climberdoc's Profile
What I learned in Vegas
It's been a good year and a half since I've been to any of them. Who knows?
What I learned in Vegas
I've charged my meals at B&B, Enoteca and Carnevino to my room. Not sure that blanket statement is correct. I'm sure that QAW would be happy to tell us what is reality?
Prime Steakhouse
I think we're all a bit intimidated to recommend steakhouses to someone named A5 KOBE
Last-minute help for vegetarian-friendly restaurants
All the restaurants at Wynn offer vegan menus. As a vegetarian your options are even greater. Easy cab ride or walk from Mirage. Without alcohol and with reasonable ordering you can take you pick of any of the restaurants there.
My favorites:
Bartolotta-farro risotto is wonderful
Botero-steakhouse-type of place that slings out some great veg food
Sinatra-freshly made agnolotti pasta with some sort of cashew cream was amazing
Country Club-corn chowder alone makes it worth a visit
Wazuzu-a number of great veg sushi and stir-fry options
Other venues:
Holsteins at Cosmopolitan makes a great vegie burger called the Urth burger. Real loud, "happening" place if that's what you're into.
Mozen at Mandarin Oriental recently added a vegan and gluten-free menu. I "veganized" a grilled vegie wrap off the regular menu quite successfully. My wife had a veg curry which she really enjoyed.
I can go on. If you need more recs, let me know.
Vegetarian/Pescatarian/Kosher - HELP!
All the restaurants at Wynn have vegan menus.
Sounds like Bartolotta may be a good option for you. They carry an impressive selection of fish from the "old world" as well as creative veg options. You'll also feel right at home with prices on par with some of New Yorks finest.
I've also enjoyed the veg menus at Botero, Lakeside and Sinatra.
LOS is a fine choice as well. Excellent Indian with vegetarian options a few doors down from LOS at Namaste.
Las Vegas is trending towards becoming a more veg-friendly town.
Spokane: Gordy's, Queen of Sheba, or what?
Those are two of the best ethnic-type places in Spokane. They are both substantially better than decent.
Why so blase about the "farm-to-table" restaurants? Are they a dime-a-dozen where you are from?
dinner before red eye flight home
I think the reason the LV board is slow to jump on your question is because with your budget and lack of restrictions, you can just about eat anywhere in town. Anywhere on the Strip is a pretty easy cab ride to the airport.
I'd suggest checking out one of the restaurants at Mandalay Bay which is on the south side of the Strip and quite convenient to the airport. I've really enjoyed the Charlie Palmer venues, Aureole and Charlie Palmer Steak. CPS has a prix-fixe deal with wine that will not even come close to $100.
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Charlie Palmer Steak
3960 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89119
Dinner at Scarpetta - 9/16/2011
Thanks for the great review!
Also thanks for the veg tip. I've done all Wynn's veg menus and am glad to have other options. Any feedback from the person who ordered off the veg menu that you can remember?
Guy Savoy closing too?
I agree for the most part. That artichoke/black truffle soup was the most memorable though. For the prices they charge you'd expect top-notch service as well as for it be out of the "weakest 4" category.
Can someone explain why this thread was moved? Passive-aggression?
Guy Savoy closing too?
Ok. Sorry for hijacking your thread. I'll play along...
RiP BO!
Tell me that GS closing can't be true! It is such a valuable addition to the Vegas dining scene. First Restaurant Charlie, then Alex and now GS? How can this be?
Let me know if you want to go back "off-topic" cause that conversation is a lot more interesting.
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Restaurant Charlie
3325 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Guy Savoy closing too?
I've been taking trips to Vegas since 2005. It's been interesting to watch the evolution in the dining scene over the years since.
Back around the middle of the last decade it seemed like everyone (including me) was lining up at the doors of the ultra-high-end establishments like GS, Alex, and JR. Enter the Great Recession and now few people have the money (or credit) to keep these places full and they start to drop off. Seems like Chowish places like Alex, Restaurant/Bar Charlie, BO and now maybe GS have fallen victim.
What is the next great dining trend? Vegas has an uncanny way of reinventing itself every decade or so to keep itself relevant. I'm interested to see what's next. Is the celeb chef era coming to an end. Will the remaining celeb chef establishments become anachronistic relics like Excalibur? Any ideas?
ADIOS, ALEX
Part of me is surprised that he was willing to associate himself with that restaurant. For a time with Alex, he was the talk-of-the-town. It must have been quite difficult once Alex closed to focus on a restaurant which was nowhere near the same category yet at the same time being middle-of-the-road, at best in the category it was in.
ADIOS, ALEX
Found it.
http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2011/aug/29/chef-alex-stratta-wynn-las-vegas-part-ways/
ADIOS, ALEX
Stratta didn't seem to bring out his best the way Alex did. I had some of my best all-time meals at Alex but Stratta, although a different concept was middle-of-the-road in my opinion.
Where did you hear this QAW?
Hey PopMegaPhone. Your last few posts have been negative bordering on "grip-reaperish".
I LIKE IT!!!
