QAW's Profile
Las Vegas, Japanese, Sushi Off Strip
Kabuto, at 5040 Spring Mountin (the same plaza as Raku and Monta), is still in the "soft opening" phase, but may be the new gold standard for off-Strip sushi.
Why no LV restaurants on San Pellegrino top 50?
There is a perception issue at play here, which may not be entirely wrong, though perhaps a bit misguided. Most of the high-end Las Vegas restaurants are either sister properties of another location (like Le Cirque), or fall under the umbrellas of the masters. As such, Joel Robuchon, Guy Savoy, Pierre Gagnaire, Jose Andres, Thomas Keller and others have establishments here, but are only in the kitchens on rare occasions. There are actually precious few (Sage, Bartollota, Raku, etc.) in which the visionary is in the kitchen and the catalyst for the daily operations. Hence, the critics tend to look down a bit on the Las Vegas offerings. It is understandable, but a bit in err.
Here is the unique "Twist", for a particular play on words - at the truly high-end, the Las Vegas representatives are still very strong because of the quality control involved. But when you drop down a level (Mario Batali, Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay, Michael Mina, etc.), we often find the disappointments that the critics are able to easily spot. Those restaurants play it closer to the vest than their anchor locations, seemingly with as much focus on not giving the patron a bad experience, as actually giving them a memorable one. Sometimes it really does come down to numbers - Las Vegas is way out of proportion in terms of high-end restaurants to population base, and while we have the tourists to fill the tables, there simply is not enough available talent for these kitchens to truly represent their flagships. That leads to the critiques of many of the restaurants as weaker imitations of the originals. Some of that is indeed fair, but it does not ring true across the board (Le Cirque being a prime example).
Robuchon, Savoy, Keller and Gagnaire all have restaurants that did make the Top 100. In some ways it alleviates the panel from perhaps giving the Las Vegas locations their due, since those masters are already represented. But because they are who they are, the experiences that they offer here are substantial.
Seeking very spicy food!
Some of the hottest food in Las Vegas can be found at Mint Bistro at 730 East Flamingo, which has dishes that run the gamut from Southern India up into the Himalayas. You can take a look at this "special" menu - http://mintbistro.com/menu/inferno-menu/ .
Mint has been a hit because of clean and vibrant flavors, and one of the better beer/ale lists of any restaurant in Las Vegas (some terrific Belgian's to help sort through that spice). And plenty of Lassi options to help cool the palate between bites as well. Note that you will have to sign a waiver before trying some of the incendiary offerings.
vegas happy hour hot spots
Here is a hidden gem - La Scala, 1020 East Desert Inn. The restaurant has been around for a couple of decades, but deservedly got ignored on these boards in recent times because the menu had become rather tired, as did the execution. But they have been under new ownership, a couple from Argentina, for almost a year now, and things really have turned. While the full menu is now Chowhound-worthy, the Happy Hour specials are particularly good. Plenty of options - crab cakes, calamari served multiple ways, duck prosciutto, traditional prosciutto on crostini with a fig jam, a caprese salad, margherita pizza, etc., all for $5.95 or less, along with half-priced drinks (under Argentinian ownership, you can naturally find a good Malbec by the glass). And while elevating the cuisine, the "old school" vibe has been retained.
diners and dives in vegas.
For what its worth, Fieri jus did a second pass through of Las Vegas earlier this year, for shows to be broadcast in late spring. On the list were Naked City Pizza, Forte, Bachi Burger and Lola's. We can applaud the first three for both their product and uniqueness, but Lola's was a surprise - have wanted to like the place because when they opened that kind of cuisine was extremely under-represented in Las Vegas (though things are now getting much better), but they have been woefully inconsistent.
Largest and/or Best Pizza in Las Vegas (Preferably both!)
