It’s been nearly one month since Stephan Galdau opened OWL, located in an industrial business park in the southwest part of town (3990 W. Russell Rd., 702-659-9762). Promising to make his mark in this city with a nongaming, nonsmoking tavern, Galdau delivers a respectable selection of craft beers and an eclectic farm-to-table menu. While the start of OWL wasn’t as smooth as expected—with a broken air conditioner during the hottest week of the year thus far—what has quickly become a favorite from the no-nonsense menu is the Cubano sandwich, crafted chef Daniel Schneider’s way. Ham, roasted pork loin, Swiss cheese, pickles and yellow mustard are the non-negotiable layers in a proper compressed Cuban sandwich, but Schneider uses French bread instead of Cuban bread, and also offers five dipping sauces from which to choose. Why so many choices, I asked. He said it’s his personal style to offer variety, and with that I plunged into flavor.
Considering that I indulged in this Cuban specialty so close to the breakfast hour, it wouldn’t cross my mind to go right into morning fare at the newly opened Eggslut in the Cosmopolitan (702-698-2344, Eggslut.com). Simply one of the most beautiful, versatile, delicious and nutritious edibles on earth, the egg is chef Alvin Cailan’s main ingredient. Calling his California organic and cage-free eggs with deep orange-hued yolks “the Ferrari of eggs,” he adds, “We are craft people and we want to show off the versatility of the egg.” You can opt for the familiar, such as the egg, bacon and cheese on a brioche bun, or go for something made for, say, the egg snob, such as Slut, an original menu item since 2011, when Eggslut started out as a food truck. For that, a cage-free coddled egg delicately sits on the softest Robuchon-inspired potato puree. This decadence is poached in a glass jar and topped with gray salt and fresh chives, and is served with crostini. Visit 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday through Friday, or midnight to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday to satisfy late-night cravings.
If you’re a regular at the Cosmopolitan, you probably already know that Mondays are special at the property. Unlock Your Mondays is a new property-wide program that gives locals the “key” to exclusives such as half off tableside mixology at Clique; buy one, get one free on select bottles of Champagne at STK; complimentary dessert with entrée at Beauty & Essex; and more. Want in on the fun? Tell your server, “Unlock Your Mondays,” and you’ll receive your own keepsake vintage key to the Cosmo kingdom.
Previously published in VEGAS SEVEN
Marisa Finetti’s Dish & Tell Column 6/22/16