Pinot Brasserie

• Breakfast: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
• Lunch: Monday - Friday, 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
• Dinner: Sunday - Thursday, 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Friday - Saturday, 5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
• Brunch: Saturday & Sunday, 8 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Pinot Brasserie is a truly European-themed restaurant, complete with red booths, bistro style chairs, tray ceilings with thick crown molding, and lots of gilded accents. Large topiaries add a live element to the restaurant, not that it needs it. Pinot Brasserie is pleasantly filled with a lively crowd. It’s the perfect place for large parties or intimate parties of two, depending on where you sit.

The server greets you with fresh baked French-style rolls, which are much needed when you order the escargot, a light garlic beurre blanc smothers tender snails and is served with a light frisee salad and herbed crostini.

Other appetizers include a Caesar salad with both chopped leaves and whole leaves artfully plated in a circular crouton.The good part: the salad is served with whole white anchovies.The saltiness of the anchovies is a perfect juxtaposition to the lemony dressing.

Pinot Brasserie does an excellent rendition of a pan-seared foie gras. This take is served with julienned celeriac and frisee and plated in a white truffle vinaigrette. This tender foie gras has large sea scallops underneath, making the dish ultra creamy and rich.

A charcuterie plate with duck prosciutto, salamis, mortadella, pearl onions and cornichons is offered for more simple deconstructed fare.

For entrees, try a tender whitefish in a mild lemon caper sauce served with green beans and fingerling potatoes. The whitefish is cooked to perfection, with a soft flaky texture.

The veal ossobuco is served in a peppery sauce over a huge serving of farfalle pasta. The fall-off-the-bone tender veal shank is moist. There are cuts of beef offered like filet mignon, rib-eye, and chateaubriand for two.

The lovely general manager, Pam, will help you choose your wine from the long wine list. There are also specialty cocktails, beers and aperitifs available.

With a prime location inside the Venetian and an appetizing menu that can relate to a variety of tastes, Pinot Brasserie has a lot going for it. Owned by the successful Patina Group, this restaurant is sure to please.

-- Review by Nikki Neu