Dining in Las Vegas: Part 1

lgott · March 7, 2008

Several places have opened, with more on the way. I plan to visit a few in May. The Palazzo web site has a little bit of information, including a few menus, at http://www.palazzolasvegas.com/dining.aspx.

Just based on their web site list, I'm a bit disappointed. There are three -- count 'em, three -- steak houses! Carnevino is an Italian steakhouse; Morels is a French steakhouse; Cut is a good ol' American steakhouse.

SushiSamba is part of a small chain, with the head chef coming from the Miami branch. Well, I've been to the Miami branch a few times, and you don't go there for gourmet food. The food isn't bad, but the selling point is its trendy atmosphere.

I'm hoping that Restaurant Charlie (Trotter's place) will be good, and maybe even Table 10. Other than those two, I don't see anything really exciting.

jsmeeker · March 8, 2008

The Charlie Trotter place is the one I would look most forward too.

The original CUT opened at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. I can cehck that place out whenever I want to. (hell, I could check it out tonight). Morel's has a location in L.A. as well. Plus, I always say I will avoid steak joints when I travel since Dallas has so many good ones. Sushi Samba sounds familiair. I may have been to one 9or seen one). Either in Dallas or in L.A.

MCM · March 11, 2008

Doing Mesa Grill Friday night and Alize Saturday night but am looking for a lunch rec at the Bellagio for both days. I always eat a quick lunch at either Cafe Bellagio (love that place) or in the book but am curious about Noodles and Olives.

Elrushbo · March 12, 2008

Doing Mesa Grill Friday night and Alize Saturday night but am looking for a lunch rec at the Bellagio for both days. I always eat a quick lunch at either Cafe Bellagio (love that place) or in the book but am curious about Noodles and Olives.
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I didn't think Olives was very good for dinner. I'd go over to Venetian and have lunch at Mario Batali's Enoteco San Marco.

Elrushbo · March 12, 2008

The Charlie Trotter place is the one I would look most forward too.
The original CUT opened at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. I can cehck that place out whenever I want to. (hell, I could check it out tonight). Morel's has a location in L.A. as well. Plus, I always say I will avoid steak joints when I travel since Dallas has so many good ones. Sushi Samba sounds familiair. I may have been to one 9or seen one). Either in Dallas or in L.A.
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Dallas has Craft now, right?

Elrushbo · March 12, 2008

Several places have opened, with more on the way. I plan to visit a few in May. The Palazzo web site has a little bit of information, including a few menus, at http://www.palazzolasvegas.com/dining.aspx.
Just based on their web site list, I'm a bit disappointed. There are three -- count 'em, three -- steak houses! Carnevino is an Italian steakhouse; Morels is a French steakhouse; Cut is a good ol' American steakhouse.
SushiSamba is part of a small chain, with the head chef coming from the Miami branch. Well, I've been to the Miami branch a few times, and you don't go there for gourmet food. The food isn't bad, but the selling point is its trendy atmosphere.
I'm hoping that Restaurant Charlie (Trotter's place) will be good, and maybe even Table 10. Other than those two, I don't see anything really exciting.
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You say "three steakhouses" like that's a badthing! Every restaurant can't be Guy Savoy, Robuchon or Alex. I look at the Palazzo lineup and find I could eat there five nights in a row and not have anything similar.

**David Ross** · March 12, 2008

Doing Mesa Grill Friday night and Alize Saturday night but am looking for a lunch rec at the Bellagio for both days. I always eat a quick lunch at either Cafe Bellagio (love that place) or in the book but am curious about Noodles and Olives.
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I had a good lunch at Noodles at Bellagio last May. It's sort of forgotten because it doesn't get the press of the more prestigious restaurants at Bellagio. And the location in a back corner of the casino keeps Noodles a bit hidden from the walk-in crowd.

