98 replies to this topic

[C Simril]

If you're at the Venetian, Valentino for Italian is a given. I did not know service could be that good. Bouchon is hit and miss for me. Mon Ami Gabbi is more reliable for the same things and the chef actually seems to care. The gnocchi at Fleur is as good a lunch dish as I could imagine, and I've eaten a lot of gnocchi in Vegas, but none as good as Hubert Keller's. As for dinner, you can eat as well in Vegas for less, no, I mean on a different price reality, than you can in Paris at the restaurants of the same chefs. From my experience.

[Marlene]

I actually prefer Bouchon for breakfast/lunch over dinner.

[David Ross]

I'm a buffet fanatic and have the girth to prove it. I ate at the Wicked Spoon buffet at the Cosmopolitan twice when I was in Las Vegas for a week in May. Very good for dinner, not quite as good at breakfast. At the Wicked Spoon there wasn't as good of a selection of breakfast breads and pastries as I find at Wynn, Bellagio or Paris buffets, but the uniqueness of the of dishes was better. The sweets at Wynn during the breakfast hour are superior to the other buffets.

At dinner, again the unique dishes at the Wicked Spoon and the individual servings are a hit, but their sweets don't rival Wynn. Bellagio is large, vast and has a good meat station. The salads at both the Wynn and Bellagio buffet were better than the Wicked Spoon. Wynn usually has these delicious white anchovies on the salad station and the salmon lox they serve seems to be a better product than the other buffets.

For photos of my experience at the Wicked Spoon, take a look at our report on Vegas Uncork'd 2010 here.

[jsmeeker]

Anyone have some good LATE NIGHT suggestions? Talking mid-night'ish here?

Preferably on the south end down near Mandalay Bay. I know every place has a 24/7 "Cofee Shop". Just wondering what else is out there and which of those "coffee shop places are better than others.

[torakris]

I still can't decide on a place for dinner for my husband and I, though Valentino at the Venetian is at the top of my list now. I was looking at the Venetian because I was being lazy and didn't want to venture out....but Is there a great restaurant I'm going to miss? I'm thinking about someplace with a tasting menu in the ~$150/pp range, but non-French. I like good solid food and don't really care for this new wave frothy stuff, something I can really sink my teeth in and with bold flavors.
If you could pick one place in Vegas with these requirements where would it be?

David and Jeff, I was going through your Vegas Uncork'd report sand all I can say is Wow!

[jsmeeker]

I still can't decide on a place for dinner for my husband and I, though Valentino at the Venetian is at the top of my list now. I was looking at the Venetian because I was being lazy and didn't want to venture out....but Is there a great restaurant I'm going to miss? I'm thinking about someplace with a tasting menu in the ~$150/pp range, but non-French. I like good solid food and don't really care for this new wave frothy stuff, something I can really sink my teeth in and with bold flavors.
If you could pick one place in Vegas with these requirements where would it be?

David and Jeff, I was going through your Vegas Uncork'd report sand all I can say is Wow!

Well, with only couple of nights, there will always be a great meal that you will miss. You can't help it. So many good places in town..

I think Valentino is a good pick. If you want to venture out of there, I think you would like Sage at Aria. Ross and I ate there in 2010 when we were in town for Uncork'd. I don't recall any new wave frothy stuff there.

[David Ross]

I still can't decide on a place for dinner for my husband and I, though Valentino at the Venetian is at the top of my list now. I was looking at the Venetian because I was being lazy and didn't want to venture out....but Is there a great restaurant I'm going to miss? I'm thinking about someplace with a tasting menu in the ~$150/pp range, but non-French. I like good solid food and don't really care for this new wave frothy stuff, something I can really sink my teeth in and with bold flavors.
If you could pick one place in Vegas with these requirements where would it be?

David and Jeff, I was going through your Vegas Uncork'd report sand all I can say is Wow!

Well, with only couple of nights, there will always be a great meal that you will miss. You can't help it. So many good places in town..

I think Valentino is a good pick. If you want to venture out of there, I think you would like Sage at Aria. Ross and I ate there in 2010 when we were in town for Uncork'd. I don't recall any new wave frothy stuff there.

