The Vegan Project Does Vegas! Part 3: Dinner at Sinatra

Dining at Sinatra, the classic American-Italian style restaurant in the Encore Tower Suites, took us back to 1940′s swingin’ style and charisma. It’s a pretty big deal to bear the name of one of the savviest crooners in history, and this jazzy joint represented well, with tasteful decor, a classy atmosphere and an epic shot of Steve Wynn and Frank Sinatra in the ’80s.

Fine dining – vegan style – is one thing we are left wanting for in Vancouver. Chef Theo Schoenegger and his team showed us how it was done with delicious gourmet Italian dishes that were satisfying, artistic, and passionately constructed. The wine was also amazing, and Andrew, Sinatra’s sommelier from Boston, informed us that Italy is leading the movement toward vegan wines. Due to the rising popularity of their vegan options, five wines on their menu are completely animal free. (Check out our post ‘Fishy Wine?’ on the use of animal products in the production of wine)

“One of each, please” seemed to be our motto of the trip, so when it came to selecting appetizers, we tried all three options. The Ghiacciata di Pomodoro ($14) was a perfect starting soup served chilled and made with heirloom tomatoes and basil oil. The Insalatina dell’ Imperatore ($14) – the best vegan caesar salad we’ve had yet, was served with a lemon-caper dressing that was to die for, and The Insalata Estiva ($17) was fresh and flavourful with cucumber, avocado, tomato, olives and an oregano vinaigrette. The caesar won our vote for best appy.

The Gardein Parmigiana ($31) was next on our list of requests from their ample menu options. Gardein has done a fantastic job with their Chick’n Cutlet, and the chefs at Sinatra dressed it up with a pomodoro sauce and a rendition of vegan mozza that we were particularly impressed with.

For the sake of teamwork and maximizing flavour experience, we shared everything. But the Gardein Marsala ($33) with potato gnocchi and forest mushrooms had us politely squabbling over the plate. The little potato dumplings were soft balls of creamy heaven, and the Chick’n breast, distinctly different tasting than the Parmigiana, was buttery-crusted with notable umami qualities.

We were pretty excited about the Agnolotti ($26), and although it sounded great with vegan ricotta, herbs and asparagus sauce, it had a weird grassy flavour that made us want to save room, which was not a concern with the other dishes.

The lovely serving staff were so conversational and committed, and Brett Winograd, the charming and informative manager of Sinatra, informed us that he was also dabbling in veganism. When we got on the topic of special diets, he offered us a sample (apparently a Vegas ‘sample’) of their Gluten Free Penne, which we felt obliged to try simply because he was so stoked about it…and because our cavernous stomachs didn’t know any limits at this point. It was outstanding, and the meaty sauce had a lovely Italian sausage flavour. The penne tasted great, not powdery or lame, which can occasionally be the case with gluten free fare. It’s not actually on the menu, so ask for it and they will hook you up.

Based on the outstanding food we had experienced at that point, we didn’t bother being shy about saying yes to dessert. We ordered the Frutti di Bosco ($12) with coconut gelato and all agreed that coconut ice cream is FAR superior to soy options. This delectable dessert was just the right amount of sweet.

Just when we thought we were finished and ready to hit the town, Chef asked us for our opinion on another dessert he’d been working on. We had a team huddle and decided that yes, we would help him out. The Chocolate Mousse concoction was so spiritually satisfying that we did not want to steal its soul by taking a photo. It was downright sexual, and Bridget actually made poor Brett blush with her naughty feedback. Poor, poor Brett.

Overall, Sinatra was the outstanding evening finale of the best vegan dining we have experienced since launching The Vegan Project in 2009. We left the restaurant feeling like we had the world on a string (obligatory Sinatra cliche, check).

Thank you Brett, Chef Theo, Andrew, and the passionate staff of Sinatra, as well as everyone who we met on this amazing trip. Your dedication to delicious, unique, animal-free food has left us anticipating our return!

To check out the full vegan offerings at the Wynn and Encore, view all of their Vegan Menus.

Until the next trip, long live Vegan in Vegas!

~The Vegan Project