Bran808's Profile
What is the best italian restaurant on the strip?
We had a great meal at Scarpetta back in February. From the apps to the entrees, and through dessert, the entire meal was excellent. The service however was not what you would expect from a top notch Vegas restaurant. The server screwed up my drink order, and then proceeded to screw up my entree order as well. Sucks for him because I was the one paying the bill for our party of 4 and it all happened to me.
Just a touch South of the strip, we also had a great meal last November at Panevino. Food and service was excellent. I would definitely return
Late Night Eats
If Basic is anything like Frank Pepe's, I'm in. My wife and I ate there a few years back on our East Coast Honeymoon and I was in love ever since.
Late Night Eats
Thanks for all the recs guys/gals, I appreciate it. Never been to McCormick & Schmicks, and the menu does look appealing. But, I will be flying to San Fran after the work part of the trip ends, so there will be lots of opportunities for good seafood there. I do love a good pizza, and the atmosphere sounds about right, so I just may have to try Basic. Keep the recs coming though, I love having options.
Late Night Eats
I'll be flying in to San Diego next month for work and will be arriving a little later in the evening. By the time I check into my hotel and clean up to go out, I'm guessing it will be closer to 11pm or so. What's around the Gas Lamp area (The Omni Hotel) that is within walking distance or a short cab ride. Doesn't necessarily have to be upscale, just good eats. Are there any good spots still open at that time frame, or am I stuck with room service?
Great Birthday Restaurant for Mom in Vegas
What about Panevino ( http://www.panevinolasvegas.com/panevino-restaurant.html )? I took the family there last week for my wife's Birthday and we all loved it. The decor is really nice, service and staff are great, and the food was excellent. Not to mention there was a pretty nice view of the Vegas lights as well. On par with the rest of the strip restaurants as far as price, but being a few minutes off the strip made is seem less up tight and not overly busy. The restaurant doesn't seem to get reviewed as often as some of the big names on here, but we really had a great time here and would love to go back next time we're in town
Holsteins burgers in The Cosmopolitan
Just got back from Vegas and enjoyed my meal there. The Fried Pickles......meh, I've had better. Nice crunch to it, but I was hoping for a little saltier finish. The chocolate shake was great though and probably one of the best I've had. I loved the textural touch that the Valrhona pearls added. The Gold Standard burger was cooked perfectly and was very tasty. I also loved the texture of the bun and how the sweetness of the Tomato Confit complimented the slight pepperiness of the Arugula. Overall a very well executed burger.
Jaleo v Jullian Serrano
So I ate at Julian Serrano last year and had a great experience. The paella huevos estrellados were excellent, as was the paella. I tried a Sangria for the first time (not a big drinker) and loved it. I ended up having 2 more. Overall, loved it.
Being that I'm going to Vegas again in 2 weeks, I typically prefer not to eat at the same restaurant twice, so I'll be eating at Jaleo this time around. My question is does anybody have an idea if I need to try and make a reservation if I'll be dining alone? I'd love to just be able to eat at the bar if the full menu is available. Last time at Julian's, I walked in around 7:30 on a weeknight and was seated instantly. I plan on going on a Wednesday at around 9:30pm. Should I be ok as a walk in?
-----
Jaleo
3708 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
ONE night in Vegas
LOS is a great choice for Thai food. Good food with a comfortable homey feel to it. Location is not in the greatest part of town though.
I like Hot & Juicy Crawfish for some New Orleans, Cajun flavor. It is the exact opposite of uptight cuisine. Imagine plastic wrap on the tables and food served in plactic bags with rolls of paper towel on each table. But, if enjoy getting your hands dirty and licking your fingers, this may be your spot. Not sure if you guys have something similar near where you are in SF, but we got nothing like this yet in Hawaii and it's a must see place for us when we head to Vegas.
-----
Hot & Juicy Crawfish
4810 Spring Mountain Rd Ste C, Las Vegas, NV 89102
Carnevino Bar Dining
I completely agree. I ate at the bar last year and not only was the NY excellent (...and I'm normally a Rib Eye kind of guy), but the service was excellent too. It's rare that you find bar staff that is equally well versed in menu/food knowledge, as well as service. This was one of the first times I've dined solo at an upscale place and was made to feel very welcome and thoroughly enjoyed my experience.
