best of the best? the strip's top dining destinations.

First thing's first: this lovely image here is the badass benedict at ZoozaCrackers, the deli inside Wynn Las Vegas. Forget about an English muffin. This sucker is built on an authentic, savory potato latke, stacked with house-made pastrami and corned beef, then Swiss cheese, poached egg and Russian dressing. If you are skilled enough to get a bite with each component, it's a pretty amazing mouthful. It's just one of the specialty dishes at Zooza, one of the more overlooked restaurants at Wynn, and it's absolutely delicious. Even in a pair of resorts with spectacular brunch offerings, it's hard to imagine a better midmorning nosh than this satisfying benny.

So I'm thinking about (and eating at) Wynn and Encore lately, because there's been a lot of change 'round here, and a lot of talk that the dining at these two beautiful Strip resorts are slipping. The closure of Alex Stratta's restaurant Alex is the catalyst for this theory, but there have been other developments. Combined with the big foodie impact of the Cosmopolitan's opening in December, these changes have me returning to one of the great debates of the Vegas Strip: Which resort has the best restaurants? It's definitely a loaded question, but it's still fun to think about. And I don't think it's fair to limit this question to single hotels, because Wynn and Encore are the same, Venetian and Palazzo are the same, and CityCenter is essentially a single destination. So I'm grouping things together where they make sense.

What makes a great dining destination in Vegas terms? You must offer a diversity. Every casino has a top-notch steakhouse, but what about French and Asian food? Got Mexican? There must be great casual munchies as well as amazing high-end stuff, and the highest of the high-end needs to be a once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience. This is Vegas; it's all or nothing. Quantity of good restaurants is not as important as quality of those restaurants.

And so with lots of "research" and a belly full of Wynn pastrami, I say behold: The Top 6 Dining Destinations on the Las Vegas Strip, according to me. Enjoy. Seriously, go enjoy. (Note: Sure, we can argue about this if you want.)

6. Cosmopolitan. Notable dining: Blue Ribbon, China Poblano, Comme Ca, D.O.C.G., Estiatorio Milos, Jaleo, Scarpetta, STK.

5. Wynn/Encore. Notable: Bartolotta, Country Club, Sinatra, Society Cafe, Stratta, SW Steakhouse, Tableau, Wazuzu, Wing Lei.

4. MGM Grand. Notable: Craftsteak, Fiamma, Joel Robuchon, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Nobhill Tavern, Seablue, Shibuya.

3. CityCenter. Notable: American Fish, Bar Masa, Jean Georges Steakhouse, Julian Serrano, Lemongrass, Mozen Bistro, Sage, Sirio, Social House, Twist.

2. Caesars Palace/Forum Shops. Notable: Beijing Noodle No. 9, Bradley Ogden, Joe's Stone Crab, Mesa Grill, Payard, Rao's, Restaurant Guy Savoy, Spago.

1. Bellagio. Notable: Circo, Jasmine, Le Cirque, Michael Mina, Noodles, Picasso, Prime Steakhouse, Sensi, Yellowtail.

INTERVIEW: Alex Stratta

Alex Stratta is was executive chef at Alex and Stratta in Wynn Las Vegas. He previously operated the former Renoir in the Mirage.

 What is new at Alex?

Alex Stratta: About two months ago we changed the menu format a little, bringing in the new market menus. So that makes our format into three different categories: the tasting menu, the prix fixe and then market menus, which are limited offerings. We made it so that instead of swinging between a whole bunch of stuff, we're really focusing specifically on the market, that's what's driving everything. And the cherry on top is that we change it every day or so depending on the markets in L.A. I met a lady who’s a forager. She's been working for 20 years hooking up small growers and farmer's markets up and down the California coast, really finding the best of the best. It's stuff you've never seen before. It's stuff I’ve never seen before, like fingerling limes, which are black on the outside, and the inside is like little pearls of caviar. It's a special citrus, and we're finding stuff like this, so exclusive it's basically grown in someone's backyard. So we're finding ways to feature things like those. We get a couple days advance to plan when we get the list of what's coming. It's really motivating my chefs and helping the development of this program, which is all about creating an exceptional and unique experience.

