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Las Vegas Dining
Not surprisingly, the Strip is the heart of the Las Vegas dining scene.
Diego at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino is a colorful and festive cantina featuring talented Chef Christopher Palmeri. The cuisine takes its cue from the street stalls of urban Mexico and the region's flare for home-fire cooking. Diners enjoy such wonderful touches as a mobile salsa cart with six original varieties. Bold flavors are what you'll remember about the authentic dishes that come from south of the border. A signature dish is the pollo al horno con mole--wood-oven-roasted baby chicken with Oaxacan red mole, spinach and crispy parsnips. Other delicious choices include braised beef brisket, garlic-lime skirt steak, poached chicken thigh meat, crispy duck and Yucatan-style pork. You won't have many opportunities to order slow-roasted goat or Mexican paella, so do it while you can. Don't forget to try a frozen margarita popsicle or tequila sorbet shooter. The restaurant is open only for dinner.
Paris Las Vegas resort hotel and casino features Mon Ami Gabi. The patio at this stylish bistro fronts the Strip and is the ideal setting for alfresco dining. A misting system and awnings help keep the tables cool during warmer summer months. Chances are you'll be enjoying the food and the view with tourists from around the world; dining inside makes for a romantic experience as well. (It can be difficult getting a table outside, even with a reservation.) Wherever you dine, you'll enjoy the varieties of quiche, crepes, pommes frites, trout grenobloise or the cassoulet and shallot steak. There's a large and inviting wine-by-glass list to peruse, and although you'll be tempted, don't fill up first on the French bread with garlic butter. Try the parmesan-crusted fish. Ooh la la!
The charming and intimate 50-seat dining room and "old Vegas" ambience has kept Michaels Barbary Coast Hotel & Casino a popular dining choice on the Strip for more than 20 years. Wonderfully furnished in deep mahogany and red velvet, the restaurant also features a domed ceiling of stained glass, an ornate crystal chandelier and imported Italian marble floors. Finishing off the décor are Victorian lace tablecloths, oversize wingback chairs and etched glass mirrors. Excellent menu choices include an appetizer of baked escargot, entrées of sautéed Florentine, Dover sole, rack of lamb, or veal Francaise and a mouthwatering dessert of cherries jubilee or crepes suzette. The experienced, tuxedoed staff ensures an unforgettable evening.
3950 Restaurant --the name refers to its address at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino --features a cozy room with high-back suede booths and red leather walls. Wines from around the world are showcased in an impressive ceiling-high vault. The restaurant has a clever way of projecting its name on the floor outside and then making it dance away. The bill of fare features classic presentations of prime aged beef, fresh seafood and simply scrumptious desserts. One of the signature appetizers is fresh white truffle and lobster macaroni and cheese; it's made with orrechiete pasta, nuggets of Maine lobster, shaved white Alba truffles and centered with part of a lobster claw. Long, dry aging in the bone-in rib-eye steak gets the credit for the pre-eminent flavor, which erupts on the palate with the first bite. Arrive early and enjoy a drink in the comfortable lounge.
An award-winning restaurant and long a staple of the finest dining in New York City, Le Cirque pitched its elaborate swooping silk-dome tent at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The ringmaster is Sirio Maccioni, and his attention to detail is what allows him to push the envelope. The result is an elegant, sophisticated experience that coupled with a view of the dancing fountains presented nightly, makes for a memorable event. Diners will have quite the difficult time choosing between such wonderful appetizer selections as black-tie scallops (tied with black truffles), foie gras sauté, brochette de langoustines and ravioli de truffe blanche. Entrees include roasted duck and a honey-spice fig glaze with roasted lobster in a port wine sauce, Dover sole grenobloise, canard rotie and poulet fermiere. And yes, to finish things off, a white chocolate cream layered with banana and wrapped in phyllo pastry, along with a milk chocolate dome and crème brulee espresso. The doting but not encroaching service completes the evening.
