walking through the new.

It may be amazing to consider Vegas is still opening billion dollar hotel casino resorts in the midst of this recession, but we are. And there may be no one in them, but they are really, really nice.

On the Strip, Steve Wynn opened Encore days ago. Like the Palazzo is the connected, sister property to Venetian, so is Encore to Wynn Las Vegas. The two towers are identical, and although Vegas architecture haters don't have many positives to expel about the exteriors ("A UPS truck turned on its side"), I kinda like the shiny bronze curves. They're simple and they stand out.

Inside, compared to Wynn, Encore is a little more alive and alert. Reds and golds dominate, but somehow things are more relaxed. Energizing instead of energized. Perhaps this is because a large portion of the casino is made to look, sound and feel like a secluded tropical garden, with the actual gaming areas and restaurants hiding under big white gazebos. I particularly like the crimson, spidery fixtures of the casino. The place might be overdone, but that's what Steve Wynn does best. And no one's walking in here and thinking, "Eh, it's just like Bellagio." Or any other Strip joint. It's fresh.

The hotel's restaurants look exciting. Grabbing the first headlines probably are Sinatra, helmed by L.A. chef Theo Schoenegger and featuring a swanky Italian menu the chairman would likely be proud of; and Switch, from chef Marc Poidevin, which plates lots of seafood and steak and has a dining room that allegedly changes its own atmosphere every 20 minutes. Not sure how that works. I'm more excited by Wazuzu, an Asian restaurant from chef Jet Tila, whose family owns L.A.'s Bangkok Market. His flavors come from all over, and he even stated that Thai food has been misrepresented and so he wants to bust that out. I noticed a few interesting dishes on the menu, Thai and otherwise, and this is probably the first Encore restaurant I'll try.

But you know what? This is Steve Wynn, and this is the Strip, so of course the place is amazing. Maybe more surprising is the niceness of Aliante Station, the newest Station Casino sprinkled around the valley's suburbs. And this one's way out, way way out in North Las Vegas. The Fertittas could have cut back and gone old-school neighborhood grind joint out here, and maybe they wish they had considering their company's current flirtations with bankruptcy. But they didn't. They set a new standard in off-Strip resorts with Red Rock in Summerlin, and Aliante is merely a smaller, slightly rectangular version of the big, round Red Rock. The modern desert decor serves the place well. The subdued pool area is lovely. Even the lobby is cool, although it lacks a bar like the dramatic one at Red Rock. The rooms are peerless, for miles, although also a bit smaller.

In addition to what is surely another great steakhouse concept from Station in MRKT, two outside operators bring Pip's, Italian, and Camacho's, Mexican, to the dining options. (For my first preview of Aliante's restaurants, look at this.) And the family friendly TGI Friday's and Original Pancake House should do well by the neighbors out here.

So how do we keep building big, beautiful casinos when no one's playing? Easy. These two joints were financed before things went poopy. (It should be noted that Wynn is doing much better than Station.) I need things in Vegas to pick up again, too, but I'm looking at the bright side. I'm happy to pillage Aliante and Encore while other locals and tourists stay away.

settebello = best pie.

You could make a case, without even tasting it, that Settebello makes the best pizza in Las Vegas. It is, after all, the only restaurant in Nevada to be officially certified by the Vera Pizza Napoletana, a real organization with the sole purpose of protecting the integrity and origins of pizza-making as it began in Naples a long, long time ago. Certified eateries have to use specific ingredients to make the dough, which also must be worked only with the hands and cooked directly on the surface of a bell-shaped oven fueled only by wood. Only certain toppings are acceptable, too.

Sure, you can make that case, but all that stuff wouldn't mean much if the pizza wasn't absolutely delicious: A thin, crisp and chewy crust with a flavor profile of its own, topped in minimalist fashion with crushed tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, parmigiano reggiano and extra virgin olive oil, served unsliced, and torn up and devoured by you, someone who simply cannot stop eating it once you get a taste.

And that's just the margherita, the original, traditional pizza. Add your own toppings to that template, including peppered salami, Italian bacon, olive, pine nuts, arugola or roasted bell peppers. Not too many though; you don't want to overwhelm perfection. Or go the spicy route with the Diavola (crushed tomatoes, salami, roasted red peppers and crushed red peppers, garlic, mozzarella). Or sample a little of everything with the Quattro Stagioni, a pie divided into four sections topped separately with wood oven roasted sausage, salami, roasted mushrooms and calamata olives.

Settebello is the best because it's so different from Vegas pizza. It's truly in a class of its own.
Heed this warning from the menu: "A note about take-out: Pizza in the U.S. has become synonymous with take out and delivery. In Italy pizza is enjoyed directly out of the oven in a pizzeria, not from a box. We strongly recommend (especially if you have never experienced our pizza) that our pizza be eaten in our pizzeria immediately after coming out of the oven." And since they're plating your pizza straight from that fancy oven, we suggest you take their word for it.

charcoal room.

