David Burke Daniel Bouloud Roubuchon Bouchon Rao's Any of Batali's places Picasso all the other greats, like delmonico's, etc.
I really liked Bobby Flay's MESA Grill at Caesars. Other than that recommendation we'll need more information from you. Price? Style of food? Location? I mean there are a TON of great places to eat in Vegas, and you'll get all kinds of answers from this board, thus we need some qualifications to cut the number own a bit for you.
Good point. Price: I don't mind paying for food, we've already booked meals at Paris (for the view) and Mesa Grill (got to try some Bobby Flay hype). But I know I want to hit In N Out burger. But price within the boundries of Paris/Mesa Grill is not a problem. Style of Food: We are open to anything really. Even so, if anyone could recommend a good Thai place, that would be great. Italian preferences would be good to know. Anyone been to B&B (Mario Batali) or AquaKnox (Seafood)? - would love to hear comments on those two. Location: We are staying at The Venetian, but we have a car. That being said, recommendations near The Venetian are welcome. However, if you know of some cool spot that we need to drive to (and is not part of the mega chain conglomerate on the strip), let me know! Thanks
Aquaknox is mediocre. I will not return. If you are a food person, and it sounds like you are, please go to David Burke. It is unique and not something you usually get. very new american. his daily additions are handwritten with drawings and stuff, and xerox copied. the whole place is adorned with giant blocks of pink, natural salt (entire walls of it) illuminated to make it glow. there are egg statues, because he has a fascination with the egg. he does a "burke in the box" app, that is like a bento with various new apps. food is A+ on execution. presentation and concept (food and atmosphere) are beyond impressive. last time, our dessert was a rack of 12 shot glasses, each with a creme brulee in a fllavor I'd never had before (cotton candy, pumpkin pie, pistachio, bubble gum, etc.) His signature dessert is a 'tree" made of cheesecake lollipops. when ordering coffee, they bring a little dish with 5 thumbprints, each containing a different variety of sugar. the bread they bring is a roll that is served in a stainless steel measuring cup, with a miniature block of that pink salt with butter on it. basically, it seems as if every single minute detail and square foot of that restaurant had an extensive meeting of a committee of experts. so, i like the place a lot. with all of the options in LV, I always try new places on each visit (3x or more/year). David Burke is the only one that I repeat visit every single time. *** You asked about Italian, and my answer is Rao's. it is the second location of that restaurant. the original is in the bronx, and has been open since 1894 or something. the veal parm (i laughed at my friend for ordering such a basic item) was a MONSTER bone-in veal CHOP, pounded out and breaded. It was really good. *** also, David Burke is in the Venetian, so it's got the convenience of being in your hotel. For a breakfast/brunch, go to Bouchon the the Tower part of the hotel. It is one of Thomas Keller's places and you can get a BADASS steak frittes for breakfast. they also have some grilled ham/cheese sandwich, topped with egg and hollandaise, or maybe bearnaise sauce. damn good for dinner too. they have a veal shoulder cooked sous vide style with some barley with it that kicks ***.
If you are looking for Thai...i completely forget what the name of the place is but i bet someone here does....it is off the strip in a strip mall....its in all the guide books....and people claim it is one of the best in the country...
Thai.. I think its on West Spring Mountain in Little Chinatown. There are a lot of Pho places and some good Dim Sum over there too... Just west of the Strip.
Bartolotta's at Wynn's for superb seafood & service, but expensive: The Link I'll second Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill and also Emiril's Delmonico's.
I don't want to rain on your parade, but we ate at the restaurant in the "Eiffel Tower" in front of the Paris Resort, and yes, the view is amazing. The meal was less than amazing. But you're paying for the view. My suggestion is just to go up there for a drink, watch the dancing waters across the way at Bellagio, and skip the meal there. If you like steak, then Delmonicos in the Venetian, SW Steakhouse in the Wynn, N9NE at the Palms and Prime Steakhouse in the Bellagio are all great. Emeril's in MGM and Aureole in Mandalay Bay are also a couple of favs. All the places will cost you about $75-100 for a couple of people before the wine, so plan accordingly.
regarding steak, i prefer delmonico's and craft steak to all the others mentioned, especially SW at the wynn. it is very good, but will not blow you away. the bone-in ribeye at delmonicos is like a giant, beefy stick of butter.