They have good Dim Sum, served traditionally by waitresses pushing trolleys, along with good noodle and barbecue dishes. I found the service quick and accomodating.

jsmeeker · March 12, 2008

The Charlie Trotter place is the one I would look most forward too.
The original CUT opened at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. I can cehck that place out whenever I want to. (hell, I could check it out tonight). Morel's has a location in L.A. as well. Plus, I always say I will avoid steak joints when I travel since Dallas has so many good ones. Sushi Samba sounds familiair. I may have been to one 9or seen one). Either in Dallas or in L.A.
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Dallas has Craft now, right?
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Yup. Been there for over a year now. Dined there twice. First time was pretty good (and shortly after it opened) second time was just so-so. A big let down from the first time.

jsmeeker · March 12, 2008

Doing Mesa Grill Friday night and Alize Saturday night but am looking for a lunch rec at the Bellagio for both days. I always eat a quick lunch at either Cafe Bellagio (love that place) or in the book but am curious about Noodles and Olives.
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I've heard several people here say good things about Sensi in the Bellagio

http://bellagio.com/restaurants/sensi.aspx

**David Ross** · March 12, 2008

Doing Mesa Grill Friday night and Alize Saturday night but am looking for a lunch rec at the Bellagio for both days. I always eat a quick lunch at either Cafe Bellagio (love that place) or in the book but am curious about Noodles and Olives.
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I've heard several people here say good things about Sensi in the Bellagio
http://bellagio.com/restaurants/sensi.aspx
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I'll second the vote for lunch at Sensi. The kitchen is centered in the middle of the restaurant and surrounded by glass walls that allow you to see the chefs at work. If they are in season, order the Santa Barbara Spot Prawns. They are taken straight out of the live seafood tank, then butterflied and grilled. Sweet and delicious. Don't forget to suck all those delectable prawn juices out of the heads.

Another choice for lunch would be the Country Club overlooking the golf course at Wynn.

Avoid the rubbery steaks and fake French accents of the waiters at Mon Ami Gabi at Paris. Personally I find it a very poor imitation of a French steakhouse.

epg13 · March 18, 2008

How happy (or unhappy) would I be dining at Nobu if I don't eat seafood? I love Japanese food in general (primarily noodles) but don't like seafood in any form.

I'm planning on taking my fiancee (who loves sushi and cooked fish) to Nobu and note that the menu includes a number of meat dishes, as well as vegetable rolls, vegetable tempura, etc. But I wonder whether the meat dishes are the same level as the fish dishes.

(I'm planning on going either way for my fiancee's benefit, so no need to suggest alternatives. I'm just curious.)

Thanks.

**David Ross** · March 18, 2008

How happy (or unhappy) would I be dining at Nobu if I don't eat seafood? I love Japanese food in general (primarily noodles) but don't like seafood in any form.
I'm planning on taking my fiancee (who loves sushi and cooked fish) to Nobu and note that the menu includes a number of meat dishes, as well as vegetable rolls, vegetable tempura, etc. But I wonder whether the meat dishes are the same level as the fish dishes.
(I'm planning on going either way for my fiancee's benefit, so no need to suggest alternatives. I'm just curious.)
Thanks.
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I think you would still enjoy Nobu even if you are not a seafood lover. While the cuisine is focused on fresh seafood, as you noted, there are other options on the menu and I think you'd find the quality of the beef and other non-seafood dishes to be just as high as the seafood. At most of the top seafood houses in Las Vegas you'll find the steak item on the menu uses prime grade beef.

Are you staying at the Hard Rock hotel where Nobu is located? If you are, there are a couple of other restaurant options there that aren't as heavily focused on seafood as Nobu.

If you are staying somewhere else, let us know and we can give you a quick recap of the restaurants at the other hotels, and keep going through some of the pages on eGullet that are devoted to Las Vegas dining. There are detailed reviews and lots of wonderful photos to give you a good base for making a decision on where to dine.

epg13 · March 18, 2008

We are staying at the Bellagio, not the Hard Rock. I am a semi-regular to Vegas (twice a year on average), so I know my way around fairly well. But this is the first time for my fiancee, so I want to tailor the trip to her likes. Nobu will definitely be on the list, but your input will definitely make me feel more at ease about ordering non-fish items.

Most of my trips to Vegas are either for conventions or guys-only trips, so my dining has been largely at the steakhouse and/or casual dining level. I'm definitely less familiar with the more up-market options. So...

