gleam wrote:This post, though, is to remind you all that if you're in Las Vegas, and you have a car, you should really check out the International Marketplace at Decatur and Tropicana. It's a foreign-foods wonderland. It's not really very useful for fresh food (although the small amount of produce looked good, and the fish looked and smelled great), but for canned, bottled, jarred, bagged stuff from Asia, the middle east, and Europe it's got a remarkable selection. Open to the public, but unless you buy the $10/yr membership, you'll pay 5% over the marked price.

Personally, Las Vegas is one place where I would NEVER go without a car. The CAT just does not run often enough and most of the interestign attractions are off the Strip.

on the topic of pricing vs chicago...

i'd say Bouchon's pricing was about what it'd be in Chicago. sure you can say it's just a bistro, but it's a very upscale bistro. i can't name a single place in chicago calling itself a "bistro" that even compares to it in food, presentation, or service. perhaps i just had an unusually great experience there, though i doubt it.

also, the restaurants in the Wynn and Encore are nice, and no more expensive than anything would be here. Stratta is a great choice for lunch.. you can get anything from a really fantastic salad, wood fire pizza, or really fancy sandwiches (i had the braised short rib panino, which was a really fanastic take on what i'd compare to "my" pot roast sandwich). they also have terrace point cafe which is nice, good food, good setting, and very reasonable prices. the restaurants at our dumpy hotel were more expensive.

dddane wrote:also, the restaurants in the Wynn and Encore are nice, and no more expensive than anything would be here.

Really? $42 for steak frites or $48 for steak au poivre at daniel boulud brasserie isn't more expensive than it would be here?

gleam wrote:

dddane wrote:also, the restaurants in the Wynn and Encore are nice, and no more expensive than anything would be here.

Really? $42 for steak frites or $48 for steak au poivre at daniel boulud brasserie isn't more expensive than it would be here?

really? you don't think anyone in chicago is charging $48 for a steak au poivre? have you been to morton's lately? david burke's? yoshi's?

...the point is, there are 4 or 5 restaurants in each of those resorts with varying degrees of price, but overall they're all very good. i was actually eating at the bar in terrace pointe cafe and not one, but two different locals came in and ordered steaks ... one insisted it was the best steak for the money on the strip ...he said he drives there specifically to get it, not to gamble... and he didn't at all look like he was made of money.

Per John Curtas of Eating Las Vegas on Twitter, who heard it from some Palazzo chefs, Restaurant Charlie (and presumably Bar Charlie) are closed immediately. Last service was last night.

gleam wrote:Per John Curtas of Eating Las Vegas on Twitter, who heard it from some Palazzo chefs, Restaurant Charlie (and presumably Bar Charlie) are closed immediately. Last service was last night.

That's a shame. I really wanted to get to Bar Charlie.

jesteinf wrote:

gleam wrote:Per John Curtas of Eating Las Vegas on Twitter, who heard it from some Palazzo chefs, Restaurant Charlie (and presumably Bar Charlie) are closed immediately. Last service was last night.

That's a shame. I really wanted to get to Bar Charlie.

Here's hoping Chef Nagahara lands on his feet. He's too talented a chef to lose to astrophysics.

I'm off to a very short trip to Las Vegas in a few week, and would love some feedback on where to eat. Because it is a short trip, and a guys trip, it's really all about the strip and red meat and a big buffet. I'll leave dim sum and Raku and such when I can next convince my wife to join me.

So, first steak: I'm pretty sure it's Cut, and I did find one favorable mention on the site, but I'm open and am also giving strong consideration to Carnevino.

Then, buffet: we need it once. I would have thought Aria would be a good choice, following the Zim rule of the newest on the street has the best buffet, but it did not get a good review. I've always been pleased with Wynn and Bellagio, but would like to try something new. We are staying at MGM, and while it is not on the short list, I would consider their buffet if anyone has good things to say about it.

Thanks.

I haven't been to Cut, but I can strongly recommend Carnevino. We had a fantastic dinner there last year, and would be great for a group of guys.

Vital Information wrote:following the Zim rule of the newest on the street has the best buffet

If that's your criteria, check out The Cosmopolitan.

Although they have a couple of 'em here, if I want a good dinner on the Strip & not feel like I've been gaslighted, I'll pick Mon Ami Gabi at the Paris every time, and do once each trip. Best French onion soup I've ever had. Hanger steak w/frites awesome. Granted, they don't have the mondo-sized cuts, but that's OK. If it's warm enough, sit outside & pretend you can see the Oceans 11 bunch leaning against the railing in front of the Bellagio fountains. I've heard that Mon Ami/Vegas is the highest grossing establishment in the entire LEYE stable.