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Stratta
3131 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Vegetarian/Vegan Options on the Strip
How did your trip go Booglass? Drop a brief report if you have a chance.
cashews as creamy element in desserts and mains ???
Sorry I missed your question.
For cashew "ricotta" we use Silken Tofu. We commonly use this in vegan lasagne and enchaladas. We basically use the Veganomican recipe.
Cashew "cheese" can be made simply by soaking cashews for a few hours then blending in a food processor with whatever spices you choose. We use this as a spread on sandwiches or on soft tacos.
Struggling with two dinner choices
Between some of the top venues closing and the others having the economy force them into prix-fixe specials, I would argue that your $150 limit will allow you to dine anyplace in Vegas including the top venues such as Guy Savoy and Joel R. At places like Charlie Palmer Steak, Aureole, SW and Bouchon you will be living-large with flowing wine (within reason) for that price. At places like Guy Savoy and Joel R you will likely be sticking to the prix fixe specials and nursing a glass of wine throughout the meal.
I agree that you should call prior because of the large party.
My favorites on your list are Bouchon, Aureole and CP Steak. I liked Sage but less than the predominance of opinions on this stie. Have not dined at Twist, SW or Le Cirque. I trust ellenost's recs and would probably go with Le Cirque over Twist if I had to choose between the two.
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Bouchon
3355 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Charlie Palmer Steak
3960 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89119
Le Cirque
Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Bradley Ogden closing?
I'm not disagreeing with you BubblyOne and appreciate the link. I guess my internal battle has been with where Vegas stands as far as dining destinations. For a number of years when I was living in Arizona it was my one and only dining destination. Where does Vegas stand with other great food towns? SF, NY, NO, Chicago? Well, in a fabricated, devoid of culture, and disney type of way it seems to hold its own on quality and quantity of top venues. None of those negative adjectives used in the previous sentence seem to bother me like they do others. I just enjoy eating artistic, carefully prepared dishes in beautiful venues and really am not bothered by the pornographic materials waved in my face upon walking outside or the folks walking down the street with the 3-foot tall dacquiris. I'm sure that BO is a coveted location for its proximity to the "Forum". The concept of hungry concertgoers dining on prix-fixe specials who would be just as happy with a trough from the 24-hr coffee shop or buffet detracts from BO's merit as a "fine-dining" venue. Just my opinion. Let the counterpoints and accusations of self-contradiction flow...
Bradley Ogden closing?
Both times I dined there were on some Cher/Bette dinner and show deal. Again, old school Vegas meets nouveau cuisine, although the economy rekindled the concept at a number of the resorts.
Bradley Ogden closing?
That's a shame!
I dined there twice and had good experiences both times.
I could never get over the location in the heart of the casino however. I know that the hardcore Vegas board type people will insist to the death that Vegas is a "gambling town" and I somewhat agree. It seems like over the past years this have -to-walk through the casino dealio has been changing as evidenced by the restaurant rows at Mandalay, MGM and malls/esplanades at Venetian/Palazzo and Wynn. I sort of see Bradley Ogden and Mesa Grill as somewhat anachronistic. Was that part of the failing of Restaurant/Bar Charlie. No need to answer that.
Either way, a loss to the struggling Vegas dining scene.
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Mesa Grill
3570 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Bradley Ogden
3570 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Rosemary's closed
Very sad news indeed! Every time I dined there it was no less than packed with a wait. Very surprising.
Vegas has has some serious losses over the past few years. Bar Charlie, Alex and now Rosemary's.
What's next? LOS?
Denver Vegan
I'm a vegan Chowhound (not an oxymoron!) from WA coming to Denver for 2 nights for a conference next week. I'll be staying at Hyatt Regency Downtown and will be looking to get out for a couple nice meals most likely solo. I live for vegan restaurants but am aware that they are rare and exist mostly in the big cities on the west and east coast. I figure there should be a few good options in Denver but have never explored them. I'd appreciate any help in finding a great vegan or vegan-friendly experience within reasonable walking or cab distance of my hotel. Willing to check out "holes-in-the-wall" or high end. Thanks in advance to the Denver Chowhounds for any advice. I live in a relatively vegan-unfriendly town and really look forward to tasting what Denver has to offer me.
cashews as creamy element in desserts and mains ???
Cashews are one of the great gifts to vegans! Some ways we use them:
Cashew ricotta which we use to make a vegan lasagne or a filling for ravioli. My 2-year old daughter can't get enough of this.
Cashew cheese which makes a delicious spread for crackers. I just had it last night on a soft taco made with freshly made corn tortillas, homemade refried beans, barley and avocado. It was a fantastic addition.
One can make the cashew cheese in different consistiences to suit the situation. It can vary from a spreadable texture to a solid texture.
FYI-as much as I enjoy CH, there are more useful resources for vegan issues out there. My favorite is vegandad but a google search will reveal many more.
One night in Spokane
Sante is probably the most inventive cuisine being served in Spokane currently. I'd give it a strong recommendation.
Gordy's is excellent for Chinese. Their dumplings are absolutely amazing. They do a great job of incorporating locally grown produce into their dishes.
