The Dish on Fish - The Bonefish Grill - Finding fresh fish in the desert has always been problematic for Las Vegans.  Personally, I don't take much comfort from knowing that things could be worse.  The New Testament tells us that a full scale miracle was necessary to provide loaves and fishes for a gathering of 5000 in "a desert place": presumably the refrigerated rail car had yet to be invented.

Hobnobbin' at Nob Hill at The MGM - Many of the historic hotels in San Francisco were built after the great earthquake 100 years ago, and the bedrooms of that era have a tendency of being long and narrow, and the same holds true for many of the neighborhood bistros, restaurants and bars, thus giving more properties a street frontage in a city where space is at a premium.  That neighborhood tradition inspired the design for the Nobhill restaurant inside the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. I really enjoyed the intimate nature of the restaurant, especially the leather seat booths that gave the place a privat salon feel.

Seafood + Sushi at Makino in Summerlin - The current appetite for Pan-Asian cuisine has generated a stellar new entry on the Las Vegas restaurant scene with the opening of Makino Gourmet Sushi and Seafood Buffet in Summerlin.  This makes three Makino locations locally (also Flamingo & Decatur, plus Premium Outlet Mall downtown) with a fourth scheduled to debut in May 2007 at a Green Valley site.

Canal Street at the Orleans - After any show or even before one, be it the NFR rodeo (a sideshow really of cowboy hats and wrinkled Wranglers), or a gig at the Orleans Showroom, you must Dine in at the classic Canal Street Restaurant on the casino floor of the Orleans hotel, a mile west of the Strip on Tropicana. (Click here for the Orleans brochure and here for the video.)

The Arks of The Venetian Resort - Lutece and Tsunami Asian Grill - It is so refreshing to not only dine in style, but also to carry on philosophical discussions with the captain of our table — so is the case with our wonderful experience at Lutèce, inside the Venetian Resort and Casino, the only restaurant in the hotel facing the Strip and overlooking the Grand Canal.  Our captain, Jason, is a pleasurable and congenial young man, recently married, working on his PhD in Philosophy and Ancient Civilizations, so naturally the gamut of the conversation ranges from the recent Aristotle scroll high tech computer deciphering to wine from ancient Rome.

rm Seafood at Mandalay Place in Las Vegas - Valentine's weekend (2005) in Las Vegas saw the launch of celebrated New York chef Rick Moonen's rm restaurant. Overhead spot lighting is flattering, and easy listening jazz plays unobtrusively in the background. Booths and tables, arrayed with white linen tablecloths & napkins and deep dish votive candles, seat 80 people. Mahogany is everywhere, and pinpoints of light reflect on a glass wall separating the bar from the restaurant. In the middle of a window overlooking the shopping mall, water cascades down glass to pool above the entrance below.

Wolfgang Puck's Bar & Grill - There are only three fruits that are indigenous to North America: Concord Grapes, cranberries, and blueberries. So when I stepped into The Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill located inside the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas I had to partake of their specialty drink, Blueberry Cainirinha, which is comprised of pitu cachaca, simple syrup, lime juice, and fresh blueberries ($10).


WhirlyBird Wine Safari — Think romance in a Eurocopter, flying to Nevada's only desert winery; supping on wind-swept delights; you will have the romance recipe for a possible wedding retinue. Taste the wine, feast and dine, and when the copter winds back up, pop over the Red Rocks for a beautiful night vista of Las Vegas!

Nobu for 2 at the Hard Rock Hotel - Nobu is known worldwide for its exquisite Japanese dining. You don't have to travel to St. Moritz or London because there is a Nobu right in Las Vegas.

Its Oktoberfest at Hofbrauhaus Las Vegas - The Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas' main Beer Hall is the same dimension, height, and decorated similarly as the one built in Bavaria and licensed by Staatliches Hofbräuhaus in München.

Ferraro Family Fine Food Flair - Now that Gino Ferraro has moved to new Strip-side digs on Paradise Road, I’ve resolved to turn the page.   If, after twenty-five years out on West Flamingo, owner Gino, wife Rosalba and chef son Mimmo can strike out for fresh territory, why can’t I?