Jeff is right, we had a wonderful experience at Sage. American cuisine at its finest and they have a good cocktail program. They actually have an absinthe cart! When we sat down we didn't see a tasting menu so we asked the waiter and they graciously obliged. During dinner Chef Shawn McClain came out to visit with us. To tell you the truth, I've eaten at Savoy and Gagnaire and I much prefer Sage. The French stuff at Savoy and Gagnaire is over-priced and really not the life-changing experience some say it is. You may want to look at the website of the restaurants at The Cosmopolitan. I hear good reviews off all their restaurants and I think if you call ahead and ask about a Tasting Menu they would oblige. Milos apparently has an affordable Greek seafood tasting menu.

The best month to dine at Valentino is October when they have white truffles from Alba, but Chef Pellegrini does wonders with ingredients year-round.

[ScoopKW]

You may want to look at the website of the restaurants at The Cosmopolitan. I hear good reviews off all their restaurants and I think if you call ahead and ask about a Tasting Menu they would oblige. Milos apparently has an affordable Greek seafood tasting menu.

And you may want to check out those restaurants quickly.

Cosmopolitan is hemmorhaging money. And although it is owned by Deutschebank, there are many here who think they'll eventually cut their losses and sell to Steve Wynn, Caesar's or MGM. (The other school of thought is, it's Deutschebank, they can cover the casino for a couple years. I don't agree with that, though. Nobody knows how to cut losses like a bank. They'll sell it cheap enough that some major strip presence will consider it too good a deal to pass up.)

[jsmeeker]

I'm glad I checked out Cosmo within the first 6 months of it opening. Had a great experience there. Too bad they don't know how to run a hotel, though. Hearing they still have issues there. But the rest? Good stuff.. Too bad it can't last.

MGM is an obvious buyer. They can easily suck it into City Center. Wynn won't buy he. He's a developer. That's what he really loves and does.

[jsmeeker]

Off to Las Vegas tomorrow. Gonna be there three nights. Already have two dinners planned. Friday night at Aureole (Mandalay Bay) and Saturday night at Comme Ca (Cosmopolitan). We'll "wing it" for Sunday night. Other than that, the only for sure place to try is Fleur at Mandalay Bay. That will be a lunch. (We are staying at MB)

[David Ross]

Can't wait to hear, and see photos, of your meals.

[C Simril]

Fleur's gnocchi is my favourite Vegas lunch item, but I have yet to lunch at Milos, Julian Serrano and RM Seafood. That will change soon. My servers Mariso and Faryal at Fleur took service to a level I had assumed existed only in a Pixar flick.

[jsmeeker]

back from Las Vegas.. I'll give a quick rundown of my meals.

Lotus of Siam (off strip) - proceeded there directly from the airport after arriving late Friday morning. Seated in the new expanded section. I don't really know Thai food well, nor do the friends I was there with, but everything was really good. Except for the sausage i ordered off of the northern Thai menu. Very dry. too bad. I was hoping it was going to be good.


Aureole (Mandalay Bay) - A little disappointing. this place is gigantic, and was pretty busy on Friday night. Aftter descending the the stair case aroundthe wine tower, we were promptly seated. And then had a LONG wait before a head waiter finally appeared. We wound up ordering the Parellel tasting menu. Four courses, each course with two preperations based around a flavor. The flavors were Pineapple, Carrot, Lamb, and Peach. After ordering service got better, but was simply "robotic" and fairly cool. Wine pairings were delivered with good timing, except for the last one with dessert. Food was OK. Nothing great. We all remarked that our previous fancy meal at Mandalay Bay when we dined at Mix was more memorable. I am beginning to question why I keep ordering tasting menus.

RM Seafood (Mandalay Bay) -- Went here for lunch Saturday afternoon. Sat downstairs this time. (upstairs is once again closed, FWIW). Had a plate of really great oysters. And some stone crab claws. Then a catfish sloppy joe sandwich. That was really good. The housemade potato chips were excellent. Just perfectly made. All washed down nicely with a glass fo Stella Artois.

Comme Ca (Cosmopolitan) -- Best meal of the trip. Situated on the third level of the resort with a tiny footprint, we had a really great view of the Las Vegas strip. Table way in the back puts us right next to the window and the small balcony/patio. Good service. Great cocktails. I had good steak tartare and a nice roast chicken. Two friends split the special of the day. A large Beef Wellington. Really good. Another friend had steak frites. Also good. Cereamy smooth chocolate pot de creme for dessert. Everything really clicked here. Big thumbs up to this place.

Fleur (Mandalay Bay) -- Another disappointment. this time, it was because the lunch menu presented was totally different than what is show on the web. The concept is supposed to be tapas/small plates. But it was essentially a bunch of sandwiches with just a small number of "tapas" type dishes as appetizers. My tuna tacos were good, but the sandwich was just a sandwich. Dunno what was going on, Maybe a very recent change? Maybe they can't sell the tapas to the convention goers at lunch time? I dunno. Really, was bummed out about this..

