Tasty, creative food makes Grill 55 more than just a bar

Maybe it was because we visited during the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association show, when people seeing the sights at the nearly adjacent Las Vegas Convention Center swarmed the place, but my first impression was that, more than anything else, Grill 55 is a bar.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

When we entered, we saw a lot of uplifted Pilsner glasses and not much being consumed in the way of food. Hmmm, we asked as the server approached, could we possibly see a food menu?

We could and we were glad we did, because it turned out that Grill 55 owed nothing to the popcorn-and-hot-dog tradition of the less-progressive bars around town.

That was evident from the first item on the menu, Devil's Eyes ($8). Maybe it was because of our visit's proximity to Halloween (and the election), but the name was intriguing, as was the fact that the item was described as flash-fried deviled eggs.

Fried deviled eggs? I know they're frying everything from creamed corn to beer these days, but this was a first for us. But there they were, the whites coated in what the menu called voodoo Cajun spices - a pretty apt description, as it turned out - and deep-fried before being stuffed with a spicy yolk mixture and topped with jalapeno bacon, with a smear of spicy honey-mustard on the plate. Zippy, offbeat, and perfect with a beer.

Truffle Reggiano fries ($10) are a signature dish at Grill 55's fancier sister, Envy Steakhouse. I remembered them from there as being pretty good, and considering how many of the tall cones of them we saw around the room, we had to give them a try. And they were just as I remembered: golden and crisp, liberally sprinkled with grated Parmesan and served with two sauces, one of which appeared to be your basic ketchup, the other of which had a subtle earthiness that, yes, we'd ascribe to black truffles.

Jalapeno bacon also featured in the Signature 55 Burger ($16), but there was so much going on that its fire was considerably diminished here, which wasn't a bad thing. The half-pound Angus burger was medium-rare as ordered, which contributed to both its juiciness and its flavor. On it beside the bacon were Provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and red onion, and the only quibble here (and this seems to be one of my more frequent quibbles these days) was that the bun wasn't quite up to the burger, dissolving under all that weight. Regular fries on the side were crispy and plentiful.

And we had a barbecued chicken flatbread pizza ($16), another thing perfect with beer. Crispy but not crackery (that's a good thing) it had a sauce that was a mild barbecue - not too smoky, not too sweet - and it was sprinkled with chunks of chicken and red onions and smoked gouda, which was a nice touch.

Service throughout should have been chaotic, considering that the place was packed and loud, but our server managed to maintain her grace and get back to us frequently for things like refills.

So yes, Grill 55 is mainly a bar. But it's a sleek and comfortable one, and with food as creative and good as this, the cold beer is only a plus.

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