Steve Wynn opened his new Las Vegas hotel and casino on Monday night. Encore is located next to the Wynn and the two properties are connected via an esplanade featuring a variety of luxe shops and restaurants. Back when the Wynn first opened, I was struck by its use of natural lighting at the entryway, something I had never seen in a casino space before. Now with Encore, they’ve taken things to another level. There are large windows in various parts of the layout which allows a flood of natural sunlight in during the daytime. The views of the pool or the gardens are pleasant, but really it’s the sunlight itself that provides a feeling of open space and freshness. Unlike at the Wynn, Encore’s sunlight is not just contained to the entrance. Instead, you can actually sit at the blackjack tables and see out the windows. Bold splashes of color really add some visual pop such as in the gigantic bright red chandeliers which would look garish almost anywhere else. Somehow it all works and the entire space just exudes a tasteful elegance which really suits my eye. Definitely the most pleasant environment in which I’ve ever played blackjack.

The rooms are equally well appointed, with a nice sofa sitting area even in their most basic of rooms. The tv next to the bathroom counter is larger than the tiny almost unusable ones in the Wynn. This is important if you’re like me and like to soak in the tub and watch tv every once in a while. Overall, compared to the Wynn, Encore’s rooms are equally handsome but feel slightly more contemporary. Given the choice, I will stay at Encore from now on whenever I come to Vegas.

I only had the chance to eat at one restaurant while I was there, and for me that restaurant would have to be Botero, the steak house headed by Chef Mark LoRusso. He was formerly the chef at Tableau in the Wynn where I had many a great meal. Unfortunately for Chef LoRusso, Tableau’s location was just awful, being situated off the tiny quiet hallway next to the exclusive Tower Suites check-in area. Fortunately for us, he stuck it out for the opening of Encore and was rewarded with Botero, situated right smack in the promenade connecting the two hotels. And I am very happy to report, he is still cooking at the top of his game.

Even a simple Caesar’s Salad at Botero has it’s own clever little touch, an anchovy wrapped in a thin sheet of dough and deep fried. Perfect for those who don’t like anchovy since you can just remove it. And for those of us who love them, you will think it is sheer brilliance. Absolutely delicious.

So how do I follow up a nice salad? Naturally by ordering a few of the most ridiculously over the top rich dishes known to man! First up, how about some classic bone marrow?

Oh, is that not rich enough for you? No problem. I of course need to try Chef Lo Russo’s foie gras as well:

The nice touches with the foie gras include the dehydrated apple slice on top and the amazingly delicious thick slices of candied apples on the bottom. Those apples were lightly cooked through but still nicely firm with no hint of mushiness and the skin was adorned with a nice little ring of caramel. A really superb match for the perfectly seared foie gras.

Arteries still not completely clogged yet? How about the coup de grace, a 7oz. sliced Kobe steak for a mere $175?

Definitely the richest most luxurious beef I’ve ever had in my storied eating career. And it was cooked absolutely perfectly with a nice crusty, salty char on the surface and a glorious medium rare inside. Just killer. Probably literally considering all the rich food I consumed in that hour.

Oh and wait, there was also a side dish worth mentioning. Yes, more artery clogging brilliance. Chef LoRusso’s creamed spinach comes with a soft cooked egg which has been breaded in seasoned panko and then fried:

The creamed spinach was delicious in itself, and that egg just put the whole thing way over the top. As you cut into the perfectly cooked egg, you hear the crunch from the bread crumbs and then you get the warm oozy gush of egg yok running into the spinach. Talk about gilding the lily! Simply incredible.

Now don’t get me wrong, Botero is not all about food that requires an on-site cardiologist. In fact the menu is quite extensive and has seafood offerings as well. I did actually have the seafood tower appetizer too but didn’t get a good picture of it. It had king crab, giant blue shrimp, lobster tail and claw, clams, mussels, scallop ceviche, and two types of oysters. All were of course fresh and delicious.

So that was my one killer meal for this trip. Pretty good dinner for a recession! Don’t worry, yes it was comp’ed or else I never would have ordered that Kobe. But what can I say, Steve Wynn has definitely done it again, taking Las Vegas class and luxury up another notch. I’m looking forward to another visit, hopefully soon.