Oh BTW, they serve great breakfasts as well.

jnm123 wrote:Although they have a couple of 'em here, if I want a good dinner on the Strip & not feel like I've been gaslighted, I'll pick Mon Ami Gabi at the Paris every time, and do once each trip. Best French onion soup I've ever had. Hanger steak w/frites awesome. Granted, they don't have the mondo-sized cuts, but that's OK. If it's warm enough, sit outside & pretend you can see the Oceans 11 bunch leaning against the railing in front of the Bellagio fountains. I've heard that Mon Ami/Vegas is the highest grossing establishment in the entire LEYE stable.

Oh BTW, they serve great breakfasts as well.

You know, the other day when I mentioned going to Mon Ami for PJs and gift certificates, a friend mentioned that he likes Mon Ami Vegas. Still, I cannot see going to a place there when I can go to it here (and in jammies to boot!).

I like the TV commercial for the Cosmopolitan. Do they have a buffet?

They definately seem to have a buffet, however the description on the website: http://www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/tas ... spoon.aspx
isn't exactly mind-blowing.

Just got back from a short trip to Vegas. Had a good meal at China Poblano in the Cosmopolitan - good place to go with guys, actually. Since portions are small and affordable, you can cover a large part of the menu. Skip the burger joint in that hotel (Holsteins).

If you do decide to check out Raku, I strongly suggest their new kaiseki option - it was a great experience, if not exactly traditional kaiseki ryori. I managed to sample shirako (cod milt) for the first time, and it was delicious!

Vital Information wrote:I like the TV commercial for the Cosmopolitan. Do they have a buffet?

They appear to have something called "The Wicked Spoon Buffet".

I will add another vote for Carnevino. Ate there last summer and loved it.

RevrendAndy wrote:I will add another vote for Carnevino. Ate there last summer and loved it.

Made the reservations today. Thanks all for the input.

if you will have a car, the buffet at the M Resort is pretty good:

http://www.themresort.com/dining/studiob.html

The M Resort Spa Casino
12300 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Henderson, NV 89044
(702) 797-1000

if you're going to be staying on the strip w/o a car, the Bellagio and Wynn have decent buffets. i prefer the Bellagio buffet to the Wynn, though the Wynn has a more open and bright dining area:

http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/the-buffet.aspx

The Bellagio
3600 South Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 693-7223

since you're going with the fellas this top 10 best values list might help with the fun:

http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/topten.cfm

Good Luck!!!

VI,

You should look into Sage, Shawn McClain's restaurant at Aria. I had a great meal there last year just after the opening of Aria.

Vital Information wrote:

RevrendAndy wrote:I will add another vote for Carnevino. Ate there last summer and loved it.

Made the reservations today. Thanks all for the input.

And it was a great suggestion. I'll say that the service was highly pushy ("would you like the meat aged since last April, sold by the inch."), but otherwise Carnevino pretty much met our needs. The next morning one of my friends said he never felt he'd have a steak as good as our dry aged Fiorantina for two. "What about next time we're in Vegas, I tried to cheer him."

I'm not even sure the steak was the best thing on our table, that prize perhaps going to a combination of rocket salad and prime beef carpaccio. Still, that was one amazing chunk of meat.

Go here.

The Palazzo Hotel, Las Vegas

Rob,

Glad you liked it. Hope your meal was more expensive than your gambling.

I recommend Red 8 and Cut. I've been to Red 8 a few times and each item I've ordered has been great. I went to Cut only once, but will never forget it. Our server was a former executive chef and therefore very knowledgeable. The food was phenomenal, service impeccable and atmosphere was good enough for a special occasion or fine drinks with great guests.

Vital Information wrote:I'm off to a very short trip to Las Vegas in a few week, and would love some feedback on where to eat. Because it is a short trip, and a guys trip, it's really all about the strip and red meat and a big buffet. I'll leave dim sum and Raku and such when I can next convince my wife to join me.

So, first steak: I'm pretty sure it's Cut, and I did find one favorable mention on the site, but I'm open and am also giving strong consideration to Carnevino.

Then, buffet: we need it once. I would have thought Aria would be a good choice, following the Zim rule of the newest on the street has the best buffet, but it did not get a good review. I've always been pleased with Wynn and Bellagio, but would like to try something new. We are staying at MGM, and while it is not on the short list, I would consider their buffet if anyone has good things to say about it.

Thanks.

Having tried Carnevino shortly after I made this post--results posted upthread, I needed to now try Cut.

Between the two, by far, I liked Carnevino. I will say that for all the kobe, er waygu, steaks brought to the table, the waiters here won in the less pushy category. Honestly, nothing makes a meal start out better when the first thing they offer is "house tap." Still, my favorite things eaten at Cut came from the bread tray, not exactly what you want in a steakhouse. Cut has a good menu, with a very Puck-ian mix of Asian, mittel-Europe, and high end, but one seemed to meet of the expectations of chef not in the house. I highly disagree that Vegas versions cannot work, or are, by nature, pale imitations, but this one did seem lacking a bit.