Japonias (Mirage) -- Picked this palce because we were in town in Decemeber a few years ago, staying at The Mirage and never got to eat in the actual dining room like we had expected to. The main dining room was CLOSED during that time (common at that time of the year) and we were seated in the lounge. While the lounge is a nice place for drinks, it's not the place to have a real meal. Limited menu. low cocktail tables. It was a bummer. But a friend really wanted to try the place for real, and this trip was the time to do it. Dined here Sunday night. I thought it was pretty decent. Very attentive, friendly sevice. Maybe even a little TOO attentive. Food was good. Nothing spectacular, but we were glad we got to finally eat there for real.

[C Simril]

Wow. Has Fleur deteriorated that much since May? I see the gnocchi dish I loved is gone. Hope the sangria is still good. Maybe Hubert is moving into other projects. The first dish I had there, the "famous" In The Shower was basically just macaroni over which someone had uttered the words "lobster" a few times. When I complained, my server brought me a far more interesting onion soup- much better than Guy Savoy's famous soup I had later; and then the divine gnocchi. A fabulous shitake foamed piece of hamachi. Some so-so pizza thingies. Some very good small drinks, that fell in quality the larger they grew. Soft chairs and a very comfortable space to hang out between more serious culinary activities.

[jsmeeker]

The "in the shower" mac and cheese was on the lunch menu.

We did have some tasty 2 for 1 specialty cocktails in the lounge side of the 'outdoor' seating early Friday evening. Since I don't know what it was like before, it's hard to say if it went downhill, but I think it's clear SOMETHING changed.

[Marlene]

What about Michel Richard's restaurant in Caesar's Palace, Central. Is it any good?

[CoraYvette]

We ate breakfast there September 2011. There's not alot of room for Michel Richard to be Michel Richard on the breakfast menu. He is interesting. His food is fabulous. This is a 24 hour cafe. The dinner menu which i did not try looked far more interesting than the boring breakfast menu.

BTW we took our 12 year old twins to Citronelle in DC in 2010 and it was an extraordinary experience for each of us. Each of us was tempted to try new culinary ideas and we were all stuffed and happy by nights end. The girls stil talk about Citronelle. So do DH and I.

[Marlene]

We ate breakfast there September 2011. There's not alot of room for Michel Richard to be Michel Richard on the breakfast menu. He is interesting. His food is fabulous. This is a 24 hour cafe. The dinner menu which i did not try looked far more interesting than the boring breakfast menu.

BTW we took our 12 year old twins to Citronelle in DC in 2010 and it was an extraordinary experience for each of us. Each of us was tempted to try new culinary ideas and we were all stuffed and happy by nights end. The girls stil talk about Citronelle. So do DH and I.

Thanks! I have his cookbook and I met him once at a Gourmet event. We're going back to Vegas in April and thought we might try Central for dinner one night.

[Todd in Chicago]

Hey folks...

That time of year is coming up for me for our trip to Vegas (Yeah!!).

This year we'll be staying at the Encore (Wynn) again, and thus far have the following reservations lined up:

Michael Mina
Gordon Ramsay's Steak (we are fans of the show, so feel somewhat compelled (intrigued?) to go....
Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill
Joel Robouchon

Comments or suggestions appreciated!

These are almost all new this year for us with one return visit; Joel Robouchon, which quite frankly to us may have been the best meal we have ever had (certainly the most $$$)!.

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago

[David Ross]

Hey folks...

That time of year is coming up for me for our trip to Vegas (Yeah!!).

This year we'll be staying at the Encore (Wynn) again, and thus far have the following reservations lined up:

Michael Mina
Gordon Ramsay's Steak (we are fans of the show, so feel somewhat compelled (intrigued?) to go....
Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill
Joel Robouchon

Comments or suggestions appreciated!

These are almost all new this year for us with one return visit; Joel Robouchon, which quite frankly to us may have been the best meal we have ever had (certainly the most $$$)!.

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago

You won't be disappointed in Mina. I was there for a private lunch during Uncork'd in May and it was fabulous. A friend of mine who lives in Las Vegas and is a Food Writer has been to Mina twice in the past couple of months and reported it was outstanding on both visits.

