Las Vegas Info
Joined: 14 Dec 2006
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 Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 12:27 am Post subject: FOOD & DINING IN LAS VEGAS / LAS VEGAS DINING GUIDE |
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FOOD & DINING IN LAS VEGAS
Among the many images that come to mind when people think of Las Vegas are cheap food deals, bargains so good the food is practically free. They think of the buffets -- all a small country can eat -- for only $3.99!
All that is true, but frankly, eating in Las Vegas is no longer something you don't have to worry about budgeting for. The buffets are certainly there -- no good hotel would be without one -- as are the cheap meal deals, but you get what you pay for. Some of the cheaper buffets, and even some of the more moderately priced ones, are mediocre at best, ghastly and inedible at worst. And we don't even want to think about those 69¢ beef stew specials.
However, there is some good news on the Vegas food scene. Virtually overnight, there was an explosion of new restaurants, most the creations of the so-called "celebrity chef" phenomenon. For this, we can thank those new luxury-resort hotels, whose management realized that food today is a major indulgence and obsession, and thus a significant part of the vacation experience. All of a sudden, Vegas can hold its head up alongside other big cities as a legitimate foodie destination.
Once a vast wasteland of buffets, Las Vegas has come of age in dining and drinking. Added to the list of celebrities are some of the top names in the culinary world. Visitors now have their choice of fine dining experiences, both on and off the strip.
Famous for his California-style food and original restaurants, Wolfgang Puck has graced the city with several ventures. One of his establishments, Chinois, provides a relaxed patio dining along with private rooms, popular with famous guests. The influence of new epicurean alternatives has breathed new life into the older gourmet rooms as well. Topping both the Zagat survey and the Las Vegas Review Journal’s Reader’s Poll, Drai’s Restaurant serves dinner and high tea. Located inside the Barbary Coast Hotel, this enchanting restaurant also offers excellent live entertainment three nights a week. If you like a fine dining experience with a spectacular view, ascend to the top of the StratosphereTower for an evening at the Top of the World Restaurant. There is not a bad seat in the house since the room slowly rotates one complete turn each hour.
Some restaurants have stood the test of time in Las Vegas and one of those is the Benihana in the Las Vegas Hilton. It has long been the popular choice for Japanese food, both for the exhibition-style cooking and the amazing special effects. Another fine choice for Asian specialties is Mayflower Cuisinier. Chef Ming See Woo has secured several awards for the restaurant including a five-diamond rating from the American Academy of Restaurant Sciences.
Frank Sinatra was a frequent visitor to Battista’s Hole In The Wall, where you will be served as if you are family. The Tillerman is well known with locals for an outstanding array of fresh seafood dishes and fine steaks. Of course, the Steakhouse at Circus Circus has been lauded since its opening as one of the best in the business.
Visiting the Mohave Desert does not preclude enjoying fine seafood. Chef Emeril Lagasse produces award winning lobster, fish and crab delights at Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House inside the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. Awards have also been garnered by the Rosewood Grille, multiple winner of the "Award of Excellence" by Wine Spectator Magazine.
Perhaps you’d be tickled by dining with a cyborg from the Terminator, or Freddy from Friday the 13th. If so, drop in at Planet Hollywood where you will see authentic movie props and maybe a real star or two.
Food courts are a dime a dozen in Vegas, but the one in New York-New York, 3790 Las Vegas Blvd. S. (tel. 702/740-6969), deserves a mention for two reasons: It's the nicest setting for this sort of thing on the Strip, sitting in the Greenwich Village section of New York-New York, which means scaled replica tenement buildings, steam rising from the manhole covers, and more than a little (faux, naturally) greenery, a nice change from unrelentingly shrill plastic mall decor. The selections are the usual, with one exception; Jodi Maroni's Sausage Kingdom, but it's a better-than-average food court, with Chinese food and pizza (as befitting an ode to NYC), and excellent if expensive (for this situation) double-decker burgers, plus Schraft's ice cream. The Monte Carlo, 3770 Las Vegas Blvd. S., between Flamingo Road and Tropicana Avenue (tel. 702/730-7777), has some surprisingly good options. Sure, there's the always-reliable McDonald's, and for sweets there is Häagen-Dazs, but they also have a branch of Nathan's Hot Dogs, New York's finest. The Golden Bagel offers another New York staple, big and tasty enough to satisfy even picky natives. Sbarro offers enticing pizza slices. If you want a good, cheap meal on the Strip and wish to avoid some of those dubious night-owl specials, come here. It's open daily from 6am to 3am.
There are also great places to eat outside of the Strip and convention areas. Bob Taylor’s Ranch House, for instance, is located in the northwest portion of the valley. It has been a favourite of locals and celebrities since the '50s. Even Elvis loved this joint. |
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