The Riviera is sort of a dump, make no mistake about it, but it’s our dump, and they’ve recently renovated the rooms, which are now what I’d call modern, functional and handsome.

I hate parking there. The front valet is often closed, and you have to navigate a maze-like series of turns to find the Self Parking or back Valet. And the casino area is still rather down-at-the-heels, although the place is under new ownership.

But now, a visit here is finally worth it. Room rates are low, and the resort has re-opened their steak house, the former Christopher’s, as R Steaks and Seafood, with amazing prices. When they opened, a rib-eye was an astonishing $18, and even now is only $26, a 16-ounce bone-in beauty.

Couple that, and similar prices for other items on the menu, with the fact that management has snared the services of talented chef Jason Bradley, (I met him at his former post at the Silverton’s Twin Creeks), and you’ve got a bona fide winner.

The décor is basic but comfortable, with cream colored, leather upholstered floor-to-ceiling columns providing a classical elegance. I’d like the ambience more were the lighting softer- and the atmosphere would be more quiet with something other than hardwood flooring.

Many staffers come from the former Jackie Gaughan’s Plaza in the Downtown district, so service, while not as knowledgeable as what I’d require in a high-end steakery further down the Strip, is competent.

Bradley cooks with flair and confidence, evidenced by the quality of product and the little touches he adds to dishes. A wing appetizer had just the right amount of honey, to offset the chipotle rub and chicken-y bite. His Caesar salad, served in a giant bowl, isn’t overdressed, with a flurry of delicious house made croutons and crisp mixed greens.

I couldn’t believe my steak, ordered with a nice blackened rub. The meat comes from a local purveyor, and has a deep, beefy flavor and firm texture. For a second entrée, we chose swordfish, as meaty as a steak, terrifically fresh, and under $20.

Both the accompaniments, broccolini and creamed corn, were well executed, although priced a la carte, and the bread basket stocked with three types of bread, and three flavored butters in a side dish. We also had an excellent wine, a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Justin on California’s Central Coast, priced at $50 on the house list. I’ve seen this wine elsewhere on the Strip for twice the price. When Bradley was at the table, I mentioned the low prices. “They’re ridiculous,” he said. I concur.

We saved room for an excellent dessert, a virtual clone of the Belgian waffle that took New York by storm at the 1964 World’s Fair, which I’d attended in my misspent youth. The waffle is crowned with strawberry sauce and hand whipped cream, just like I remembered. It’s easily one of the city’s best desserts; for AK’s like me, a trip down memory lane.

So is, for that matter, everything else about the Riv, one of the vestige properties from Vegas’ bygone days.

Dinner only, from 5 p.m. nightly.

a few notes:

We went to R Steakhouse after Max recommended it.  The food is great and more than likely the best deal on the Strip.  My problems were minor- for one, there needs to be more emphasis on service.  The table next to us complained, and probably rightly so. Management probably should have offered a dessert comp but did not.  Service 101 dictates that a server follows up with a table immediately after placement of the entree.  This was not happening.  Granted, there was a table for 10 or so, but you hustle more, not less. I also felt that for a few dollars more the interior could be made more cozy.  As Max’s writing states above- the Riviera has nostalgia going for it. A bit more money spent on a “House of Lords” feel or similar would have gone a long way- and placed emphasis on a memorable dinner rather than an relatively inexpensive meal.  Whatever the case, the Riviera is worth the trip, and CEO Andy Choy et al are definitely not sitting on their hands in this economy.  With the loss of the Stardust and the Sahara there is also a loss of synergy in that area of the Strip- and the Riv needs to take the lead to survive and succeed.  

R Steakhouse and Pat DiNizio, anyone?

 

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