Where would you suggest for dinner before seeing "O" at the Bellagio? It's the 10:30 p.m. show, so we don't need to be restricted to the Bellagio itself, although I was considering Sensi based on the description on the Bellagio website. I can't find a sample menu on-line, though

Also, where would you suggest for a late dinner after the Elton John show at Caesar's? Again, we're not restricted to Caesar's itself, but probably won't be in the mood to schlep all the way to the other end of the Strip.

In general, we prefer more contemporary informal dining options (e.g., Olives is definitely more our style than Picasso).

Edited March 18, 2008 by epg13 (log)

**David Ross** · March 18, 2008

We are staying at the Bellagio, not the Hard Rock. I am a semi-regular to Vegas (twice a year on average), so I know my way around fairly well. But this is the first time for my fiancee, so I want to tailor the trip to her likes. Nobu will definitely be on the list, but your input will definitely make me feel more at ease about ordering non-fish items.
Most of my trips to Vegas are either for conventions or guys-only trips, so my dining has been largely at the steakhouse and/or casual dining level. I'm definitely less familiar with the more up-market options. So...
Where would you suggest for dinner before seeing "O" at the Bellagio? It's the 10:30 p.m. show, so we don't need to be restricted to the Bellagio itself, although I was considering Sensi based on the description on the Bellagio website, but I can't find a sample menu on-line.
Also, where would suggest for a late dinner after the Elton John show at Caesar's? Again, we're not restricted to Caesar's itself, but probably won't be in the mood to schlep although to the other end of the strip.
In general, we prefer more contemporary informal dining options (e.g., Olives is definitely more our style than Picasso).
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Well first off, as you know, you've made a wonderful choice of hotel. Give me some time to think about answering your questions and I'll get back to you. I can tell you now though that Sensi, while expensive, has a casual feel in the vein of Olives and the food is very good. Sensi is often over-looked since Bellagio has so many other big-name restaurants.

jsmeeker · March 18, 2008

Sensi is one of the newer places at Bellagio. IIRC, it's opened up when they opened their second tower, so it wasn't part of the initial set of restaurants that generated so much buzz.

Maybe I'll need to check out Sensi myself this coming summer. I've SEEN it, but never been there. Gonna be tough to pick which places to go to, especially considering I already have severla on my mind.

Anyway, back to the request for a pre-"O" dinner. You say you do a lot of "guy trips". If this were one of them, I would suggest "Fix". I think it would work perfectly for that. And it still may work for this trip with the fiance. It's contemporary and hip.

**David Ross** · March 18, 2008

We are staying at the Bellagio, not the Hard Rock. I am a semi-regular to Vegas (twice a year on average), so I know my way around fairly well. But this is the first time for my fiancee, so I want to tailor the trip to her likes. Nobu will definitely be on the list, but your input will definitely make me feel more at ease about ordering non-fish items.
Most of my trips to Vegas are either for conventions or guys-only trips, so my dining has been largely at the steakhouse and/or casual dining level. I'm definitely less familiar with the more up-market options. So...
Where would you suggest for dinner before seeing "O" at the Bellagio? It's the 10:30 p.m. show, so we don't need to be restricted to the Bellagio itself, although I was considering Sensi based on the description on the Bellagio website. I can't find a sample menu on-line, though
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Sensi would be a good bet. Since you are at Bellagio I would just stay there for dinner and then you have just a short walk through the hotel to get to the show. Martin Heirling is the chef at Sensi and his cuisine is described as a mix of Mediterranean, Asian and American. I would actually say it is more akin to what some call California cuisine with Asian and Mediterranean accents. The chefs work at glass-enclosed stations centered in the dining rooms. Your fiancee would like the seafood that they keep in live tanks while you would find a number of other non-seafood dishes. The desserts are very good and they will give you a fancy bag of cookies at the end of the meal to take with you.

