Last Updated on August 28, 2019 by
Mrs. Nom and I wanted our first dinner in Vegas this trip to start off with a bang! We love French food, and had been wanting to try Comme Ca for a while now, but previous trips it just didn’t seem to happen, so we made it a priority this go around. Comme Ca is one of the flagship restaurants of the hot culinary scene at the Cosmopolitan. Comme Ca occupies prime real estate at Cosmo, overlooking the strip right across from the Bellagio, Planet Hollywood and Paris. Comme Ca is Chef David Myers’ foray into the Las Vegas culinary scene after having success in Los Angeles. Chef Myers is noted for his use of fresh locally sourced seasonal ingredients to create simple classic dishes full of intense flavors.
Upon arriving we were promptly escorted to our table at the window overlooking the Strip. Dinner and a view, sweet! We were given our menus and took a look at the amazing cocktails they offered. Comme Ca offers their 18A Prohibition style cocktails, most of which are complex and robust. Developed by renowned mixologist, Sam Ross of New York’s Milk & Honey. For our first round we ordered the Penicillin and the White Mint.
The Penicillin, made from scotch, ginger, lemon juice, clover honey and and topped by an Islay whiskey float. A classic cocktail, the spicy bite of the ginger and the acid tang of the lemon balancing the smokey peat of the Islay Whiskey. A candied ginger piece garnishes the drink, real sharp and fragrant, not the sweet sugary overly preserved candied ginger.
Mrs. Nom’s White Mint was slightly effervescent because of the champagne. It also consisted of vodka, sugar, lemon and mint. It was refreshing, the lemon and mint together made it a great summer cocktail. The fresh mint muddled in the drink gave it a bright fresh appearance.
While enjoying our cocktails and the mini baguettes and butter served when we were seated, we deliberated about which of the amazing appetizers we wanted to order. In our opinion, Comme Ca’s real strength is its array of appetizers. We were tempted by the steak tartare, the brick roasted calamari, the roasted bone marrow with oxtail jam and the duck confit a l’orange. Struggling with indecision, we turned to our server who looked remarkably like a hipster version of Top Chef Masters’ Chef Chris Cosentino, who then fittingly recommended the roasted bone marrow. Mrs. Nom also felt the steak tartare was calling her name, so in a fit of gastronomic madness we decided to go full carnivore and get the bone marrow and the tartare.
The appetizers arrived plated on beautiful glazed pottery plates. The roasted bone marrow comes with a side of oxtail jam and shallots. Toasted crostini surround the oxtail jam, while a like of sea salt is next to the marrow. The marrow is served on on a section of split bone, roasted to a rich caramel tan. The marrow is rich and silky smooth, almost the texture of super softened butter. The ox tail jam is smokey and slightly sweet and salty. Chucks of shredded oxtail are prominent, giving a unique flavor to the jam. The shallot salad with capers on top of the jam gave a tart bite to brighten up the smokey sweetness of the jam.
The steak tartare comes served in a small sealed flip top mason jar with a pile of pickled veggies on the side. Topping the tartare was a fresh egg yolk, bright yellow and perfectly round, almost to pretty to eat. Breaking the yolk releases a wonderfully rich and fatty smoothness into the tartare. The tartare is very finely cut, nearly the texture of a puree. The flavor was meaty, mild with a hint of salt and herbs. The colorful array of vegetables, gherkins, garlic, string beans and radishes, had a sharp acid bite that finished with a slight sweetness that enhanced the flavor a of the tartare. The pickles were crisp and firm and gave a nice snap to counter the smooth tartare. Four triangles of seasoned toast were a nice carrier for the tartare mix.
Having finished our first round of excellent cocktails and with entrees still to come, we elected to try another round. Mrs Nom selected the Ginger Joy while I enjoyed the Queensland Swizzle. Both beautiful presentations, layered colors and a simple garnish made excellent cocktails.
For our entrees we selected the Trout Amandine and the special of the day, a pork dish called The Best Parts of the Pig. Both Mrs. Nom and I felt the offering of entrees while appealing, was somewhat limited and not nearly as strong a range of options as the appetizers.
The amandine is a generous half trout with green beans and toasted almonds. The trout came served with the skin on, firm and flakey with a light buttery taste. The green beans were lightly sautéed, firm and slightly crunchy had hints of butter and garlic. The toasted almond slices were generously spread over the top of the beans, giving a toasty snap to each bite.
The Best Parts of the Pig is typical of Chef Myers, simple dishes with few ingredients, but skillfully prepared to reveal complex layered flavors. The dish features different cuts of pork slow cooked in a pork confit until the pork is so soft it falls apart into a smooth meaty paste. Served in a mini cast iron casserole dish, Best Parts of the Pig is reminiscent of a meat lasagna. Layered beneath the pork a bed of smoked eggplant purée gives an earth smokey flavor to the pork. The pork was rich and intensely flavored, with hints of pork chop, bacon and country sausage. A topping of toasted bread crumbs gives a nice crunchy texture to the pork. Pickled vegetables like those on the tartare appetizer gives the dish a bright splash of rustic colors and a nice acid sweetness to cut the richness of the pork.
Due to our previous stroke of madness in ordering our two appetizers, both Mrs Nom and I decided to pass on dessert. The dessert offerings looked delicious, but we were both too stuffed to even consider a sweet finish to our meal.
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