
Ben rounds up his food experiences in Las Vegas. Photo by Flickr user gnevets88.
It’s good to be back in Canada. I haven’t contributed to the blog in the past two months as I was in Las Vegas covering the World Series of Poker. While being away meant I wasn’t able to eat out at home, I was certainly able to dine at a large number of Vegas restaurants.
Las Vegas is a funny place. It has something for people on every type of budget, and food is no exception. With everything from $.99 shrimp cocktails to $1,000 ice cream, Vegas has dining options for the most budget-conscious tourist to those looking to spend extravagantly. An increase in conventions and family travellers has resulted in the end of free buffets and most worthwhile experiences in the city are going to cost you some money. That said, there are still a lot of options for every type of traveller. One advantage of being in Vegas for so long is that I was able to experience a lot of what eating out in Vegas has to offer. With that said, I present to you my ten-second Las Vegas reviews.
Capriotti’s – I was repeatedly directed to this Las Vegas-based regional chain of sandwich shops when I told some friends who live in Vegas that I wanted to eat the best sandwich the city has to offer. Their signature sandwich, “The Bobbi,” had me coming back repeatedly. The sandwich is something like Thanksgiving dinner on a bun consisting of roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and mayo. Each restaurant uses locally sourced bread, meat and produce, with a fresh supply coming in every morning. Easily the best submarine sandwich I’ve ever had, a 10” Bobbi would often serve as my lunch and dinner on work days. A-
Pink Taco – The Hard Rock Hotel may be located off the strip, but it’s a hive of activity. My favorite restaurant within the hotel was their authentic(ish) Mexican eatery. Fresh tortillas and house-made salsas were the highlights of most of their dishes. I recommend their enormous burritos or the namesake dish featuring marinated chicken and pickled red onion. B+
Eiffel Tower Restaurant – While the idea of eating inside a replica of the Eiffel Tower might seem a bit tacky, any notion of kitsch is quickly gone as soon as you step out of the elevator into this restaurant’s elegant interior with a panoramic view of the Bellagio fountains. The flagship restaurant of the Paris Casino offers true French fine dining with impeccable service and some of the best food I’ve ever had. The Maine Peeky Toe Crab Salad with avocado and cucumber was a highlight as well as a perfectly cooked Beef Tenderloin with Lump Crab Crust and Classic Potato Gratin. Try going for a much more affordable lunch if you don’t want to drop $100 on dinner. A
Fat Burger – This burger chain bills itself as “The Last Great Hamburger Stand.” While that title might properly belong to In-N-Out Burger, Fat Burger makes a deliciously huge burger. While the food is tasty, the interior of their strip location is terrible and I thought I might have caught a disease in their bathroom. I recommend takeout. B-
Sushi Roku – I tried lunch at the upscale sushi restaurant inside the Forum Shops at Caesars. While my meal was delicious, it was slightly more expensive than the quality of the food should permit. There’s a lot of sushi to choose from in Vegas, and while Sushi Roku might be one of the hipper locations, I’d recommend going elsewhere if you want straight up great food. However if you’re looking for a decent meal in a great atmosphere and don’t mind dropping $25 on lunch, head on over. C+
Todai – Located inside Planet Hollywood, this seafood and sushi buffet is way overpriced for the quality of food. Sloppily assembled sushi and a diner atmosphere don’t make me feel good about dropping $30 on my meal. C-
Village Seafood Buffet – Compared to Todai, the Rio’s buffet was a meal from heaven. The restaurant features seafood inspired by regions across the globe. They’ve also got beef and chicken items for people in your party who aren’t into seafood. I’d recommend hitting the sushi and Alaskan crab legs as well as some other more exotic items before filling up on deep fried clams and scallops. B+
Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill – The celebrity chef has restaurants inside most of the big casinos on the strip. His MGM location is a fine dining approach to classic American fare. We went for the Sautéed Maine Crab Cakes with Tomato Relish and Basil Aioli, as well as a wood oven pizza with Italian sausage, roasted peppers, smoked ricotta, mushrooms, onions and parsley. It was easily big enough for two people and made the experience much more affordable than had we ordered separate dishes. It’s a great choice if you want great food and service with relatively inexpensive cost. A-
First Food & Bar – Located inside the Palazzo, First Food & Bar is an upscale pub. While its prices are a little prohibitive, the bar has a great atmosphere. We split the corn on the cob, which came covered in lime juice, goat cheese and cayenne pepper. The mini burgers we had for our main were good, but they were all the same (special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, tomatoes). They’d be better off offering four different sliders. B