Picasso, so named because of the Pablo Picasso artworks gracing the restaurant, is located inside the Bellagio. Should you tire of admiring the original paintings, there's a picturesque view of the hotel's magical water show just outside the window. There's an abundance of fresh flowers, and the entrance feels like an outdoor market. The service staff has the knack for making patrons feel comfortable, yet important. There are two menus from which to choose: a five-course degustation and a four-course prix fixe. Award-winning Chef Julian Serrano is known for his attention to detail, and you'll agree that he has a deft hand when he serves up such delectable choices as warm quail salad with sautéed artichokes and pine nuts; roasted pigeon, crust of honey, walnuts and almonds with wild rice risotto; and sautéed foie gras with dried organic sour cherries. A delicious dessert might be gratin of cinnamon with a crust of black walnuts and a topping of port-butter ice cream--yum!
The tastes of the French and Italian Riviera are captured by Alessandro Stratta at Alex. This award-winning master chef concentrates on using the finest ingredients for his seasonal prix fixe and tasting menus. The interior features a sweeping grand staircase leading to an elegant dining room filled with mahogany woods, lots of flowers, exquisite chandeliers and a Japanese garden. The lighting suggests a touch of romance, making it an ideal setting for celebrating special occasions; dinner jackets are required. Some of the early favorites from the menu are the oh-so-ethereal foie gras ravioli in truffle bouillon with duck confit salad, daurade Royal Provençal with chick-pea fritters and lobster-bell pepper jus, roasted monkfish, and Tuscan-style pork with stewed tomatoes. Choosing just one of the decadent desserts is impossible. The service is handled by a large staff that is always at the ready, but never intrusive.
Just steps from The Liberace Foundation and Museum on Tropicana Avenue, Carluccio's Tivoli Gardens is one of the best-kept secrets in town. A great value with good-size portions makes it worth the 2- or 3-mile drive east from the Strip. In fact, this joint used to be owned by Liberace himself. Choose from such mouthwatering appetizers as mussels, shrimp scampi, calamari and clams. Some of the entrée specialties are chicken Florentine, zuppa de clams, linguine with red or white clam sauce or seafood diablo. The breaded and baked veal Florentine is nestled between thick layers of mozzarella, meat ragu and spinach with ample Alfredo sauce. You can see the love on your plate in whatever you choose. You also can order a couple glasses of wine without doubling your bill, and the friendly staff makes you feel like one of the family.
Tilted Kilt features billiards, darts, an extensive list of beers from around the globe, pop culture memorabilia, Celtic artifacts, waitresses wearing plaid kilt ensembles, and oh yeah, good food for hearty appetites. Treat yourself to the complimentary pretzels that come in different flavors and are offered in barrels throughout the room. Try the beer-steamed drunken clams, Sloppy Janes (a colossal offshoot of Sloppy Joes), Maggie Mae's fish and chips or the brick oven-baked individual McKayla's garden pizza topped with red and yellow peppers, mushrooms and sweet white onions. All of that may sate your appetite, but if you still have room for dessert, try the Super Sundae Bar--3 pints of ice cream and whipped cream served on a lazy susan with rainbow jimmies, chopped nuts, bananas, maraschino cherries and hot fudge sauce. This vibrant Irish-Scottish pub is located in the Rio Hotel, right off the busy casino floor; it's a great place to go with friends or to meet new ones.
Don't be fooled just because it's located in a hotel named Terrible's Hotel & Casino; the food and service are worth the trip to Bougainvillea Cafe --a popular choice with locals. Bring your appetite and be prepared for big portions from the 24-hour menu that features such favorites as the Tower of Onions--a huge onion appetizer smothered in homemade beer batter, deep-fried and sprinkled with parmesan. The tequila chicken is a whole chicken marinated in a tequila recipe and slow-roasted to mouthwatering perfection. Have a hankering for prime rib? Pound-for-pound this melt-in-your-mouth version is just about the best in town. Big steaks, slow-cooked rotisserie meats and a very popular Chinese menu with all your favorites also are available.