Kobe Tasting Menu at Craftsteak is out of this world. They typically require 4 diners participate, but you can usually get them to do for 2 folks. Picasso is still consistently the best meal in Vegas, for my money. It is just an experience that is hard to replicate anywhere else.
Thanks for all the replies! I won't be able to make it to all of them on this trip, so I'll have to make another trip. That's a shame.
let us know where you decide to go and post some reviews when you get back. * more on my david burke fandom: he has a steakhouse in chicago. i will eat there the last weekend in august.
Was at David Burke this past Sat night. OH MY GOD! He has an "Angry and Grilled Lobster cockail" appetiser. Takes 1/2 of a 1 1/2 pound lobster... grills it, slightly spicy, served open on the shells on a bed of nails..... (it works).. Then.. A Lobster Steak... steam the lobster, form it in the shape of a filet mignon and have it held together with some lobster mousse... then, bake it and served up with curry and candied grapefruit... I almost had an airburst! Staff was gracious, professional and accomodating. A home run.
Just got back from Vegas, and the food was outstanding. Best Appetizer: Crab Cake at David Burke. Best Entree: Halibut at Mesa Grill. Best Lunch: Lobster Club Sandwich at Riva (Wolfgang Puck). Best Pastry: Chocolate Croissant at Bouchon. Best Dessert: Cheesecake Lollipops at David Burke. Also went to Rao's. Great sauce on the Gnocchi, but the Gnocchi wasn't as firm as I like. Eiffel Tower. The Red Fish was excellent, but the view of the Bellagio Water Show was the Main Event. Cudos for the Raspberry Souffle - very nice. Yeah, I know Mesa Grill is a chain. But it is a damn good one. Worth the price of admission. Will go back to David Burke. My stomach was a bit upset so I didn't really order the Entree I wanted. Next time. My SO ordered the Lobster Steak. I didn't care for the texture, but the sauce was outstanding. I'm keeping in mind all the places you guys chipped in. Already keeping an eye on airfare. FYI: The Venetian is a great place to stay. You just won't win much in the Casino.
I took Scott's suggestion and ate at David Burke. Everyone in my party enjoyed their food and the whole experience immensely. It is an upscale restaurant, but not at all stuffy. The crisp and angry lobster was great, and very different. Also ate at Shibuya in MGM Grand. I had the Chef's Tasting, which was samples of about 12 different courses of high-end foods. It was very tasty, and I walked away full. Nice restaurant.
My uncle is a serious Vegas addict and a pretty big food snob, and he swears by an Italian place, I think it's called Ferrago's? It's not in a hotel or casino, but it is right on the strip. I figure if an upscale restaurant can survive without being in a big hotel then it is probably legit. Hope this vague infomation helps you
Piero's is the classic Italian joint in Vegas.... it's where Jerry Tarkanian used to hang out. Very good and one of the few places in Vegas that is primarily locals. They have an unreal osso bucco.
unfortunately I am not going back to vegas this year. the recent posts about david burke have me feeling very sad. I DID go to his steak concept in chicago at the end of September, David Burke Primehouse and it was stellar.
We went to SW (Steakhouse) at the Wynn last night. I had the filet and it was below average compared to Dallas steakhouses. Everything was pretty much just ok, which is below par in Vegas. The only memorable dish was a side of truffled cream corn. It was amazing. I also like Mon Ami Gabi at Paris. It's only Bistro food, so nothing over the top, but everything is done really well. The moules et frit are the best I have ever had. And the atmosphere of the place is just nice. Not pretentious and the prices are reasonable for Vegas. I always feel like my experience there was worth the cost, not something I say for the high end steakhouses. David Burke is as awesome as described. I also like Bradley Ogden at Caesars.
There's two really good places in a strip mall a short cab ride off the strip. Firefly (great Tapas joint) and Marrakech (Moroccan - the belly dancers are superb). Agreed on Mon Ami Gabi - good Steak Frites.
Alize at the top of the palms is one of the top 5 dining experiences I've ever had. It was fantastic.