Here is the good and bad of Las Vegas pizza. There are some awfully good craft pies, like Settebello mentioned above (along with Due Forni, etc.), but they do not travel well, and are not ideal for buffets. These are pizza's meant to be consumed quickly out of the ovens. There are some places that make quality pies that might suit your purposes, like Metro, Rocco's, Verrazano, Naked City and a few others, but they do not quite fit the atmosphere that you are looking for. So time to get to work.
You will find many places that would go out of their way to accommodate you for such a special purpose, but would you prefer the pizza to be the destination, or have them delivered to a better environment? A place like Naked City might be ideal for a big order (they make some large pies on cookie sheets), but their location would be among the last you would ever want to use as a destination.
If you are looking at 30-50 at somewhere nice on the Strip, you have some options. There are some nice areas at Canaletto in the Venetian. The pizza is thin crust, so not necessarily great for a buffet concept, but maybe they could keep bringing them out fresh. Wolfgang Puck's Pizzeria and Cucina at the Crystals Mall at City Center has a private dining room. And Puck also has a private dining room at Trattoria Del Lupo at Mandalay Bay. But here is what you may run into - most of these places (along with Enoteca Otto and DOCG Enoteca) tend to make personal size pizza's, which may or may not work for you.
So perhaps you could narrow things just a bit by deciding if you want to have the pizza's delivered to the ceremony/reception area, or if you would prefer to have it all happen at the same place.
What are my chances of dining without reservations?
Here is one thing to keep in mind any time that you are without DH - Las Vegas is extremely user-friendly for solo diners because of so much convention traffic. You can get full menu service at the bar at most of the better restaurants, and that can offer make for a more fun experience.
Flavor Flav's House of Flavor
So far it is just a "Grand Opening Limited Quick-Service Menu". They may not have been fully ready, but apparently he wanted to be open on his birthday. For now there is a "Semi-Hunrgy Meal" for $7.99, which comes with two sides, bread and drink (add $1.50 for white meat), and a "Hungry Meal" for $11.99. Will probably give them a few days to have the kinks worked out before giving them a try.
Recs for a Great Italian place for April business dinner?
Let's also add a note on Parma - on Wednesday night's they get the pizza oven out. Straight VPN practices with first-rate ingredients, and some terrific combinations.
Private dining on the strip
Here are a couple of others that can be a fit - food that will not break the bank, and nice settings:
P. J. Clarke's in the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace (the "Sidecar").
Canaletto in the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian (five different private rooms).
Walking directions to tacos el gordo?
El Gordo (3409 Las Vegas Boulevard South) is just a stone's throw north of the Wynn/Encore complex, and is on the corner just before Convention Center drive. Note that there is a bus stop in front on Las Vegas Boulevard (The Northbound "Deuce" drops you off right there), if you are staying on the strip. The closest Monorail stop is Convention Center, which still leaves you about 12-15 minutes at a brisk walking pace.
Dining after midnight in LV
There are some pretty good options still in play at that time off of the Strip. What come to mind first are three of the prime spots that many Chef's go for a nibble after their shifts are over -
Raku (5030 West Spring Mountain) is open until 3 am.
Forte (4180 South Rainbow) also open until 3.
Sen of Japan (8480 West Desert Inn) open until 2.
Gonna be there in March for 6 days...
They will communicate easily with you - if you are on the Las Vegas Strip, you develop a way of understanding whatever language your customer is speaking. The option will be plain or dressed, since they also have a salsa bar that many use to dress them up the way that they prefer. You will also find Mexican sodas, and also make note that the grilled spring onions and chile's that they serve on the side are complimentary, and they have not minded at all when we asked for extras.
Gonna be there in March for 6 days...
The "exotics" at El Gordo can be an interesting change of pace. The key is to get them fully loaded - they have different sauces to accompany each of their tacos, which help to accentuate the flavor profiles. The beef brains have been a particular favorite, which a tart sauce that plays well to their creamy texture.
Gonna be there in March for 6 days...
Fortunately. El Gordo on the strip is a mirror image of the Charleston sister, which surprisingly includes the price point as well. One might have thought that they could have added a surcharge for the Strip location. The Deuce bus will drop you off at Convention Center drive, leaving about a 15 second walk.
