Acclaimed
chef Laurent Tourondel recently opened his award-winning BLT Burger at The
Mirage. The best way to describe BLT Burger is that it is a 198-seat
hamburger designed and created with a budget of million of dollars.
Tourondel is truly a celebrity chef, being named as one of
Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs in 1998 while cooking in Las Vegas at
Palace Court Restaurant and honored as Bon Appétit magazine’s 2007
Restaurateur of the Year with his string of successful restaurants around
the country including a BLT Burger in New York City.
“It’s exciting to come full circle,” Tourondel said. “The
Mirage is one of Las Vegas’ leading destination resorts, and I’m excited for
BLT Burger to join the mix.”
So what is all of the fuss about? To begin, BLT Burger
offers a variety of burgers including beef, American Kobe, lamb, veggie and
Atlantic salmon, each served on soft buns with tomato, red onion, iceberg
lettuce, pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. The beef patties are a
combination of Certified Black Angus sirloin, short rib, chuck and brisket.
Specialty burgers include the Tex-Mex, a 7-ounce beef burger with jalapeños,
chili, avocado, salsa, jack cheese,
onions and sour cream; Lamb Tandoori
Burger, a slightly spicy Colorado lamb burger topped with mint-cilantro
yogurt sauce, cucumber, olives, red onion and tomato; and a signature
Meatball Burger composed of ground veal, pork and ricotta and served with
garlic pomodoro sauce. In true Las Vegas style, Tourondel offers The
Stripper, a 7-ounce beef burger served with lettuce, tomato, onion and bell
pepper without the bun.
BLT Burger’s diverse menu also offers tempting starters with
more than eight types of fries and rings, including waffle-cut, sweet
potato, jalapeño poppers and fried pickles.
Beverages include milkshakes in classic and spiked varieties,
innovative cocktails, 20 beers on tap and focused wine selection. BLT
Burger is meant to be fun, so what is more fun than cocktails named after
entertainment such as The Showgirl (Plymouth Gin, St. Germain Elderflower
Liqueur and lemon, grapefruit and cranberry juices), Dancing with the Devil
(Sauza Blanco Tequila, Crème de Cassis, lime and ginger beer) and Tumblin’
Dice (Knob Creek Bourbon, Fernet Branca, bitters and a splash of cherry).
Milkshakes are inspired by classic American desserts such as
the Twinkie Boy which blends vanilla ice cream, a Hostess™ Twinkie and
caramel syrup; Give Me S’More combines chocolate ice cream with toasted
marshmallows and graham crackers; and the Puddin’ Pop is a rich slush of
chocolate ice cream, chocolate pudding and chocolate shavings. For those
who want to add extra punch to their shake, BLT Burger’s Spiked Milkshakes
are the perfect adult treat in flavors such as The All Nighter (Kahlua,
Baileys, espresso and coffee ice cream), The Highlander (Guinness Stout,
Coole Swan Irish Crème and vanilla ice cream) and Malibu Barbie (Malibu Rum,
pineapple juice, coconut milk and vanilla ice cream).
Desserts include sundaes in either Strawberry Cheesecake or
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavors; a French twist on the usual Ice Cream
Sandwich with a Dutch chocolate macaroon and hazelnut ice cream; and “Krispy
Kreme” Doughnut Bread Pudding with rum-raisin coconut sauce.
Scott Sibella, president and COO of The Mirage, said,
“Burgers, fries and shakes prepared by a chef as talented as Laurent
Tourondel are a sure hit. BLT Burger is a wonderful addition to our
offerings and certain to be a great success.”
The design of BLT Burger is incredible. Designed by Rockwell
Group, the 198-seat BLT Burger reflects both the natural Nevada landscape
and the glamour of Las Vegas with end-grain wood, walnut and yellow-glazed
lava stone, accented with red glazed brick, golden furniture upholstery and
dramatic lighting.
The entrance features a dimensional wood block ceiling that
is illuminated from behind, changing in color and intensity to transition
from day to night. The comfortable banquettes and booths in the front
section of the restaurant have views of the grill and are accented with
polished, chrome pendant lights for intimacy. Throughout the space are
tabletops lacquered with large table numbers, simple schoolhouse-style wood
chairs and patterned gobo lights that provide a club-like atmosphere for
late-night dining. The 16-seat, yellow-glazed lava stone bar has barstools
accented with stitching details. The illuminated bar is a perfect place for
sitting and eating and overhead flat-screen televisions display sporting
events during the day and digital imagery for an evening ambiance.
Most incredible are the curved walls of the back section of
the restaurant with a 16-foot, floor-to-ceiling sepia tone panoramic
photomural of the surrounding Sierra Nevada landscape. The circular open
grill is surrounded by a polished, red-glazed brick wall and covered by a
large metallic dome illuminated with colored lights. So for upscale casual
dining encompassing a true Las Vegas experience, BLT Burger accomplishes
that along with great food.
Hours:
Sunday, Tuesday, & Wednesday:
11:00
a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Monday, Thursday - Saturday:
11:00
a.m. - 4:00 a.m.
BLT
Burger, located at
The
Mirage Hotel & Casino,
3400
Las Vegas Blvd South
www.bltburger.com,
702.792.7888.