EatingLV recently blogged about the impending closing of A.J.'s Steakhouse at the Hard Rock, even managing to get a little emotional in his farewell to one of the few remaining venues in the city to capture that cool, Old Vegas, Rat Pack vibe. Regrettably, I've never eaten at A.J.'s but always wanted to. I've hit the bar a few times for a martini and it's true about the vibe there.

But I've had to say goodbye to my own comfy steakhouse experience recently. Few people take my recommendation seriously when I tell them I really like the Charcoal Room at the Santa Fe Station, and I admit that a big part of why I like it is because it's a few miles from home. But the proximity and the urge to stray from the Station Casinos neighborhood entertainment center template don't change the facts: the menu is classic steakhouse, the food is outstanding, the room is cool, the bar is red (pictured) and has nice TVs, and the service has been great every time. I don't know how many perfect meals I've had at the bar here, how many icy martinis. Giant shrimp cocktails. Filet mignon-stuffed mushrooms. Caesar salads, or spinach salad with balsamic and a cake of goat cheese, or chopped salad with everything good in it. Ribeye burgers. Three peppercorn filets cooked perfectly. Lobster mac and cheese. Potatoes au gratin. I am fucking starving right now.

But the Charcoal Room is not closing, oh no. You can go there and have the same great experience. My Charcoal Room experience is over because our bartender, Christy, has relocated to the Texas Station and I don't think I could ever rebuild that kind of relationship. She knew to make the Sapphire martinis unless otherwise instructed. She knew to bring a bit of spicy mustard for the bread basket's soft, warm pretzel bread. She'd even change the TV to a shitty NBA game. We can't go back now. It's not the same.

treasure island.

Another big sign of shit times in Vegas: MGM Mirage is selling Treasure Island to the dude who used to own the Frontier. Here's the RJ story. Here's the Movable Buffet's take. This is not a huge disaster, it's just another odd thing to see for those who thought Vegas indestructible.

I have always had mixed feelings about Treasure Island. Steve Wynn opened the pirate-themed joint in 1993 and MGM Mirage has owned it since 2000. In 2003 things were changed quite a bit when they took down the skull and crossbones marquee, tried to hip it up by calling it TI and sexifying the pirate battle show, and painted the hotel a weird brownish red color. Bad moves, all.

I remember the place being one of the few hotel casinos on the Strip I wandered around as a high school kid. The tacky and useless Kahunaville restaurant used to be an arcade with carnival games that served as a funny little nerd date destination. Today, outside of the Mexican restaurant Isla and the once-hipster Social House, there is no good reason to eat here and really never has been. I've already expressed my disappointment with Canter's Deli. What was once a semi-interesting club, Tangerine, has been replaced with the pinnacle of Vegas douchebaggery, Christian Audigier The Nightclub. (Just typing the name of this place inspires throw-up-in-the-mouth.) And the only notable lounge at Treasure Island is the utterly unremarkable Mist. The hotel rooms, also, are nothing special.

No food, no cool boozing spots, no reason to be here. But, because the Strip and Spring Mountain intersection is where most of my Vegas action happens lately (Treasure Island, Fashion Show mall, Wynn Las Vegas, Palazzo, Venetian), I have spent too much time at this hotel. I don't know if a change in ownership will translate into any changes at the property; certainly not soon.

yellowtail. border grill. payard.

Just because there is a ton of food in the house doesn't mean we shouldn't go out. Actually, it does, so the blame for going out on Thanksgiving weekend falls to those friends who come to town. There is a slightly odd feeling when "entertaining" friends who grew up in Vegas with you and return to see their families for holidays. You try to pick a place to go out together, but you can't really impress them because they know everything already, and they're over it. There's pressure and no pressure at the same time. It's strange.

The friends, S+M, grew up Vegas and have since been all over the world. They currently reside in Sacramento for no good reason. They greatly appreciate epicurean adventures and we always say we're going to do grand dining tours of Vegas' top restaurants, but we seldom have the time or disposable income to realize the dinners of our collective dreams. On our last adventure, I foolishly took them to the then-newly opened Company in Luxor and although the food was tasty, it managed to become a disaster.

This time around, because of Thanksgiving and family commitments, we didn't do dinner but we did get some drinks and snacks at the newest restaurant in the Bellagio, Yellowtail. Sitting at a small, comfy table in front of the bar, adjacent to the casino, perfect for people watching as douchebags, girls with super short dresses and George Maloof wandered about, we had dirty martinis and too-sweet bourbon drinks and a pleasant variety of delicious vegetarian small plates. The seaweed salad was a simple and pure revelation, putting anything else I've ever had to shame. It was a colorful red, white and green plate, and all the varieties were tender and clean-tasting, except for one leafy green selection that appeared to be lightly fried. I never thought I'd think seaweed amazing. We also had sea salted and chili-sauced edamame and grilled eggplant skewers, bathed in a sweet miso. Yellowtail, headed by Korean chef and former pro snowboarder Akira Back, has been very well reviewed and apparently deserves the accolades. I'm looking forward to a proper meal there, perhaps with S+M.

