For the last two years or so, the future of Aureole Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort was up in the air, not unlike their famous lady “angels” of wine who are perilously shot into the air on a wire to grab your strip-priced Chateau Whateva. They had planned an entirely new vision to place as early as 2015. They had even hired a new GM and a new chef to help with the changes, and conversations with their former GM lead me to believe the redesign and new fare would be ready as early as late 2015. However, after a year, no work was done on the place, and the GM was fired, and the Chef left to new and better pastures.
Conversations with their PR team were short, and not very sweet: they took offensive to any questions about the future of the restaurant, and blatantly didn’t want to talk about it. It was clear to anyone in the industry that Aureole was lost and that one of the most famous spots in Las Vegas was getting close to being shuttered. The menu had barely changed and anything added seemed to be an afterthought. The reviews of the restaurant fared equally bad.
Chef Charlie Palmer must have been paying attention, because as soon as the media started to take notice of the stale old décor and the equally blasé menu, he shut down the restaurant, and hired Chef John “Johnny” Church. Church is a much beloved local Las Vegas Chef who had cut his teeth at some of Vegas’ favorite restaurants including Andre’s, RM Seafood and Downtown’s MTO Café. I was fortunate enough to have been invited by the Chef himself to tour the menu, and wasn’t disappointed with anything served.
The menu is divided into foundations of Root, Surf and Ranch, with lighter fare and pairing to more robust flavors that complement their huge selection of wine. The purpose of the menu is obvious: to introduce different flavors of progressive American cuisine to tourists and have them share with the entire table.
You’ll immediately recognize most of the dishes, as they are all classics with a twist. There’s beet salad with goat cheese, but its been transformed into a delicious Goat Cheese Souffle with Onion Soil. Similarly, ever other dish is recognizable as being inspired by famous dishes, many from Charlie Palmer himself, but with their own twist and accent that is specifically Chef Church. The Kona Kampachi Crudo screamed commonality to me on the menu, but when it came out, it wasn’t just perfectly plated but each taste was unique with the mix of pickled cauliflower and citrus crèma.
This is a amazing menu for what Vegas is made for: Tourists trying to learn about new food, and experience something new and delightful. It’s possible that the more “experienced” reviewer will not appreciate the schizophrenic division of dishes, that play off each other while preserving its diverse tastes. However, I loved it, and despite being sometimes one of the most critical diners, I looked forward to each dish coming out of the kitchen, with a short explanation from Chef Church.
Let’s make this clear: Aureole is once again a “must visit” for anyone coming to Vegas, and there is one main reason: Chef Johnny Church.