I'm hearing and reading very good reviews about Gordon Ramsay Steak. I was one of the skeptics before it opened, but based on what I'm hearing, the service and the food is really quite good. The few bumps in the road on opening week have apparently been smoothed over.

[Brown Hornet]

Hey folks...

That time of year is coming up for me for our trip to Vegas (Yeah!!).

This year we'll be staying at the Encore (Wynn) again, and thus far have the following reservations lined up:

Michael Mina
Gordon Ramsay's Steak (we are fans of the show, so feel somewhat compelled (intrigued?) to go....
Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill
Joel Robouchon

Comments or suggestions appreciated!

These are almost all new this year for us with one return visit; Joel Robouchon, which quite frankly to us may have been the best meal we have ever had (certainly the most $$$)!.

Cheers...

Todd in Chicago

That list looks awesome and I'm jealous. Whenever I go to Vegas I invariably end up with groups that have no interest spending money at the higher end Vegas restaurants.

I did make it to Cut on my last trip and was very impressed. From the perfectly made Sazerac (why do so many bars struggle with this simple drink?), a unique bone marrow flan appetizer, to an amazing steak, it well exceeded my expectations for a celebrity chef-branded steakhouse.

[Todd in Chicago]

David/Brown Hornet....

Thanks for your comments! I feel like we've made some decent picks and I'm sure they will serve us well. Pretty cool, I found out Robouchon offers complimentary limo pickup from your hotel (if not staying at the MGM), and drops you off at the private front entrance...cool!

I'll post our experiences when we get back.

Cheers, and thanks again for the comments.

Todd in Chicago

[C Simril]

I dined at Robuchon last Feb when I was staying at the Imperial Palace. I was told a gold cadillac labelled MGM Grand would pick me up, but it didn't appear. The attendant asked who I was waiting for and I said the Robuchon vehicle. He directed me to a black SUV, no labelling whatsoever. Felt like I was in a spy movie. Food was good, although the atmosphere was more Versailles than one would expect in Vegas in this era. I kept expecting Marie Antoinette to come out and offer me some cake.

[Todd in Chicago]

I dined at Robuchon last Feb when I was staying at the Imperial Palace. I was told a gold cadillac labelled MGM Grand would pick me up, but it didn't appear. The attendant asked who I was waiting for and I said the Robuchon vehicle. He directed me to a black SUV, no labelling whatsoever. Felt like I was in a spy movie. Food was good, although the atmosphere was more Versailles than one would expect in Vegas in this era. I kept expecting Marie Antoinette to come out and offer me some cake.

C Simril, LOL...that sounds funny! When we dined there last, they in fact DID send us home with a complimentary citrusy pound cake wrapped fancily in purple cellophane. Even the pound cake was delicious!

Todd in Chicago

[David Ross]

In the past couple of weeks Caesar's announced some new restaurants. Probably one of the worst kept secrets in town over the past 5 years was when would Bradley Ogden close and what would go in the space. Then once Gordon Ramsay landed at the Paris Hotel with his steakhouse, the worse kept secret was when Gordon would open a restaurant in the Bradley Ogden space. Apparently such issues as contracts take an incredible amount of time, and money, to become something tangible in Las Vegas. Goodbye's were passed out to Ogden and his staff last week, (apparently then actually welcomed the final word), and within two days I received a press release announcing Gordon Ramsay's Pub at Caesar's Palace. One hopes it's far better than the Pub down the road with the name of Todd English over the door.

Caesar's then announced a few days later that the long awaited reconstruction of the buffet, (formerly known as Cafe Lago), will open in September under the name of Baccahnal Buffet. It sounds like its going to top the bigger and more lavish buffets in Las Vegas.

[jsmeeker]

I dined at Robuchon last Feb when I was staying at the Imperial Palace. I was told a gold cadillac labelled MGM Grand would pick me up, but it didn't appear. The attendant asked who I was waiting for and I said the Robuchon vehicle. He directed me to a black SUV, no labelling whatsoever. Felt like I was in a spy movie. Food was good, although the atmosphere was more Versailles than one would expect in Vegas in this era. I kept expecting Marie Antoinette to come out and offer me some cake.

lol.. Staying at the IP and going to Robuchon at the Mansion at MGM Grand. That's a big change in environments.