Saturday marked a return to what I am now convinced is the definitive Mexican restaurant in Las Vegas, Border Grill at Mandalay Bay. I accept that I am partial to Mexican food and so it is hard to be critical, especially when so many restaurants are so similar in quality and cuisine. I generally prefer the more creative spots on the Strip (Diego at MGM, Isla at Treasure Island) to the more traditional, home-style eateries around Vegas. But this was my third time at Border Grill and it keeps getting better. Well, at least the food does. The restaurant was renovated over the summer and it looks a little boring. Formerly colorful, open and lively, it's now trying to be a sleek, dark steakhouse. (At least the upstairs is. I didn't go down there, but I'm assuming the lower level is still a little more bright and casual to match the poolside patio.) The new decor threw me off a little, but the food was beyond impressive so I guess we'll let it slide. Along with perfectly adequate chips and salsa, we started with plantain empanadas, a perfect salty-and-sweet bite. A favorite we've sampled before, the smoked brisket taquitos, were great again. But the star was Cochinita Pibil, tender marinated pork roasted in a banana leaf with cinnamon, orange and other tasty things and served with caramelized plantains, pickled onions and two handmade corn tortillas. I didn't even touch the tortillas. The flavor of the moist pork was so warm and satisfying, I couldn't bring myself to consume a forkful of anything else. Well, except for the sweet plantains. They were a perfect match, like having dinner and dessert all at once.

Later that night we met again with S+M at Payard patisserie, the Caesars Palace playground of probably the best pastry chef around, Francois Payard. I was still too full, although we did buy a flourless chocolate chip cookie that I'm eyeballing as I type this. But S+M polished off a banana nutella crepe, which sounds pretty fucking good. As we were reflecting on the pastries, chocolates and coffees to be had, S revealed that these French goodies are, in fact, not really better in France. He says they're the same. They just taste better because you know you're in Paris. And you can get them from a street cart instead of parking at some goliath casino resort and walking forever to find and purchase something that costs three times as much. Yes, this is our problem in Vegas; we've got the goods, all of them, but we know it. And shit, how awesome would it be if the Strip was lined with litte streetfood vendors?

what do i have in common with obama? we both love plate lunch.

Although my grandma was Hawaiian, I've never been to the islands and I don't have any sort of understanding of the culture or the food. Because there is a massive Hawaiian population in Vegas, there are some "Hawaiian" restaurants around town, most of which focus on the traditional plate lunch.

The plate lunch is the perfect explanation for why so many islanders are giant people. It includes large portions of meat (fried chicken, fish or shrimp, teriyaki-style beef or beef shortribs, or slow-cooked pork, among others), rice, and macaroni salad. It is a super protein and carb load, and it hurts later on. But it's delicious and worth the punishment, like any good comfort food.

My introduction to this type of food -- other than a vague memory of grandma making lau lau and learning from my mother to cook simple stewed chicken and spinach with coconut milk -- came at Aloha Kitchen. This place was opened 10 years ago by a UNLV graduate and now has three locations, and it's perhaps the best known Vegas Hawaiian restaurant. The menu is a little bigger than other Hawaiian joints. Aloha Kitchen's "Local Plate" has teriyaki chicken and beef and adds two Spam musubi.

Although I don't eat here as often as I'd like, I love Aloha Kitchen because they do a combo plate with my two favorites, chicken katsu (chickens fried in crispy panko breadcrumbs) and kalua pig (moist pork butt, shredded and wondrous). At other places, I have to work around their combinations to make this baby up. Aloha Kitchen also does a mean Loco Moco, homemade hamburger patties over rice with fried eggs and gravy on top. I think "mean" is actually the best way to describe this dish. It seems angry. And delicious.

Lately I'm getting my plate lunch from L&L, which is reliably adequate. Kalua pig is good here, too. Ordering lau lau, pork chuck steamed in taro leaves, is tempting but remember that real lau lau, as far as grandma was concerned, contained pork and fish. Just fatty piggy here.

Another option for plate lunch is Maui Rose, which has two locations in Vegas and also serves a little sushi and some other Japanese and Korean eats. Eat in here and get your plate lunch with a little salad and a cup of miso soup, and then regret getting a plate lunch instead of some tasty looking noodle dishes. Not so great here.

The newest contender for best Vegas plate lunch is Aloha A Go Go, which has two Vegas locations opened by the guys behind China A Go Go, a successful local Chinese franchise. The portions here seem extra big, and the plate lunches come with some vegetables, too, which are nice because then you can totally pretend like you're not eating one of the least healthy meals in existence.

firefly. bradley ogden.

It's a tough job, when you're me, to settle on a location for an afternoon of eating and drinking somewhere in Vegas. I want to try new stuff. I want to get not-so-new stuff that I haven't been able to get yet. I also have a hard time not going for something reliably awesome. So we combined two of those factors on Saturday, going for a late lunch of tapas and cocktails at Firefly and then wandering around the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace before getting another drink and snack at Bradley Ogden.