777 Fresh Seafood at SeaBlue - The concept for the Michael Mina Group restaurant was conceived by Adam Tihany Designs, and the focal point of the dining atelier is a unique, centrally located three-sided bar just inside the entrance that features two open preparation areas where I can watch my dinner prepared.   The cool aesthetics are evidenced throughout the dining room: with its artfully designed walls of stone and falling water, embellished with intense blues and lively reds and an exquisite yet playful sea-themed mosaic decorating the bar.

Vegas Envy at the Renaissance Hotel - Envy. I'm not sure where they came up with the name, but I imagine that several proprietors of traditional steakhouses are envious of the success this recent arrival has sparked in Las Vegas.

Fiamma Trattoria at the MGM Grand - There is a saying in Italy, “Only tourists eat bad food.” So if you are a tourist in Las Vegas, you must visit Fiamma Trattoria at the MGM — no, not because the food is bad, but because the food is excellent, we just don’t want you to feel like such a tourist.

Pampas Brazilian Grill in Vegas - It’s Thanksgiving, Brazilian style — and I can’t wait to celebrate at the Pampas Brazilian Grill and Bar within the Shops at Desert Passage at the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

LOVE Fin Food at the Mirage - The new Beatles LOVE Cirque du Soleil live theatre extravaganza is taking Las Vegas by musical storm, and after learning that former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney, LOVES to dine at the FIN Restaurant inside the Mirage Hotel and Casino, I had to join him, at least spiritually.

An Eye for the Ribeye - The Hilton Steakhouse - The intimate Hilton Steakhouse has been a semi secret rendezvous for guests and locals alike since the hotel opened as the International in 1969, and I am sure Elvis carved many a flank here because the hotel show room was his venue for many years — and the bronze Elvis statue is back, not in the lobby but nearby, outside.

Settebello Italiano Pizzas Sets the Naples Table - For some Settebello is just another pizzeria—another joint they've trekked to in search of the perfect pie so ardently desired by many who've landed in Vegas from foreign parts.

North by NW by SW at Z'Tejas - Distinctive Southwestern cuisine hasn't rung up much account in Las Vegas over the years.  Perhaps the plethora of Mexican restaurants—some quite remarkable, like the Michoacán group—has all but cornered the market on chili-based cuisine in the Valley.

Marino 's Means Meat at Hooters Hotel and Casino - Marino recently opened his fourth Dan Marino’s restaurant inside the new Hooters Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas (the former San Remo). The Miami quarterback has three restaurants in south Florida, so this gives him a chance to branch out in the Western states.

Light Up Your Nights With FIX & STACK - The Light Group is making a fantastic fine dining impact for those visiting Vegas and for those who are non-vegans — meaning non-vegetarians, because FIX and STACK are all about great cuts of beef, lamb, pork, Kobe, and seafood selections.

Dining With The Rich and Famous at Postrio - It took Wolfgang and gang ten years to bring his top-of-the-line cuisine from San Francisco’s Prescott Hotel Postrio to the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, but the wait was worth it, and at a reasonable price that makes it affordable for those of us that are neither rich nor famous.

Dining With The Stars at Sazio - I knew that Sazio Restaurant inside the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas was going to be a taste bud treat knowing that the owner, Gustav Mahler, had recently been inducted into the International Food and Beverage Forum as Restauranteur of the Year 2006. And to top it off the Forum placed a scholarship in Mahler’s name for $10,000.

Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Surfs Into Summerlin — Las Vegas is now rated at the top of every food and wine critic's list as the best for dining. With the wide variety of themes and menus, it is refreshing to see a new entrant - Hawaiian Fusion, brining with it a dash of Pacific Rim delicacies. Roy's has arrived with welcome arms. Wax the long board ya big Kahuna!

Grand Cuisine On The Grand Canal — Overlooking the indoor Grand Canal in the Venetian Hotel Casino, Zeffirino exudes Italian authenticity in its décor. Darned-near everything was brought from the Old Country, including the antique furniture, the floor tiles, the gorgeous Murano glass chandelier, and even a genuine marble water well.