Just got back from Vegas. My short report inside.

[CRUZMISL]

My wife and I landed at about 8am and I hadn't been in Vegas 2 hours and was already $500 richer. I knew this would be a great trip :)

My wife and I always eat at the Paris Buffet for breakfast (yes I know, but it's good, I swear). Even though we stay at the Bellagio the buffet is better.

That evening we went to Nobu at the Hard Rock Hotel. Not normal sushi fare and frankly I had no idea what to order. Fortunately for us there was a fellow sitting next to us at the bar that travels the globe and happens to live very close to the Nobu in NY. He suggested the chef's special. They basically bring out whatever they feel like. The food was in a word, fantastic. Service was great food was superb and the atmosphere was very comfortable. I would highly recommend it. It was expensive ($200 including a few beers) but well worth it.

The next night I had reservations for Lutece but had to cancel because friends we were meeting there weren't dressed for it nor could they afford it. Oh well, always next time. We did however eat lunch at Postrio that day. While the service was great and the food was good it was nothing to get too excited about.

The third day we ate at Picasso. I brought my own bottle of wine and both my wife and I had the degustation and she had the wine pairing. This was the quintessential dining experience. Service was beyond reproach and every dish was a piece of art. We can't really remember exactly what we ate though because we were both tanked from all the wine:) A few things stick out though. Foie gras was fantastic and my aged lamb roti was amazing. My wife's warm chocolate something or other was world class. They even waived the $35 corkage fee since my wife had the wine pairing so in essence my wife's wine cost $12. Our bill including tip was $350 but it too was well worth it.

The last day before we headed for the airport we decided to try Circo for lunch. This is the best Italian food I have had in years. I had a seafood stew which had a ton of shrimp, clams, octopus etc. It was very, very good. My wife had some ricotta /sage ravioli which was also very good. The pizza was fantastic and blew Wolfgang's out of the water. The bomboloni we had for dessert were perfectly prepared. Service was wonderful despite the fact I was in shorts and a T-shirt. Lunch without booze was $92

Sorry I'm not much on details but that's my story. If you plan to go to Vegas soon be sure to make time for a Canyon Ranch spa treatment at The Venetian. Me likey :)

Joe

[Foodie-Girl]

Great reading!

You hit some of my personal favorites!

By the way, I don't think you missed out on anything by not going to Lutece. I tried it once..found it very disappointing...didn't hold a candle to Picasso or even Circo for that matter.

[JennyUptown]

Nice post, Joe.

I'm heading to Vegas in a few weeks and can't wait! I second your recommendation of the breakfast buffet at Paris (like you, I said "buffet??" but it's GOOD) and Nobu is indeed an experience.

I made some "safety net" reservations via OpenTable.com. Dinner on that Friday night is tentatively set for Taqueria Canonita in the Venetian. Had a good, not expensive lunch there last trip. I'd rather try somewhere new, but for the time being, I'm just glad to have an option (and yes, I'll be sure to cancel well in advance if we opt not to use the res). Also made a reservation for Saturday night: Roy's. What do you think - yea or nay? I thought kitsch might = fun.

Will accept your recommendations now... Not the Thai/Siam place though.

[AES]

What sort of suggestions are you looking for & where have you already been?

I've heard positive things about Roy's (more consistently about the hawaii locations though) and have thought about trying it myself.

Picasso is my hands down favorite. We were supposed to go to Aqua on the last trip but then realized that one of our party didn't eat seafood and the menu had no non-seafood options. We're planning a trip for Mem. Day weekend and plan on making reservations (which reminds me!) for Sea Blue at MGM.

If you're a meat eater, the NY Times did a review of the various Vegas steakhouses about 2 months ago - Prime and Craftsteak came out on top. We've had 2 dinners at Delmonico and both have been consistently good with deent service.

[sand]

I believe Roy Y. sold all of the continental U.S. locations, and basically made them franchise restaurants. I've never eaten at either(?) of the LV locations, or at any other continental U.S. location since he sold them, but I have heard some unflattering things about the L.V. restaurants lately. A majority of the comments came from people that ate at the Hawaii locations, however, so it might be a case of differing expectations.

For what it's worth, although the LV locations may be different, I don't recall any of the Roy's restaurants being particularly kitschy anyway.

[JennyUptown]

I believe Roy Y. sold all of the continental U.S. locations, and basically made them franchise restaurants. I've never eaten at either(?) of the LV locations, or at any other continental U.S. location since he sold them, but I have heard some unflattering things about the L.V. restaurants lately. A majority of the comments came from people that ate at the Hawaii locations, however, so it might be a case of differing expectations.

