mediterranean fisticuffs, northwest vs. southeast.

Today we pit two popular, expanding restaurants against each other, two favorites in their respective neighborhoods. In the northwest part of town, Market Grille Cafe is something of the default champion of Greek-Mediterranean cuisine. There really is no competition. When this store popped up in the Centennial Center a few years back, its healthy menu and simple, tasty food won over the neighbors and a few local critics, and earlier this year MGC opened a second location on Lake Mead Boulevard in a venue formerly known as Pei Wei. This larger, more comfortable restaurant is thriving.

The cuisine here isn't the most authentic Greek in Vegas, but it hits all the familiar notes: those ambiguously beloved dips of hummus, satziki and babaganoush; the imported saganaki cheese; the rice-stuffed grape leaves known as dolmas or dolmades; fried falafal patties in various forms; spanakopita, or spinach and feta pie in filo pastry; and a wide assortment of fresh salads. One of my favorite dishes here is the simple and hearty mousaka -- ground beef, eggplant and potato casserole. Overall, Market Grille Cafe is serving a healthy and affordable alternative to whatever you're taking home for dinner, and while the flavors won't blow you away, the food is consistent and gets the job done.

There's something similar going on way over in Henderson, only better. The Olive Mediterranean Grill and Hookah Lounge (also getting set to expand, taking over the space next door to accommodate its growing crowd of young, hookah-loving lounge lizards) is the favorite Mediterranean spot of Henderson/Green Valley residents and has been for years. The menu here is smaller and more veggie-oriented, highlighted by big, colorful salads, satisfying lentil soup, and simple sandwiches of spicy chicken or beef in pita pockets. Where MGC is a fairly slick, franchise-ready restaurant serving up Greek favorites, the Olive is more of a casual cafe where you meet friends for something light to eat, a few Lebanese beers and maybe a smoke.

But everything is better at the Olive. Hummus, that same old puree of garbanzo beans, is impossibly rich and creamy without being overly thick, and it actually tastes great, something we can't say about the hummus at most Mediterranean restaurants in town. Babaganoush somehow comes without the natural bitterness of eggplant. The grape leaves are moist and delicious, so tender and tasty that I forgot how dry my Syrian-Lebanese grandma's were. The Olive's falafel, an appealing green color and delicately crispy, is perfect in their wraps with fresh veggies and topped with a spicy jalapeno chutney.

No matter how simple the menu, the Olive is tops. Longstanding Las Vegas favorites serving this kind of cuisine can't really complete with these flavors.

INTERVIEW: Carlos Guia

Carlos Guia is executive chef at The Country Club at Wynn Las Vegas, and also known as the chef of the former Commander's Palace restaurant in the former Aladdin.

How did your path lead to Wynn Las Vegas in 2008?
Carlos Guia: I ran Commander’s Palace for seven years, opened it and closed it, and then I had the opportunity to open Louis’ Las Vegas and Louis’ Fish Camp (at Town Square). We had issues with the economy then, with opening on time. We paid a lot of money for overtime construction to make sure Louis’ would open on time, and it did, and then we sat there for five or six months until the mall picked up business. We had good reviews, good feedback from locals, but it was just time to move on. With everything going on, I knew I wanted to find a great property that appreciates food, backs their people, and just a good culinary environment where everyone appreciates what we do for a living. I was lucky to land a spot at SW Steakhouse with David Walzog, where I was chef de cuisine for eight months, and then I was very happy to move on to the Country Club.

How do the two steakhouses, Country Club and SW, coexist or work together within the same resort?
They offer very different environments, even if the cuisine is similar. David Walzog has his own style and I have my own style. The steaks may be similar and the method of cooking them, but when it comes down to appetizers, seafood and the rest of the menu, we both kind of put our own spin on things. SW is a little hipper, a little more upbeat, while we are more relaxed. Country Club has a very serene environment overlooking the golf course and the waterfall. When you walk into the room, you don’t feel like you’re in Las Vegas. It feels like some other place, just a different feeling. To have that on the Strip is something new. It’s completely relaxed.

How do you go about setting Country Club apart from so many other steakhouses on and off the Strip?
I just try to take all my past experiences, growing up in Venezuela, living in New Orleans, traveling in Europe and working in New York City, and let those experiences shine through. I have a pretty diverse background in cuisine. I have classical French training but I like to do my Southern American and Caribbean flavors. Of course, those Southern roots come through, and there are people who expect to see shrimp and grits or gumbo, so I like to work that stuff in when I can. In the summer we put a watermelon gazpacho on the menu to cool off, with the jumbo lump crab. And I think the foie gras gumbo is pretty special.

How does your experience working at Wynn compare to New York, New Orleans and other places in your background?
We all really care about what we do, and there is a good amount of freedom here to express ourselves through food. It's kind of like, here is the restaurant, what can we do with it? The mold was already here: it's a new American steakhouse. Luckily I have a diverse American cuisine background, and it's so varied and such a great palate to work with. I just came in and -- I don't want to say, did my greatest hits -- but looked at the menu to see how I could really make it my own, being nice and diverse, offering a great variety.

