Sinatra

I had dinner at Sinatra at the Encore based on a blog post recommendation I read at Vegetarian in Vegas.

Looking at their posted menu online shows some vegetarian options but what they don’t mention is that they have a separate vegetarian/vegan menu that is offered to every patron. You don’t have to ask for it specially.

I started with a non-alcoholic version of the Sinatra Smash, which is the signature cocktail here.

It was outstanding. I’m not sure how this version is made but the regular version recipe is here.

I was offered a special that wasn’t on the menu. Hand cut fettucini with a truffle sauce with hand shaved truffles from Italy on top. The truffles must have chartered a plane because the appetizer size was $75. I declined.

The staff here is super attentive. I was by myself and I had a book in my purse to read but I was just looking around for a minute. The waitress asked me if I was a Sinatra fan.

(For the record, Frank Sinatra irritates me to no end. When I think of him I think of a womanizing, arrogant, entitled man who I don’t even like to hear sing.)

I said, “Sort of.”

(Hey, I was in a namesake restaurant. They may have taken me out back and had the Mob take care of me if I had told the truth.)

The waitress brought me a book to read about him while I waited. She said it was her own book that she stole from her daughter.

Seriously, they brought me a vegetarian menu and a book. I was in love.

I had been taking food pictures and staff was noticing. The only thing I didn’t photograph was the bread basket and the whipped butter with basil blossoms. I had never eaten basil blossoms. They taste like all the rest of the basil. Suddenly I was brought a complementary small plate of their beet salad with orange and grapefruit on the side.

I don’t even like beets and this was very good. I’m not sure why I got it. Was it the picture taking making them think I was some type of foodie person? I watched and no one else got one while I was there.

I chose the vegan agnolotti. They have a dairy version of this on the regular menu. It is a butternut squash stuffed pasta with sage and vegan butter.

Looks pretty plain, right? I actually gasped when it touched my tongue. This may be the best pasta dish I’ve ever eaten. It was very light and dissolved almost without chewing. It was pure flavor.

I finished with the panna cotta.

This is a vanilla and a pistachio custard with cherries and berries on a raspberry reduction. Divine.

This was the best restaurant meal I’ve ever had. They have a gnocchi with mushrooms on the regular menu that I’d love to try also.

(People who came in later and sat at the next table were vegetarians also. I had to restrain myself from accosting them and declaring that they had to eat the agnolotti.)