While it's not my crowd, or age group, you might want to try Fix. It caters to the club crowd and has a more see and be seen, hip vibe. The food is what I would probably call upscale, chi-chi American fare. There is less of an accent on seafood at Fix like there is over at Sensi. The noise level gets pretty high at Fix-partly because it opens next to a main walking area through the casino and partly because of the lively crowd.

Also, where would suggest for a late dinner after the Elton John show at Caesar's? Again, we're not restricted to Caesar's itself, but probably won't be in the mood to schlep all the way to the other end of the Strip.
In general, we prefer more contemporary informal dining options (e.g., Olives is definitely more our style than Picasso).
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Depending on the time Elton John concert ends, you might want to walk straight across to Bradley Ogden or Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill. Personally I would prefer Bradley Ogden-upscale "farm-fresh" American cuisine and the chefs son, Bryan Ogden runs the kitchen. It is a bit more formal than you want, but I know you wouldn't be disappointed in the food. I'm not sure if you would want the full-meal-formal setting at a late hour though.

Flay's Mesa Grill is close to the entrance to the Elton John show and it would be more akin to your preference in contemporary informal dining. The reviews I have read have in general been average to good, not great.

You may want to try the newly opened Payard Patisserie and Bistro within Caesar's. They show that they are open to 11:30. Probably the best payoff to dining here is that you have the chance to buy one of their pastries to take back to the room.

Cilantro · March 23, 2008

I've eaten at Sensi twice, and both times I consider a serious lapse in judgment. Well, first, a caveat about where I'm coming from. These kinds of restaurants are outside of my caste, so I rarely eat in them. Maybe I just don't "get it."

But I found the food to be very expensive and lacking heart, with the portions small. It also seems to lack focus, with the food coming from all sorts of different regions. As I recall, I saw expensive woks -- the ludicrously high BTU kind that's usually imported... but also raw salmon? And weird desserts.

Both times I went, I left hungry... when food is good, and you're already at the restaurant, you kind of make up excuses to justify the cost. It's kind worth it, I guess, in a "new experience" kind of way. But at Sensi, we couldn't justify it at all. It's not good, AND the food cost percent is horrendously low.

Hate to be a negative Nancy, but I just don't get the Sensi love...

Cilantro · March 23, 2008

Hello, I wanted to talk about some of my favorite restaurants in Las Vegas that I have not seen mentioned! After all my ragging on forum favorites like Lotus of Siam, Sensi, Bouchon, I don't want you all to get the impression that I'm "that guy" who hates everything just to be irritating...

I've no especial qualifications, except that I really really really like eating, to the point that I will go to the gym just so I am allowed to eat more. And I used to be a valet (that's not someone who parks cars, that's a man's personal servant) where I had an unlimited budget to buy whatever kitchen contraptions and ingredients I wanted, from the mainstream to the obscure, and then pretend I knew how to cook them.

#1 Yoshinoya. I know what you're thinking. "Isn't that a fast food place?" well... yes, but it's my favorite restaurant in the entire southern Nevada! I mean seriously, they have clam chowder. And strawberry cake. Does your favorite fast food place have that? I don't think so, Mr. overrated In-N-Out! I even take my dates there, and no one has complained yet.

Useless fact: There is only one Yoshinoya in the entire state of Nevada.

#2 Togoshi Ramen. Many people claim this is the most "legit" Japanese restaurant in Las Vegas. I am inclined to agree. I mean, they have a bookshelf full of comics that you can read while you're eating. Does Okada have that? It's so legit in fact, that it's not particularly good. You know, liberal use of seaweed, bonito, and questionable sauces labled "tonkatsu" that come out of a squeeze bottle.

It's kind of a joke that you will probably be the only round-eye in there during lunch, and this is 100% true. But they have $1.99 Sapporo draft. I am totally willing to mispronounce their selections just for that one fact.

#3 Osaka. The one on Sahara, next to the Statue of Liberty. Their menu claims this is the only restaurant outside of Japan that some weekly magazine no one has ever heard of put in the top 50 Japanese restaurants. This is entirely possible, depending on how much they paid for the endorsement... once again, the "legit" level is high. The curry rice has no meat, the sukiyaki is mirin-heavy because sugar is a great substitute for flavor, the staff shouts at you when you leave and enter, and you get the curious feeling that they think you're a tool when you ask what the non-translated items on the sushi menu are.

