House of Blues

Continuing the theme (almost) from last week: When a representative of the House of Blues contacted me a while back to suggest a review, the old "be careful what you ask for" chestnut popped into my head.

After all, H.O.B. is not only a chain, but a themed, kitschy chain that appears to put more emphasis on music than food. The food likely would be purveyor-level, unoriginal, barely passable and overpriced, the menu uninspired.

Or not, as it turned out.

Instead? Instead we found a reasonably priced (especially for a Strip casino), nicely varied menu of well-executed dishes.

With more than a little skepticism, we stuck mostly to the New Orleans-themed dishes, partly because they best represent H.O.B.'s theme, partly because -- with the exception of a new spot we haven't yet had a chance to try -- they're pretty much the only Cajun/Creole offerings in Las Vegas these days. We'd start with a cup of gumbo ($4.50, or $6.50 for a bowl), which the menu promised was a brown-roux-based concoction made with file. And? It was excellent, the base silky and slightly mucilaginous (which is a whole lot better than it sounds) from the file and the okra, and filled with lots of chicken and andouille.

We stuck with the theme for an entree of Delta Red Beans and Rice with Grilled Andouille Sausage ($14.50), which was simply huge. The red beans had the deep, soulful character that comes from a long simmer with onions, celery, peppers and Creole seasoning, and the rice was fluffy, but the real star of the dish was the numerous huge chunks of andouille. The sausage is characteristically spicy and on the smoky side, but a turn on the grill had reinforced the smokiness for an added depth of flavor.

And here's something that clearly demonstrated the H.O.B. kitchen's dedication to details: The gumbo was accompanied by a corn muffin and a pat of butter, the beans and rice with a big chunk of rosemary-and-red-pepper-flecked cornbread and a scoop of maple butter that played perfectly against the rosemary; the sweetness of the pair was an effective contrast to the spiciness of the main dish. The restaurant easily could have gotten away with one kind of cornbread -- most kitchens would -- but somebody really thought about this one and which flavors would work best with which dish.

The side dishes with an entree of baby-back ribs ($29.50) were far more than an afterthought, as well. The mashed sweet potatoes had been sweetened with honey and maple, while the green beans were simply sauteed in butter and were fresh and crisp. And the ribs themselves were better than any we've had lately outside a dedicated barbecue place -- tender but not gummy, and graced with a not-too-sweet barbecue sauce laced with Jim Beam.

We were even impressed with the quality of two dishes that could be throwaways in a lot of places: a starter of waffle-cut Gorgonzola fries ($9.50) featured a base of impressively prepared (nice and crunchy on the outside, yielding to a soft interior) potatoes topped with a whole lot of melted Gorgonzola, plenty to go around. And the Key lime pie ($7.50) was just tart enough, and quite refreshing after all of those sweet and spicy flavors.

Service was good overall, the courses well timed, although our waiter was sort of bipolar in his performance, alternating between too scarce and too attentive, unable to find the right rhythm. But since runners brought our food, this was less of a problem than it could have been.

Yes, H.O.B. is kitschy (think big indoor trees, and bottle caps as a major decorating element), and yes, there's a big focus on music (though on the evening of our visit it was strictly a baby boomer soundtrack, so fear not, Middle America). None of that should be much of a surprise. But this might be: When it comes to the food, the House of Blues won't have you singing them.

Las Vegas Review-Journal reviews are done anonymously at Review-Journal expense. Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at 383-0474 or e-mail her at hrinella@reviewjournal.com.