In the early ’90s, my family celebrated more than one special occasion at the Lark Creek Inn in Marin County. At the time, who was in the kitchen didn’t matter. Instead, I was charmed by the magical setting, hearty comfort food, and ambrosia-like glass of butterscotch pudding. Years later, I learned that the man responsible for those experiences was Bradley Ogden, and that he was one of the Bay Area’s leading proponents of seasonal California cuisine. In January 1999, I moved to California and have certainly been exposed to plenty of California cuisine since then. Given that, on my recent Vegas foray, I was interested to see how Ogden’s food would compare to my initial impressions.
We began our experience at the Bradley Ogden bar, working our way through the cocktail menu with bartender James Demas, who utilizes seasonal juices and fresh sweet & sour.
Spicy Bourbon was definitely our consensus favorite, a blend of Knob Creek, pepperoncini, Tabasco and ginger ale, a drink with a peppery, effervescent kick at the finish.
His Gin-Old Fashioned, “a gin drink for people who don’t like gin,” included Tanqueray Rangpur Lime, Disaronno, bitters and soda.
Bradley’s Milk Punch was frothy and fairly well balanced, combining Myer’s Dark Rum, Disaronno, milk, simple syrup, cinnamon and a nutmeg garnish.
That was the good. Unfortunately, we also encountered the flipside. The deluxe Platinum Edition Margarita tasted pretty good, but spending $25 for a margarita is beyond unlikely, even if it involves El Tesoro Platinum Tequila, 100yr Grand Marnier, Sweet & Sour and lime.
Not as successful: the overly decadent Peanut Butter Cup: Castries Peanut Rum, Alchemy Chocolate Vodka, Godiva Chocolate Liquor, Peanut Butter Infused Simple Syrup and Cream. Yes, that was chocolate on the rim of the rim of the glass, and it didn’t need to be there. This is definitely not a drink I would have ordered under normal circumstances.
We passed around a generous portion of paprika dusted hummus served with springy grilled pita strips ($12).
The House Ground Steak Burger & Fries ($19) was staggeringly good, easily matching Alan Richman’s claim: “Best Burger I Ate This Year.”
If any burger warrants $19, this is the burger. The rosy burger was exceptional, 90% ribeye and 10% Japanese Kobe beef, seasoned with just the right amount of salt and seared until optimally juicy. The luscious meat was grilled over oak and brushed with “red butter,” a combination of butter and red wine. The final ingredients: a slice of cheddar and a soft house-made bun.
Bradley Ogden’s Grilled Free Range Chicken Sandwich ($18) was another winner, featuring deboned chicken legs marinated with cayenne, paprika, garlic and olive oil, then brushed with mustard butter and grilled over oak until crisp-skinned.
Crispy Florida Rock Shrimp ($17) was a letdown, with crisp-sheathed crustaceans unnecessarily coated in cloying remoulade.
The Bradley Ogden kitchen crew might need to dial in the deep fryer. The fillets of Line Caught Alaskan Black Cod Fish were overly greasy, though we did find some redemption with the complementary chips.
Our plate of American Artisan Cheeses (6 for $22) featured Crater Lake Blue from Rogue Creamery in Central Point, Oregon. The creamy but pungent cow’s milk cheese was paired with sweet golden raisins. Nancy’s Hudson Valley Camembert from Old Chatham, New York was nearly as impressive, a spreadable sheep and cow milk cheese paired with prunes.
For dessert, Pastry chef Andrea Sans made textbook flan accented with coconut shavings and passion fruit seeds.
Sans’ most indulgent dessert was clearly the grasshopper brownie, a dense chocolate creation with chocolate ice cream scoops and minty cookie caps.
Her ice cream trio consisted of Meyer lemon with blueberries, pineapple with pomegranate seeds and pear with passion fruit seeds. Compared to the other two boldly-flavored desserts, this option would qualify as a palate cleanser.
Thankfully, we each got a taste of Bradley Ogden’s signature butterscotch pudding with whipped cream and pumpkin seeds. As good as it was, a shot glass was plenty, since we already ate a full meal and the pudding was rich.
After dinner, Executive Chef Todd Williams led us on a kitchen tour, guiding us past racks of ingredients, including colorful citrus.
Chef Williams took us inside the pantry to show us produce and meat, which are kept in clear plastic bins so it’s easy to see how much is left. Bradley Ogden only houses one freezer, and it’s just used for ice cream and staff meals. Williams keeps fish in a separate walk-in cooler so it doesn’t absorb the flavors of spring onion. Yes, that’s a lot of attention to detail, and for the most part, that focus was reflected on the plate.
Note: This meal was part of a media trip hosted by Caesars Palace for Los Angeles food writers.
Blog Comments
H.C.
March 26, 2009 at 3:17 PM
The menu looks more casual than what I remembered last time I was in Vegas — is this for the bar area?
And I feel bummed again about going to Vegas only to find B.O. was closed that week. Will surely make a point to drop by next time I go a-Sin Citying.
Joshua Lurie
March 26, 2009 at 4:02 PM
We primarily ordered from the appetizer list and bar menu. The entrees were pricier, about double.
mattatouille
March 26, 2009 at 12:17 PM
I’m convinced that Caesar’s has some of the best food in LV. I love Mesa Grill and Payard. Now I gotta check out the more high-end places…
Joshua Lurie
March 26, 2009 at 4:04 PM
Matt,
Since you’re a burger fan, you’d flip out over the Bradley Ogden burger. It was definitely Top 5 all time for me.