Wynn Magazine - Las Vegas
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/225036
FOOD SPOTLIGHT Pampering the Palate From exotic delicacies to over-the-top desserts, Wynn and Encore chefs offer a wealth of culinary wonders to indulge your taste buds. By Karen Rose Langoustines at Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare. 62 PHOTOGRAPHY BY SABIN ORR T he restaurants at Wynn and Encore were designed to offer guests a variety of ways to indulge their palates. An abundance of rare, hardto-find—indeed, almost impossible to acquire—delicacies and decadent offerings reveal an unmatched level of attention to the sourcing of ingredients, presentation, and guest experience. Nowhere is that care more evident than at Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare. With more than 20 years' experience, Chef Paul Bartolotta is regarded as an ambassador of authentic Italian cuisine. The chef is known to scour the globe for the most impeccable expressions of his favored ingredients, which is key to why his langoustines are without equal in this part of the world. "I use only species that are indigenous to the Mediterranean," Bartolotta says. Indeed, the chef fell in love with langoustines in Italy, where they are a dinnertime staple. "I discovered early on that langoustines are the diamonds of crustaceans," he says. "There are many that are beautiful and delicious, but there's something inherently magical about a langoustine." But seeking out the very best langoustines—and figuring out how to keep them at their peak—turned into what is now a well-documented (and well worth it) quest. "All langoustines are sweet," explains the chef. But the answer to what distinguishes his choice lies in an undisclosed undersea location that imparts the perfect balance of sweet, salty, crustacean flavor. "It's like a great white wine," Bartolotta says. "You want fruit, you want oak, and you want acidity, and the balance is what makes a beautiful white wine." So where does Bartolotta find these magical creatures? He's not saying. "Anybody can find them. But I think I've done a pretty respectable job of keeping it the last secret ingredient." After finding the best langoustines in the world, the next puzzle for Bartolotta to solve was, of course, how to transport them to Las Vegas. "Langoustines have a very short shelf life. So we ship live ones. The problem is that these amazing orange creatures are delicate little beings, and unless you understand them, they are not going to make the WYNN 062-066_Wynn_FEAT_FoodSpotlight_Winter13.indd 62 12/6/13 11:46 AM