Firefly has got to be one of the most beloved restaurants in Vegas. Tourists love it and eat there when they're hungover. Locals will tell you it's the best spot for tapas. It's kind of a hipster joint, which can lead to some douchey surroundings at times, but the food and drink are worth putting up with such a minor annoyance. Mojitos and sangria are mandatory, as are one of the tastiest bites I've ever had: the stuffed dates. It's a smoked almond crammed inside a date, wrapped with bacon and served with a red wine reduction and crumbles of bleu cheese. It's as good as it sounds. On this visit, we also sampled perfect portions of gazpacho, boquerones (white anchovies on baby toasts), a veggie empanada with a great tang from herb cream cheese, stuffed red peppers and ham and manchego cheese croquetas. As usual, everything was great, complemented by a table on the patio and perfect weather. It got me to thinking: is this the best Spanish restaurant in Vegas? And are there Spanish restaurants in Vegas that aren't all about the tapas? (Firefly does serve paella, although I've never tried it.) When Julian Serrano opens his at CityCenter next year, I'm sure that will answer questions like those.

Meanwhile, at Caesars, everybody is wandering around the Forum and not buying anything, and we are no different. After planning to grab a drink at either Joe's Stone Crab or Boa Steakhouse, I instead opted for Bradley Ogden's bar. This place is in my top 5 when it comes to Not New Restaurants I Still Haven't Eaten At. If I wasn't still partially full from lunch, I would have tried what many have hailed as the best burger in Vegas, the ground steak burger served at this bar. But instead, we munched a tasty plate of hummus and grilled flatbread and sipped two slightly disappointing cocktails: a Dirty Laundry, an extremely olivey vodka martini, and a Drunken Tortuga, basically a glass of gin with cilantro floating in it. I'm all for ordering expensive "signature" cocktails at expensive restaurant bars, but more often than not I regret it and wish I'd gone for some whiskey or a plain old gin and tonic. These drinks were not so great, but the hummus was. Still, it was nice to finally step foot in this restaurant and I look forward to returning for that burger.

change in the north.

When the $660 million Aliante Station resort and casino opens in North Las Vegas next Tuesday, it will redefine the idea of dining out in the northwest part of Vegas. Actually, it doesn't need to redefine, because I'm probably the only person who maintains there is worthwhile dining in the area.

Well, there is. The big Centennial Center shopping area boasts the formidable Sushi Loca and is about to get decent Mexican and Indian eateries. Vega's Cafe is a reliable family Mexican restaurant. The best experience in the area is the Charcoal Room, the steakhouse at the Santa Fe Station.

But Aliante Station, the newest from the Station Casinos company that also includes the posh Red Rock Resort in Summerlin, is officially in North Las Vegas, specifically in the master planned community of Aliante. It's sort of a mini-Red Rock in a mini-Summerlin. NLV folks are pretty excited about it, but the restaurants will be the biggest highlight. The lineup includes:

MRKT, a steak and seafood spot from Station. As they've done at Charcoal Room and Red Rock's T-Bones Chophouse, the Station guys will no doubt prove they know how to operate a steakhouse.

TGI Friday's. They can't all be winners.

Camacho's Cantina, a Mexican restaurant and tequila bar from a family of restaurateurs based in Southern California. The most popular location is at Universal Studios.

Original Pancake House, which serves great breakfast all over Vegas, including one at Green Valley Ranch, another Station Casino.

Pip's Cucina, an Italian restaurant and wine bar notable because it's the first restaurant endeavor from Rino Armeni, the former head of Southern Nevada Wine & Spirits and an ex-Caesars Palace food and bev honcho.

A food court with Capriotti's, Villa pizza, Rubio's, Panda Express, and Johnny Rockets burgers.

Trying out these restaurants -- particularly the non-Station ones -- and imbibing at the hopefully cool bars littered around the new casino will keep me busy for a while, and I'm not the only one. But even if Aliante Station doesn't find the success of a place like Red Rock (and it won't, not in this economy), it will definitely set a new standard for eating out in North Las Vegas. It already has, and it's not open yet.

canter's deli vs. capriotti's.

The best deli in Vegas probably doesn't exist yet. There are plenty of sandwich shops, and there are deli-style restaurants. There are a few that would probably fit into most people's definition of a true deli, places like the Bagel Cafe near Summerlin and Weiss Deli in Henderson. But I think that one day soon, someone will open a real neighborhood deli somewhere in the Vegas suburbs and it will be the shit. I might not wait for someone else to do it.


When it opened in 2003 in the Treasure Island, Canter's Deli should have filled the void. Even though it was in a Strip casino, it has the reputation of the beloved Canter's name, and it had the terrible example set by Carnegie Deli in the Mirage to avoid. But now, after five years and a renovation or two, the little space next to the TI sportsbook is only slightly more palatable than the wasteful, offensive, tourist trap hellhole of Carnegie. The dining area has no sign of the charm of the famed Fairfax eatery in L.A. There are still not enough great lunch spots on the Strip, which is why I've returned to Canter's several times. But my last visit resulted in a good turkey sandwich, a large but forgettable order of fries, wilted pickles and the feeling that I've been had. And for that, I shelled out almost $20. I understand I'm on the Strip, but come on ... it's a turkey sandwich. It's not The Turkey Sandwich. The corned beef is good here. The pastrami is good. The food at Canter's is just good, and that's not enough. I'm done with this place.


