Vegas is one of the hottest vacation destinations in America. Promoted on travel websites to lure diverse groups of visitors to the land of lady luck in the hope that guests will either leave a little hard earned cash behind or take home a jackpot. On a recent visit I spotted many senior citizens, well dressed couples, brides, grooms, bachelorette parties in full swing, children being paraded along the edge of the casino floor and convention attendees from Lowe’s. International visitors from all around the globe were on hand to celebrate the lunar new year and Las Vegas did not disappoint. Casinos were decked out in festive floral and “Year of the Pig” displays.
Before I touched down in Vegas, I researched the top 50 Las Vegas restaurants on YELP. My plan was to visit one restaurant from that list daily. I had the best of intentions but did not cover as much ground as I had hoped. The following is a summary review of some dining options that appear on the YELP top twenty list and others that just happened to catch my attention.
I stayed the week in a prime location. The Venetian Resort is located on the strip with Las Vegas Boulevard just steps away. The resort is an all-suite hotel with many highly rated restaurants located within the establishment or in easy walking distance. One did not have to venture far to sample great food.
This was not my first visit to the Venetian. Summer 2018 I was passing through town and happened to stay at the Venetian for just one night. My room, located on the 28 floor, was hard to beat: it looked down upon the pools with a view of the high roller ferris wheel to the left and the strip to the right. This visit, however, my room on the 31 floor faced the mountains in the distance and looked down upon a parking garage, construction site and a large rooftop covered in fans. I was told by the front desk that for just $49 per night more…I could have the view from last summer. I passed. First stop – breakfast:
Bouchon – This dreamy establishment serves up a beautiful French breakfast in a café overlooking the patio and pools at the Venetian. You truly feel like you are in a Parisian café. The food, created by “America’s Best Chef” Thomas Keller, is perfectly Parisian and delicious. Waiters parade by with serving upon serving of the house specialty, Oeufs Benedict (aka Eggs Benedict) with fresh side salad. I highly recommend this. I had the pleasure of visiting Bouchon twice. I enjoyed the Spinach Florentine Quiche du Jour. This was by far the fluffiest quiche I have ever tasted and the pastry crust was perfect. On another day I sampled the Gaufres au Levain (sourdough waffle with seasonal berries, Chantilly cream and Crown maple syrup. My husband ordered the Saumon Fume plat du jour (smoked salmon, pumpernickel bread, cream cheese and capers). No breakfast is complete without sampling a small cone of the freshest Beignets du Jour. They arrive with jam and butter. Out of five stars, I rate this establishment five stars.
Next Stop: Momofuku (meaning “lucky peach”) was recently named one of the most important restaurants in the U.S. with palate creations by reknown Chef David Chang. The Asian-American cuisine consists of small plates, salads, seafood, meats and noodle dishes. We happened upon Momofuku (located inside the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino) during Happy Hour. I treated myself to their famous Spicy Cucumbers (I highly recommend this dish). The combination of fresh flavors, slightly spicy and perfectly nutty and BBQ Pork Belly Buns (2 buns per order), washed down with a Madame Jeanette cocktail perfectly compliment one another. Others in my party enjoyed the Shoyu Pork Ramen Bowl with slow poached egg. Out of five stars, I rate this lucky peach five stars.
For a quick snack: Secret Pizza – truly secret and located down an unmarked hallway on the third floor of the Cosmopolitan Casino, this little pizza shop is worth seeking out. The unmarked hallway is lined in LP record album covers. Upon entering the little hole in the wall pizza shop, pizza by the slice is available in a variety of combinations. Perfect for a quick afternoon pick me up or late night snack. I enjoyed the white pizza and a freshly made cannoli. Excellent late night adventure.
A few otherhonorable mentions (and one buyer beware):
La Creperie – Paris Hotel and Casino (located in the Le Boulevard Marketplace) – serves up at least 30 varieties of sweet or savory crepes, fresh, hot and fast. Highly recommend.
Lobster Me – located in the Venetian Grand Canal Shoppes or Planet Hollywood Miracle Mile Shops. You can’t go wrong ordering a lobster or crab roll and a Bloody Mary. Great prices and fresh seafood rolls. Warning: bloody mary comes regular or spicy – regular was plenty spicy!
Yardbird Southern Table and Bar (located inside the Venetian) – visit this restaurant for an amazing southern feast – mac and cheese and fried chicken won’t disappoint.
Bouchon To Go (the Venetian) – Located just off the casino gaming floor, pastries and coffee for a quick little on the go experience. Does not disappoint. The round jelly-filled beignets sold here are better than the fresh out of the fryer ones sold in Bouchon. A must sample snack.
Lunch counter – far back corner of Binion’s Casino – serves up old school rootbeer floats and pastrami sandwiches that are hard to pass up. This lunch counter is a throwback to a bygone era. Only reason I knew it was there? I frequented this lunch counter with my Grandma decades ago. Reasonably priced, delicious food, served up fast. Once inside, stop by the million dollar display for a complimentary picture courtesy of Binion’s Casino.
BUYER BEWARE: Tony Roma – When visiting downtown Las Vegas and seeing the Fremont Street Experience light show, it is hard to miss advertisements along Fremont Street luring patrons in for bargain priced steak and lobster meals. As we strolled along Fremont Street, the $8.99 Prime Rib Dinner at Tony Roma’s located inside the Fremont Hotel and Casino grabbed our attention.
Buyer beware, you get what you pay for. The prime rib looked great but was difficult to cut AND chew. Salad and potato – nothing to write home about. My advice, keep walking!
From Here To Italia 