So places like the Carmel Room at the Rampart Casino are rare delights indeed, elevating the concept of eating to dining.

The room is gorgeous, all softly lit caramel and brown colors with two main dining areas lined with a series of semi-private tables concealed behind draperies. The effect of the latter is like having your own little cabana, partially sealed off from the rest of the restaurant and is perfect for a romantic interlude or intimate dining situation.

They call the fare gourmet steakhouse and I guess that's as adequate a description as you're going to get boiled down into a couple of words. Give me a few more and I'd say it's more like a steakhouse with a broad mix of French and Continental flavors added on top, although nothing too intimidating for the casual diner. If all you're looking for is meat and potatoes you can find it here but those with slightly more adventurous palates can also be satisfied.

Starters include a jumbo prawns in a spicy cucumber cocktail sauce, traditional French escargot in a garlic herb butter, crab and lobster with micro greens, duck foie gras in a mango puree, Maryland crab cakes, and Maine scallops among others. Salads and soups serve up an heirloom tomato with buffalo mozzarella, a wilted spinach created tableside, and an amazing onion soup that was probably too salty for most tastes but perfect for mine.

Continental entrees include a roast chicken, Long Island duck with Bing cherry sauce, veal medallions crowned with blue crab, steak au poivre (with a fresh cream, Jack Daniels, and red wine sauce), and Beef Wellington while the more traditional steakhouse chops include a porterhouse with Portobello mushrooms, a double-cut pork chop with vanilla bean glazed apples, veal, lamb, and other beef items. There's also a pasta and seafood section with Chilean sea bass, Australian lobster tail, and stuffed shrimp over angel hair pasta among others.

I sampled the filet, amped up a bit from the norm with a port wine sauce on the side and a healthy dose of Roquerfort cheese on top. The cheese was strong, to say the least but provided a unique (and sinus-clearing) flavor to the meat. If you're sensitive to bold flavors you can always request it without or on the side for more moderate samplings.

We also ordered up the petite cut prime rib, done traditionally with two types of horseradish, au jus, and Yorkshire pudding. There was absolutely nothing petite about this particular cut but it was probably the best thing on the table (and that's saying a lot) done super tender with the perfect amount of slow-roasted flavor.

Finally we tried the Veal a la Oscar, medallions with blue crab, asparagus, and a Hollandaise gratinee. I thought they were a little gamey but the person who actually ordered them thought they were terrific so what do I know?

For dessert you could go dramatic with tableside preparation of flaming things: cherries jubilee or bananas foster, a Grand Marnier soufflé, tiramisu, or their homemade caramel ice cream with sugar coated pecans (I'm allergic to nuts or that's the route I would've gone). We tried the white and dark chocolate crème brulee (fantastic!) and the wholly original if not quite as successful fried strawberries, three huge berries tossed in vanilla sugar, deep fried, and served with fresh whipped cream. The frying process seemed to rob the fruit of some of it's flavor so I wasn't wild about these but kudos for trying something different.

Service was terrific throughout the meal although it did take awhile for us to get our main courses. I chalk this up to a busy Father's Day visit and a large party in an adjoining room so I'm not too worried about it in the long run.

Prices are not at all out of line for what you are getting and certainly much cheaper than similar restaurants on The Strip. Appetizers, soups, and salads run $7-17 (most under $10), entrees $22-32 (most under $30), side dishes $5 apiece, and desserts $7-10. We did a full meal with wine for three people for around $100 before tip so it's a veritable bargain compared to gourmet rooms elsewhere in the city.

I only had one complaint about the experience and it was a relatively minor one: the restaurant is located in the casino and although the solid doors and windowless walls filtered out the bulk of the attendant noise it couldn't do anything to stop the incessant bass drum from one-man band performing in the nearby casino lounge. Thump, thump, thump for almost the entirety of our two-hour meal - not loud enough to interrupt conversation but annoying never the less.

But if that's the only thing I could really find to complain about that makes the Carmel Room a genuine success in my book.