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Would You Like a Buffet with That Steak?
During IAAPA Attractions Expo 2009, Vegas offers the best in affordable and high-end dining. Start planning now…
by Steve Friess
NOT LONG AGO, LAS VEGAS WAS A CULINARY WASTELAND. Each resort offered up the same generic lineup: a steakhouse, an Italian and/or French place, a coffee house, and one of those inexpensive feeding troughs known as all-you-can-eat buffets. And those were the fancy joints; cheap surf-n-turf or such culinary delights as $1.99 steak-and-egg deals lured visitors to places they otherwise would never venture.
Times sure have changed. In 1992, for instance, Wolfgang Puck kicked off a flurry of celebrity-chef outposts on the Strip when he opened Spago at Caesars Palace, the first of eight Puck restaurants in Vegas.
Vegas is now a major-league foodie destination, as evidenced by the fact that the vaunted Michelin Guide last year chose the city as one of only four American locales to include among its culinary handbooks. Also, the popular “Top Chef” reality TV contest filmed its 2009 season on the Strip in May.
So now, instead of a monotony of predictable dining options, Vegas visitors are overwhelmed by quality choices. Following is a roundup that is sure to please most palates and occasions—the important business dinner down to the quick, affordable lunch before your next education session. |
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INFORMAL AND INEXPENSIVE
Sandwiches
There’s still such a thing as a good deal for a good meal around the Strip. Over at the MGM Grand, for instance, there’s a delightful sandwich stand called ’wichcraft, owned by “Top Chef ”chief judge Tom Colicchio, with such creative concoctions as grilled gruyere and caramelized onions on rye for about $8. At Planet Hollywood, Earl of Sandwich (+1 702/891- 7777) is another can’t-miss where they bake your bread for you when you order. It’s in the same price range with the added advantage of actually being owned by descendants of the British guy who invented the sandwich. At the Mirage, the new BLT Burger (+1 702/791-7111) has a wonderful array of hamburgers that start at $12, and Caesars Palace just opened the shiny and sunny Serendipity 3 (+1 702/731-7266), the first non-Manhattan outpost of the classic diner of film fame. Serendipity 3 has a wide range of oversized dishes—the Summer Bries and an open-faced turkey sandwich on raisin pumpernickel are quite yummy—at the same range.
Food with a View
To watch the Vegas humanity parade and enjoy a perfect view of the Bellagio fountains, there’s nothing quite like eating steak frites at an outdoor table at Mon Ami Gabi at Paris Las Vegas (+1 702/944-4224). For a great pizza or chicken parm, the only place to go these days is Pizzeria Francesco (+1 702/894-7111) at Treasure Island, but if a decent matzoh ball soup and corned beef on rye is your thing, check out Wynn’s Zoozacrackers (+1 702/770-7000). Also known for huge and appetizing portions is the Palazzo’s Grand Luxe Café (+1 702/731-5015), a restaurant owned by the Cheesecake Factory folks with the same big-dishes philosophy.
Ethnic Eats
Great ethnic food is a little harder to find in the Strip corridor, but it’s there if you know where to look. Red 8 (+1 702/770-3463) at the Wynn is a fairly accurate rendering of genuine Chinese food with some spicy and exotic offerings as well as more standard fare, for $10-$15 a dish. Also terrific in that department—and even cheaper—is Ping Pang Pong (+1 702/247-8126) inside the Gold Coast.
 Folks in the mood for some great, inexpensive Spanish tapas dishes have two solid choices: Café Ba Ba Reeba (+1 702/650-5186) at the Fashion Show Mall, and Firefly (3900 Paradise, +1 702/369-3971), about a mile south of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Both have dishes to share starting at about $5. In the same mall as Firefly is a Brazilian steakhouse called Yolie’s (+1 702/794-0700) that offers an all-youcan- eat dinner special for $35 per person that includes an appetizer, sides, and a never-ending procession of six different skewered meats including bacon-wrapped turkey, homemade sausage, and leg of lamb. The Florida Café (1401 S. Las Vegas Blvd; +1 702/385-3013) is an authentic and inexpensive Cuban restaurant tucked inside the Howard Johnson Hotel, a few blocks north of the Sahara Hotel.
Buffets
In recent years, the quality of food at some of the Vegas buffets has dramatically improved. That’s a good thing because there is something satisfying about the experience of being able to try a range of foods and eat at your own pace, so long as the food is fresh and tasty. Buffets can also be quite reasonably priced considering the quantity provided, with lunches usually coming in at about $13-$16 and dinner around $20- $25. A few that you can try out without fears include the Spice Market Buffet (+1 702/785-9005) at Planet Hollywood, Carnival World Buffet (+1 702/777-7777) at the Rio All-Suites Casino, Cravings (+1 702/791-7223) at the Mirage, and Le Village Buffet (+1 702/946-7000) at Paris Las Vegas. For a splurge ($30 per person) in this department, consider the absolutely sumptuous The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas (+1 702/770-7000), with its expanded salad stations and light, airy décor.
