After being closed since March 2020 and being sold to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in 2021, Palms Casino Resort officially re-opened in late April 2022. Thankfully, along with the opening came the return of the popular Scotch 80 Prime steakhouse.
Situated next to the Ghost Bar & Ivory Tower Elevators on the casino floor, the restaurant is just steps from the east parking garage. The décor exudes luxury, with a marble bar top; rich tones of camel, tan, gold, and ivory; and world-class artwork.
The kitchen is helmed by Executive Chef Marty Lopez, who has more than two decades of experience working for high-profile Las Vegas restaurants. Early in his career he was mentored by legendary chef André Rochat while working at Mistral, Andre’s Restaurant & Lounge, Alizé and Andre’s Bistro, where he furthered his education in French cooking merging classic with contemporary.
Born in the Philippines and having lived with his family in Oman before moving to Las Vegas at the age of 12, he also picked up influences from various cuisines and cultures.
Speaking of his outlook for the steakhouse, Chef Lopez said, “We are doing classic dishes but adding our own touches, like yuzu kosho Japanese chili paste that goes on top of our lobster thermidor, and steak garnishes like onion jam and garlic confit.”
This philosophy comes through in some unique menu items. The rainbow tiradito (bluefin, Japanese hamachi and Faroe Islands salmon) has a Filipino touch with pickled green papaya, taro chips and jackfruit leche de tigre; and the fried rice topped with an egg contains lobster, Japanese sushi rice, lap cheong (Chinese sausage), fish sauce and tamari.
Your meal begins with a complimentary amuse bouche, which changes nightly, such as rolled slice of grilled A5 with white soy and black truffle sauce topped with caviar and shiny leaves of edible gold.
If you want to splurge, indulge in the seafood tower with Maine lobster, King crab legs, shrimp and oysters which can be ordered on ice or warmed after being flamed tableside.
As for the Prime cuts, there are the usual crowd-pleasing filet mignon, dry-aged bone-in ribeye and New York strip, but also a collection of Japanese certified A5 Kobe (sold by the ounce with a four oz minimum). A cost-saving move is to order the sampler flight of Hyogo, Hokkaido, Kagawa and Kagoshima wagyu.
The wine list contains more than 300 labels mainly from California, France, Italy, and Spain dominated by Cabernet, which complements the cuisine. The Scotch in the restaurant’s name suggests an affinity for the coveted spirit, and while the former version of this restaurant once had a selection worth more than $3 million, the previous owners deemed it too valuable to leave behind.
While the current list is not nearly as extensive, it is respectable and varied, with more than 90 single malt Scotch (including Lagavulin) and high-quality bourbons (like the Nevada-distilled Frey Ranch and a collection of Pappy Rip Van Winkle).
You can finish your dinner with a show. The Fireball Smores arrives in a chocolate sphere that is flamed tableside. As it melts it exposes a warm chocolate cake and toasted marshmallows and is served with a side of graham cracker ice cream. www.palms.com/dining/scotch-80-prime