For what it's worth, although the LV locations may be different, I don't recall any of the Roy's restaurants being particularly kitschy anyway.

Well, I'm open to restaurant suggestions so...throw 'em out there!

We're staying at Mandalay Bay. I've already eaten at Nobu, Nectar (I think that's what it was called) and Border Grille. Not totally into leaving the Strip, to be perfectly honest. And we tend to avoid places like Olives that are outposts of restaurants we can visit back in DC or NY.

[Foodie-Girl]

Red Square (at your hotel). Great place for drinks and appetizers and also for dinner. I know...Russian food?? It's excellent. Try a Sputnik Martini and Lobster Martini appetizer...YUM !!

[little ms foodie]

I'm a few in a sea of many I know but my husband and I didn't think Picasso was all that great. We had to tell them to slow down the service as we had the wine pairings and I had 3 glasses of half finished wine at one point. The staff just seemed to be trying too hard and not suceeding. The food was great but we've had better.

Anyway Aqua is fantastic and if you go the lobster pot pie is a dream come true!

We are having dinner at Lutece this May and at Le Cirque.

I really like both Olives and Mon ami Gabi for 'normal priced dinners'. And that mexican place in the Venetian has great tortilla soup and snacks.

[JennyUptown]

I'm a few in a sea of many I know but my husband and I didn't think Picasso was all that great. We had to tell them to slow down the service as we had the wine pairings and I had 3 glasses of half finished wine at one point. The staff just seemed to be trying too hard and not suceeding. The food was great but we've had better.

Anyway Aqua is fantastic and if you go the lobster pot pie is a dream come true!

We are having dinner at Lutece this May and at Le Cirque.

I really like both Olives and Mon ami Gabi for 'normal priced dinners'. And that mexican place in the Venetian has great tortilla soup and snacks.

Thanks for the recs. Aqua has come up. We have both Olives and Mon Ami Gabi here in DC (both are good though).

[JennyUptown]

Non-food question for Vegas-dwellers or frequent visitors:

What are the best hip-hop joints? I'm not interested the clubs blasting techno, house, etc.

PM me, if you please.

[Mark Sommelier]

Definitely make time for a few drinks at Kahunaville in the TI. The bartenders are all expertly trained in "flair bartending" and make Tom Cruise's movie Cocktail look like kindergarten. The Pu-Pu platter ain't bad, either. Take a look at:

http://www.kahunaville.com

Last visit, we had an astonishingly good meal at Buccaneer's Bay, also in the TI. Warm, super-attentive service. The food was marvelous. An old favorite from years ago, Center Stage at the Union Plaza, on the other hand, was some of the most dreadful food, service and ambience I have ever been subjected to anywhere. Avoid at all costs.

Edited April 12, 2004 by Mark Sommelier (log)

[JennyUptown]

Definitely make time for a few drinks at Kahunaville in the TI. The bartenders are all expertly trained in "flair bartending" and make Tom Cruise's movie Cocktail look like kindergarten. The Pu-Pu platter ain't bad, either. Take a look at:

Hmm...not quite what I was looking for, but thanks.

Any others?

[JennyUptown]

I believe Roy Y. sold all of the continental U.S. locations, and basically made them franchise restaurants.  I've never eaten at either(?) of the LV locations, or at any other continental U.S. location since he sold them, but I have heard some unflattering things about the L.V. restaurants lately.  A majority of the comments came from people that ate at the Hawaii locations, however, so it might be a case of differing expectations.

For what it's worth, although the LV locations may be different, I don't recall any of the Roy's restaurants being particularly kitschy anyway.

Well, I'm open to restaurant suggestions so...throw 'em out there!

We're staying at Mandalay Bay. I've already eaten at Nobu, Nectar (I think that's what it was called) and Border Grille. Not totally into leaving the Strip, to be perfectly honest. And we tend to avoid places like Olives that are outposts of restaurants we can visit back in DC or NY.

Time to rethink Roy's?

I realize this review is not about the Vegas outposts.

[JennyUptown]

Just back from Vegas. We stayed with a friend who was there on business and had a 2 BR suite at Mandalay Bay. Nice, but so crowded and far from the central part of the strip. Still, beggars can't be choosers.

Where we ate:

Because of proximity and decent food, we ate at Border Grill in Mandalay for two lunches. We chowed on free chips and salsa (three to choose from - the chipotle was our fave), followed by carnitas tacos (so good I had them twice) and salads (the turkey tostada salad was huge and loved by my friend; the chopped salad was bo-ring).

