Vegas steakhouse for a stagette- recommendations?

[Synergy]

So... somehow plans for a stagette for my girlfriend have lead us to 4 nights in Vegas mid-April.

These girls are not all foodies, although they like food and drink, so I am the one who is in charge of finding a place for a "nice supper" the Sunday night.

For a nice supper on my stagette, I would be hitting up somewhere like Alize, Daniel Bouloud Brasserie, or Le Cirque.

The bride on the other hand, is a chicken fingers and fries aficionado, and would just like to go to a nice-ish steakhouse, where everyone in the group can get something they like. It has to have a decent wine list too.

As I am a vegetarian, I don't have the downlow on the Vegas Steakhouses that are nice, but will still leave money left over for the blackjack table.

Any recommendations? (I am especially looking for somewhere I can find something edible as well).

Edited March 28, 2008 by Synergy (log)

[rjwong]

Greetings, Synergy! Pardon me if I seem a bit dense, but you're planning a stagette for your girlfriend and you get to come along?? Later in your post, you said "... my stagette ..." Please clarify. How many will there be in this stagette? And the price range you have in mind would be like those of Alize, Daniel Boulud Brasserie and Le Cirque, correct? And you definitely want a steakhouse, not French or Italian or Asian? As for ambience: "nice" as in able to have a nice conversation? Or nice as in a nice celebration & party?

Sorry about the inquisition. Mind you, I want to make things clear in my mind before I open my mouth and .... say something.

[Synergy]

I'm happy to clarify for you

I am in my friend's wedding party. I am helping to plan the stagette, and I will be going as well. It is a 4 night trip to Vegas and we will be staying at a suite in the Bellagio. There are about 7 of us so far: The bride, 3 bridesmaids (including myself), her mom, grandma and aunt.

When I said "for a nice supper on my stagette, I would be hitting up somewhere like Alize, Daniel Bouloud Brasserie, or Le Cirque." that was a hypothetical statement about what kind of restaurant I personally would choose.

My friend, the bride is the one who has chosen the kind of restaurant and the price range. She would like something akin to a steakhouse, because as I had mentioned, she is a 'chicken fingers and fries' kinda gal. She likes plain food. Meat and potatoes. Nothing too fancy, nothing spicy. Italian would be the only other kind of place she might enjoy.

The price range she is looking for is somewhere between $15-35 an entree. She is not interesting in any of the most expensive places, unfortunately.

For ambiance: I think we are looking for somewhere with a bit of atmosphere, not too quiet or romantic, since we will be 7 girls there on a Stagette, but also not too casual. We would like to dress up for the evening and have some great food, wine and good service.

I hope that clears it up for you. If you have any other questions, just shoot!

[jsmeeker]

Hmmm.. I was going to suggest N9NE at the Palms. They even have a special "ladies night" type of package deal at a special bar/counter. It's a young, hip, LOUD dress up like you are at a night club sort of place.

But the price point will be more than your stated range.

[David Ross]

Hello Synergy-I echo the questions that rjwong and jsmeeker are asking you. Before I give specific restaurant recommendations for Las Vegas, I always ask some basic questions like what type of cuisine you are interested in, location, atmosphere and the one biggie-price. The price of dining in Las Vegas is quite expensive.

You will be hard-pressed to find a steakhouse on the strip with entree prices in the $15-$35 range than you've suggested. There is a steakhouse at the Circus-Circus property up on the North end of the strip that might be in that price range. I haven't been there but it does get decent reviews. But the hotel is not in the exciting part of the strip and I think it is rundown.

The prices of steaks at the top houses on the strip are averaging around $50. There are some lower cuts that aren't as expensive and some high-end beef like Kobe that raise the steak prices to over $100 per plate in some cases. Most of the high-end steakhouses do not include side dishes-the potatoes and the creamed spinach are an additional cost.

I would recommend these restaurants: Jean-Georges is the steak restaurant at Bellagio, Craft by "Top Chef" judge Tom Collichio is down at the MGM and the Capitol Grille is at one end of the Fashion Show Mall overlooking the strip. Additional choices might be SW Steakhouse at Wynn and two new steakhouses at the recently opened Palazzo-Carnevino by Mario Batali of Food Network fame and Cut by Wolfgang Puck. You can find menus and prices posted online for each of these restaurants.

If you are springing for the cost of a suite at Bellagio, you may want to consider paying the cost for dinner at one of the top steakhouses. I think it would add to your fun and memorable Las Vegas experience.

[rjwong]

Most of what David said.

I had a less than ideal dining experience at Capitol Grille. And Jean-Georges's steakhouse is called Prime. Prime is very good, and the prices are definitely "prime." SW Steakhouse is fine. Just be careful with the servers who can be aggressive assertive about padding your dinner bill.

Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant at Caesar's Forum Shops is very good. They do serve excellent steaks there.

Delmonico's over at the Venetian is a fun place. The place is huge and you should look at their wine room. This is one of Emeril's restaurants.

Besides Carnevino & Cut over at the Palazzo, there's a third steakhouse called Morels, a French steakhouse. If you're into cheeses, Morels only has artisanal cheeses, both imported and domestic. No, I haven't tried any of them ... yet.

Finding a restaurant on the Strip for $15-35/entree may be very difficult, perhaps even impossible. Las Vegas can be rather expensive. Daniel Boulud Brasserie has an affordable 3-course prix fixe dinner for $48 (until 7 p.m.). Seriously, that's a bargain for a nice dinner on the Strip. To give you (and your group) some context, a lunch buffet at Wynn or Bellagio will run you about $25/person.

If you all want to go off the Strip, there's a New American-type restaurant on Sahara Blvd. about seven miles due west from the intersection of Las Vegas Blvd. & Sahara Blvd. The restaurant is called Rosemary's Restaurant. For about $50, they have a three-course dinner, and on Sunday nights, their wine list is half-price. I consider Rosemary's the best restaurant in Las Vegas that's off the Strip.

If your friend wants to expand the list a bit, there might be some New American restaurants like Bradley Ogden. Mind you, I suspect that might be a tough sell, ehh?

I second what David said. You may want to consider treating your friend to a special dinner for a special occasion, if the opportunity arises.

Thank you for clarifying. I hope that helps.

[jsmeeker]

Most of what David said.

Finding a restaurant on the Strip for $15-35/entree may be very difficult, perhaps even impossible. Las Vegas can be rather expensive. Daniel Boulud Brasserie has an affordable 3-course prix fixe dinner for $48 (until 7 p.m.). Seriously, that's a bargain for a nice dinner on the Strip. To give you (and your group) some context, a lunch buffet at Wynn or Bellagio will run you about $25/person. 

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Well, this is true if you want one of the "big name" fine dining places. Obviously, there are many many places to eat on the Strip in that price range. Of course, they ma be places like Cheesecake Factory or P.F. Changs or the 24 hour "coffee shop" every casino seems to have.

Personally, I'm on the lookout for a nice place that I can have a 3 course meal for $60-$75. Seems like every time I go to Vegas, I drop at least $100 for every dinner I eat. But I'm a eGullet society member who likes nice restaurants and goes to Las Vegas because of the "excess". But I am confident that there are many decent places on the strip in that $75 range (especially if I keep the booze in check) that aren't some huge national chain that I have in Dallas and isn't the coffee shop or the fast food court or whatever. Maybe it's Olives? Or Mesa Grill (actually, both of those are "big name" places). Or perhaps I should actually eat at the Mexican place at TI (the hotel I have been staying at for my past several trips out there).

I dunno.. It's so tough for me. I WANT to go to all the high end places. So much so that the list of places to try always exceeds the number of nights I am there. Sure is a pickle.

[Synergy]

I truly appreciate all the advice.

I think I might just have to have the bride up her price range a little.

We are not actually paying for the suite at the Bellagio, so don't take our hotel choice as an indication of our group's finances.

I think I will encourage her in the direction of either Delmonico's or Daniel Bouloud's Brasserie. I have eaten at Daniel's in NYC (tasting menu with wine pairings).

It was one of the best nights of my life!!!

Thank you again for the comments. I think what I will do is build a list, from your recommendations, with websites for the bride to choose from.

Any more suggestions are certainly welcome!

[David Ross]

Great approach. Just start building a list of choices, and menus and prices if you can get them online, then make your selections. You'll see lots of postings and photos of Las Vegas meals on eGullet to help with your search.

Daniel Boulud Brasserie at the Wynn offers a Prix Fixe Menu at $48 if you dine prior to 7pm. There are 3 choices each of an appetizer, main and dessert. The menu is posted online.

I'm hopeful we'll see restaurant prices in Las Vegas come down this Spring. Hotel prices have already come down. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that gaming revenues, the driving force of the Las Vegas economy, were down in February, so I think we will see the hotels and restaurants lower prices to attract more people to the casinos. I just booked a week at The Mirage for a trip in May and on both Friday and Saturday nights the room was only $135 a night. That's quite a bit lower than what I would have paid for the same room at the same time last year. Maybe the menu prices will follow suit.

[Marlene]

I've been to most of the steakhouses in Vegas on the strip. Delmonico's is my favourite steakhouse in Vegas. have the truffle parmesan chips. You won't be able to stop eating them.

[David Ross]

You might also check out Max Jacobson's good review of Carnevino in the April issue of Las Vegas Life. It made me hungry for a thick, juicy steak in Las Vegas.