Speaking of sushi, there is the old guy, the other old guy, the short guy, and the guy from Argentina. But you can write all kinds of silly things on the order sheet that aren't even on there, and that they don't complain. They may think you are a foreign barbarian butchering their cuisine, but only the waitress will laugh. And it's okay. Because it's the best food I've ever had in my life.

My partner in crime agrees, tying it with his other "best food ever," Nobu.

Warning: Don't order the uni or ikura. But do order the egg sushi. Because nothing turns spongy overcooked yellow stuff into instant awesome like abusive amounts of dashi and mirin once again.

#4 Kung fu Thai and Chinese. I know. "What the heck kind of name is that? Thai AND Chinese? Be serious." I am serious. I love Thai, and I say this place beats the mama out of Lotus. Blasphemy, I know. After all, they don't have raw shrimp in lime juice, dry sour sausage, a $7.99 lunch buffet, surly waiters, and other Lotus classics.

Just kidding, they have surly waiters. But they also have awesome, awesome Tom Yum and stuffed chicken. You know, where they take the bone out of a drumstick and replace w/ mystery stuffing? Yeah, I don't know how they do that either. And the curry! Take that, Osaka, their's has meat and it comes in colors like white.

Edit to add: #5 Freakin' Frog. "Wait a minute, that's not a restaurant, it's a bar!" Well... they have fries, and burgers... okay fine, it's a bar. But this bar is famous, and I couldn't find a single mention of it on egullet! They claim to have the largest beer selection on the West Coast, anywhere from 700 to 900 at a given moment.

The de facto hangout spot for delinquents, degenerates, and derelicts, I don't think I have to try too hard to sell it. I mean seriously... 700 beers! I wonder if that's what heaven is like...

PS -- they open in upstairs place called whiskey attic that is the same thing as the frog, except for whiskey. But I haven't been up there. You have to be a member.

Edited March 23, 2008 by Cilantro (log)

rjwong · March 23, 2008

I've eaten at Sensi twice, and both times I consider a serious lapse in judgment. Well, first, a caveat about where I'm coming from. These kinds of restaurants are outside of my caste, so I rarely eat in them. Maybe I just don't "get it."
But I found the food to be very expensive and lacking heart, with the portions small. It also seems to lack focus, with the food coming from all sorts of different regions. As I recall, I saw expensive woks -- the ludicrously high BTU kind that's usually imported... but also raw salmon? And weird desserts.
Both times I went, I left hungry... when food is good, and you're already at the restaurant, you kind of make up excuses to justify the cost. It's kind worth it, I guess, in a "new experience" kind of way. But at Sensi, we couldn't justify it at all. It's not good, AND the food cost percent is horrendously low.
Hate to be a negative Nancy, but I just don't get the Sensi love...
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Cilantro (aka "Negative Nancy"),

What kind of restaurants are "outside of your caste"? Do you usually eat on the Strip? Or more in downtown Las Vegas, like Binion's (Is it still there?)? Or the local places? Memphis Championship Barbecue? Rosemary's? Perhaps that new place, Fish Camp/Louis's, south of Mandalay Bay?

As for Sensi, I've only eaten there once, and that was a couple of years ago. My lunch tasted fine. I'll probably try it again when I'm in Las Vegas in May. Sensi has four different cuisines to choose from, if I remember correctly.

Does that help you understand a little bit?

rjwong · March 23, 2008

Hello, I wanted to talk about some of my favorite restaurants in Las Vegas that I have not seen mentioned! After all my ragging on forum favorites like Lotus of Siam, Sensi, Bouchon, I don't want you all to get the impression that I'm "that guy" who hates everything just to be irritating...

LMHO ... Welcome back, Cilantro!

I've no especial qualifications, except that I really really really like eating, to the point that I will go to the gym just so I am allowed to eat more. And I used to be a valet (that's not someone who parks cars, that's a man's personal servant) where I had an unlimited budget to buy whatever kitchen contraptions and ingredients I wanted, from the mainstream to the obscure, and then pretend I knew how to cook them.