[jsmeeker]

In the past couple of weeks Caesar's announced some new restaurants. Probably one of the worst kept secrets in town over the past 5 years was when would Bradley Ogden close and what would go in the space. Then once Gordon Ramsay landed at the Paris Hotel with his steakhouse, the worse kept secret was when Gordon would open a restaurant in the Bradley Ogden space. Apparently such issues as contracts take an incredible amount of time, and money, to become something tangible in Las Vegas. Goodbye's were passed out to Ogden and his staff last week, (apparently then actually welcomed the final word), and within two days I received a press release announcing Gordon Ramsay's Pub at Caesar's Palace. One hopes it's far better than the Pub down the road with the name of Todd English over the door.

Caesar's then announced a few days later that the long awaited reconstruction of the buffet, (formerly known as Cafe Lago), will open in September under the name of Baccahnal Buffet. It sounds like its going to top the bigger and more lavish buffets in Las Vegas.

I'm seriously considering hitting up Gordon Ramsey Steak at Paris on my next trip to Vegas in November. Looking forward to seeing what they do with the gastro pub in the old Bradley Ogden space.

[David Ross]

I dined at Robuchon last Feb when I was staying at the Imperial Palace. I was told a gold cadillac labelled MGM Grand would pick me up, but it didn't appear. The attendant asked who I was waiting for and I said the Robuchon vehicle. He directed me to a black SUV, no labelling whatsoever. Felt like I was in a spy movie. Food was good, although the atmosphere was more Versailles than one would expect in Vegas in this era. I kept expecting Marie Antoinette to come out and offer me some cake.

lol.. Staying at the IP and going to Robuchon at the Mansion at MGM Grand. That's a big change in environments.

HAH! I thought the same thing.

[David Ross]

In the past couple of weeks Caesar's announced some new restaurants. Probably one of the worst kept secrets in town over the past 5 years was when would Bradley Ogden close and what would go in the space. Then once Gordon Ramsay landed at the Paris Hotel with his steakhouse, the worse kept secret was when Gordon would open a restaurant in the Bradley Ogden space. Apparently such issues as contracts take an incredible amount of time, and money, to become something tangible in Las Vegas. Goodbye's were passed out to Ogden and his staff last week, (apparently then actually welcomed the final word), and within two days I received a press release announcing Gordon Ramsay's Pub at Caesar's Palace. One hopes it's far better than the Pub down the road with the name of Todd English over the door.

Caesar's then announced a few days later that the long awaited reconstruction of the buffet, (formerly known as Cafe Lago), will open in September under the name of Baccahnal Buffet. It sounds like its going to top the bigger and more lavish buffets in Las Vegas.

I'm seriously considering hitting up Gordon Ramsey Steak at Paris on my next trip to Vegas in November. Looking forward to seeing what they do with the gastro pub in the old Bradley Ogden space.

I'm trying to go in the Fall, maybe October or November. Food and Wine has an event in October. I regularly read reviews on Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris and since they've opened, the food has been consistently good. There appear to be some service glitches, but that's understandable for a new restaurant, especially one with this much focus on it.

[Todd in Chicago]

In the past couple of weeks Caesar's announced some new restaurants. Probably one of the worst kept secrets in town over the past 5 years was when would Bradley Ogden close and what would go in the space. Then once Gordon Ramsay landed at the Paris Hotel with his steakhouse, the worse kept secret was when Gordon would open a restaurant in the Bradley Ogden space. Apparently such issues as contracts take an incredible amount of time, and money, to become something tangible in Las Vegas. Goodbye's were passed out to Ogden and his staff last week, (apparently then actually welcomed the final word), and within two days I received a press release announcing Gordon Ramsay's Pub at Caesar's Palace. One hopes it's far better than the Pub down the road with the name of Todd English over the door.

Caesar's then announced a few days later that the long awaited reconstruction of the buffet, (formerly known as Cafe Lago), will open in September under the name of Baccahnal Buffet. It sounds like its going to top the bigger and more lavish buffets in Las Vegas.

I'm seriously considering hitting up Gordon Ramsey Steak at Paris on my next trip to Vegas in November. Looking forward to seeing what they do with the gastro pub in the old Bradley Ogden space.

I'm trying to go in the Fall, maybe October or November. Food and Wine has an event in October. I regularly read reviews on Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris and since they've opened, the food has been consistently good. There appear to be some service glitches, but that's understandable for a new restaurant, especially one with this much focus on it.

I have GOT to try the Beef Wellington.....on tv it looks sooooooooooo good!!

Did you guys look at the menu? Looks pretty good to me.

I see that Michael Mina has a tasting menu, which for some reason appears very reasonable to me......am I missing something?

Todd in Chicago