Final Cut Steakhouse - Hollywood Casino

I wouldn’t call myself an addicted gambler. I do, oftentimes nonetheless, attempt to exploit a little luck. Though, if I had to be perfectly honest, nothing has been the same since Harrah’s was bought out by Hollywood Casino and the entire interior of the casino took nearly a year to be transformed. Harrah’s was the place my grandmother and I would often go and spend our time and our precious money. Get out of the house for a few hours and indulge in the possibility of Lady Luck sending fortune our way.

Something about Harrah’s made it spellbinding when you walked into its front main entrance, greeted by cobblestone walkways and the layout reminiscent of a city scape, and craning back your head, gave the depiction of blue skies and white puffy clouds painted on the ceiling. It felt open and inviting; made you want to come in and forget the outside world existed while you gambled away hard earned money. Now, the magic of that is gone. Walking in, you are greeted with an epileptic flashes of moving light, enormous screens broadcasting movie trailers, current casino promotions, and sports programs. The floors are no longer cobblestone but concrete or marble. What used to be the depiction of building exteriors reminds you of an enormous movie theatre screen, or standing in a miniaturized version of Times Square—attempting to be something it is not. Black and white photographs of some of Hollywood’s legends adorn the walls as you enter into the mainstay of the casino. Everything is themed around movies (and as a movie buff, you would think I’d appreciate it) but it feels cheap and gaudy.

Sammy Hagar’s delicious restaurant sits dark over in its corner, waiting for its own malicious and uninviting transformation. At one time, the restaurant dished out some creative beach-themed dishes in a bar/pub like setting. The fare was fantastic in the few times I have eaten there. And now, Sammy’s familiar face is nowhere to be seen and a lone individual stands desolate behind an empty bar counter. Even the gift shop that used to have its rotation of different things, has now become a jewelry store, further grounding the Hollywood reality by warping every single thing to embellish this new dimension.

Tables are tight, slot machines tighter. I spent and lost twenty five dollars and decided it was enough. The real promising adventure for me that night was visiting what used to be Kelly English’s restaurant, now a place called Final Cut Steakhouse. The prices were steep, but reviews promised delicious food. Without the $20 off coupon the casino sent me in the mail, I probably wouldn’t have indulged like I did. I was planning on trying all I could beginning with an appetizer, an entree, and finishing off with a dessert.

The dark gray padded doors were opened, greeting all of us standing in line for the restaurants opening, and I was greeted to an elegant foyer that seemed like I was standing in the entrance of a haunted house, about to enter into an unknown dimension. It appeared cut off from the restaurant with circular walls, black and white fissured marble floors, two sets of crème-colored chairs positioned on either side, and a single square black box for the host stand. The gentlemen standing behind it gave off an air of someone energetic and happy to serve the line waiting to get in.

There were two entrances leading into the restaurant. On one side, tables for four, were scattered near the bar area, but I knew exactly where I wanted to sit and was led to the opposite side of the restaurant, where more tables for four and longer booths aligned the walls and clear glass windows overlooking the main area of the casino, the perfect place to eat, watch movie trailers, and above all else, the people. You walk by the restaurant from the outside and gaze in on clean white table cloths, single candle bouncing in an opaque candleholder, and even then, all you want to do is sit down and have a nice meal.

I should probably mention before anything else, how impressed I was at how knowledgeable my waitress, Lisa, was. You could ask her anything (and I did) and she explained what it was. I had never encountered a waitress or server who knew the menu incredibly well as she did. Already I could tell this was going to be worth the wait – after months of constant deliberation of whether or not I should really sit in at an upscale steakhouse – I was certainly glad I chose that night to do it. I wanted to indulge.

The ambience was elegant, classic music heard quietly over the speakers, gave a sense of calming. You weren’t in any rush to leave; it was welcoming.

I started with the jumbo lump crab cake with fraiche. Neatly rotund and delectable charred in all the right ways, sat on top of a pool of crème fraiche, topped with homemade potato crisps and garnished with sprouts and surrounded with a bright green chive oil. Easily the best crab cake I’ve had. It was soft, moist, seasoned impeccably well with just a hint of heat. I liked the texture the potato crisps offered it. I was pleased it appeared like the picture on the website – that was the moment I was inspired to try it. 

Lump Crab Cake w/creme fraiche

For the entrée, originally wanted to engage in Chilean Sea Bass, I chose the pork medallions over a bed of sage spaetzle and apple-mustard beurre blanc. Pork was cooked perfectly and melted in your mouth. The addition of the apples for sweetness and crunch, with the small dumplings added another element. 

Pork Tenderloin Medallions w/sage spaetzle and apple mustard

Lastly, I went with dessert, and chose the wonton cookies stuffed with chocolate chip cookie dough sitting in a broth of chilled anglaise. It was not too sweet and I loved bathing the crisp wonton wrappers before sliding into it, granting that dark brown rich chocolate and overriding sweetness of the cookie.

Cookie Dough Wonton Wrappers w/creme anglaise

Sometimes you need a night to have a dinner like this. Final Cut Steakhouse was a surprise. A hidden gem inside an otherwise dramatically altered environment. Even if the casino no longer holds an interest, and continues to take and take without a sense of reprieve, at least try Final Cut. Knowledgeable staff, comfortable ambience, and the food was remarkably good (even for the price), definitely worth the visit even if you go for the starters and desserts – which is what I plan next time.