The most obvious is the gimmick: every 20 minutes or so the look and feel of the restaurant switches, with the walls rolling up or down, lights changing, and paintings rotate to give the place an entirely new look. It's a cool effect and it dramatically alters the dining experience from soft white lit stone to bold orange lit wood environs.

But without good food, the gimmick would be just that - a gimmick. Luckily Switch delivers in that category as well.

The log line on Chef Marc Poidevin menu is a French inspired steakhouse, but it really is more steakhouse than French so anyone intimidated by Gallic cuisine needn't worry.

Appetizers are mostly seafood with options such as Spiced Jumbo Shrimp Tiger Cocktail ($20), Tuna Tartar ($16), or a Crab Cake with endive salad and a quail egg ($20) for example. A few salads and soups round out the offerings but if you are in a French food mood you could go for the Burgundy Snails in a garlic parsley butter ($18).

There are a couple of pastas but the real menu starts on page two with the :"Chef's Favorites" and main courses. Organic Cornish Hen with foie gras, Braised Rabbit Fricassee, and Braised Beef Short Ribs are the most obvious examples of that French influence but a fine selection of steaks and seafood should satisfy even the most American of taste buds.

I went for the filet but decided to eschew the sauces that normally come with the steak (hollandaise, b?arnaise, etc.) and ordered a melted blue cheese sauce as an extra. It was an excellent choice if I do say so myself, taking a very fine cut of beef and amping it up in both flavor and texture. And to further show off my brilliance I also added a side of grilled onions and jalapenos, practically dripping with butter. They were the star of this particular show and the combination of the meat, the blue cheese, and the spicy onions was nearly perfect.

The steak itself was not cooked as well as I usually consider "medium" to be cooked but it was flavorful all on its own without the accompaniments so I really didn't care all that much.

Another side of the potato mouselline is almost required; creamy, silky, beyond mashed to the point of nearly being pureed, they were a delightful addition to the meal.

I was running late so didn't have time for dessert, but if you do you can expect things like caramelized cannoli, baby bananas foster, Venezuelan dark chocolate souffle (darn sorry I missed that one), and a traditional creme brulee along with gelato and sorbet as some of the offerings.

A very full and extensive wine list with a patient and knowledgeable sommelier are available for your drinking pleasure, along with a full bar.

Service was fantastic throughout my meal, each course timed perfectly.

As you would expect of a restaurant of this caliber and its location in the ultra-luxury Encore, prices are high. Appetizers are $14-26, pastas $22-25, chef's favorites $31-41, and steaks and seafood $31-61 (most in the $40-50 range). All sides are $10 each and desserts are $10-14. A full meal with wine, tax, and tip is going to easily break $100 per person.

I don't like paying that much for a meal, but when I do I want to make sure that something about it stands out. Switch stands out, and not just because of the gimmick.