Working with farmer's markets is not necessarily new to Vegas restaurants, although it seems to be catching on quickly on the Strip. It sounds like these market menus are a little more exclusive.

It's definitely ultra-specific. We are one of her few accounts. It gives us the flexibility of doing whatever we want and changing whatever we want to. We can take ingredients like these and either keep it simple or put them in an unusual combination, maybe with a rare type of seafood. We can find incredible cherries from one farm, endive from another, and maybe you'll have them with grouse from Scotland. Whatever we are working with, we are keeping it within the scope of the cuisine. We don’t veer too much from basic French and Italian tradition. I will introduce Asian product but it's always executed with classical technique and the same thought process. Every chef says "I put my own spin on it," but really what we're talking about is getting back to basics, getting the best ingredients in their season done as simply as possible.

Has that thought process or mission changed over the years, or did you change your mission when you came from Renoir to create Alex at Wynn Las Vegas?

That's an interesting question. I think the mission has become even more solidified. When I first came to Vegas to work with Mr. Wynn at the Mirage, what I wanted to do was the finest, high-end, European-style fine dining. I was talking about five stars, and he wasn’t very aware of that stuff. He was introduced quickly when his hotel got five stars. But I told him that’s what I wanted to do, and through the years we went through everything and really accomplished the goals we wanted to achieve. When I heard he was opening this hotel, I made a phone call and said, "If you are doing fine dining there, I’m your guy, I want to take this to the next level." And of course, we were speaking the same language. We both wanted to outdo ourselves. We needed a bigger, grander stage than Renoir. Alex provided that. We were off and running as soon as we opened in May, We got our five stars in September or October, just knocked it out of the park. I give the credit to the staff but also to Mr. Wynn’s commitment to what we were doing. It's just getting better and more refined now. Business is starting to pick up again. Everybody took a beating last year, especially in high end. It was a challenge. But luckily, we have the Wynn brand and that gives us opportunities. And I have a tremendous crew. Devin (Hashimoto, chef de cuisine at Alex) has been working with me for many years now, and he has developed his own style within what we do. The repertoire has grown to full, we work on ideas together, and the process unfolds naturally. It's great. It's so important to have other ideas, and when you have guys like this working with you, you can’t say no. The enthusiasm we have is just getting better. 

Is it difficult to maintain a balance between fine dining at Alex and the more casual Italian restaurant Stratta when both are on the same property? 

At first I tried the balance but I soon realized they are two different animals and have to be approached in completely different ways. My involvement, the basics of quality food and service, genuine hospitality and efficiency, all that is the exact same language. But as far as what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, what Alex means to the hotel and what Stratta means, there are two different dynamics. For me as restaurateur, as chef, it teaches me a lot. I'm still sticking to my basic fundamentals, focusing on ingredients and consistency. But as an entrepreneur, you're talking about a restaurant that does 12 million a year and 600 covers a day versus one that does 5 million at 70 or 80 covers a day. We have had times when we've done 70 covers at Alex and made as much as doing 500 at Stratta. But it's always about hospitality. For me, it’s the same passion.

Were you concerned with the transition from fine dining to the lower price point and different dynamic at the Italian restaurant?

I’ve worked in fine dining my whole career, and that’s what people are expecting when they come to my restaurants. For me, it was just showing flexibility, maybe a lighter side, and not taking myself too seriously as a chef. Not everything has to be this whole process of "let’s see what I can do to push myself to the fullest." What is it that people want to eat? What if I could create that place that would be the place go to with family if you just want a pizza? I think a chef has to have room for that in his repertoire. A lot of chefs are doing casual now, but I didn’t do it because of everybody else. It was an opportunity to show it's not all about foie gras and truffles all the time. Whether it's a coffee shop or fine dining, you have to have the basics in order to diversify and grow. I was executive chef at a hotel that ran nine restaurants, so I had that diversity in my background. I kinda wanted an Italian version of Alex at a little more casual level, but as we understand the guest, people like stuff they are familiar with, so let's do the best representation of that familiar food we can do. We came to a happy medium, and the place is incredibly successful.

Some Vegas chefs have a hard time finding that happy medium, being able to do what they need to do while still addressing the taste level of the guests. 