As to buffet, we got to try Wicked Spoon. Not only does it meet the Zim rule of newest buffet, it has received various high marks across the Internets. I fear, however, that the Zim rule expired, the get people in the house factor achieved, the buffet now on cruise control. Wicked Spoon's main schtick is to serve items in small pots and pans, ostensibly to keep fresher and also preserve tummy space for more sampling. It did not really achieve that, some of the food en pot pretty tired. Overall, I found the level of cooking and ingredients here and notch below Wynn and Bellagio, all buffet caveats taken.

Good info on Cut. After a recent trip to Las Vegas, and a return visit to Carnevino, I'm convinced that it's the gold standard for steak on the Strip. The ribeye for two that I shared with my father was potentially the best steak I've ever had.

Our waiter told us that all of their steak is dry aged 60-90 days, even though they don't specify the exact aging lengths on the menu. I had a 70 day steak at Primehouse which I thought was good, but a little too funky for my tastes. The steak I had at Carnevino, aged just as long or maybe even longer, was vastly superior. It had an almost creamy, but still beefy taste. No hint of funk at all. Just a brilliant piece of meat.

jesteinf wrote:Good info on Cut. After a recent trip to Las Vegas, and a return visit to Carnevino, I'm convinced that it's the gold standard for steak on the Strip. The ribeye for two that I shared with my father was potentially the best steak I've ever had.

Our waiter told us that all of their steak is dry aged 60-90 days, even though they don't specify the exact aging lengths on the menu. I had a 70 day steak at Primehouse which I thought was good, but a little too funky for my tastes. The steak I had at Carnevino, aged just as long or maybe even longer, was vastly superior. It had an almost creamy, but still beefy taste. No hint of funk at all. Just a brilliant piece of meat.

I haven't been to a Vegas Strip steakhouse in years. You have just put Carnevino on my places to visit on my next trip to Vegas list.

If you need another shove, Steve, put me in the camp that was in awe of the Carnevino's Fiorentina. Steak isn't something I do often, so take the word of more frequent steak diners over mine, but it completely slayed me.

I've enjoyed both Carnevino and Cut. If I were forced to choose, I'd probably pick Cut. I had a terrific American-Waygu Strip steak there on my last visit that was perfectly cooked. The last time at Carnevino I got one of the Riserva strip steaks, aged 11 months. There was definately funk present. The meat was almost waxy, with the texture completely transformed from a normal steak. For me, I enjoyed it, but I think I'd rather have it as part of a group effort, where I could alternate bites of the super-aged steak and the "lightly-aged" 60-day steak.

Based on my visits, you can't go wrong either way. The steaks were a bit more consistent over multiple visits at Cut, but you can get fantastic pasta primis at Carnevino. And you can tell others you ate an 11 month aged steak

Alize at the Palms is my "top of the line" choice. Tasting menu is great, especially with paired wines.
Also, the view of the strip is spectacular from this location. Big bucks!!
opa403

Was in Vegas last weekend through Tuesday. Stayed at The Mirage, so we did Cravings for breakfasts and their champagne brunch on Sunday. Besides that, a few notes:

Settebello (Henderson, near Green Valley)--awesome Neapolitan-style pizza, we always hit it straight from McCarran upon arrival. Their margherita pizza (mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, basil) is a home run every time. Spacca Napoli, Coalfire, Slyce are all in second place.

Battista's Hole-In-The-Wall--we go there for Gordy, the octogenarian accordion player--he is a treasure. Pasta dishes are nothing special, but a step above Olive Garden. A real blast from the '60's Vegas heydays, probably the place where Buca di Beppo got their idea.

Hubert Keller's Burger Bar (Mandalay Bay)--great buffalo burgers, hard to find, obtuse waitstaff, expensive. Won't be back.

Hugo's Cellar (4 Queens, downtown)--this place was packed on a Monday night, another non-manufactured retro spot that has increased popularity. Salad at the table exquisite, entrees very good. Aged steak almost up to good Chicago quality. And probably the best Ketel One martini in Vegas.

Dlongs wrote:I've enjoyed both Carnevino and Cut. If I were forced to choose, I'd probably pick Cut.

I found myself in Las Vegas this past weekend and went to Cut again. I got a 35 day dry aged Strip steak, and my wife got an American Waygu Snake River Farms filet. Both were perfectly cooked at medium rare and delicious. The strip was beefy and tender, with a bit of dry aged minerality to it. The filet was heavily marbled, rich, and the 6oz cut went a long way. I've been to both Cut and Carnevino (among other Vegas steakhouses) multiple times, and I'm feeling like Cut is at the top for high end steaks. Sides were a great creamed spinach, with a fried egg mixed in tableside, and a disappointing roasted butternut squash, chestnut, and leeks. The latter was too sweet from the squash and dry from the chestnuts.

The other thing I love about Cut is the bread service. The onion focaccia is dangerously addictive, while the pretzel roll and wheat sourdough were also exemplary renditions.