They have good cocktails - IMHO the caipirinhas are sweet, but good and way better than the mojitos - and we had quite a few beers (I like Negra Modelo best). Their lower level patio is a particularly nice place to sit. Prices are pretty moderate for Vegas and if you're on a budget, you can make do nicely by ordering apps or soups.

For dinner on Friday night, we were tired and on a budget so we revisited Taqueria Canonita at the Venetian. I was feeling kind of stuffed from lunch still so I split an order of queso fundido with chorizo with my compadres and had corn and green chile soup for my entree. Delish all around. The location - depending on how you feel about kitsch (reminder: this IS Vegas) is either fun or awful. We didn't mind sitting by the "canal" listening to gondoliers serenade the tourists they were bilking. This is another moderately priced option.

On Saturday, it was Spago at Caesar's. Note: their online menu is not updated. Very different atmosphere than I expected - I thought it would be stuffier. Instead we found it to be more upscale than our previous two restaurants, but in a stylish, comfortable way. Our servers were formal yet pleasant. We were offered a delicious amuse of tomato soup. Not quite smooth, but not chunky either. Fresh and fruity. We loved it.

Entree prices were, in our opinion, a little higher than they should have been. My pork tenderloin (bland in spite of a mustard sauce) came with a white bean ragout that was OK, but...not all that, let's just say.

On the other hand, two of us had a fantastic pasta appetizer there. Small, al dente ricotta dumplings served with tomato cream sauce, pancetta and fava beans. Yum. I wish I'd had it for my entree.

Sadly, no room for dessert.

On Sunday, we decided to do something different and use our rental car to escape the strip. With no internet access, we picked Sergio's on Tropicana more or less out of the phone booth. And it was not a bad pick at all.

The dining areas are a little on the corny side with Italian-inspired murals and all, but the service was super-friendly (it was a slow Sunday night - maybe only five occupied tables) in a way that amused my party of three. Entrees came with a choice of minestrone or green salad with house-made Italian dressing (that got raves from my friend). I had the minestrone which was fine if unexciting.

My small portion of pasta on Saturday night made me crave more so I got the suggested penne alla vodka. I know - not exciting, but it was GOOD. I shared a side of peas sauteed in pancetta, garlic and EVOO and I will now look at peas a whole new way. They were great. One friend had the special of lobster ravioli which managed to be light somehow yet still very filling. The other arrived stuffed and just had their insalata Caprese. The highlight was the nicely seasoned greens. The "bufala" mozzarella was awfully firm and not distinctly flavored, but my friend pronounced the overall dish as "not bad."

We shared a very nutty tartuffo for dessert and had great lattes all around. All in all, we liked Sergio's quite a bit and it was a nice break from the glitz and glamour of the strip.

[sequim]

And that mexican place in the Venetian has great tortilla soup and snacks.

We enjoyed the collection of tequillas there.

[tsquare]

Thought I'd just tag this report into this thread rather than start another:

I admit it – I ate at Emeril’s at MGM Grand. Just a nice fruity and potent Hurricane, some bbq shrimp (small and kind of sweet sauce) and duck confit salad. That was tasty, but not much duck.

Grand Luxe for breakfast – arg, part of the Cheesecake Factory chain! Too late to leave. Food was fine. Pricey, like most everything. At the beautiful Venetian Hotel, though you wouldn’t know it from in here.

Dinner at Onda at the Mirage. Pass. Not so great Italian American at fairly high prices. Used to have Todd English’s kiss, but no more. Liked the décor.

A tasty pulled pork sandwich at Café Caribe at Mirage.

Dinner at Café Lago at Caesar’s – upscale coffee shop. Had a very good plate of pasta and mushrooms, and a good salad. I liked this place a lot – cool blue interiors, low noise level, and nice live music. Watched some guy down two large plates of crab legs from the buffet, along with a couple plates of pastries. And more.

Crisp waffle with fresh strawberries and blueberries at Café Caribe.

A really swell dinner at Bouchon at the Venetian. Yes, ala Thomas Keller! Just opened in January 2004. Very French. Good bread, great salads, tasty roasted chicken and mushrooms, excellent lamb shank, and passable petite desserts. Good wine. Not casual, but not over the top. Service was very friendly and knowledgeable – at dinner.