I certainly didn't think I'd ever be doing chicken alfredo pasta, but you know, I have no problem giving people what they want. Just do it well. I think it comes with maturity as a chef. And I get to have it both ways. I can get my kicks at Alex. They are two different worlds, and I'm proud of what we accomplish at both. I'm very proud of the service at Alex.

You've been in Las Vegas for 12 years now. What do you think is coming next?

On a micro level, I’d say more late night dining availability. A lot of places can look to the success and formula at the hotels that have that energy between nightclub and restaurant, like we have here at Wynn and Encore. Stratta is open late and does very well with the late-night crowd.

You probably have not had the time to explore restaurants at CityCenter, and now we've got the Cosmopolitan opening soon.

Citycenter, I have not been focused on at all. But I have twin 3-year-olds, so anything outside of work is, you know, headed that way. But I do know the food and beverage director at Cosmopolitan, who came up through ranks with me. I know what they’re trying to do over there, and I think that team is going to be very strong. They have a very organic approach to the whole thing. They're bringing in Jose Andres and Scott Conant. They are both the real deal and they will put out great restaurants. They’ll do well. I don’t know about the hotel, traffic, flow, all those things I couldn’t predict. I'm sure they’re on pins and needles. It's a good time to open and a bad time to open. Without a lot of people coming through, you can really get your wheels going, but you're not going to hit your numbers. The short term thinking would freak you out, but long term, it’s a good thing. You can pace yourself, and you can change things quickly. But I think Cosmopolitan will be a nice addition, a complement.

So where's the dining hot spot for twin 3-year-olds?

You would think we wouldn't be able to go eat at a lot of places, but they’re very adventurous. They eat sushi, and we go to Mexican restaurants.

You're kinda the Mexican food guru now. Since Las Vegas Weekly did a feature on your love for Los Antojos, you've got every foodie and critic loving that place.

Isn't that funny? I went to talk to that lady shortly after that happened, and I told her, "I wish I got that much press for my restaurant!" I feel like the pope when I go in there. I’m so happy for them, though. I suppose it is still a hole in the wall, but their food is just done really well. Actually it was introduced to me by a busser. I haven’t gone in a while.

So now you are in charge of finding the next great Vegas hole in the wall. Give me a good pick.

There are so many great ones in Chinatown, Raku, Monta. I'll tell you, I think I might have been to Pho So 1 five times in a week. It's great, very consistent. It's always good, and the service is great. And you know, you can’t even cook a meal for yourself for six bucks. It's amazing how low the prices are. I get the number 14. Just go and tell them you want the one Chef Alex likes. It's got the tripe and the tendon and all the good stuff chefs like to eat.

INTERVIEW: Jet Tila

Jet Tila is was executive chef at Encore's Wazuzu.

How did you become part of the Wynn-Encore stable of restaurants? Were you recruited, or how did it happen?
Jet Tila: I think it was 2007 and I was just doing my thing in L.A., teaching, moonlighting at different restaurants there, and I was doing a lot of consulting in those days. I got a cold call from Elizabeth Blau, and she was telling me I was on their radar. They wanted to do Pan-Asian at Encore. It was such a cold call that I really thought someone was messing with me. But I played it cool, I was going along with it. I wrote a menu concept and sent my resume and they called back and said, "Let's do a tasting." So now I know this is for real, so let's do it. The whole time I knew in my bones they were not going to hire me. I don't have the normal pedigree. I didn't spend 20 years at any restaurant. I've had a varied career so far: I was at the L.A. Times, I've been in management, I was at Bon Appetit. I've really kinda tailored my career to have fun and do these different things. I'm not a restaurant dog. So we did the tasting. It was like nine courses in 45 minutes, and everybody was there. I came in for two days with one day for prep, and I cooked my ass off. I was working out of Richard Chen's kitchen at Wing Lei and he was just an amazing resource and inspiration. So they told me to stay a little longer and I thought this might be for real. And I flew back to L.A. with a contract in hand. In my opinion, I think coming into it, I was not necessarily what they were looking for. It was more a matter of just leaving it all here. This was my one shot, and I wasn't really nervous because I didn't think they would hire me. I was able to just relax and cook.