So instead, I've been getting my sandwich fix from the shop most Vegas people swear by: Capriotti's. I'd like to agree with most of these locals and claim this is our city's homegrown sandwich spot, but despite the fact there are about 22 of these joints sprinkled around the valley, these guys actually started out in Delaware. And I'd like to name my favorite item on the menu, the Capastrami (pictured: pastrami, melted swiss, cole slow with a lot of Russian dressing on a soft hoagie roll), as Vegas' own sandwich. But Capriotti's started out making sandwiches with their own roasted turkeys, so they kind of specialize in that instead. The Bobbie, basically Thanksgiving on a roll, is probably the most popular item. All extraneous information aside, Capriotti's serves great food and the service is friendly.


But it's not a deli.

i know roberto's taco shop and you, sir, are no roberto's taco shop.

As a respectable human, I am obligated to try every taco shop I see, especially those located within a short distance of my northwest Las Vegas home. Super Taco opened just days ago in a big, bland Wal-Mart shopping center nearby, so I gave it a shot. I don't recommend it. The tacos, stuffed with shredded beef, lettuce and cheese, were fine and standard, but the chips were greasy, freshly fried and draped in an extremely suspect light green substance described as guacamole but closer to the consistency of, as Chi put it, baby poo.

It doesn't matter. Ninety percent of the taco shops in Las Vegas are Roberto's or some lesser clone of Roberto's. And even though the menu is mostly basic, the food is more American-Mexican than authentic Mexican, and the chances of food poisoning are pretty high, Roberto's is reliable and delicious. Though it may not be true, I have no problem calling this the best taco in Vegas. This place is really a regional institution, having been born in San Diego's Mission Beach and expanding all over. At last count, there were 753,054 Roberto's taco shops in Las Vegas.

And the places that rip off Roberto's, they don't even try to hide it. The menu is exactly the same. A number four is two beef tacos, rice and beans, no matter what the sign out front says. It's ridiculous.

Here are the top five things I'm likely to order at Roberto's at 2 in the morning, which is usually the time I'll eat at Roberto's:
1. Two beef tacos, one order of taquitos with guacamole.
2. The aforementioned number four.
3. Two beef tacos, two chicken tacos.
4. Chicken burrito with rice, beans, and whatever weird vegetables they feel like wrapping into this bitch.
5. Carnitas plate (Only if I feel bad about myself).

red 8. cut. restaurant charlie.

Chinese oxtail soup is kinda strange because most Chinese soups aren't much like a stew; they typically contain chopped vegetables, meats and other ingredients rather than large chunks of floating goodness. Oxtail soup, which is made with beef tails but not necessarily a particular stock, also is made in various ways depending on the region, like most things. I haven't tasted a lot of oxtail soup, but damn, the stuff at Red 8 Asian Bistro at Steve Wynn's joint is very, very good.

As a matter of full disclosure, I will tell you I don't remember the specifics of the soup, i.e. what was in it besides the most salty, satisfying broth I've ever tasted and a huge chunk of fatty, flavorful beef. I think there was a vegetable or two in there. But I can't say for sure. I had some drinks before my meal. And perhaps my judgment was tainted by the cocktail hour(s), but the food at Red 8 was surprisingly great and the soup was the highlight. For a beef broth, it had so many other pointed, clean flavors. It was shockingly good. And I felt like I had superpowers the next day.

My visit to the Wynn restaurant capped an evening of Strip adventuring that included a fun spell at Palazzo. Made my debut at Barney's and just missed a visit from the one and only Pharrell by a couple of hours. Too bad. Guess he was drinking champagne and dropping off a few BBC/Ice Cream hoodies. I would like to do some shopping there. Also visited the fine bars of Wolfgang Puck's CUT steakhouse and Charlie Trotter's Restaurant Charlie seafood house, both wonderful places that I will fantasize about returning to for dinner until my own personal recession lets up. CUT poured us a fine martini with an even better bleu cheese stuffed olive attached, and served up a fun little tray of bar snacks including wasabi peas and tasty seasoned almonds. Charlie's bar, hosted by a former UNLV baseball player who really knows his shit, served a variety of vintage cocktails including a sazerac ("the original American cocktail") and my new favorite drink, the Bugs Bunny. All I can say about the bunny is it's orange, it tastes like a carrot only better, and it wouldn't take many to put me on my ass.

I think the fact that I can critique the quality of a bar's martini olives in the current economy really speaks to how ridiculous I have become and how adjusted I am to living far, far beyond my means. They were fucking good olives.

t-bones chophouse.

Station Casinos has proven it is dedicated to the steakhouse. Starting with Austin's at the Texas Station and continuing with the Charcoal Room at Santa Fe Station and Hank's at the Green Valley Ranch Resort, these guys have clearly made the decision to upgrade the typical dining offerings at your friendly neighborhood casino. And with the Red Rock Resort, they broke the mold in off-the-Strip niceness, an endeavor that translates into the property's restaurants as well. The crowning achievement is T-Bones Chophouse.