Breakfast – back to Bouchon (not open at lunch.) Good coffee, a nice plate of smoked salmon with baguette, capers, onions, and herbed butter. Good looking pastries, little skillets with flavored eggs. Fairly awful service. Kind of a funny story – they serve different butter at dinner and breakfast (upon request). The breakfast butter, according to our server is “unpastrized” and made from the milk of just 3 cows. Well, unpasteurized or not, it had oxidized and had a sour odor and unpleasant taste. The manager finally brought out some regular kitchen butter and fresh toast – they need to figure out how to present that stuff if it was what was intended and not actually turned - or get rid of it. They serve breakfast on the terrace overlooking a small pool as well.

Gelato at Bellagio. Yum, 'nuft said. Later, one of NSM's recommended pistachio cream raspberry tarts. I liked the cornmeal almond (?) base. Wish there had been an opportunity to try more. They also make chocolates in house - Neil, you doing any of that? Tell them to try gray sea salt toppers!

A plate of duck and pork with rice and greens at Noodle Kitchen at Mirage. Every hotel seems to have a place like this. It was good, cheap, and quick – and may have been the cause of much morning discomfort.

Didn’t win in the casinos – but did okay at the restaurants.

[Foodie-Girl]

I admit it – I ate at Emeril’s at MGM Grand. Just a nice fruity and potent Hurricane, some bbq shrimp (small and kind of sweet sauce) and duck confit salad. That was tasty, but not much duck.

Not sure why eating at Emeril's requires an admission(of guilt?)

I've eaten there at least a dozen times and not been disappointed.

[nightscotsman]

Gelato at Bellagio. Yum, 'nuft said. Later, one of NSM's recommended pistachio cream raspberry tarts. I liked the cornmeal almond (?) base. Wish there had been an opportunity to try more. They also make chocolates in house - Neil, you doing any of that? Tell them to try gray sea salt toppers!

Glad you like the tart! The base is a breton sablé - ground almonds, but no cornmeal.

I'm not involved in making the chocolates. They do those in the chocolate room. I'm sure they'll be expanding the line when the new pastry shop opens in the new tower.

[tsquare]

I admit it – I ate at Emeril’s at MGM Grand. Just a nice fruity and potent Hurricane, some bbq shrimp (small and kind of sweet sauce) and duck confit salad. That was tasty, but not much duck.

Not sure why eating at Emeril's requires an admission(of guilt?)

I've eaten there at least a dozen times and not been disappointed.

Because of the Food Network Shows and because when the server put the plate down he had to say "Bam". But it was worth trying.

[AES]

because when the server put the plate down he had to say "Bam".

He really did that???

We've been to Delmonico twice, the "original" Emeril's in NOLA and the Emeril's in Orlando and have never seen that happen! And like Foodie-Girl, we've been quite pleased with each of our meals.

[tsquare]

because when the server put the plate down he had to say "Bam".

He really did that???

We've been to Delmonico twice, the "original" Emeril's in NOLA and the Emeril's in Orlando and have never seen that happen! And like Foodie-Girl, we've been quite pleased with each of our meals.

Yes, though almost under his breathe. I assumed he was embarrassed to "have" to do it. It took me a nanosecond to realize what he said - and he was already gone.

[bilrus]

because when the server put the plate down he had to say "Bam".

He really did that???

We've been to Delmonico twice, the "original" Emeril's in NOLA and the Emeril's in Orlando and have never seen that happen! And like Foodie-Girl, we've been quite pleased with each of our meals.

Yes, though almost under his breathe. I assumed he was embarrassed to "have" to do it. It took me a nanosecond to realize what he said - and he was already gone.

This might require a separate thread to allow for sufficient ridicule.

[tommy]

This might require a separate thread to allow for sufficient ridicule.

yes yes. this should not be buried in this thread. i almost missed it!

Edited May 7, 2004 by tommy (log)

[mongo_jones]

Because of the Food Network Shows and because when the server put the plate down he had to say "Bam". But it was worth trying.

if this is policy it is new--i've eaten there and we didn't have this happen. can anyone corroborate? or is this an isolated incident?

[tsquare]

Because of the Food Network Shows and because when the server put the plate down he had to say "Bam". But it was worth trying.

if this is policy it is new--i've eaten there and we didn't have this happen. can anyone corroborate? or is this an isolated incident?

Didn't get a chance to ask if this was policy. The guy seemed too embarrassed to have done it on his own. Truly, I wouldn't make this up.

I wish someone would comment on the butter at Bouchon incident. I would like to write Chef Keller to get a clarification - but none of the websites have an email contact - just opentable or phone numbers. I wonder if it was a cultured milk product?

I could write a good short story on the tales of the cab drivers we experienced. Vegas - do you gotta love it?