Queen of Sheba is highly recommended for Ethiopian. Small restaurant, excellent, well-spiced creations served over injera bread.
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Sante
404 West Main, Spokane, WA 99201
Queen of Sheba
621 W Mallon Ave, Spokane, WA 99201
Vegetarian/Vegan Options on the Strip
Here's a mixed review but somewhat illustrative of my point that Wynn is a "real-deal" destination for vegans.
http://whalebot.com/dear-mr-wynn/
Vegetarian/Vegan Options on the Strip
Here is a link to the vegan menus and some other reviews
http://www.quarrygirl.com/2010/12/11/vegan-menus-at-the-wynn-in-las-vegas-a-public-service-announcement/
Those menus have since been updated but will give you a starting point. I have the updated menus but can't seem to attach them.
Vegetarian/Vegan Options on the Strip
Google The keywords Wynn vegan and you will get multiple hits to vegan blogs which will will refute the single experience you are describing. Perhaps they had an "off-night? The vegan menus were still somewhat new last Sept. Since that time Wynn hired Tal Ronnen, who is one of the world's most notable vegan chefs to help develop vegan menus. The Viva Las Vegan event during Vegas Uncorked held at Wynn was sold out and highly acclaimed. From this and many other vegan's perspective Wynn has made Vegas open and enjoyable to Vegans. Without his kind and questionably profitable gesture, I would likely not look at Vegas as an option to vacation. I'd hate to see the op (or anyone for that matter) swayed from this unique opportunity based on your single, second-hand experience. There really is no other resort I've ever heard of with such a large number of great chefs offering vegan menus.
Vegetarian/Vegan Options on the Strip
I've taken 3 trips to Vegas as a strict vegan. Thanks to Steve Wynn all 3 trips have been profound culinary successes. After becomming vegan himself last year he now offers vegan menus at all his restaurants. I have copies of their vegan menus but can't seem to figure out how to attach them here. Let me know and I'll email them if you want.
Have had excellent Italian at Bartolotta where I really enjoyed the farro risotto. Also at Sinatra where I heart the homemade agnolotti.
If you are a fan of vegan cuisine then don't miss Botero's vegan tasting menu. It competes with some of the vegan venues in other cities such as SF and Seattle. It's also a cool and happening place which it seems like you're seeking.
Indian is usually a safe bet for vegan options. I like Namaste but others on this board seem to prefer Origin India. Both require a short cab ride off strip.
I had a terrific vegan veggie burger at Holstein's at the Cosmopolitan. The funky China Poblano had a few interesting looking vegan options but I have not yet tried it. Other than that the Cosmo is not real vegan friendly. I had hopes that David Myers would offer a more vegan-friendly menu, but no such luck.
Bottom line is you won't go wrong hanging at the Wynn where every restaurant is vegan-friendly. You can even get an excellent pizza made with Daiya cheese. Other than that, the rest of the strip is a vegan crapshoot. Often times chefs will come up with some great vegan options off the menu, but that is by no means a sure thing.
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Origin India Restaurant and Bar
4480 Paradise Rd Ste 1200, Las Vegas, NV 89169
Vegan coming to Edmonton
Thanks to all the Edmonton Chowhounds for the advice!
Just returned home today. With the conference going 8-hours plus each day, it was difficult to motivate to get out of the mall which by the way is quite a spectacle. On top of that, I have a way of overestimating my ability to resist going with "the group" to places where my options are limited. Sometimes being social is more important than eating exactly what I want, I guess.
With that this vegan ended up at Mr. Mikes Steakhouse the first night. Nothing Chowish to say about this other than they were gracious about accommodating my needs and made me a vegetable stir fry over rice which was downright decent. I must say though that the steaks my colleagues ate were quite unimpressive looking compared to those my fangs used to tear into in the past.
Second night was able to swing the group into going to Cactus Club based on the rec from this thread. Great choice for all involved. I really enjoyed the portabella fajitas with perfectly grilled veges and warm tortillas with freshly-made salsa. My dining partners all enjoyed their meals and the service was pretty good and ambiance very hip and happening. Usually this type of place is not my scene, but given the circumstances it was a real find. Thanks!
Found a chain-type place in the foodcourt called Freshii where I ate twice. Fresh ingredients allowed to stand on their own in the form of salads, soups and wraps. Again, not a place I would typically seek out but under the circumstances a real winner. For anyone who watched the reality show, The Next Great restaurant, this seems like what the contestant Stephanie unsuccessfully was attempting to achieve.
The mall itself is quite a spectacle. I stayed at the hotel for 3-days and never got a chance to leave the mall. I'm sure Edmonton is a great town and I'd like to come back to explore it along with some of the restaurants in the future. I'm still amazed that I spent 3-days of my life in a shopping mall and I don't even enjoy shopping.
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Cactus Club Cafe
7010 MacLeod Trail SE, Calgary, AB T2H 0L3, CA
Vegan coming to Edmonton
Cafe Mosaics sounds quite appealing! I'm not sure I'll be up for a 40-minute trip each way after slogging through an 8-hour conference day though. Wish I had another day to dedicate to exploration.