Though unfortunately named, the restaurant would not be out of place in a luxury Strip resort. But that's pretty much the deal at Red Rock, the coolest joint in Vegas not on the Strip. Ultra-sleek in red, silver and black, the space is set off by a large oval bar boasting a fine selection of boozes. The dining room, divided by a large, glass covered fireplace, is upscale without losing warmth. The plush booths are cushy enough that you'll have a hard time sliding out after a satisfying meal. Out back, on the patio, another bar serves up plenty of patrons gathered around a fire pit eyeballing the decadent pool area and neighboring Cherry nightclub space. And this steakhouse serves our favorite vegetarian meal, blue cheese stuffed olives in your martini.

The menu offers traditional steak options; fish dishes of salmon, swordfish, scallops, lobster, dover sole, ahi tuna, and whatever is special that night; rotisserie chicken; a pork chop; a veal chop; and for couples, rack of lamb and Chateaubriand. The beef, aged 48 days, is done very well if not perfectly, a nice char outside and of course your choice of temp inside. The Scottish salmon on a recent visit was incredible and large.

Salads, starters and side dishes are equally delicious. The Caesar is fine but the trademark Steakhouse salad is T-Bones' version of the chop, with bacon and a smooth white French dressing. Potato options, one of our favorite things about the classic steakhouse, run the complete gamut from horseradish mash to fries, tots with truffles to a baked sweet potato. Yes to all.

T-Bones success is not altogether surprising. This is a billion dollar resort. But for the residents of the affluent Summerlin community enveloping it, and other people who live out in these burbs, it is something dreamt of for years: a great steakhouse close to home, a consistently awesome meal off the Strip.

sensi.

The phrase "all over the place" usually does not apply to highly successful restaurants. Many
a restaurant has died a quick death due to a wildly experimental menu, or an attempt to blend too many styles and cuisines into one seamless experience.

The fact that Sensi pulls off that "all over the place" menu, incorporating Italian, Asian and
Indian tastes along with traditional American steak and seafood dishes, is one of two primary factors that make it so unique. The other is the striking decor, which combines carved stone, water, wood and metal into a peaceful and enjoyable setting (No wonder -- it's designed by acclaimed Japanese firm SuperPotato). Imagine if the Flintstones constructed an incredibly upscale day spa, and you're having lunch there. And the food is good.

Executive chef Martin Heierling, born in Germany, raised in New Zealand and educated all
over, gets the credit for the eccentric menu, which is squarely portioned off into categories.
You can stick to Asian, if you like, by starting with Thai chicken and cilantro soup and finishing with miso-glazed sea bass. Or if you're in the mood to sample from the Little Italy section, try a Pizza Margherita from the wood-fired oven with a roasted beet and arugula salad. There's also a strong raw bar from which to order oysters, clams, crab legs or live Santa Barbara prawns. And the beef selections are more than respectable, highlighted by an American Kobe beef tenderloin and a wonderfully tender braised short rib.

For what seems like a pretty fancy joint in Bellagio, still one of the fanciest joints on the Strip,
the service at Sensi is comfortable and friendly. On one of our trips here, we took a break from devouring the short rib to notice that our vegetarian companion was being supplied with an off-the-menu veggie curry dish that turned out to be one of the most delicately delicious things we've tried here. A little touch like that goes a long way in the competitive world of Strip dining.

There are newer restaurants in newer hotels, and there are plenty of more trendy eateries that blend cuisines. But Sensi should not be forgotten. Instead, it should be remembered as a
relaxing retreat from all the noisy hipness.

INTERVIEW: Mario Batali

Besides being one of the most recognized chefs in the world, Mario Batali has a stake B&B and Enoteca San Marco at the Venetian and CarneVino at the Palazzo.

Your newest Vegas restaurant is Carnevino at the recently opened Palazzo resort. Why did you decide to open your first steakhouse, and how did you settle on this approach?
Mario Batali: I love the simplicity of the steakhouse experience but always felt short of options eating at one. We combined perfect American beef with the magnificence of the Italian table and came up with Carnevino.


Your other Vegas eateries are B&B and the more casual Enoteca San Marco, both in the Venetian resort. How do those menus and dining experiences play off each other?
Each has its own feel, menu, chef and style. The most casual is Enoteca, which is open all day for anything from an elaborate four-course meal to a simple pizza and a gelato. B&B is the full magilla for dinner only and is a bit more formal and ambitious, along the lines of our flagship Babbo in New York City.


You chose to expand your empire into Las Vegas after the celebrity chef wave had been in full swing for several years. Was that intentional, or what influenced the timing of Mario Batali in Vegas?
It took us a long time to find the right place and deal ... Rob Goldstein and Lou Silvestri had a lot to do with it. We do not like the idea of a licensing agreement so we actually own the restaurants with the Venetian and really enjoy the collaboration.


Do you spend much time in Las Vegas? Do you get to try other restaurants?
I am there every six weeks and almost never leave the Venetian and Palazzo, except to play golf.


