Verandah

The Four Seasons Las Vegas, which is located at the Mandalay Bay at the south end of the Strip, is entirely non-gaming. It may be wedged between all the excitement and action of the city, but it manages to stay intimate and low-key, offering quiet refuge at its hotel, and gastronomic pleasure at its excellent restaurant, the Verandah.

It is clear from the moment you arrive at this casual, yet elegant restaurant that the Verandah’s staff put their hearts into everything they do, whether it is Chefs Michael Goodman or Jean Luc Daul preparing excellent, mouth-watering dishes, or the knowledgeable servers who have made it their goal to satisfy their guests.

Although the weekend brunch is what the Verandah is famous for, I set out to try their dinner menu. The moment I entered the quiet, ambient dining room, my stress from the day melted away. My server, Jose, a veteran Four Seasons employee, immediately put me at ease by pulling out my chair and offering a small stool to put my bag on. He then offered Evian or Panna water—I chose the Evian—and poured it expertly in my glass.

I sat back, enveloped in the low din of the diners around me, and peered out through the window towards the Mediterranean-inspired terrace, which overlooks the Four Seasons pool. The patio is open eight months out of the year, and though it was not open this particular evening, I can imagine that it would feel much like an Arabian night outside during warm months. Even if you only order a club sandwich from their “Anytime Menu” you’d be in heaven.

The main dining room seats up to 100 people, and there are two private rooms off to the side: La Luna which seats 10, and La Sala which seats up to 24. You can reserve them in advance, and they are ideal for special functions with either business colleagues or family and friends. The décor is done in warm hues, and accented with tropical woods like Hawaiian Koa, and all of the rooms exude a warm glow in the evening.

A beautiful basket of bread arrived, both sweet-smelling and warm. My choices were fresh lavash, multi-grain, olive bread, and tall breadsticks. These were paired with a fig balsamic and olive oil for dipping.

The dinner menu is divine. Chef Michael Goodman is well-known for his harmonious blend of American and Italian cuisine. For those of you who are health nuts, Chef Goodman offers a selection of dinner options called “My Way”, which allows you to select your choice of a starch (yes they have organic brown rice), a protein, and a veggie, and it starts at $28 for roasted chicken breast.

To start things off I ordered a salad with watercress, bibb and frisée lettuce, shaved red onion, figs, spiced candied pecans, gorgonzola cheese and white truffle vinaigrette. I liked the combination of crunchy, sweet pecans and figs, and the pairing of the lettuces accepted the tartness perfectly.

I tried the Salmone, a dish of salmon and lentils, which was filling, but not too heavy. It seemed to warm both body and soul. The salmon was pan seared with a light golden brown crust. It was a very good size piece of fish, and was perfectly tender. The dark red lentils were large and firm to the bite, and were cooked in a red wine reduction sauce that complimented the powerful size of the lentils. The fish was on top of the lentils, and on the side were cubed zucchini and squash, as well as steamed, buttered leeks and spinach. The vegetables were perfect, especially the leeks, which seemed to tie all the flavors together.

I was impressed with the salmon and the perfectly tender lentils, but the best was yet to come. Do yourself a favor and order the Amatra Alle Cinque Spezie, a roasted Maple Valley Farms duck breast with spiced yam puree, melted spinach, baby turnips, and orange balsamic gastrique. The moment it was put on the table the aroma was so gamey, I could practically smell wildflowers of the farm. But the flavor, when I cut into the meat—which was tender enough to fall off the bone in perfect slivers—was not gamey. This took me by surprise, considering the strong the aroma. Instead it did not have that strong duck flavor, which seemed to be a sign of its quality. It was drizzled with the gastrique, and came with a side of creamed, buttered, sweetened yams which were, as I think about them now, better than any I’ve had at any Thanksgiving or holiday table. I delved into this simple fusion of flavors and thought about coming back the next night to do it all over again.

I didn’t order my entrée with a wine pairing, but there are pairings available. The sommelier, Marek, is extremely knowledgeable and has selected perfect pairings. Verandah has compiled a rather adventurous and eclectic menu of wines that even feature local wines from vineyards in Pahrump, Nevada. They also offer a terrific port from Pahrump that is surprisingly good. The bar also offers many high-end scotches, among other fine spirits.

When it came time for dessert, I was aware that Pastry Chef Jean Luc Daul had been using a particular kind of lime, only available in Asia, to make an in-house sorbet for which he is famous. When the sorbet came to the table, I admit I was not particularly expecting miracles. But when I popped that spoon into my mouth, my eyes lit up and the corners of my mouth turned up in a smile, because the flavor just exploded. I have never had anything like it. The taste was so fresh and so unique that I thought I was eating a strange, exotic fruit straight from the tree.

Also on the menu were house-made ice creams, an excellent caramelized apple tart with dolce di latte ice cream. and a tangy "no bake" cheesecake with sweet pineapple chutney and mandarin yoghurt.

Verandah also offers a terrific cappuccino, which I had with my sorbet. It came with bleach-white pecan biscotti and extra foam. This was a cup of coffee that I could enjoy anytime—and I knew I would have to come back for breakfast. At least to sample one of their many French-press coffees. Which I did. For as exceptional as dinner was, I knew I was in for a treat for breakfast.

The breakfast buffet, which features freshly made mini-doughnuts from a machine brought in by Pastry Chef Jean Luc, is absolute heaven. For the light eaters, there are fresh berries, cheeses and breads, and for the hearty eaters, offerings like eggs Florentine and roasted potatoes. There’s also an a la carte menu to order from, which includes health-conscious dishes such as low-carb omelets and tofu dishes.

And if you have time, do come back for tea! The Verandah, true to its mission to make everyone feel at home, offers an afternoon tea menu. With a playful array of teas and tea sandwiches, like the tomato and cucumber, minted truffle cream on sourdough, or the roasted rare beef and caramelized onion on marbled rye, you can’t help but love this place.

The Verandah, with its beautiful location, excellent service, and incredibly diverse dining options is a local’s slice of heaven or a visitor’s home away from home—with more in the pantry than he or she ever dreamed of.