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BELOW: THIS ISSUE: SURF OR TURF La Fiorentina, a porterhouse carved tableside, with a drizzle of premium olive oil. A Carnivore's Delight RARE RISERVA STEAKS AND THE ONLY PRIVATE MEAT LOCKER IN TOWN MAKE CARNEVINO ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE A SIREN CALL FOR BOTH DRY-AGING AMATEURS AND BEEF AFICIONADOS. BY CATHERINE DE ORIO H igh-end steakhouses with gorgeous cuts of meat and delicious sides are a dime a dozen in Vegas, in a good way. But then there's Carnevino Italian Steakhouse, which opened at Palazzo in 2008 and redefined the steakhouse dining experience. Its one-of-a-kind dryaging program, exceptional wine list, and house-made pastas are just a few of the qualities that place Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich's first steakhouse endeavor a cut above the rest. To design the premier dry-aging program, they brought in universally respected meat savant Adam Perry Lang. The proprietary BBL (for Batali Bastianich Lang) beef is sourced primarily from family-owned farms and ranches throughout the Western US. "Our meat is hormone- and antibiotic-free certified Angus beef that is often beyond regular USDA standards for marbling and flavor," says Nicole Brisson, the restaurant's executive chef and the Strip's only female butcher. Carnevino is the only place in town that ages its own meat, at an off-site location. The vast 5,000-square-foot, climate-controlled aging facility checks in 4,000 to 6,000 pounds of meat a week (the restaurant sold more than 200,000 pounds last year), all moved and hand-tagged by Brisson and her sous chefs to ensure absolute quality control. Doubling down on the industry standard of 30-to-40-day dry-aging, Carnevino ages its porterhouses and rib eyes a minimum of 60 to 90 days. "After 40 days, there is a plateau of flavor profiles until you hit the 60-to90-day mark," Brisson says. "At this point, the texture is melt-in-yourmouth tender, with a deep, rich dry-aged beef flavor." To further enhance the flavor, the meat is tempered; massaged with sea salt, butter, fresh rosemary, and garlic; then cooked in 1,400-degree broilers to give it a beautifully charred crust. The menu gives a nod to the owners' Italian roots with items like La Fiorentina, Carnevino's version of the classic bistecca Fiorentina, a porterhouse for two carved tableside and finished with a drizzle of premium olive oil and a dash of sea salt. But the favorite of the restaurant's carnivorous clientele—which includes funny guys Jimmy Kimmel, Carrot Top, and the Wilson brothers—is the bone-in rib eye for two. It's rich, heavily marbled, and packed with flavor; one would be hardpressed to find better. Diners who don't wish to limit themselves to just one of the stellar meat options may opt for the six-course Beef Tasting Menu, which continued on page 72 "The texture is melt-in-yourmouth tender." PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY CAMPBELL (STEAK, BRISSON); SABIN ORR (DINING ROOM) ABOVE: Carnevino's dining room evokes an old-world palazzo, with soaring ceilings, Italian marble, and antique furniture. LEFT: She may be only 5-foot-2, but Executive Chef Nicole Brisson supervises a staff of 120 at perhaps the best steakhouse in America. —NICOLE BRISSON 70 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 070-074_V_ST_SurfTurf_Opener_Oct13.indd 70 9/17/13 5:40 PM