By Scott Roeben, on August 19 2022
We mostly write about tourist things. Usually, about things on The Strip or downtown. Occasionally, we find something so great, we have to share, even if it doesn’t meet those qualifications.
Harlo Steakhouse & Bar, in Downtown Summerlin, is that.
Harlo is remarkable, thus we shall remark upon it.
Harlo has largely flown under the radar since it opened in Oct. 2021. By “flown under the radar,” of course, we mean, “We didn’t know about it until a friend made us go.”
These are the kinds of friends you keep. Our friend also took care of the check. Again, a keeper!
Harlo is helmed by award-winning chef Gina Marinelli, the culinary maven behind La Strega. Foodies will want to learn more about the nuances of Harlo’s food, which we would happily explain if we knew what any of the words meant. Honestly, we would not know a “60-day wet-aged Icon XB wagyu” or “28-day dry-aged bisteccas alla Fiorentina” if we fell into a vat of them.
What we do know, however, is bread. Marinelli, presumably, is the genius behind the restaurant’s first “course,” Japanese butter bread, just about the best appetizer in the Las Vegas or the world. Kudos also go to Alberto Rodriguez, Harlo’s pastry chef, with whom Marinelli worked at Cosmo.
Before we jump ahead to the food pics, here’s a look at the Harlo menu. Part of it, anyway.
Here are the entrees and such. One does not live by caviar alone.
The Harlo Web site says, “Harlo is a classically elegant steakhouse developed by local restaurateur Jeffrey Fine. Conceptualized in the ’60s, open today in Summerlin, Harlo provides an elevated ambiance for discerning clientele unlike anything else offered in Las Vegas. Our Chef/Partner Gina Marinelli brings her culinary excellence to Harlo, sourcing beef from the best in the business. Leading the back of house team with passion and creativity, every dish served at Harlo is expertly curated and beautifully crafted.”
Jeffrey Fine is the founder of Lev Restaurant Group. Jeffrey Fine, and his business partner Seth Schorr, co-founded Fifth Street Gaming. If Fifth Street Gaming sounds familiar, that’s because the company operates Downtown Grand.
Lev Restaurant Group is also behind Al Solito Posto, another Summerlin juggernaut (located in Tivoli Village), home of a chicken parm that’s the food equivalent of visiting a brothel after winning Megabucks.
We didn’t bump into Fine or Marinelli during our visit, but we did meet Ivo Angelov, Harlo’s Managing Partner. Angelov won us over with his charm, vast knowledge of hospitality (he’s been in the industry 20 years) and his incredible intuition when it comes to recommending cocktails. Angelov has worked at some of the most acclaimed restaurants in Las Vegas, including Costa Di Mare at Wynn Resort, as well as Michael Mina and Le Cirque at Bellagio.
We weren’t drinking alcohol during our visit, so Angelov suggested the Marisol, a mocktail. It’s pretty much the best thing we’ve ever had in our mouth other than the time we accidentally ingested a gold bar from that gold ATM that used to be at Golden Nugget. Long story.
Here’s the cocktail menu.
Here’s another part of the drink menu. Harlo has an extensive wine list as well, but we are not a wine person, so you’re on your own.
Angelov also intuited our party might enjoy some caviar, despite the fact we have long-standing gag reflex related to fish eggs. We were really wrong. Which is a first.
We got the Harlo Caviar Trio, with a Caviar Taco, Caviar Cannoli and Caviar Deviled Egg.
We only tried the deviled egg with caviar, but it was awesome. This is on the list of “things we never imagined saying.” Thank you, Harlo.
It didn’t take long to realize we’ll probably run out of adjectives for the food at Harlo. Sorry. We went to a public school.
Next up was the Summer Corn Ravioli. We’re pretty sure. It was pasta, slathered with truffle.
The steak was predictably mind-blowing, carved tableside. Ivo Angelov himself jumped in to do the honors. All due respect to “Salt Bae,” Angelov worked his magic and tableside service definitely elevates the experience. All without the salt ever touching his forearm. Which we sort of prefer. Because we are old-fashioned.
You don’t need to know what, or who, Western Reserve, Allen Brothers and Flannery Beef are to enjoy Harlo’s meat. Trust us on this one.
We were enjoying our meal so much, we accidentally ordered a vegetable, possibly brocoli. Oh, look, here’s something else we never expected to say or write, “The hell? How did they make that so delicious?” We’re thinking witchcraft. Unconfirmed.
There were also some kind of mushrooms involved, but we didn’t partake. They were well-received by our dining companion.
We paused before dessert for another cocktail. The presentation was clever (with the glass accommodating a branch from a log underneath) and there was smoke, which always adds some flair.
Despite having zero room left for dessert, we soldiered on. The sacrifices we make for you.
First up, the mango souffle, with mango passion fruit compote, topped with vanilla gelato.
The Harlo Chocolate Dream was unforgettable, with chocolate cake, milk chocolate mousse, chocolate croquant and chocolate caramel ganache.
Remember, we’re just sharing photos here! This is what happens when you break open the chocolate, in a completely consensual context, of course.
Our final dessert was a work of art. We’d tell you the name of this dessert, but unlike “foodies,” we aren’t one of those and don’t take a lot of notes. It’s possible this dish is the Lavender Semifreddo, with farmers market stone fruit, whipped ganache, almond olive cake with a burnt honey reduction.
There was not a single disappointment on the Harlo menu, so good luck finding something to complain about.
Harlo Steakhouse is a little off the beaten path if you tend to stick to The Strip or downtown, but it’s absolutely worth a 15-minute rideshare or taxi for a truly stellar dining experience. Red Rock Resort is 60 seconds away from Harlo, so you can scratch that itch, too, if needed.
We are so lucky to have so many outstanding steakhouses in Las Vegas. The downside is they can sometimes blur together. Harlo Steakhouse is a stand-out, and we trust the positive world-of-mouth will help this understated, but deeply satisfying, restaurant thrive.