Old-School Food and Drink + All-Night Options
Three legendary old-Vegas spots in the resort corridor are also worth a go. The Peppermill (2985 Las Vegas Blvd S, +1 702/735-4177) is the thatched-roof 24/7 coffeeshop just north of the Wynn. It’s where the Rat Pack used to chill after shows and maintains a classic vibe with its pink and blue neon lighting throughout. Piero’s (355 Convention Center Dr, +1 702/369-2305) is an old-school Italian restaurant walking distance from the Las Vegas Convention Center where the mobsters used to do their dealings and were occasionally arrested. And the Bootlegger Bistro (7700 Las Vegas Blvd S., +1 702/736-4939) is a 55-year-old spot open 24 hours a day and owned by a former lounge singer who became the state’s lieutenant governor. The Bootlegger has excellent Italian eats and breakfast food, and Vegas performers— both stars and backup dancers—head there late into the night after their shows.
Local Favorites
Another way to find inexpensive but wonderful food is to go where the locals go away from the resorts. For the best Mexican in the Las Vegas Valley, for instance, Lindo Michoacan (2655 E Desert Inn; +1 702/735-6828, entrees $13+), about three miles east of the Strip, is the only choice. Owner Javier Barajas ventures way beyond burritos and tamales into exotic seafood dishes from his native Michoacan region. Lotus of Siam (953 E Sahara Ave, +1 702/735-3033) is a dive tucked in the Commercial Center Shopping Center two miles east of the Strip that has long been celebrated by the likes of Gourmet Magazine as among the best Thai restaurants in America. That’s some hot curry paste they use there, though, so calm your taste buds with the  heavenly sticky rice with mango and coconut cream. And for Indian, you can’t do better than India Palace (505 E. Twain Ave, +1 702/796-4177), a beautifully appointed Indian room with the city’s best naan and a sensational chicken tikka masala.
Harrie’s Bagelmania (855 E. Twain Ave., +1 702/369- 3322) is a brilliant and homey little bagel joint that’s the closest thing to the East Coast Jewish breakfast houses, as evidenced by the fact that retired Jewish stars who live in Vegas—Tony Curtis and Jerry Lewis among them—are seen there regularly. Delicious and homespun Italian is waiting at Strings Italian Café (2222 E Tropicana Ave., +1 702/739- 6400), and outstanding Middle Eastern dishes are available at Paymon’s Mediterranean Café and Hookah Lounge (4147 S. Maryland Pkwy, +1 702/731-6030).
THE FORMAL DINNER OR SPLURGE
Big Names
None of the above, of course, is what earned Vegas its newfound reputation as a culinary capital. No, that came from the likes of Charlie Palmer building a four-story glass wine tower in the center of his “Progressive-American” Aureole (+1 702/632-7401) at Mandalay Bay; the restaurant is known as much for its food as its 50,000-bottle wine collection. Or it came from Emeril Lagasse, who owns Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House (+1 702/891-7374) at MGM Grand, Delmonico Steakhouse (+1 702/414-3737) at the Venetian, and Table 10 (+1 702/607-6363) at the Palazzo.
Top Chefs
Any chef of any distinction in America has settled on the Strip. Chef Rick Moonen closed an acclaimed New York seafooder to head to the Mandalay Bay with Restaurant RM (+1 702/632-7777) so he could serve, by far, the best and freshest of the sea. Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace (+1 702/731-7731) is a rare gourmet alternative to the French and Italian restaurants dominating the scene, with a menu allowing for real adventure in the form of smokedchicken quesadillas topped with avocado and garlic crème fraiche. And Mario Batali has two great spaces, B&B Ristorante (+1 702/266-9968) at Venetian and Carnevino (+1 702/789-4141) at the Palazzo.
There are two incredible French restaurants that rise to the level of life-altering experiences. Over at Wynn’s Alex (+1 702/770-3463, $145 prix fixe), there’s a sunken dining room with a broad “Hello, Dolly”-inspired staircase for Alessandro Stratta to serve such James Beard-winning cuisine as the poached chicken in a black truffle sauce and the hearty pear napoleon with mascarpone and sauternes. Joel Robuchon, the French maestro, has an eponymous space (+1 702/891- 7925, $89-$350 per person prix fixe) at MGM Grand with a decadent dining room lit softly by a mammoth teardrop crystal chandelier under which guests enjoy Oscetra-caviartopped asparagus and such entrees as pan-fried sea bass with lemongrass foam and stewed leeks. The place is so fancy Robuchon boasts an expansive bread cart offering 10 varieties of rolls baked with flour imported from France.
WHERE’S THE BEEF? IT’S IN VEGAS
The bread and butter of Vegas cuisine, however, is steak. It’s no surprise, then, that of all Wolfgang Puck’s many Strip entries, the best is CUT (+1 702/607-6300) at the Palazzo. There are so many steakhouses, though, that it’s worth offering up a list of those that are surefire winners: StripSteak (+1 702/632-7414) at Mandalay Bay, Strip House (+1 702/737- 5200) at Planet Hollywood, The Steakhouse (+1 702/734- 0410) at Circus Circus, SW Steakhouse at Wynn Las Vegas, Botero (+1 702/248-3463) at Encore Las Vegas, and N9Ne (+1 702/933-9900) at the Palms.
For our money, though, the best filet in town is at Colicchio’s Craftsteak (+1 702/891-7318) at MGM Grand, served in a no-frills style reflected in the décor’s exposed light bulbs and metal mesh booth partitions. And when you’re done, save room for the monkey bread, a gooey cinnamon and caramel finger food that will make you wonder how you made it this far without it.
Steve Friess is a Vegas-based freelance journalist whose work appears regularly in The New York Times, USA Today, and many others. He is also co-host of the weekly celebrity-interview and tourist-news podcast “The Strip” (www.thestrippodcast.com) and author of the blog www.VegasHappensHere.com.
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