Raising the bar in Reno – Atlantis Steakhouse

What do you get when you invite the entire RKPR team to dinner at a gourmet steakhouse? Five raucous diners willing to try anything on the menu, before and after photos of plates of food, tweets and Facebook posts throughout the meal and more than three hours of good conversation and fun. That’s what went down when we all headed to the new Atlantis Steakhouse to try out the new menu and tour the completely renovated restaurant.

We learned a lot about the Steakhouse, like the fact that it took more than 100 hours to create the menu, from sampling dishes and fine-tuning recipes to designing and proofreading the final version. We also learned that the giant octopus, which was a light fixture on the ceiling of our dining room during its nightclub days, was auctioned off on Ebay to a nightclub in the Midwest.

But perhaps the most important thing we learned was that Atlantis Steakhouse fits perfectly within Reno-Tahoe’s new marketing identity. It’s a “far from expected” dining experience and one that’s sure to alter people’s perception of the casino resort property. As a longtime resident I recall the Purple Parrot days of Atlantis with its traditional coffee shop fare. And that’s what stuck. But our lavish meal has completely changed that perception. So cheers to Atlantis for creating a fantastic dining experience!

Now to the nitty gritty: what did we eat? Here’s a quick list and a few comments about each.

·         Crispy Calamari – Perfectly crisp, just the right amount of salty and a tasty caper dipping sauce

·         Ahi Tuna Tartare – Refreshingly light and very fresh tasting

·         Escargot – If you’ve never had it, try it here first

·         Maine Lobster and Blue Crab Cakes – Red peppers in these give them a bit of a southwestern flair

·         Oysters on the Half Shelf – We downed a dozen and Liz invented Lizsabi sauce, a mixture of wasabi and horseradish, to dress the oysters

·         French Onion Soup – hearty and a good portion size, and the bread and cheese on top were just right

·         Prime Rib and Barley Soup – also hearty and delicious

·         Spinach Salad – prepared tableside with a warm dressing that smelled fantastic

·         Wedge Salad – served in a slight bowl so it’s easier to eat

·         Filet Mignon, 12 oz. – a huge steak, perfectly cooked

·         Colorado Lamb Chops – the best I’ve had in town

·         Prime Rib and Diver Scallops Duet – a serious meal with a giant juicy portion of prime rib and golden seared scallops

·         Trio of Filet – a mountain of tasty with three petite filets, three toppings and mashed potatoes

·         12 oz. Kobe Chopped Steak Burger – probably the size of Emily’s head, juicy, and perhaps the best burger she’ll ever eat

·         Sides including creamed corn with a kick, truffled mac and cheese, sautéed spinach, asparagus and broccolini

·         Almost every dessert on the menu, all of which were phenomenal, including Chocolate Mousse, Cheesecake, Warm Cinnamon Apple Crisp, Bananas Foster, Crème Brulee and Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter Torte

We highly recommend the Atlantis Steakhouse and when you go, let us know what you had.