Being that I'm from Hawaii and travel to Vegas once or twice a year, I usually prefer to not eat at the same place twice. Not that I haven't had great meals at many restaurants here, but I just want to be able to try them all. This year, my Steak house of choice will be Cut. I'm just hoping it lives up to the experience I had at Carnevino.
Fogo de Chao?
I emailed them and they said end of November. Bummers, I'll be there only until the 9th. There's always next time for me
Holsteins burgers in The Cosmopolitan
Nice to hear. Holsteins is on my list for this November. Haha, believe it or not, I love a good burger, but the fried pickles is what sealed the deal for me. Salty, fried......what else do you need?
Is Raku kid friendly?
Yah, I know what you mean and bring up a couple good points. The nice thing is that he's not obnoxious, but rather overly friendly. Which like you mentioned, a lot of times people will compliment and enjoy that type of thing. Also to that extent, if he did get restless, we would normally just take him out side and watch movies on the Ipad. Like any parent, we've gotten used to eating in shifts. We also plan to go right when they open at 6pm, so hopefully we can get in and get out fairly quickly with minimal casualties...lol.
Is Raku kid friendly?
We'll be in Vegas in early November and would love to try Raku, but just wasn't too sure how kid friendly it is there? We'll have our 2 year old with us and while he's a pretty good listener, he sometimes feels the urge to explore. He's not the type to get crazy and make a crying scene, just more so likes to go around to other tables to say hi to everybody. Is the ambience, mood, staff uptight? Would it not be a good idea and is Rainforest Cafe our only hope??? LOL!
Recommendations please!
I've never been, but have heard/read great things about Bar Masa in The Aria Hotel. I've been to Sushi Samba in NY and was very impressed, although never tried the Vegas one though. For Brunch, I'd recommend Bouchon. Their food and service is excellent. Loved the chicken and waffles (only served on the weekends though, IIRC).
-----
Bouchon
3355 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Best Dinner Option at Palms/Palms Place?
I've eaten at both n9ne Steakhouse and Nove Italiano at The Palms and don't think you can go wrong at either. Nove has a beautiful view, the food was fantastic, and the service was outstanding. At n9ne, we had very similar service and a great meal as well. Very different vibes though. Nove is much more romantic and sophisticated, while n9ne is trendy, hip, and loud. I guess depends on your mood that night.
-----
Nove Italiano
4321 W. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89103
Dinner on or close to strip
Or maybe can't recommend them enough. I ate at LOS last year and absolutely loved it. The Pad Thai was some of the best I've had, and I can't remember the chicken dish we had, but both my wife and I loved it. As for Raku, it's on my to do list this November.
Dinner on or close to strip
I'm sure others will ask, so what type of cuisine? Will you have a rental car and are you looking for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner?
Saturday night dinner - family with young kids
We'll be there in November as well with our 2 year old. Luckily, I'll be there 5 days prior (for work), so I'll probably try and get all my "Foodie" type places out of the way before hand. I too would like to hear some suggestions though. I do want to go out at least one night to a fairly nice restaurant for my wife's Bday with both of our kids ( the older is 15, so we've actually got an extra bay sitter with us).
Buffet for those with simple tastes
I actually really like the buffet at the Main Street, and to the OP, last time my wife and I went there (maybe 1 1/2 years ago) they had cottage cheese! The quality is not bad and you can't go wrong for the price.
Downtown Las Vegas
The buffet at Main Street is pretty good and cheap too. I wouldn't say it's a must eat, but definitely worth the money
Dinner with a view - Sunday night
We had a nice meal at Top of the World at the Stratosphere a few years back. Beautiful view and the food was really good too. Another memorable meal was at Nove Italiano at the Palms. We didn't have a window seat, but still had a nice view of all the Vegas lights. Food and service were both excellent
-----
Nove Italiano
4321 W. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89103
Heads up on a "No Name" Pizza place at the Cosmopolitan Hotel
Haha, I think I may have to check this place out in November. I think it's kind of funny that Cosmopolitan would have a little spot like this and not even advertise it. They've got like over 300 reviews on Yelp and will probably not be a secret for very long and may end up being a destination type place. Some people say that it's up there as some of the best thin crust pizza in Vegas.
Palazzo/Venetian Eats
My wife and I had a great meal at Canaletto in the Venetian. It's located right in the courtyard area, so there was also great people watching too. I had the seafood stew ( Bouillabaisse) and it was excellent.
I also second Carnevino and Bouchon. Loved them both last year...