Mon Ami Gabi, Catfish Alley and Milos can all be walked to on a sunny winter day from your location.
Ice cream parlors in Vegas?
Not convenient at all for your immediate purposes, but worth filing away if you are downtown, is Lappert's at the California Hotel Casino. Right across from Aloha Specialties on the second floor. An occasional guilty pleasure is to grab a Lappert's cone or sundae (particularly anything they do with Macadamia nuts), and stroll under the Fremont canopy to listen to Carl Ferris play the saxophone in the evening.
The Barrymore....or something like it.
The Barrymore is not only open, but thriving - http://www.barrymorelv.com/ . For as much as we have enjoyed the vibe of the place, the food is really the star, and the creativity of Francisco Campo and the crew in the kitchen has been a pleasure to experience. Most of the regular dinner menu offers their own twists of traditional classics, but the specials have really stood out on recent visits - particularly skate with a white asparagus sauce (an unusual treatment of that fish that absolutely worked); a white truffle risotto; and a veal porterhouse.
Recs for: Near LVCC, Mexican, and one splurge meal
That reference would most likely be to Envy, at the Renaissance Hotel, on the corner of Paradise and Desert Inn. And your friend would be correct in their appraisal.
Recs for: Near LVCC, Mexican, and one splurge meal
Lunch options are limited unless you have good walking shoes. Lotus of Siam and Komol, in Commercial Center, may be the two best Thai restaurants in Las Vegas, yet are only about 100 yards apart from each other. If you stroll down Convention Center drive there is the Barrymore, at the Royal Hotel, and just around the corner from there on Las Vegas Boulevard is Tacos El Gordo. If you are near any of the eastern exits of the CC, a bit of a stroll down Desert Inn, just before you hit Maryland Parkway, brings a nice little sleeper - Jammin' Jerk Hut 3333 South Maryland, #11). Authentic Jamaican food in a small out-of-the-way setting.
In terms of Mexican, there has been tremendous growth in quality "Mom and Pop" places over the last decade, but not a lot of "destination" places. If it is just about the food, without a whole lot of pretense or ambiance, Los Molcajetes (1553 North Eastern) is worth the drive. Note that they are closed on Wednesday's.
My plan for my visit - input?
You have a terrific itinerary except for one adjustment that will need to be made - Lotus does not open for lunch on Saturday. Perhaps you could bump them to your Saturday evening dinner.
Elegant New Year's without the Strip and without breaking the bank...is it even possible?
Add another fan of Bar + Bistro, which also has the kind of vibe that makes it pleasant to hang there for an evening. Genuine eclectic, instead of "pre-fab" eclectic.
Under $100 for two on the strip...best picks??
If we can consider the Barrymore (Royal Hotel, about 100 yards off of Las Vegas Boulevard) to be a Strip property, that can also be a fit - their "50 under $50" wine offerings are well thought out, and can help to meet the price point.
Catfish Alley, Las Vegas
We have not had many "feel good" restaurant stories in Las Vegas in recent years, but here is a great one. And in time for the Holidays. Ken and his family have opened up a sister location to the one on Silverado, and it just happens to be on the Strip, right across from City Center, 3743 Las Vegas Boulevard South (in the Hawaiian Marketplace).
Same smiling faces, same fresh fish with that nice crunch that is not greasy at all, and now even some fried green tomatoes added to the menu. Nice to see this kind of dedication rewarded, and it also means a quality low-cost option on the Strip. Here is an excerpt from a press release that tells the tale.
"Music legends Mr. LaMonte McLemore, founder of the world famous singing group, “The 5th Dimension”, Mr. Bubba Knight of “Gladys Knight and the Pips”, Mr. Jackie Jackson of the “Jackson 5”, have joined actor Richard Roundtree of the Movie “Shaft”, and a team of business and entertainment pioneers for the launch of the new Catfish Alley restaurant on Saturday, November 19, 2011 at the Hawaiian Marketplace.