Before that, what was your previous Vegas experience like?
It was from being a child and coming here with my family. I was one of the arcade kids who would get dropped off while the parents go to the casino. My dad was a big player in the '80s. Later on, like everyone else, I came out a couple times a year to party my ass off. As far as restaurants go, like most people, I think you see a lot of big names but never really felt like it was the exact same experience you'd get from those names in other cities, like in New York. Very few people really cook their asses off all the time, and now I understand more why. The numbers here are just crushing. Sometimes you have to tailor your approach in fine dining, and this is one of those places. You can be working in a great Michelin restaurant doing 80 a night, and then here you're doing 200 to 300. It's crazy. And you don't really understand it, the different approach, until you see it.


Traditionally, Asian restaurants on the Strip have been Chinese or sushi, and then more recently we've seen this all-encompassing Pan-Asian label a lot. With that in mind, how did you develop the menu and concept for Wazuzu?
I cook like what I lived in L.A. I'm a Chinese kid by blood, growing up in Thai restaurants, and I'm a total blend of the San Gabriel valley where I was born. There you've got Chinatown in the west, Thai-town, where I really grew up, and Little Tokyo. All of them are inspirations and part of my life experience. My angle on Pan-Asian is a little different. I've got these three cores that I'm super comfortable doing, and that has translated into some dishes you're not going to see anywhere on the Strip. Where are you going to see Nasi Goreng (a Malaysian fried rice dish) on the Strip? At the end of the day, I feel like I know Asian people and they want it hot and dirty, and they want it authentic and clean. This is not the place for fusion. I think that approach is dead or dying.


You've blogged about restaurant critics and would-be critics, and one of the reactions to Wazuzu and other ethnic restaurants on the Strip is that there is a certain amount of watering down that has to be done to the cuisine in order to appeal to the masses. Yet you seem like a purist. Do you feel like you have to compromise your cooking?
I think my heart is pure. But you really have to respect guys like Mr. Wynn who are going to give a kid a few million dollars to play with in terms of restaurants. It's a bigger problem I have with reviewers sometimes. At the end of the day, our bosses know their market. If I cook the first menu I wrote for this restaurant, 40 percent of the dishes are going to get returned. It's a little too foreign, a little too weird. I think I'm one of the few white coats who has seen it from both sides, and I sympathize with both sides of this ballgame. Chefs need to understand that writers need something to write about. Writers need to understand it's not easy to build a restaurant. We spend all that money, and we have to recoup that. Now, we see it's coming to a point in time where we, the chefs and restaurants, have a voice, and that's on the internet. Back in the day, critics would throw something out there, and the restaurants would never have the chance to respond.  But going back to the food, I think I'm as authentic as I can be for my property. I'm definitely somebody who fights for my food. There is integrity in my food, and if you're an honest and traveled diner, you can pick apart my menu and say, "I get it." If you're just going to do a snapshot review, you can pick apart anybody. And as far as working with managers, there's always this line where you're going to push and pull with each other. They're giving me a voice so even when they reign me in, I can understand why. I wanted to do stuff like little suckling pigs here. Everyone raves about Momofuku, and I naively wanted to create something like that. But that doesn't work here. That can't work when you have more of a captive audience instead of regulars. 

You still write, you blog, you pop up in a lot of articles and at events, and you have become pretty active in the restaurant community in Las Vegas in a short time. How important is that to developing your restaurant and your brand?
There is some calculation there. I feel like anyone who is good at what they do understands that it's important in this day and age to embrace technology and good marketing and public relations. It is genuine, for me, but I'm not going to lie and say I'm cool like that. I'll take advantage of any outlet possible to get my food out there, but I'm not going to be a jerk about it. I want to know who's who in my community and I try to stay plugged in to what's going on.


You've written a little about local places you like. Do you get to eat out a lot? And what are your Vegas favorites so far?
I'm like you. Most writers are genuine adventurers. Unfortunately I live in the culinary wasteland of Las Vegas known as Henderson. I mean, I love it where I live, but outside of Grimaldi's, Settebello and a few others, there's not a lot. Chinatown is amazing. In some ways it's bigger than the area I grew up in. It's vast, and it's going to take a long time to really get through it. My short list is Krung Thai, Raku is another one, KJ Kitchen for Cantonese, HK Harbor is another one. For Indian, I do Origin India. The naan bread there is some of the best I've had. It's always such a personal thing, what's good or bad. Pho So 1 is dope. I really don't get to eat on the Strip so much. Like so many in the corporate chef world, I'm taking a cut and eating on the Strip is so expensive. So that's my short list for now.

saturday at society.

