Las Vegas Weekly

• Tweet
• 
• Print
• 

In case you hadn’t noticed, the Venetian and Palazzo are in the midst of the three-month summer Carnevale celebration, highlighting classic Italian entertainment, art and cuisine. This month, the final one of the festivities, focuses on food and wine, and the first special dinner aligned with the event occurred on August 3 in Cibo-Vino space, aka the Restaurant Formerly Known as Charlie Trotter, in the Palazzo.

Antinori family wine ambassador Niccolo Maltinti hosted approximately 40 diners for a five-course meal, pairing Antinori wines with courses prepared by the resort’s executive chef Olivier Dubreuil. The evening began with a rather large amuse bouche of white asparagus alongside prosciutto di parma and grapefruit served with a glass of Monsanto Franciacorta Brut.

Dubreuil kicked the dishes up a notch with an appetizer of roasted quail breast and “confit” legs with an overwhelmingly buttery—that’s good, by the way—Cervano della Sala 2009 Chardonnay. The main course was oven roasted veal rack with poached figs and a braised apple paired with two different vintage Antinori Solaia Super Tuscans. Drinking the pair as a vertical flight allowed for a direct comparison for the variations in the vintage with the table leaning heavily towards the 2008 as the favorite.

The creative cheese course consisted of a gorgonzola-stuffed baked pear with a drizzle of honey rather than just fruit served alongside cheese. The Antinori Tiganello Sangiovese complimented the robust gorgonzola flavor. Dinner was rounded out with a dessert of kirsch-marinated fruit confit, raspberry coulis and a wonderfully decadent nougat served alongside Muffato della Sala dessert wine.

A good time was had by all. If this event is any indication of what’s in store, it’s going to be a great month at the Venetian and Palazzo. Upcoming events include the firepower of such culinary luminaries as Joe Bastianich, Emeril Lagasse and Alex Stratta, so be sure to make your way over for some Carnevale cuisine. For event info and tickets, click here.