How would you describe the culinary reputation of Las Vegas versus a more established dining city like New York?
Vegas is in the top three gastrodestinations in the country due to the incredible variety of options and the serious nature of the competition.


You've been popping up lately on a lot of episodes of "Iron Chef America." If you could battle one chef, who would it be?
Tetsuya (Wakuda, Japanese-born chef based in Australia).


What is your newest project, or what is keeping you busy right now?
Right now I am chilling for the bulk of the summer with my wife and kids. In the last 16 months we have opened five restaurants, I shot my new TV show for PBS in Spain with Gwyneth Paltrow and I wrote two books. I am gonna work on my short game for a month or two.

INTERVIEW: Todd Clore

Todd Clore is chef/owner of Todd's Unique Dining in Henderson.

You've worked all over and created a very eclectic career before settling in Vegas. Is there any one place that has impacted you most as a chef?
Todd Clore: Everywhere I've worked has affected me in some part or another. My whole career has been high-end fine dining, and I've tried to take what they gave me and really push the boundaries every place I've been. We've always tried to purchase the best products we can find, and that's something I've never changed. Now, with my own restaurant, I figure it's only up to me to screw it up. I buy absolutely the best. That's my whole philosophy. As long as I do my thing, respect the ingredient, cook it naturally and simply and present it beautifully, my job is done. I've always done it that way.


Why did you decide to open Todd's Unique Dining in Henderson?
I moved to Henderson in 1995 and just fell in love with the place. I have a family, I have two kids, and it was and is a great place for us. The problem was I like to eat, and there really wasn't any place in Henderson to eat. I still don't think there is very many. You don't want to take your kids and go to the Strip. So we have our restaurant and it's close by, and we've had a lot of friends and neighbors, even in the beginning, that have discovered us and kept coming.


So how do you think Henderson stacks up with other parts of town, off the Strip, when it comes to dining?
I guess it ends up depending on the people who are making the big decisions, the guys opening multi-billion dollar hotels and shopping centers. That has been the deciding factor on where the restaurants go around our neighborhoods. There are some great restaurants in a place like Summerlin, but if you look at the rest of the offerings, it's really become a mecca for corporate dining. Everything is chains. And Henderson is like that as well, when you look at what has developed in areas like Green Valley Ranch and Anthem. If you're looking for true, independent restaurants that have lasted, there are maybe 20 in town. But I really like our area. It's friendly. We have great clientele, and we get tourists, too. Most of our clientele is coming from within five minutes of here, but we get tourists, too, and that comes with building a destination restaurant. I guess the Green Valley Ranch area might be the center of dining in Henderson, but when I moved here, it was this area. This was where everything was happening.


Your restaurant certainly has received its share of acclaim. How do you describe its style and cuisine?
We call it unique not to be pompous, but honestly because we didn't know what else to call it. I get in modes where I just fall in love with an ingredient or a cuisine, and you'll see it all over the menu, whether it's something Thai or French. You'll see a lot of different expressions of that, and then I'll tire of it and go somewhere else. It is kind of a fusion. You're going to see a lot of the continental offerings you might see elsewhere, rack of lamb, fish, a filet. But we assure you it will be prepared uniquely and very well in that realm. By that I mean if it's a French dish, it's going to be really French. We like to give our clientele a lot of options, the food is going to be tasty and we're not afraid to use bold flavors.

Has the menu or the restaurant changed much over the years?
I'm rewriting the menu every day. I had some guests recently that came in eight days in a row, and I don't think they had the same thing for dinner twice. That's something that's not really possible at other restaurants. I'm taking them different places. And our changes are really based on the seasons. Heirloom tomatoes just came back in so we're going to do a couple different things with heirlooms. Same with soft shell crabs, but I'm blowing through those as fast as I can get them. And when the season ends, it's over. When halibut season is over, I won't serve halibut again until it comes back up to our standards. Nothing is frozen. We won't do anything that's not in season. I don't do that. The quality isn't where I want it to be so I'll take it off the menu until it is. And I think that gives our customers a lot of confidence that if we have it, it's going to be good. And it gives us the opportunity to showcase different things.


How does running your own restaurant compare to cooking on the Strip?
A little slice of heaven, whatever that may be, that's what owning your own restaurant is like. I did 10 years hard time and that was enough for me. I say that as a joke, but working for a big corporation like that is kind of like being on a big boat in the middle of the ocean. There are 300 people driving that thing but no one is making their own decisions. In a hotel environment on the Strip, it's hard to change anything. By the time you get all the VP's signatures and all that junk, the year is up and you might as well be running the same menu. I ran the Sterling Brunch at Bally's for nine and a half years, and that was my saving grace because I changed that menu every week. We seldom repeated anything, and that was the only thing that kept me going. I kind of got to be the independent guy in the corporate environment, and without that I wouldn't have lasted. It's just not my style.


