Laurent Tourondel Amplifies Classic Burgers for Las Vegas: BLT Burger Opens at The Mirage

Acclaimed chef Laurent Tourondel opens his award-winning BLT Burger at The Mirage today. As the famed resort continues to grow its roster of dynamic restaurants, BLT Burger is an approachable yet innovative addition to its dining options.

Tourondel was named one of Food & Wine magazine's Best New Chefs in 1998 while cooking in Las Vegas at Palace Court Restaurant. He has since created several successful restaurants around the country and was honored as Bon Appétit magazine's 2007 Restaurateur of the Year.

"It's exciting to come full circle," Tourondel said. "The Mirage is one of Las Vegas' leading destination resorts, and I'm excited for BLT Burger to join the mix."

BLT Burger offers a variety of burgers including beef, American Kobe, lamb and Atlantic salmon, each served on soft buns with tomato, red onion, iceberg lettuce, pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. The beef patties are a combination of Certified Black Angus sirloin, short rib, chuck and brisket. Specialty burgers include the Tex-Mex, a 7-ounce beef burger with jalapeños, chili, avocado, salsa, jack cheese, onions and sour cream; Lamb Tandoori Burger, a slightly spicy Colorado lamb burger topped with mint-cilantro yogurt sauce, cucumber, olives, red onion and tomato; and a signature Meatball Burger composed of ground veal, pork and ricotta and served with garlic pomodoro sauce. In true Las Vegas style, Tourondel offers The Stripper, a 7-ounce beef burger served with lettuce, tomato, onion and bell pepper without the bun.

Though burgers take center stage, BLT Burger's diverse menu offers a number of tempting starters and salads in addition to more than eight types of fries and rings, including waffle-cut, sweet potato, jalapeño poppers and fried pickles.

Beverages afford just as many options, with an array of milkshakes in classic and spiked varieties, innovative cocktails, as well as an impressive beer list and focused wine selection to quench every guest's thirst. Cocktails are cheeky nods to Las Vegas entertainment and include such selections as The Showgirl (Plymouth Gin, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur and lemon, grapefruit and cranberry juices), Dancing with the Devil (Sauza Blanco Tequila, Crème de Cassis, lime and ginger beer) and Tumblin' Dice (Knob Creek Bourbon, Fernet Branca, bitters and a splash of cherry).

Milkshakes tend toward the whimsical and are inspired by classic American desserts: the Twinkie Boy blends vanilla ice cream, a Hostess(TM) Twinkie and caramel syrup; Give Me S'More combines chocolate ice cream with toasted marshmallows and graham crackers; and the Puddin' Pop is a rich slush of chocolate ice cream, chocolate pudding and chocolate shavings. For those who want to add extra punch to their shake, BLT Burger's Spiked Milkshakes are the perfect adult treat in flavors such as The All Nighter (Kahlua, Baileys, espresso and coffee ice cream), The Highlander (Guinness Stout, Coole Swan Irish Crème and vanilla ice cream) and Malibu Barbie (Malibu Rum, pineapple juice, coconut milk and vanilla ice cream).

To further satisfy a sweet tooth, desserts include sundaes in either Strawberry Cheesecake or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavors; a French twist on the usual Ice Cream Sandwich with a Dutch chocolate macaroon and hazelnut ice cream; and "Krispy Kreme" Doughnut Bread Pudding with rum-raisin coconut sauce.

Scott Sibella, president and COO of The Mirage, said, "Burgers, fries and shakes prepared by a chef as talented as Laurent Tourondel are a sure hit. BLT Burger is a wonderful addition to our offerings and certain to be a great success."

Designed by Rockwell Group, the 198-seat BLT Burger is an ideal setting to showcase the craftsmanship and freshness behind Tourondel's superlative hamburgers. The hip and casual setting reflects both the natural Nevada landscape and the glamour of Las Vegas with end-grain wood, walnut and yellow-glazed lava stone, accented with red glazed brick, golden furniture upholstery and dramatic lighting.

According to designer David Rockwell, "BLT Burger celebrates the DNA of the burger with the central grill, which is surrounded by beautiful glazed red brick tile. I wanted to emphasize the ritual of grilling burgers in the midst of the Nevada landscape."

The entrance features a dimensional wood block ceiling that is illuminated from behind, changing in color and intensity to transition from day to night. The comfortable banquettes and booths in the front section of the restaurant have views of the grill and are accented with polished, chrome pendant lights for intimacy. Throughout the space are table tops lacquered with large table numbers, simple schoolhouse-style wood chairs and patterned gobo lights that provide a club-like atmosphere for late-night dining. The 16-seat, yellow-glazed lava stone bar has barstools accented with stitching details. The illuminated bar is a perfect place for sitting and eating while watching the action. Overhead flat-screen televisions display sporting events during the day and digital imagery for an evening ambiance.

The curved walls of the back section of the restaurant evoke an outdoor environment with a 16-foot, floor-to-ceiling sepia tone panoramic photo mural of the surrounding Sierra Nevada landscape. The circular open grill is surrounded by a polished, red-glazed brick wall and covered by a large metallic dome illuminated with colored lights.

BLT Burger, located at The Mirage Hotel & Casino, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd South, is open daily, 11 AM - 4 AM. Reservations are not required. For more information, please visit www.bltburger.com, www.mirage.com or call 702.792.7888.

ABOUT LAURENT TOURONDEL

Honored by Bon Appétit as Restaurateur of the Year in 2007 and by Food & Wine as a Best New Chef in 1997, Tourondel also has received an array of "Best of..." awards from publications that include Esquire, Travel + Leisure, Saveur and Wine Spectator. Tourondel has changed the approach of fine dining by creating accessible menus prepared with the finest ingredients and presented in a casual, comfortable dining room. By adhering to his belief that ingredients should be stellar, food simply prepared and service kind and efficient, BLT restaurants have become household names.

With the passion and skill of a French-trained chef and the sensibility and style of a metropolitan restaurateur, Tourondel has successfully infiltrated the rarified world of New York restaurants and the national dining landscape, much to the delight of critics and diners alike.

ABOUT BLT RESTAURANT GROUP

BLT Restaurant Group is owned by Jimmy Haber, Laurent Tourondel and Keith Treyball, and comprised of BLT Steak in New York City (2004), Washington, DC (2006), San Juan, Puerto Rico (2006), White Plains (2007) and Los Angeles (2008); BLT Burger in New York City (2006) and Las Vegas (2008); and BLT Fish (2005), BLT Prime (2005) and BLT Market (2007) in New York City. Upcoming projects include additional locations of BLT Steak in Miami, Scottsdale, Atlanta and Charlotte.

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