Farther north on Audrie Street just east of the Strip at Battista's Hole in the Wall, diners may find themselves gaping at all the celebrity photos adorning the walls of this charming landmark restaurant that opened in 1970. Betty Grable, Johnny Weismuller, Clint Eastwood, Ed Sullivan and Robert Redford are just a few of the many that have dined here. Expect a family-fun atmosphere that features a roving accordion player and a menu where each dinner comes with soup or salad, garlic bread, side order of pasta, homemade cappuccino and all the house wine one can handle. Among the excellent pasta dishes are cheese ravioli, lasagna, cheese manicotti, meat canelloni, eggplant parmegiana and fettuccine. If those don't do it for you, then try the steak caruso, filet mignon, shrimp scampi, or three varieties of veal or chicken. If you can't have fun here, forget about it.
A number of popular restaurants are featured toward the north end of Las Vegas Boulevard. Nestled away from the bright lights of the Strip and two blocks south of Fremont Street, you'll find Andre's French Restaurant in a quiet residential neighborhood in old Las Vegas. The building dates back to 1930 and Chef Andre Rochat converted it into his country French restaurant in 1980. It features classic French cuisine, an extensive wine cellar and dining rooms furnished with country antiques. Even with the influx of celebrity chefs that have invaded the town, Andre's keeps people coming back with such crowd-pleasers as an appetizer of veal sweetbreads and chicken quenelles, entrees like the classic Colorado rack of lamb with roasted garlic and grain mustard sauce and fillet of beef in green-peppercorn and cognac cream sauce. Andre's knows fish too; just try the imported Dover sole sautéed Veronique and find out. Save room for dessert and try to remember to order the Grand Marnier soufflé ahead of time; you won't be disappointed.
Coffee Pub is open only for breakfast and lunch and is the place to be if you want to rub elbows with celebrities, local politicians and movers and shakers (Elvis Presley's late manager, Colonel Tom Parker, used to come in every Friday and order clam chowder). Consistently good food has been its key to success since opening in 1984. The California cuisine offers up favorites of plenty of salads, soups, quiches and sandwiches. Since breakfast is supposedly the most important meal of the day, you can't go wrong with the Big Wally omelet--it's stuffed chock-full with a blend of cream cheese, sundried tomatoes and scallions. Popular drinks include several smoothie selections, espressos, frappes and a frozen mocha java. If calories don't count, try the white chocolate cheesecake with Kenya coffee. The eatery is tucked away inside a strip mall and offers inside or patio dining.
Big Mama's Rib Shack has been a family-run business in Las Vegas since 1992. It brags, and rightfully so, of serving "down home" Southern food. "Big Mama" was born in a small Georgia town and she has been cooking up her favorite recipes for 75 years. NBA center Shaquille O'Neal is a frequent satisfied customer. All diners, famous or not, choose from a menu that includes soul food, Cajun and Creole dishes. The specialty of the house is barbecued ribs, slow-cooked to make them tender and juicy. Fried chicken also is offered and to quote the menu: "Honey, if the Colonel could have fried chicken like 'Big Mama,' he'd have been a General." The best way to sample the menu is with the barbecue combo plate.
True to its name, Grape Street Cafe is a California-style bistro that prides itself on its selection of wines--the adjacent retail store is part of the operation. Over 75 wines are available by the glass, and several of the food choices are designed to complement the wines. A fruit and cheese board appetizer is one example. Designed to look like a wine cellar with exposed-brick walls and a concrete floor, the eatery also has patio dining. A favorite appetizer is baked brie (a pastry pouch filled with brie) but done with lower-fat phyllo dough, toasted hazelnuts, carmelized onions and apricot preserves. Choosing an entrée, from lamb chops to the many pasta, chicken and pizza selections, will be difficult. One popular choice is the penne a la vodka with chicken--the rosy sauce is flavored with Asiago cheese, and the whole is tossed with a generous amount of prosciutto, asparagus and flecks of basil. Make sure you leave room for the crowd-pleasing dessert of pastry cream puffs filled with vanilla bean ice cream and topped with chocolate ganache, caramel and strawberry.
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