Before downtown became the coolest spot in Las Vegas with the Triple George, the Beauty Bar and the DUST gallery, the pocket of eateries at Flamingo and Paradise roads was where folks ended up Friday nights. After all, you had Firefly, Del Frisco's and Gordon Biersch - plus many other first-rate options - all within a stone's throw.
The intersection is still the finest in town, even if celebrity chefs continue to open their much-ballyhooed restaurants up and down The Strip. And Gordon Biersch is Liberty Watch staffers' favorite spot. That's because the service, the food and the micro-brewed beer are the best in town.
Indeed, the magazine's writers are skilled in Libertarian philosophy, but not in the culinary arts. So we exchange our hard-earned, heavily-taxed money for the pleasure of enjoying great meals we're incapable of creating ourselves, which is why we frequently end up at Gordon Biersch. We're not alone either; you'll find plenty of leftist UNLV profs downing Hefeweizen after a hard day in the classroom, no doubt teaching their students the value of expanded social-welfare programs.
Gordon Biersch has a long history in Vegas. Dan Gordon and Dean Biersch opened the first restaurant in Palo Alto, Calif., before Lorenzo Fertitta (Station Casinos) bought out the company in 1995. Fertitta moved the company's headquarters to Sin City and opened the Hughes Center location in 1997. In 1999, the company again changed owners, this time acquired by the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Big River Breweries, in whose possession the chain remains. For 10 years now, Gordon Biersch is where Vegas' young urban professionals have gone to drink, flirt and dine heartily after a hard day in the cubicle, crafting corporate sales pitches.
The beers are unrivaled, from the Golden Export ($4.25) to the Hefeweizen to the Märzen. If you're dining at GB, we recommend the Golden for obvious reasons: It's a light, refreshing lager that won't fill you up and, more significantly, doesn't lack anything in taste due to its "hopped" edge. Beers having been ordered, it's time for starters.
You really can't go wrong here - though the Gordon Biersch Garlic Fries ($5.50) should come with an "Xtreme" tag - but here are some suggestions anyway. The Blackened Ahi Tuna ($10.50) is served pretty in its pink rawness, and encircled with lip-smacking Cajun remoulade. The Cornmeal Dusted Crab Cakes ($9.95) are crispy on the outside, soft and flavorful on the inside, and - honest Abe - these are the best we've had since our last trip to Baltimore. Heck, even the Crispy Artichoke Hearts ($8.75), adorned with Parmesan and lemon aioli, send our taste buds into ecstasy.
Greats salads too; The Wedge ($5.25), with bacon and bleu cheese crumbles, is simple yet supreme. Or if you prefer spinach, the Spinach Salad ($9.95) is nothing but full-on flavor, as you accommodate the mix of goat cheese (yum!), bacon, egg, mushrooms and red onions set off by a snappy vinaigrette. Add grilled chicken for two bucks and you've got dinner. If you're vegetarian, the Hummus and Goat Cheese Salad ($10.50), served over herb flatbread, is righteous.
Ah, the main dishes. Where to begin? How about the Meatloaf ($14.50), made with ground beef and Italian sausage, an idea so profound we don't know why Mom never thought of it. Meanwhile, the Barbecue Salmon ($18.50) is fresh and set off perfectly by spinach and sweet ginger rice. Again, everything on the list rocks, even the "bar fare," like pizzas and burgers.
For dessert, get down and dirty with the Warm Apple Bread Pudding ($5.95). You won't regret it.
And if you don't work in the Hughes Center, you may look out of place without a tie. But hey, who cares? The yuppies of Vegas aren't picky about fashion - just food.
Gordon Biersch is located at 3987 Paradise Road. Call 702-312-5247 for more information or to get takeout. LW
