 A
Good Old-Fashioned Steakhouse
Tucked
away at the tip of Fremont Street is the iconic El Cortez. Built
in the early forties, this is one of the last bastions of “old-Vegas,”
which is slowly being overrun by mega-resorts and corporations.
Its champion? Jackie Gaughan, who bought the property in 1963 and
continues to man it to this day and can actually be seen doing frequent
rounds on the casino floor as well as dining in the hotel’s
restaurants.
It’s
this feeling of being part of a family that pervades the entire
property. At the El Cortez, you’re not just a number, or a
whale, or a tourist, or a high-roller – but you feel as if
you’re a guest in someone’s home.
Dining
at Roberta’s is no different. Absent are the flashy interiors,
lounge music and designer what-have-you’s – instead,
the ‘lady’ has been given a slight touch-up with it’s
muralled walls, muted lighting, piped-in muzak, white tablecloths,
plush chairs and leather banquettes lining one side of the dining
room. 
Also
absent is the celebrity chef with the five-page bio and dishes that
are, most often than not, described as ‘culinary masterpieces.’
Not that the food is bad or mediocre – it’s not. It’s
actually very good and that’s perhaps the most surprising
thing of all. This transformation is helmed by Chef Jay Kelly, who
has been with Roberta’s for three years and has been instrumental
in tweaking the menu to reflect a slightly more formal feel. When
asked what changes were made, he said, “We used to have fried
chicken on the menu and KENO cards on the table. Other than that,
we’ve added some specialties like the crab cakes, panko-crusted
shrimp and baby back ribs, but the traditional items like the steaks
remain, but the
portions are bigger.” In essence, what was once a café
is now a dining room.
The
menu at Roberta’s is modest, and while you won’t find
over-the-top culinary efforts, you will get what is tried-and-true
and traditional like steaks, seafood, surf and turf combinations
and old-fashioned desserts. In fact, we didn’t see any mention
of pasta on the menu, and rightly so, for this is a ‘meat-and
potatoes’ kind of place.
We
were immediately served a bread basket comprising three types of
artisanal breads – sourdough, asiago cheese and cranberry
walnut. You can sense the extra effort made here with the addition
of some balsamic vinegar and olive oil served on the side.
Don’t
try and fill-up too much on the bread though, for the rest of the
dishes are served in hefty portions, and you’ll want to leave
as much room for them as possible.
 Both
our appetizers were expertly prepared. The chef’s blue crab
cakes, chock-full of tender chunks of crab, were meaty on the inside,
yet still maintained its crisp and crunchy exterior. The remoulade,
slightly tangy, was a perfect accompaniment to the sweet crab. The
panko-crusted fried shrimp was just as good. Large, juicy and sweet
shrimp with the right ratio of batter and coating for its size.
Again, the honey dijon mustard, a very popular dipping sauce, went
very well with the shrimp.
It
was a tough choice for our main courses, we spent a good ten minutes
trying to decide what to order; torn between what we wanted to sample
- which was everything - versus how much we could actually eat.
In
the end, we settled for the combination plate of crab legs and porterhouse
steak with béarnaise sauce and the pacific halibut with lemon
butter caper sauce. All entrees come with a choice of rice, baked
potato or steak fries, so bear that in mind when you’re ordering
appetizers. For sides, we opted for the sautéed mushrooms.
Although
we were mentally preparing ourselves for the size of the portions,
we were still surprised when the dishes were brought out. The combination
plate was actually a platter, and the crab legs were each about
a foot-long. But we’re not complaining. This was heaven on
a plate. The steak was perfectly grilled,
though a tad too big at 20 oz., even for us carnivores. The béarnaise
sauce, though really not required due to the beef’s quality,
was a welcome extra and come to think of it, so were the steak fries.
The pacific halibut was fresh, flaky and sweet; the lemon butter
caper sauce was a perfect complement to the fish. And the sides?
A heaping bowl of mushrooms awaited.
 Alas,
we could only look longingly at the desserts – the crème
brulee and tiramisu – as we were too full to take even one
bite and yes, we had leftovers. At Roberta’s you’ll
definitely get your money’s worth and more. “Give the
customers a good deal, and they’ll come back,” has long
been attributed as Jackie Gaughan’s philosophy. Nowhere is
this practiced more than at Roberta’s - dollar for dollar,
if it’s value for money you want, then this is the place to
go.
-Rachel
M. Sugay
Roberta’s
- El Cortez Hotel
600 East Fremont Street. 385-5200. Open daily for dinner, 4-10 p.m.
Price range: Appetizers, $7.95-$9.95; Soups & Salads, $4.25-$6.95;
Sides & Sauces, $2.95-$4.95; Entrees, $14.95-31.95; Combi-nations,
$27.95-$45.95; Desserts, $5.95-$6.95.
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