Guy Savoy   

The opening of Restaurant Guy Savoy in the Augustus Tower at Caesars Palace adds another dimension to upscale dining at the honored and venerable resort. A recent visit to the restaurant proved Savoy's renown is much deserved. To start, we chose a ros sparkling wine as an aperitif. When the bread cart arrived, we sipped the bubbly and found it to be an enjoyable companion to the crisp-crusted bread. Our perfectly paced meal included a plump Nantucket diver scallop atop a puree of parsnips (a personal favorite root vegetable), sea bass with a crust so crispy and crunchy that it looked bejeweled. The signature artichoke and black truffle soup was studded with slices and bits of black truffle. We were encouraged to dunk the toasted brioche slathered with truffle butter into the soup. Later that evening, at home, I regretted not having asked for a brioche bag for the half I'd left behind. A mosaic of milk-fed poularde, foie gras and artichoke was swirled with black truffle sauce. I usually request sauces be served on the side so the total flavor of the dish is not obscured. Guy likes to circle dishes with one or more sauces. It is a delicious conceit that calls for more bread to mop up the interesting flavors when several of the sauces merge. Barely seared tuna was topped with osetra caviar and studded with slivers of green almonds. On the side a tiny dish of Lilliputian-size haricot verts (green beans). We were to meet these tasty beans in another guise, coated with a creamy sauce, as a side dish. Crispy veal sweetbreads were accompanied with a gratin of potatoes and truffles. We reveled in the variety of cheeses and desserts. Back came the bread cart when the cheese was served. Should we -- could we -- manage desserts? Oui. First, a parfait layered with cream and fruit followed by a chocolate sampler and the dessert cart filled with additional temptations. The tiny sweets served with after-dinner beverages were lovely. The experience was exquisite and unforgettable, and one that, given the chance, should not be passed by.