October, 15 1999
NOTE: Since the publication of this review, The Resort at Summerlin has changed its name to Regent Las Vegas. I've left this report in the original context. Just know that the name has changed.
In early evening we set out on our eagerly awaited pilgrimage to try the famed buffet at The Resort at Summerlin. First we stopped at the Sun City Summerlin home of our friends Blossom and Hal Bilmes for snacks and conversation. We were joined by the Ehrlichs, and before long the three couples were ready to take the short drive to The Resort at Summerlin.
If you are coming from the Strip or downtown Las Vegas, The Resort at Summerlin is very easy to reach. Just take Route 95 North, then take the Summerlin Parkway exit from Route 95, and then take the second exit, at Rampart. At the end of the ramp, turn left and you will immediately see The Resort at Summerlin on your right.
This is a classy hostelry. As we walked from the public parking area to the front entrance, we discussed the fact that the properties' outer facade resembles the décor at The Desert Inn on the Strip. Once we entered, it was readily apparent that the joint was jumping, in large part because The Resort at Summerlin is one of the host properties for this weekend's Las Vegas Invitational Golf Tournament.
Our wait to get into the Friday seafood buffet was about 50 minutes. The long line was held at the bottom of the steep escalator that carries diners to the second-floor buffet room, and patrons were allowed, a few at a time, to take the escalator up as space became available. June, the friendly staff member managing traffic flow on the escalator, told us that while the golf tournament contributed to the size of the crowds, the Friday buffet featuring steamed Maine lobster was rapidly building in popularity due to word-of-mouth recommendations.
As an online correspondent had recommended, we signed up for the Resort's slot club when we arrived. The Resort at Summerlin awards points for every dollar spent on the premises, meaning not just gambling dollars, but also for money spent on food, gifts, etc. By presenting our new cards to the buffet cashier when we paid, the cost of the buffets went into our accounts in the form of credits.
The cost of the Friday night buffet is $25.00 plus tax, a $7.00 premium over the Monday-Thursday price because of the availability of lobsters. This is truly a superb buffet in a very attractive room, and as others have suggested, it stands up very well against the formidable buffet at Bellagio.
OK, take a deep breath, because here we go with a listing of nearly every item offered at The Resort at Summerlin's Friday Market Buffet on the day we visited:
Israeli couscous; minted roast yams with bananas; duck confit salad; smoked salmon; capers, chopped egg whites and chopped egg yolks; sushi and assorted California rolls with pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi; baby greens with grain-mustard vinaigrette; hearts of romaine with choice of ranch dressing, sun-dried tomato vinaigrette, Caesar dressing; baba ganoosh; hummus; cucumber salad; Thai lemon-grass chicken with glass noodles; mint and chili cucumber salad; seven-olive salad; black-bean salad; asparagus with glazed onions and leeks; caponata; escebiche of vegetables; domestic and imported cheeses; organic tomato and mozzarella; antipasti; a variety of fresh breads and croutons; cream cheese, cottage cheese; several flavors of yogurts; strawberries, blueberries and raspberries; whole apples and pears; sliced fruit platter of cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries and blueberries.
Jasmine rice; vegetable lo mein; beef with asparagus; steamed halibut; Szechwan
pork; kung-pao chicken; shrimp with peapods; seafood paella; asparagus with
tomato; halibut diable; salmon diable; shrimp fajitas; snow-crab claws; peeled
cocktail shrimp; steamed mussels; lobster claws; crab legs; garlic-basil shrimp
with pancetta, fennel and peppers; pasta with hot and sweet Italian sausage;
fettuccine with orange and mint; farfali pasta; linguine pesto; chilled oysters
and clams on the
half-shell; assortment of pizzas; jumbo grilled asparagus and endive; stone
crab; grilled pepper-rubbed sirloin steaks; grilled fresh corn on the cob; saffron
rice; duck confit; grilled medallions of Mojave-rubbed pork chops; ragout of
shrimp, scallops and crab; baby red- and yellow-jacketed potatoes; sauteed asparagus
with chopped bacon and eggs; hand-carved roast prime rib of beef, with au jus
and horseradish sauce; applewood-smoked salmon; lamb chops with mint glassage;
wild rice and barley pilaf; marinated mushrooms; garlic mashed potatoes; cinnamon-glazed
medley of squash; mesquite shrimp; garden-vegetable soup; New England clam chowder.
And of course, copious quantities of steamed Maine lobster, split in half and accompanied by drawn butter.
A variety of desserts, including soft-serve ice cream, tiramisu, tarts, cakes, pies and cookies.
All this for $25.
No question that this is a marvelous buffet, especially if you love Maine lobster as I do. Some guests were taking as many as six or eight half-lobsters at a time, and no one blinked an eye because everyone seemed to be piling their plates with lobster.
The buffet room is quite handsome, a circular affair with dining on several levels. Because the dining area is curved and layered, you don't get the sense of being crowded while enjoying your meal. And the service is quite friendly and attentive.
If I had to rate The Resort at Summerlin's buffet in comparison to the other consensus current champ, the Bellagio Buffet, I'd give Bellagio a 10 and The Resort at Summerlin a 9.5. I think the Bellagio product has more gourmet items, and a better range of quality and taste, though not by much. But -and it's a huge "but"- if you are passionate about lobster, then The Resort at Summerlin's buffet is the clear winner on those days when lobster is offered.