“No matter whether your taste in music is country, jazz, or soul, everyone is going crazy with their first bite of our southern-crispy catfish” said Otis Williams one of the original members of the super group “The Temptations” and one of the eight celebrity co-owners of Catfish Alley. “We decided that the best catfish in the country should be available on the Las Vegas strip. So we brought the best catfish chef in the country, Ken Browder, and his Catfish Alley restaurant to the strip and told him to do his thing!” Enjoy.
Bar Forte
Some nice updates on the good folks over at Forte. They made the list for the current edition of "Eating Las Vegas: The 50 Essential Restaurants", and are doing a remodel of part of the dining area to be able to add to their wine list. Even better, on a night-before-Thanksgiving outing we got to try a couple of new items that should be hitting the menu soon - an exquisite buttery duck prosciutto, and a truffle salami that was also first-rate. Apparently caviar will also be added in the near future. Also a rich dark chocolate cake (a takeoff on their biscuit cake) which paired nicely with their sour cherry infused vodka, will make the dessert menu.
And, of course, the same "when you are in our restaurant you are in our house" kind of service. It is nice to see them getting the attention that they have earned.
Holsteins burgers in The Cosmopolitan
We can add another "link" to Holsteins and LBS, literally - this take from John Curtas (http://www.eatinglv.com/2011/10/eat-this-now-steakburger-at-the-barrymore/ ) showcases the burger at the Barrymore, which is brought to you by the same folks behind Holsteins. Much more quiet, and also an easy place to get in and out of.
Cheap eats for foodies?
The prime reason for a lack of responses so far may be that $20 per person basically takes the Strip out of play. The U.N.L.V. campus area has plenty of reasonable price points, but not necessarily something that jumps out from a culinary standpoint. But not too far from where you are staying are a couple of options that might fit - Firefly (http://www.fireflylv.com/index.html) and Satay (http://sataylasvegas.com/), in the same CitiBank Plaza on Paradise (3900, on the other side of Flamingo from where you will be), which would be within walking distance for you. And now that summer has finally left the desert, they both have outdoor seating that might be fun for your group.
Whisky
Lee's (http://leesliquorlv.com/) has a lot of locations all over the valley now, and has a good selection at fair prices. They have just opened on the Strip - 3049 Las Vegas Boulevard, but have not been to that particular location yet, so we can not vouch for their inventory yet.
Barrymore - Las Vegas
Consider the Barrymore to be a "Strip" property - just a few paces off of Las Vegas Boulevard. A bit of a stroll from the Bellagio, but an easy cab ride. We have quickly become fans but have not had the time to post a detailed review yet. The folks behind this were aiming for something that has not been easy to find in Las Vegas of late - that combination of creative cuisine (unique riffs on some classics), an old-school vibe, and proper levels of service. They have been hitting their target. The booths in the dining room make you want to turn it into a long and relaxed evening, a vibe that has been missing. The patio and firewall are a terrific touch. And their "50 under $50" wine list is extremely well thought out.
Help me choose Sushi place....Shibuya? Little Budha? Nobu? MOzen? Raku? Social House? Sushi Roku?
That is not an easy list to narrow down. First, note that Raku does not focus on Sushi, but when they do have something on the specials board it is almost always sublime. So if they make your short list, you may want to call ahead first to see what is available that evening. Sen of Japan (8480 West Desert Inn Road) has been near the top of most local's lists on this board through the years, and has earned that spot. RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay also does an excellent job of sourcing fresh product.
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RM Seafood
3930 Las Vegas Blvd S 134-200A, Las Vegas, NV
Sen of Japan
8480 W Desert Inn Rd F1, Las Vegas, NV
Scarpetta vs Bartolotta vs Milos
Tp file away, the brashness of Nove tends to wear off a bit mid-week, when there is a different crowd on the property.
For elegant and intimate, perhaps Valentino at the Venetian can also be added to the list of possibilites.