Why pretend to cook? Learn to cook!

#1 Yoshinoya. I know what you're thinking. "Isn't that a fast food place?" well... yes, but it's my favorite restaurant in the entire southern Nevada! I mean seriously, they have clam chowder. And strawberry cake. Does your favorite fast food place have that? I don't think so, Mr. overrated In-N-Out! I even take my dates there, and no one has complained yet.
Useless fact: There is only one Yoshinoya in the entire state of Nevada.

Your favorite restaurant in southern Nevada?? Talk about lacking heart. It's a corporate chain, not a local mom-and-pop place. But hey! Yoshinoya has to start somewhere in Nevada.

#4 Kung fu Thai and Chinese. I know. "What the heck kind of name is that? Thai AND Chinese? Be serious." I am serious. I love Thai, and I say this place beats the mama out of Lotus. Blasphemy, I know. After all, they don't have raw shrimp in lime juice, dry sour sausage, a $7.99 lunch buffet, surly waiters, and other Lotus classics.
Just kidding, they have surly waiters. But they also have awesome, awesome Tom Yum and stuffed chicken. You know, where they take the bone out of a drumstick and replace w/ mystery stuffing? Yeah, I don't know how they do that either. And the curry! Take that, Osaka, their's has meat and it comes in colors like white.

Isn't there another Thai restaurant that's pretty good. I don't remember the name, but it starts with an "A", like Archon or Archie or something like that ...

Edit to add: #5 Freakin' Frog. "Wait a minute, that's not a restaurant, it's a bar!" Well... they have fries, and burgers... okay fine, it's a bar. But this bar is famous, and I couldn't find a single mention of it on egullet! They claim to have the largest beer selection on the West Coast, anywhere from 700 to 900 at a given moment.
The de facto hangout spot for delinquents, degenerates, and derelicts, I don't think I have to try too hard to sell it. I mean seriously... 700 beers! I wonder if that's what heaven is like...

It sounds like you're into liquid meals, ehh?

Seriously, Cilantro, I appreciate your posts. If the food tastes great to you, pour it on. And your posts remind me not to take myself too seriously, particularly with high-end and fine dining. And if you haven't already, check out a new restuarant called Fish Camp and its fine-dining sister restaurant Louis's.

Cilantro · March 23, 2008

Learn to cook!

I like the eating part better.

Isn't there another Thai restaurant that's pretty good. I don't remember the name, but it starts with an "A", like Archon or Archie or something like that ...

Yeah, there's actually two Archi's. I heard the owner rotates between both of them, don't know if it's true though. It's good but Archi's has grown out of its blue-collar roots. The food is a bit dressed up, the portions are small, and that they have Johnnie Walker blue, as I recall. But! I admit, the food is better, maybe even best. Archi's won the Las Vegas Review Journal's staff pick for best Thai restaurant, 2007.

And if you haven't already, check out a new restuarant called Fish Camp and its fine-dining sister restaurant Louis's.

My completely unscientific survey shows that 100% of women love Louis's. The cheap one, not the "white tablecloth" one. Actually, I'm not sure what the other one is doing there, considering Town Square is home to Aeropostale, the Apple store, and Santa Claus.

Edited March 23, 2008 by Cilantro (log)

purplewiz · April 2, 2008

I know I'm asking at the last minute since our flight to Las Vegas leaves on Thursday, but what's currently considered the best buffet for dinner on the strip? (I know about Bally's Brunch Buffet, but it's a little early for dinner :biggrin: ) We've been to the Bellagio - is it still at the top of the heap or is there a new contender for the crown?

Marcia.

rjwong · April 2, 2008

IMO, Bellagio is still on the top of the heap. If you want to try someplace different, go to the Buffet at the Wynn Resort. Those two are both really good, Bellagio gets the slight edge over Wynn.

At $60-65 per person, Bally's Brunch Buffet is not really worth the price, IMO.

