RED SQUARE IN THE MANDALAY BAY RESORT AND CASINO, LAS VEGAS, combines a world-class vodka menu with exotic cuisines and Commie kitsch to dazzle both locals and out-of-towners looking to be wowed on the Las Vegas Strip.

The restaurant has become an attraction in its own right. Memorable Russian-inspired touches include a headless pigeondropping- covered statue of Lenin just outside the entrance, decayed posters that once glorified the worker, the trademark hammer and sickle, and an ice-covered bar. There are also private vodka lockers and plush red velvet banquettes.

The restaurant, which debuted in March 1999 and stocks more than 200 vodkas from around the world, seats 130 in the dining room, with space for 10 more at the bar, plus four small cocktail tables and a large community table that can seat up to a dozen. (A second Red Square is located in Atlantic City. No more are planned at present.)

Red Square offers what GM Kari Olsen calls “world cuisine, Russian inspired.” Its menu was not designed specifically to accompany vodka, Olsen reveals. “We do a lot of that with caviar, but not really with any of our entrée dishes. We've got such a wide variety of specialty cocktails, and the servers guide customers through both food and drink choices according to the way they want to dine. Do they want something sweeter or straight? Then they walk them through different kinds of vodkas.”

FAVORITE FOODS
Among the more popular appetizers are Siberian Nachos (wonton chips, smoked salmon, wasabi cream, chives, wasabi tobiko, citron caviar, $18) and Clams Kruschev (gratin of baked clams with Parmesan bread crumbs, pancetta, American sturgeon caviar, $20).

“We like to let people know we have a variety of food because some of them get intimidated when they hear Russian food,” says Olsen. “They may not know what it is. People think it’s borscht. We don’t carry that, although sometimes we run it as a special.”

A pair of Russian dishes—Strozzapreti Stroganoff (filet mignon tips with strozzapreti pasta, ragout of mushrooms and peas, shoestring potatoes, crème fraîche, $36) and Chicken Kiev (chicken breast stuffed with herbs, cheese, and butter, with vegetable rice pilaf and mushroom and Port reduction, $32)—are among the favorite entrées. Others include Salmon Kulebyaka (dill-seared filet of salmon, puff pastry, mushroom risotto, asparagus tips, American sturgeon caviar, dill-saffron beurre blanc, $34). The average per-person tab at dinner is about $88.

Pinpointing a guest’s particular taste is the key. Vodka is “actually very similar to wine, as funny as that may sound,” Olsen points out. “There are some that are sweeter than others and some that are drier, and some have a little bit more of a bitter taste. We start off by finding out what their liking is and go from there.”

Management provides monthly staff training in the intricacies of vodka. Subject matter ranges from getting to know new products to reacquainting staffers with existing brands and their selling points. “We often conduct little refreshers on vodkas we have had for a while that don’t sell as much as vendors would like,” Olsen says. “It's sometimes hard to keep up with so many.”

The four best-selling vodkas have traditionally been Russian-made ZYR and Imperia, Grey Goose, and Ketel One. The restaurant recently added Russian Standard, which has taken the number-one spot. Bottle prices range from $200 to $1,000, and cocktails are priced from $9 to $90.

Beverages account for fully 60 percent of total volume, according to Olsen. Specialty martinis, priced at $13 each, include the Red Square Martini (Moskovskaya vodka and sweet vermouth garnished with a bleu cheese-stuffed olive), Infused Vodka (Moskovskaya vodka infused with fresh fruit, vegetables, or herbs), Red Dawn (Finlandia cranberry vodka, fresh-squeezed lemon juice with a dash of both sweet and sour mix and cranberry juice, served with a sugared rim), Sputnik One (Smirnoff Raspberry Twist vodka, triple sec, and fresh-squeezed lime juice, garnished with a raspberry), Natasha's Peach (Absolut Mandrin vodka, Zone peach vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry and orange juices, with a splash of sweet and sour mix, garnished with a cherry), and Russkie (Zone banana vodka, crème de cacao, crème de banana, and a dash of half and half, garnished with a chocolate-covered plantain).

“We also have a Russian Mary, which is our version of a Bloody Mary,” says Olsen. “We infuse pepper vodka with homemade spicy Mary mix and fresh lime juice and garnish it with lemon, lime, celery, and bleu cheese-stuffed olives.”

Educating consumers is part of suggestive selling. “Definitely, expanding knowledge is important,” says Olsen. “We’re fortunate enough to get vodkas that may not be available on the wider market. Vodka is such a unique product because you can drink it with nearly anything.”

And that’s what Red Square’s guests are learning.

Howard Riell is a frequent contributor to HOTEL F&B.