I am going to The Bellagio in Vegas next month and can
only have one dinner at the hotel (booked up other
nights). Does anyone have a suggestion as to which in-
hotel resteraunt to choose. Thanks !!
Bill,
I was just in Las Vegas, and visited the Bellagio.
Unfortunately, my brother insisted on trying the
buffet. I'm not a Las Vegas buffet fan, so I admit I
entered with a jaundiced eye.
There ARE some attractions to the buffet: unlimited
smoked salmon (fair); pre-split huge King Crabs (not
as watery as most buffet crabs but not particularly
tasty); grilled eel (delicious); and fresh oysters on
the half-shell (not particularly great ones but
fresh).
Otherwise, the rest of the offerings were pedestrian,
no better than the (mediocre) Mirage buffet. I'm
sorry I can't help you with the restaurants, but I
just wanted to argue that, regardless of what you
hear, the Bellagio buffet is not superior to the other
better buffets in town.
In general, I have not had good experiences in eating
at Las Vegas branches of "name" restaurants. My
experience in eating at the Bellagio branch of Aqua,
the well-known San Francisco seafood restaurant, was
no exception. The huckleberry sauce on the fois gras
appetizer was cloyingly sweet, heavy handed, and
overpowering. As a former resident of the Puget Sound
area of Washington state, I'm crazy about the wild blue
huckleberries that grow there, and looked forward to
harvesting them as an annual fall ritual. But their
flavor is very intense, and their use, especially in
non-desert dishes, should be very judicious. At Acqua,
use of the huckleberries lacked restraint and showed no
concern for balace of flavors. (By the way, on a
recent visit to Pacific's Edge restaurant at Highlands
Inn in Carmel, California, I ordered (with trepidation)
another fois gras appetizer with huckleberry sauce, and
it was wonderful, with the huckleberries providing just
a subtle accent of flavor.) I did enjoy the mussel
souffle at Aqua. But the tuna tartare was drenched in
sesame oil, again showing no concern for proportion or
balance of flavors. One should expect a much higher
standard from a restaurant that charges $11-$19 for
appetizers and $28-$34 for main courses. The wine list
is similarly overpriced. I'm no expert on eating in
Las Vegas (if you really want to eat well, hop a plane
to Los Angeles), but I recently saw something on TV
about a truck stop four miles or so from Las Vegas that
was supposed to have good biscuits and gravy. Now,
THAT would be something to check out!!
Tom,
I've eaten at the diner with the biscuits (and
passable Tex-Mex food, too) but forgotten the name.
It's definitely north of the city and a favorite with
truckers.
I do think you can eat well in Las Vegas, but I agree
that most of the branches of upscale restaurants are
disappointments (haven't been to the LV Chinois).
Emeril's is totally hit and miss; Coyote Cafe is good
but not up to the level of the Sante Fe or DC
counterparts.
In my experience, the best restaurants in LV are
inexpensive non-American places. One historical
establishment is the Green Shack, the first restaurant
in L.V., which makes made-to-order fried chicken,
beautifully fried, but not particularly tasty. This
fried chicken was originally served to the laborers
who built Hoover Dam.
by Jen Wheeler | Need a spring vegetable guide to what's in season? Consider this your spring produce cheat sheet—complete...
by Rachel Johnson | Whether the kids are still distance learning or returning to a classroom, with school back in session...
by Kelly Magyarics | You’ve sprung for a gorgeous piece of enameled cast iron cookware; protect your investment by cleaning...
by Debbie Wolfe | Home chefs love wood cutting boards because they are durable and reliable. Wood boards are attractive...