It used to be that a visit to Vegas meant racing to the buffet between gaming, ever on the lookout for the cheapest and the fastest. The aim still is to find experiences that don’t break the bank, but the emphasis is more on premium fine diningand the food just keeps getting better. Here are some of the more memorable meals from this trip.
Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn
Best bet: The tasting menu.
Our hands-down favorite, this charming Italian restaurant has it all: stellar service, a gorgeous dining room, a to-die-for wine list and a covered patio with sofa seats overlooking a pond that makes for the most charming of evening repasts. There isn’t a loser on the menu, from starters of tiny, fried whole fish to pasta dishes that will leave you swooning (spaghetti with rock lobster! sea bass-filled ravioli!).
But really, take the “di Mare” in the name seriously, because when you sit down, they will wheel out a glass case filled with beautiful sea specimens straight from Italy, and someone must get something from it (the John Dory or the sea bream would be good options). You can even get one of them done salt-crusted whole, which will come out so tender and moist it will literally melt in your mouth. They also make the stunningly flavored gelati and sorbetti in-house. The way to try a little bit of everything? The Gran Menu di Mare, a family-style “grand seafood feast” ($155 per person).
Beijing Noodle No. 9 at Caesars Palace
Best bet: Chef’s Special Handmade Noodles with Sliced Pork and Mushrooms.
The decor at this family-friendly noodle shop, which has an open area in the front where you can watch the noodles being made, is unique: The ceiling and walls are covered in glittery, reflective silver fish shapes, which, added to rows of aquariums, make it feel as though you’re in a big fish tank in outer space. The food is among the more reasonably priced in town (most dishes are $15.09 — and all, in fact, end in .09, get it?), and the options include a variety of noodle bowls, a few dim sum items and sake for the grown-ups. The food comes fast and hot.
Botero at Encore
Best bet: Brioche-crusted Colorado rack of lamb.
This poolside steakhouse has an elegant interior and a more casual but still posh patio and serves well-prepared beef — done with pepper, chimichurri or traditionally — and superb seafood, but also a heavenly rack of lamb, done impeccably medium rare as we asked. Saving some room for dessert is a must, because the mini cupcakes, the frozen “candy bar” made with Godiva chocolate and peanut butter, the homemade doughnuts and the bonbon lollipops with hazelnut praline are all just ridiculously good. Attentive service and a solid wine list.
Jean Philippe Pâtisserie at Aria or the Bellagio
Best bet: Pick a crêpe, any crêpe.
From 6 a.m. to midnight, you can get a sweet or savory crêpe filled with things like apples and cinnamon or turkey and cheese, or one of the exquisite pastries or a block of dark or milk chocolate. Coffee drinks and smoothies are available too.
Julian Serrano at Aria
Best bet: Lobster-pineapple skewer.
It was tough to pick just one tapas from the lengthy roster of small plates at this hip, colorful eatery by the same chef who hit it with Bellagio’s Picasso. Here the menu is divided into vegetarian, meat and poultry, ceviches and seafood, and cheese and charcuterie, and each item is like a trip to Spain, with ingredients like pata negra ham and Padron peppers infusing dishes with bold flavors. Definitely save room at the end for a plate of churros, fried pastries you dip in unbelievably delicious spiced chocolate.
Roasted Bean, multiple locations
Best bet: Latte and a chocolate croissant.
We had breakfast at one of the Roasted Beans, which we found at Aria at City Center and at the Mirage, almost every morning. It was relatively inexpensive and offered fresh fruit, including containers of just berries or just chunks of melon. The lattes were always dead-on, the pastries fresh.
Wazuzu at Encore
Best bet: Sushi.
The sushi chefs at Wazuzu know their stuff, and everything we sampled here was superb, including salmon, freshwater eel, yellowtail, tuna and several rolls. This gorgeous pan-Asian spot, decorated in bold reds, oranges and golds with what looks like a crystal-jeweled dragon hanging on one wall and white leather furniture, also sends out delectable cooked items, such as a Cantonese barbecue assortment with roast duck and barbecue pork. Kyle Wagner
