After you make it past the din of the casino floor, perhaps with a lighter wallet, you reach 18 Steak, the fine dining restaurant of the new L’Auberge Casino & Hotel. Named for Louisiana’s status as the 18th state in the Union, 18 Steak is headed by Chef Troy Deano, a young chef with a pedigree that includes stints at John Besh restaurants La Provence and Restaurant August. One look at 18 Steak’s menu confirms this chef is a rising star.
The dining room has the semblance of an old Vegas hotel where the Rat Pack and Hollywood elite would indulge their every whim. Intimate, deep, swanky red leather booths encased in wooden staved slates that resemble ancient casks are perched in the center of the room, where a colossal chandelier, fashioned to look like it’s made from whiskey thieves, dangles from the ceiling. Surrounding the cask enclave are white-clothed tables and photographs of copper stills. There is also a gorgeously decorated private dining space (soon to offer a chef’s tasting menu) with a ceiling lined in bourbon barrel staves. For the warmer months, there is a breezy patio overlooking the iconic Mississippi.
Our wonderful waiter Geremy introduced himself as he presented an iPad menu. He excused himself to give us time to peruse it, but he quickly returned with an amuse bouche of the freshest crab, baby beets and bacon. The truly luscious one-biter had us all swooning. Soon another dish arrived: salted beignets with a subtle hint of truffle and a drizzle of Steen’s Cane Syrup. They were so inconceivably delectable that we all wanted to request another, but we refrained, as there were so many more indulgences to come.
The appetizer menu was diverse, with enough selections to satisfy the carnivore or the pescatarian. But—be still my beating liver—it offered Foie Gras and Waffles. These were delicately spiced sweet potato waffles topped with a cranberry relish and perfectly seared foie gras served with a side of foie cream reduction that had us weeping. I tried to stop, but I couldn’t resist submerging each bite into the foie cream—it was truly divine.
Complete contrasts were the Lobster Spring Rolls. Alone, the rolls were a bit salty. But once wrapped in the accompanying lettuce leaf with pickled carrots, each roll was so well balanced we were sad that we hadn’t figured out the intended plan sooner.
Before I had even set foot in this den of delights, I knew what my entrée would be: the 18-ounce Steak Flight. An abundant “sampling” of Louisiana Wagyu flatiron, strip and ribeye steaks served with foie butter, herb butter and asparagus, this is a go-big or go-home dish. The flatiron was superlative—not to diminish the others; it was just so surprising.
If all this bovine has you saying, “Beef. It’s not what’s for dinner,” fear not. The chef has you covered with Shrimp and Pork Belly Pasta—tender shrimp and meaty, Abita beer-braised pork belly that literally fell apart with soft cavatelli pasta in an heirloom tomato sauce that was both spicy and slightly sweet. It was a marvelous alternative for the non-beef-loving crowd.
Tempted by the impressive, diverse selection of sides, we chose Duck Fat Fries with truffle salt and Maque Choux. Inexplicably, the Maque Choux arrived when we were far along with our entrees. But the flavorful dish was beautifully presented in a cornhusk with fried okra and sausage. Several minutes after the Maque Choux, our fries arrived. The thick fries had little truffle flavor, but the jalapeńo mayo elevated it to another level. Two at the table were true mayo-haters, yet even they could not stop themselves from dipping again and again.
For dessert, we ordered the recommended 18 Steak Signature: sponge cake with hazelnut cream, caramel milk chocolate and white chocolate mousses, chocolate gelato and a demitasse of spiced hot chocolate reminiscent of a European sipping chocolate. This was an utterly heavenly chocolate escape. To counterbalance the chocolate, we chose the Bread Pudding. Simple yet heightened by blueberry apple compote and a subtly flavored vanilla milkshake, the decadent but airy pudding earned my friend’s description as, “A king cake minus the grainy sugar. Good but different.”
The tight, well-executed menu at 18 Steak offers enough selections to satisfy all but the strictest vegetarian. Plating is minimalist and elegant, while the portions are large enough to satisfy yet small enough not to overwhelm. They would benefit from better expediting of the food and bar, as both our sides and drinks were inordinately delayed. But the setting, the wait staff, the chef and his food all left us impressed. The experience was, in a word: beguiling.
Dinner Monday-Saturday starting at 5 p.m.; lunch and dinner Sunday starting at 11 a.m.
