although VG's espresso machine was broken, we chose to linger over regular coffee and a softball-sized serving of tiramisu, which was denser than I usually like, but still quite tasty. Between the two of us, we barely made a dent in it. VG slightly transports me to one of my hometowns, Vienna, but then I remember that in Vienna it wouldn't be sunny, the service would be less than spectacular and the portions would be half the size. While it's certainly not the most inexpensive lunch in Summerlin, VG is cheaper than a trip to Europe. And the service is outstanding.
Vintner Grill
10100 West Charleston Boulveard Suite 150
Las Vegas, NV 89135
214-5590
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