My new favorite cocktail garnish: a large, plump shrimp, seasoned with spicy Cajun flavor dust, hanging on the side of the glass.

That's what comes on the Ragin' Cajun Bloody Mary at Society Cafe Encore, and it's a fine breakfast all by itself. It uses Absolut Peppar and has pretty traditional bloody mary flavors, except it substitutes Bayou seasoning for the typical Tabasco tang. It's special. It also goes nicely with the slightly charred tuna sliders with wasabi, shiso and cucumber (pictured). Our Saturday brunch at Kim Canteenwalla's already beloved restaurant (Society Cafe seemed the least significant of five new restaurants when Encore opened a little over a year ago, and yet it was the only Las Vegas representative in Esquire's Best New Restaurants 2009) also involved a bright chopped salad with havarti cheese and white balsamic-tarragon vinaigrette and some fried mac 'n cheese bites with a truffle oil dipping sauce. Overall, delightful. And it was hard to choose with a light egg white frittata, trio of quiche, and lobster roll club sandwich also on the lunch menu. Even more impressive, Society is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, it's nestled into a cozy corner of Encore's casino, and the handsome bar and dining room decor made me feel wealthy. It's the perfect weekend restaurant.

Our Saturday on the Strip also provided a sighting of that new Vegas wildlife species, the pizza boxer. Sure, I'd read about this beast in newspapers and magazines, heard it used over and over as an example of the kind of tourist the city should be getting used to. But to see one in person, in all its glory ... it's exciting. There were two of them, actually, both wearing NFL jerseys (it was a playoff day), holding hands walking past the Hermes store (seriously!), and the male was proudly floating three pizza boxes on his right hand. No sight of a wheeled Igloo cooler full of Miller High Life, though. Still, it was a zoo-like experience. Sorry I didn't take pictures.

All joking aside, I love Encore. It is hard to imagine a more perfectly designed resort. It is an easily navigated square, punctuated on the east by the serene pool and the adjacent Botero restaurant and wide, beautiful Eastside Lounge. (The west end is somewhat blocked off these days for construction of a new venue.) You get a glimpse inside each of the restaurants just by walking by, and there is always a brilliant bar/outstanding cocktail within reach. If Wynn Las Vegas is the culmination of Steve Wynn's casino-creating history, then Encore is the concentration of these lessons into a tighter package, one that melds a casual hipness with the ultra-lux details that make all the difference. I don't care if there's a bunch of bozos watching football in here. It's still great.

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.

encore. sushisamba. dos caminos.

I didn't think one Saturday would be enough to properly peruse the dining and drinking options in Encore, Wynn, Palazzo and Venetian, but we actually managed to cover quite a bit of ground.


While browsing menus at Encore, trying to decide where dinner would be taking place, a question struck: why don't these swanky Strip super resorts have cool little joints to stop in for a quick bite? Casino tapas bars. Where are they? The thought had little time to mature before we found what we were looking for: the Lobby Bar & Cafe. Like everything else here, it's red and gold. We took a seat a cozy little table surrounding a giant golden tree person statue. Don't you like how normal that sounds? This nook appears to be a place for coffee or cocktail, but it also serves perfect desserts and small plates. We shared a tapas tree consisting of three of them: tomato and mozzarella skewers, cheese and bacon croquettes, and prosciutto-wrapped, almond-stuffed dates. Also, we ordered a hummus sampler, which was actually a small tasting of hummus, creamed feta and completely non-bitter babaganoush. All bites were delicious and accompanied by mimosas and pear ginger martinis.


That was breakfast. Yes.


Before leaving Encore we stopped for an additional cocktail at the nearby Eastside Lounge, another cool place with a shitty name. This bar has lounge seating overlooking the pool, or outdoor patio seating right on top of the pool. The unseasonably warm weather took us outside. A munchies plate of homemade, greasy-but-good potato chips and spicy little Japanese cracker snacks arrived, and we drank weird drinks: a raspberry-tinted version of a French 75 (vodka and champagne) and a cherry-tinted Tom Collins. Encore, you are a good place to drinky.