Where do you take people to impress when you get visitors from out of town?
I take people to the Strip. I take them for the architecture and for the grandeur. Most of my friends are in the restaurant business and at a certain point you just go to look, see what's going on and have fun. There are some good places on the Strip and very few cities that have the type of dining we have there. We're very blessed with that. All it does is take everyone else's game up that much higher. What's phenomenal today will be passe' tomorrow. You've got the stars ... Picasso, Guy Savoy, Robuchon, Alex, all the big names like that. The next hotel to open will be Encore and you wonder what they'll do there. It's always a step up. It's a great place to be. But I just get to be this guy in Henderson. I love to get national attention. I get to feed all the GMs and chefs. I'm just doing my own thing and having fun, and I don't have to deal with all that crazy.

INTERVIEW: Tom Colicchio

Tom Colicchio's Vegas presence can be felt at MGM Grand's Craftsteak and 'Wichcraft restaurants.

Your presence on "Top Chef" has brought an amazing amount of exposure for you and your restaurants. What has that experience been like? And what can the audience expect from the upcoming season?
Tom Colicchio: It's definitely, clearly brought our restaurants to a new customer base outside of those that knew about me or the restaurants before, and you can see how TV has done that for everybody, Emeril, Mario, Bobby Flay. It's just such a wide exposure, and that's probably the only argument I could make for doing it. I wasn't so keen on it from the start, but I knew at the time that I was expanding out of New York City and it would be important to figure out a way to get the name out there. As for the new season, all I can say is it was shot in Chicago. That's really all I can tell you.


Do you feel like the experience portrayed on the show is indicative of just being in the industry, being a chef, or is it too glamorized?
Well, it is entertainment. It is a show. But any person who has been on the show who has lasted a few weeks will tell you it's one of the hardest things they've ever done. Some of the challenges are very much like what you'll find in a kitchen and some aren't meant to be. Not everything on the show has a bearing on real life but it is a competition, everyone has the same limitations, and it really does test one's skills.


You were certainly known before "Top Chef." How do you feel about the label of celebrity chef?
I hate it. I hate that label. You don't say "celebrity actor," or "celebrity rock star." I mean, yes, I had some experience with that before the show. I had been going on the Today Show a couple times a year. But I really don't know what the qualifications are for that title. I got into this business probably 30 years ago because I love food and I love to cook. I tell young chefs -- in fact I said this at a commencement speech I gave well before "Top Chef" -- I said if you are getting into this because you want to be the next Emeril, then apologize to your parents right now for wasting their money because it's not going to happen. It has to be for the love of food. I think a really good question we need to ask is what is a chef, because it doesn't mean you're on TV and it doesn't mean you're a cook. Chef means boss. If you're running a kitchen, you're a chef. If you're a TV cook or you're a cooking instructor on TV, that is completely different. There are a lot of great chefs that want to be guest judges on the show, and they are great chefs, but for one reason or another they're not right for TV. I don't really know why. I don't know why I'm on the show, I just know they picked me because they thought I was telegenic for some reason. I don't know why. So that's why I'm always kind of cynical about it. But that being said, I love what we do on the show, I think we choose the best contestant every year, and there is no pressure from the producers or anyone else to pick a certain someone despite what everybody believes. The day they tell us we have to pick someone for any reason other than our judgement is the day I do my last show. But I think it's fun and entertaining, and I think it does illuminate what happens in a kitchen to people who otherwise wouldn't get to see. I've had a lot of people come up to me and say they never looked at food that way before seeing the show. But I also have people come up to me with other comments. When we opened in L.A. I had a woman come up to me and say "You're really a chef?" Yeah! Or when you send a person off the show, eliminate someone people really like, they say, "Who is this guy? Who is this guy we've never heard of before?" What can you say, you know? Go home and google me. But I get a kick out of it most of the time.


With all you have going on, how much time do you get to visit Vegas and check in on things at Craftsteak at MGM Grand?
Actually I was there for four days last week. But I spend all my time at the restaurant. In the six years I've had a restaurant in Vegas, I've been to maybe 10 restaurants there. This time we spent some time at (Wynn Las Vegas) so I got to try a couple there, Bartolotta and another one.


What did you think of Bartolotta?
I loved it. Paul (Bartolotta) is just a fabulous cook. I've known him for a while, and I love what he's doing there because it's a true Italian experience. He's bringing in all his fish from the Mediterranean. It's amazing.


What is your general impression of the Vegas dining scene and its development?
Well, again, I travel so much and when I do, it's all about spending time in the restaurant so I don't really get out much. But Las Vegas is amazing. I say it's the second best city for eating because I'm still kind of partial to New York since I'm from there. But Vegas is absolutely deserving of that reputation. When I first was going about opening a restaurant at MGM Grand, I told Gamal Aziz (then MGM president) -- and he's about the best person to work with because he came up in food and beverage -- that I can't open a restaurant somewhere unless there's a real community. I want to cook for regulars. And the idea was that you can't have that in Vegas, because of the tourists, it doesn't exist. And he said that's not the case. That's why from day one things have worked there and we've been able to move forward and it's still doing well. You can build that in Vegas. You know, I want the guys who come in for conventions for a week to eat on Monday and then say "I want to come back to Craftsteak" a day later. That's why it's still busy, because we treat it like a real market. And there are so many professionals in that town, going out, checking things out. I wish I could spend more time there. It's all there, and it's real.