-----
Bouchon
3355 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Lunch/Brunch Recommendations
We had brunch last year at Buchon and it was great. The chicken and waffles (only served on the weekends for brunch, IIRC) were well worth the visit. Perfect blend of sweet, salty, and savory. The service was great and the staff happily helped us appease a energetic 13 month old, and with a smile on their faces. When we return in November, we'll be there for sure.
As for the burger, I can't comment on that from a personal stand point, other than In-n-out burger. Which is still a great burger by the way. I've heard great things about Holsteins in the Cosmopolitan, so it's on my to do list for November as well. Have fun!
Jean-Georges Steakhouse or Prime?
I had a great experience at Carnevino and the service was great! The funny thing is that I ate at the bar too and the bartender was awesome. He knew the menu well, offered some recommendations and always stayed on top of my drink needs. The steak I had was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. My only gripe is that I'm a Ribeye kind of guy and they only served a Ribeye for two.
You may want to look into n9ne steakhouse @ the Palms. The night I proposed to my wife, I had dinner reservations there afterwards. The service was excellent and everything we had that night was on point. I was very impressed. They worked with me on getting a dozen roses delivered and rose petals set up on the table. They also comped us this HUGE marble slab of dessert choices ( I think like 5 or 6 different ones and some cookies and stuff too). They were very accomodating. The vibe of the room is very hip, loud, and not stuffy at all. Then it's just a short elevator ride up to the roof to check out Ghostbar or Playboy Club to get the night started. Just a thought...
Struggling with two dinner choices
The wife and I had brunch at Bouchon on our last trip with our 13 month old. They accomodated us no problem and even helped at times to keep the young one happy. The chicken and waffles were so good. I'd definitely recommend.
-----
Bouchon
3355 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Best Non-Gourmet Burger On or Around the Strip (Ignoring In-N-Out)
I've never been, but I will be checking out Holstein's when I go Vegas in November. The menu sounds really good and I've heard a lot of good things.
When we travel to Vegas, there are so many great food choices both on and off the strip that It's totally worth is to get a rental car IMO. Also, when you factor in all the cab fares + tip, it's an easy decision. Haha, life is too short to limit a great dining experience because of a $30/day rental car.
Best Steakhouse for business/fun dinner with a large party of 9?
I've heard great things about SW also, however have never been there personally. On my last trip to Vegas, I ate at Carnevino and really enjoyed it. The food and service were great, although I just ate at the bar. I did see quite a few groups (6 or more), so I'm certain that they can accommodate your party.
Another kind of cool steak house that you might be interested in is n9ne steakhouse in the Palms Casino. My wife and in laws ate there after I proposed a few years back. The food and service was excellent, and the room has a cool hip vibe to it. I guess it would also depend on the ages of your group as well.
Vegas Virgin Turns Thirty and Needs Restaurant Recs
There's a few spots I always hit up when we go to Vegas, and now with some of the newer hotels that have just popped up last year, there are even more options. Here's a couple for you to look into, and in no particular order:
Breakfast:
Bouchon (My first choice)
The Egg and I
Hash House a GoGo
Lunch:
Hot & Juicy Crawfish (Love this place)
In & Out Burger
Settebello's Pizzeria
Dinner Buffet:
Studio B Buffet (M Resort)
Spice Market Buffet (Planet Hollywood)
Bellagio Buffet
Dinner:
Lotus of Siam
Nove Italiano
CarneVino
Todd's Unique Dining
As many times as I've been to Vegas, It's pretty hard to find a place that will totally disappoint you. So many good options up there to choose from. Can't will till I head up there again in November
-----
Bouchon
3355 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Hash House
2605 S Decatur Blvd Ste 103, Las Vegas, NV 89102
Hot & Juicy Crawfish
4810 Spring Mountain Rd Ste C, Las Vegas, NV 89102
Nove Italiano
4321 W. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89103
Todd's Unique Dining
4350 E. Sunset Rd., Henderson, NV 89014
Bellagio
3600 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV
Lotus of Siam
953 E Sahara Ave Ste A5, Las Vegas, NV 89104
Settebello
140 S Green Valley Pkwy Ste 172, Henderson, NV 89012
Brand Steakhouse at the Monte Carlo- Anybody know about it?
I've been to Brand a few years ago. While it was good, it was not one of my best Vegas Steakhouse experiences. Maybe it was the ambience/view on the casino floor, not too sure. I really enjoyed the King Crab Scampi though.