Sticking with the theme of out with the old, we completely bypassed Wynn Las Vegas and moved on to Palazzo, wandering through expensive, empty shops. Despite the fact that it opened at a terrible moment in time, despite the fact the restaurants and nightclubs inside of it have already shuttered or been horrifically re-done, I have developed a strong affinity for this place. Not sure why.


For no reason, we decided our next stop would be SushiSamba, a restaurant I previously had no interest in. Think of it as a sort of mini-Tao: a menu with multiple personality disorder, a scattered, urban decor, and generally a place selling experience over food. But after a few of the best Caipirinhas I've tasted in Vegas, I'm ready to give this shit a try. To snack on, we ordered sweet coconut rice, black beans and crispy plaintains, and it was solid. Other dishes swing Asian or Latin, but overall the menu looked interesting enough.


After more walking and store gazing through the busy Grand Canal shops of the Venetian, we decided to come back through Palazzo and have dinner at Dos Caminos (pictured), a New York transplant and product of the same company behind Fiamma in MGM Grand (which is great). After weaving through the dark, hipster lounge, we found ourselves in a truly massive dining room that included a private space where a wedding reception was taking place. Other than that, business was light in the early Saturday evening. Started with the obligatory guacamole and asked for it spicy; it did not disappoint. Feeling the effects of a day spent boozing and noshing, we decided to keep it simple. Tacos.


On the menu, they were called Tacos en Cazuela. Chipotle chile roasted chicken tinga tacos came with corn done Mexico street-style, spicy slaw that was not very spicy and simmered pinto beans with a bacon kick. Tamarind braised beef shortribs tacos came with sweet potato croquettes and a useless zucchini salad. Both dishes were great, particularly the shortribs. The meat was tender and crazy rich. Dos Caminos is officially on the map and ready to challenge Border Grill for the title of Best Mexican Restaurant on the Strip.

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.

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.

bartolotta, one of a kind.

Paul Bartolotta is a very celebrated chef, and his seafood-centric Italian restaurant at Wynn on the Strip is, likewise, a very celebrated destination. But no matter the richness of the resort or the dining room or the Midwest legend’s reputation, it all comes down to the food. At Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, the food is delivered with simple elegance, in a manner reflecting the chef’s reverent respect of the region he’s trying to present to his fortunate diners.

Sure, it was named one of Esquire’s best new restaurants in 2005 and snagged the AAA Four
Diamond Award in 2006. And it earned Bartolotta another James Beard Award nomination,
even though he already won one in 1994. As grand as these accolades might be, and as
spectacular as the restaurant strikes you as you are lead through gold and rich red decor,
past columns and huge urns and down a dramatic spiral staircase to a light, plush dining room
overlooking serene waters, remember that this is a house built by a guy who loves what the
Italian seas have to offer. Yes, the place is a bank-buster, but it’s worth it with the consolation
that Bartolotta offers one of the most unique dining experiences in the city and an authentic
and creative twist on Italian food that the non-traveling American might never know.

Fish is the thing here, and it's sold whole by the gram. Seafood is delivered fresh daily, and
you don’t have to believe it because your server is going to bring you those whole, fresh fish
and shellfish on a giant silver tray and describe each of them in detail. The offerings change
frequently but sometimes include black striped bream, sea bass, turbot, spiny lobster, purple
snapper or John Dory. The preferred preparation is to roast the fish whole with a select few
seasonings, such as a white wine and clam broth, in order to bring out the subtle flavors, and
then serve them with a duo of simple but tasty sauces.

The menu is divided up in the traditional Italian manner, so you can run through your antipasti and pasta courses or mix and match. Antipasti selections are incredible and inventive, such as grilled cuttlefish with langoustines in a slightly minty tomato broth, or parmesan custard with basil, leeks and asparagus. Pasta dishes can be with or without seafood, including a creamy potato gnocci or a shellfish-laden risotto.

The presence of a restaurant like Bartolotta, and its success among the other fine options at
Wynn Las Vegas, only proves the evolution of the Vegas dining scene. A world-class, one-of-a-kind meal like this could only make sense in a one-of-a-kind place like ours.