If you get a chance, Los Angeles Times food critic S. Irene Virbila just wrote a couple of articles (2 Apr. 2008) on the latest in Las Vegas dining, including the new restaurants over at the Palazzo and Payard Patisserie at Caesar's and Louis's at Town Square.

Please give us a full culinary report! And enjoy your time in Las Vegas!

gfron1 · April 2, 2008

HERE'S the eGullet Vegas Buffet topic which is up to date. Enjoy!

purplewiz · April 8, 2008

We're back from Las Vegas, and here's a quick summary of the food portion of the trip:

Mandalay Burger Bar: we'd talked about going to Lotus of Siam (still haven't been) after we got in Thursday, but the landing was very rough and I was still green and not up to another cab ride. So we decided burgers would fit the bill. No, didn't get the lobster and foie gras burger, but I did have swiss cheese and bacon burger on a ciabatta roll and it was wonderful. But the best part of the meal was the fried zucchini on the side - if it wasn't the best fried zucchini I'd ever had, it was close. The onion rings didn't suck, either.

Chocolate Swan: next door to the Burger Bar more or less, I had a wonderful chocolate layer cake and my husband had the Black Forest Cake. Both were declared wonderful. And they weren't huge wedges, which was nice. I'd like to try some of their chocolates sometime.

Il Fornaio: I've always wanted to try the breakfasts at Il Fornaio but I'm never up early enough to make it to the local one, so since we were staying right above it we decided to go. The cheese omelet was nothing special, but the fried potatoes and onions that came along with it were outstanding. My husband had the corned beef hash - large pieces of corned beef and very good. And their coffee...I could be happy waking up to their coffee every morning.

Some place in the mall, Great Wraps or something: I needed something for lunch but I wasn't very hungry (I do not know how you folks who go to Las Vegas and eat big meals at every meal make it.) I had a salad with chicken on it that was actually pretty good. I mean, yes, it's a fast food salad, but it was tasty and fresh and the caesar dressing actually tasted like cheese.

Buffet at the Wynn: I posted my full review over at the Buffets in Las Vegas subject, but the short version: it's up there, but I think I agree with rjwong, I like Bellagio's better.

Dragon Noodle Co.: I don't know why, I just like this Chinese restaurant in the Monte Carlo. It serves the usual standards, but the dishes have that flavor that Chinese restaurants had in California that they just don't have here. Kung Pao Chicken and Mongolian beef and it was good.

Stage Deli (MGM): pastrami on rye. And it was FINALLY fatty enough pastrami. Pastrami is not supposed to be lean. Nice pickle with it, too. My husband had the Reuben and pronounced it good. Dessert was a chocolate covered strawberry from Starbucks. It was nice.

Circo: in short: one of the best meals I've ever had. Period. The food drew me in, but what made me fall in love with the place is the fact that they did not look down their noses at us because I prefer to drink tap water (I can't tell the difference between it and bottled) and didn't order any alcohol (see "running out of room" above - wine fills me up fast and I wanted dessert). Service was exemplary. The truffle risotto cake with fontina was heavenly.

Breakfast Buffet at the MGM Grand: you've seen one breakfast buffet, you've seen 'em all. (Ok, maybe not Bally's Champagne Brunch, but we were not up to that.) Eggs, bacon, coffee. We weren't all that hungry but we figured that part of the cost of the buffet is renting somewhere to sit for as long as we wanted so we could read the paper and drink coffee in peace. So we did.

Il Fornaio Bakery: honestly, by this point I wasn't all that hungry, but I knew I needed something to eat. The bakery next to Il Fornaio had a lovely little salami and cheese sandwich on filone that was just about right - not too large, very tasty. My husband had a toasted three cheese panini. Really, this was just all very nice, just something small to get us through to what we thought was going to be dinner.

We ended up not eating dinner simply because we were Just Too Full. We snacked on some beef jerky and nuts on our flight home, but that and a soda and we were fine.

I keep thinking of all the places I wanted to try as we walked past, but even though we walked for miles each day (and my feet are really beat up), I just wasn't hungry anymore. They're just going to have to wait for the next trip.

Marcia.

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Dining in Las Vegas: Part 1

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