Commander's Palace was truly a great restaurant and a lot of people were sad to see it close. What happened, and was there a plan to re-open in Las Vegas?
I was in New Orleans working with the Brennans for about three years, I left for two, and they asked me back to open Commander's Las Vegas. This was in 1999, and I thought, I'm not sure about Las Vegas. The second or third time they asked, I looked into it more seriously. It was still very up-and-coming then. Bellagio had opened, and the Venetian was on the way in. It was developing a lot more. So how could I say no to a world class restaurant with so much trust in me? I took the opportunity. Then the whole situation with (closing) and the Aladdin's bankruptcy ... there were a lot changes in management, and it was pretty early on, about three years in, that we decided as a group to see if there was a better place to be. But it took too long, about four years, to get out of the lease. There was a plan to re-open in early 2007, but at the time a lot of the rents were astronomical. We're talking $130 per square foot. It's really hard to make money at those levels. So I have to give it to the Brennans for knowing what they could do. They eventually opened Commander's in Destin, Florida. But they had been looking for a management contract, a hotel or restaurant group that wanted to use them as a flagship restaurant and let them run it. It didn't happen. But I still talk to Brad Brennan all the time, he still lives in Las Vegas, and he's still looking. Things are not the same as when we first opened. We had a great following, but it was a 350-seat restaurant and the plans were to scale that back so we'd be packed every night. It's hard to say now. But you never know.

How has the restaurant landscape changed in your time in Vegas? Do you think the poor economy will leave a lasting effect on Vegas' dining reputation?
It's definitely a place that’s growing every day, and there are still a lot of great chefs coming in. I've always enjoyed Las Vegas. After living in New York City for eight years, there are things I miss about that. But when I came here I learned there is a lot to do if you want to do it. But if you want to live in the suburbs, that's good here, too. I probably do a little bit of both. I like to do charity events, throw some support to local students and schools. I try to get out sometimes, but I also like my peace and quiet. As for the economy, that's a topic my friends and I have talked about a lot. There are a lot of different issues and expectations. But what we've decided is to keep pushing ourselves and make sure that when our guests come in, they are fully satisfied. People may not be spending as much but we still need to make them happy and make them want to come back. I don't know if the economy can ruin the city's reputation.

What do you think Las Vegas needs to continue to grow into a great restaurant city?
It's actually been growing a lot throughout the years, and I don't want to say it has slowed with the economy. I like the way neighborhood restaurants are coming up more, and it's a little more spread out instead of being concentrated just on the Strip. It's great to have different ethnic cuisines popping up instead of just French, Italian, and the steakhouse. Honestly, I don't get out to try restaurants as much as I should. When I get some time I like to spend it at home and do a little cooking with the kids. But the way I feel about food is definitely a passion, and I like to show that on a menu. I was just doing an interview the other day and talking about signature dishes, and I was saying you can call it a signature dish if you like but if it doesn't sell, it's not truly a signature. At Country Club, we'll bend over backwards to make a guest happy. If people are in the mood for something new, this is the place to be because we'll do whatever we can. As long as we have the capability, anything's possible.

the odd burgers of blt.

We've been to eat at BLT Burger in the Mirage a few times now, and it has been pleasant each visit. But what initially seemed to set the place apart from its upscale burger shop competition -- namely the interesting blend of beef in its signature burgers and off-the-wall options like a lamb tandoori burger -- provided nothing but disappointment during a Labor Day weekend trip to the Strip.

In a fine and festive mood after a few tropical cocktails on the Rhumbar patio, we took our normal seats at BLT's bar and perused the menu, destined to experiment. Would it be that weird lamb burger, with mint-cilantro yogurt sauce? Sounded a little scary. Maybe a salmon burger with avocado and watercress? Too soft. We decided on two crazies: the Asian "banh mi" pork and shrimp burger with pickled veggies, cucumber and sriracha mayo, and the Tex-Mex, beef with jalapenos, chili, avocado, salsa, cheese, and onion sour cream.

Wrong on both. Sounds like that Tex-Mex has way too much shit on it to actually taste the burger, huh? Yup. The chili was kinda bland, there was corn in it (which is fine but a little weird spilling out of your burger) and the only definitive taste was the heat from the jalapenos. That interesting blend of beef is a combination of sirloin, chuck, brisket and short rib, a tasty concoction with enough fatty flavor and beefy goodness. But it's so lost under this pile of mush. The Asian burger (pictured) was a different problem; the firm shrimp and pork patty held up but the toppings were useless. There was no sign of sriracha in this saucy mess, the radish and carrot were only slightly pickled and there was no spice, removing any similarity to our beloved banh mi sandwiches. The consistency of the burger was problematic as well. It reminded me of a kitchen accident from long ago, when my household was given the gift of elk. A friend had shot one and had it butchered into various forms: ground elk, steaks, jerky, elk sausage, etc. One day, craving burger, I grabbed one of the unmarked meat packages in my freezer, thawed and cooked one up, and when I chomped into it I realized it was sausage, not burger. It doesn't work, nor does this Asian burger. Odd flavor, odd texture, no good. On the plus side, BLT's sweet potato fries and onion rings are tasty.

Now, the fancy burger joint rankings look like this: 1-Burger Bar, 2-BLT, 3-LBS, 4-StripBurger.