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.

locals don't go to the strip.

This is flank steak, fried eggs and oyster mushrooms on a roll from 'Wichcraft in MGM Grand. It's pretty awesome. This is the same luscious beef they're dishing up at Craftsteak just a few steps away, and it's not even the best sandwich at 'Wichcraft. But it is further proof that the best friendly little neighborhood gourmet sandwich shop in town just happens to be on the Strip.

Let's extrapolate that last sentence.

I'm asked often, by those new to Las Vegas, just visiting or contemplating the city from afar, how much time I spend on the Strip. The answer is: not as much as I'd like. Living in Vegas and keeping to the suburban cityscape is an interesting concept to outsiders, especially when they learn how common it is. You can have a perfectly normal life here. I don't have to go to the Strip if I don't want to. Locals say things like this all the time, with an odd amount of pride. Not me.

Don't misunderstand. There are great benefits here that have nothing to do with tourism and the wondrous amenities the industry provides, with convenience at or near the top of the list. But if you take the Strip out of Vegas, where does that leave us? Phoenix? That glimmering four miles on Las Vegas Boulevard contains some of the best hotels, entertainment, food and shopping in the world. Why wouldn't you go there as much as you can?

For my part, I can't get enough of the Strip and its insane restaurant offerings. It's more difficult to find great food sprinkled around the Vegas Valley because everything is so spread out, and rarely do you find a true jewel in the neighborhood. The impossibly dense concentration of fantastic dining on the Strip can't be replicated anywhere else in the world, and even the majority of older or lesser known restaurants are above average at worst. Any local who doesn't take advantage of these offerings is simply missing the point. Come on ... it's not that far. It's not cheap but there's something for every wallet, and these days there is tremendous value to be found. Just walk through one of the big casinos and marvel at all the affordable, limited-time prix fixe menus. If it all feels too fancy for you, hit a mid-level joint like TI or New York-New York; the food and fun is still better than the Chili's around the corner from your house. Get in your car, valet it, and act like someone who's in Vegas, for fuck's sake.

I've lived here for years, but I still understand that for those of you who don't, Vegas is a dream. For most of the people who call this place home, it's unrealistic, overwhelming or just too strange to attempt to live in that dream. But for others, it's too powerful to ignore. What a waste, to have total access to an experience so many others clamor for, travel for, save their shrinking paychecks for, an experience you can customize to your own personal perfection, but you just let that experience pass you by on a daily basis. Why fight gravity?

I'd like to point out that this blog entry was once about a sandwich.

craftsteak.

On TV, Tom Colicchio comes off stern, maybe a little mean, but always very serious as the head judge on the popular Top Chef competition reality show. In the restaurant world, he’s known as a serious chef and a champion of pure simplicity. You will understand that approach when dining at his Las Vegas outpost, Craftsteak, one of the premier steakhouses in the city.

Craftsteak opened in the MGM Grand in 2002, and although every resort on the Strip is doing and re-doing its version of the classic steakhouse, Colicchio’s remains among the best and most busy. From the entrance, it appears subdued, stuck in the middle of the long stretch of restaurants toward the back of the casino. But inside you’ll find warm, dark surroundings, everything you imagine a traditional steakhouse should be. The bar is comfortable and cool and offers one of the best whisky selections around. The dining room is much bigger than you think, done in shades of brown and gold with slight leather and metal accents. The Craft restaurant empire was born in New York and this restaurant maintains that metropolitan feel.

The service at Craftsteak is exquisite, among the very best we’ve ever encountered, and it really raised the experience to another level. Of course, beef is the thing here. Your best bet is to utilize one of the chef’s Wagyu sampling menus, choosing domestic or Japanese A5 and allowing the kitchen to thrill you. Wagyu is known for its intense marbling and the taste of this cow cannot be compared to the typical domestic restaurant steak you may be used to. We recently tried a 12-ounce Kobe-style Wagyu skirt steak, and when it arrived, cooked perfectly, it seemed like a lot more than 12 ounces. The rich, buttery taste – less beefy – was mind blowing, especially since there was no strange texture. It was hard to believe there was no butter involved in the preparation, but it’s true; remember, at Craftsteak, simplicity is the key.

You don’t have to go exotic here. Two sizes of filet, T-bone, porterhouse, flat iron, ribeye, sirloin strip … they’re all here, roasted or grilled, foreign or domestic. Deliciously salty braised shortribs, prime rib, and seafood options like lobster, prawns or diver sea scallops round out the entrée selection. Consistency is a given on this menu. The Caesar salad has anchovies. Charcuterie or fresh shellfish are first course options. The side dishes really impress, particularly the garlic and leek potato gratin.

There will never be a shortage of swanky steakhouses competing for your dollar on the Las Vegas Strip; it should be the official cuisine of Sin City. But no matter who lasts the longest or opens the newest joint, remember you’ll never be let down at Craftsteak.

fooled by mgm grand. west wing = boo.

The MGM Grand website describes its West Wing rooms as "sleek," "stylish" and "modern." It reminds you there's a Bose radio in here. I'll describe my West Wing room as "tiny," feeling like a "space-age coffin," and equipped with a "broken telephone." And I'd like to remind you there's no fucking bathtub in here.

That's not to say that a weekend at the MGM was a total wash, or that a stay in the West Wing was uncomfortable. But in the pantheon of recently remodeled, modernized hotel rooms on the Strip, these are particularly unimpressive, especially since the rates for this weekend were about the same for a room in the Grand Tower of the same resort. The high points were the big robo-shower, a cozy bed and quick access to Las Vegas Boulevard without having to tromp through the entire casino (particularly important since we were back-and-forthing it to the Monte Carlo for two days). A room service order of bacon cheeseburger and Asian chicken salad at 3 a.m. was delicious but not easy to fully enjoy without enough space to afford the rolling food cart. Another low point was walking into the room for the first time and being greeted by the toilet before all else. "Design rules," says the website. Ha.

The West Wing bar (pictured) should have been a cool urban haven between the walkabouts, but in the daytime, thanks to the red glass doors that lead from here to the ultra-tacky Grand Canyon Experience mega-gift shop next door, this bar is where tired fat people go to die. The sandals-with-socks crowd, no doubt exhausted from Strip walking, sneak in here to find comfy couches and it's all over. Needless to say, this is not what you want to see when you come off the elevator, on the way to dinner, looking for a nice hip drinkhole. Fix this, MGM. All it takes is a big broom.

Elsewhere on the property, margaritas, taquitos, salsas and queso fundido are top-flight at Diego, the pink and somewhat forgotten restaurant at the back of the Studio Walk. Even better is the fried egg, bacon and bleu cheese sandwich at Wichcraft, one of the best hangover meals ever consumed. And the pool -- or more appropriately, collection of pools littered with spiked Slurpee distribution centers -- should get a good grade as well, even though there weren't enough spaces to lounge on Sunday. Despite this being the opening weekend for dayclub Wet Republic, the douchebaggery was minimal. With that egg sandwich in your guts, perfect spring sunshine on your body, and an orange frozen mess tasting of rum and mint in your hand, you really can't complain. The MGM has plenty to offer, but next time I'm sampling I'll get a suite.

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.