last lunch at venetian/palazzo.

For someone who eats out as much as I do (way too much), I have surprising few regular dining companions. And now I have lost one. My friend and former colleague Lauren has run off to New York, and it's a big loss for lunching. She finished up her Vegas era working for the Venetian and Palazzo resorts, which meant that we did some serious work on the many restaurants in these two big, beautiful Strip properties.


We made some mistakes, just a few. We went to First Food & Bar and Grand Lux Cafe a few times too many, getting stuck in mediocrity. We didn't go to Bouchon enough, but that's not our fault; only recently has the place been open for a proper lunch. We had decent lunches at restaurants that should be visited at dinner, like Valentino and Pinot Brasserie. Wolfgang Puck's Postrio is okay, but straight across from it, Mario Batali's Enoteca Otto is better, with some of the best pizza and pasta around. And, to my surprise, the lasagna at Zeffirino is outstanding, as is pretty much everything at the quiet Zine Noodles & Dim Sum.

The last lunch was last week, and we closed our run at Emeril Lagasse's Table 10. This place is hidden in the second story shops in Palazzo, above the casino, between a closed space that used to be Woo pan-Asian and the genre-bending SushiSamba. If this sounds confusing, that's because it is. Many of the restaurants at Palazzo have struggled due to strange placement (see Restaurant Charlie, as in Trotter).


Table 10, despite the big name chef on the marquee, also has been somewhat forgotten, but that may be changing. The menu, described as a New Orleans eatery with market fresh ingredients, has taken a prominent turn toward the market. There's a nice little frisee salad with a poached farm egg, smoked bacon, parmesan reggiano and red wine vinaigrette with a mini brioche on the side (above pic). There are "snacks" on the lunch menu including candied North Country farm bacon, fried Great Lakes smelt with lemon mayo, and veal cheeks with wild mushrooms and fava beans. Sure, there is some heavy stuff, like these amazing Kurobuta baby back rotisserie ribs (pic) and a killer ribeye sandwich with grilled portobello and horseradish, but there's also seared tuna with a farro salad and some simple po-boy sandwiches. At dinner, there's Colorado beef and lamb, suckling pig porchetta from Iowa and Hawaiian snapper. Don't do like we did and eat way too much meat. Save room for dessert, since Emeril's spots always do sweets right: banana cream pie, coconut cheesecake, or a chocolate flourless cake with a Kona coffee milkshake.


You can't really eat your way through all the restaurants in these huge, bajillion-dollar hotel casinos. There are just too many great choices, and once you find some food you love and go back for more, that's one more missed opportunity, one more tally for the still-have-to-try-it list. It's a tough job, take it from me. I probably won't be dining frequently in the Venetian or Palazzo now that Lauren's gone, but I will return to Table 10. It's worth it.

lunching at enoteca san marco.

Update: The restaurant has changed it's name to Enoteca Otto.

Enoteca San Marco is the most approachable of superchef Mario Batali's three Vegas offerings. The newest, Carnevino, is a pricey Italian steakhouse in Palazzo, and the nicest, B&B, is the Vegas version of Batali's acclaimed NY spot Babbo, serving complex yet authentic cuisine from Venetian's casino-level restaurant row. ESM, just upstairs in the faux piazza of Venetian's Grand Canal Shoppes, offers that new Vegas classic of indoor alfresco dining. From this "patio," it's hard to ignore the European street performers, which could be good or bad for your dining experience. You could always seek refuge in the small but classy dining room.

The setting is perfect for the menu, which is designed to allow you to dabble in different wines (100 bottles under a hundred bucks), house-cured meats, imported Italian cheeses and interesting antipasti. You could spend forever on the cheeses, which are priced well for sampling at three for $14, five for $17, or seven for $21. Most of this artisanal formaggi won't be found elsewhere, so have fun tasting six-month old asiago or a two-year old parmagiano reggiano.

Perhaps due to the winter temperatures and hearty appetites they can create, we took the heavy road of pizza and pasta. Enoteca San Marco boasts an expansive selection of both, and a special pizza, pasta and salad option for every day of the week. On this Friday, the pasta of the day was linguine with veal bolognese, tasty enough, and the pizza of the day was a carbonara pie. After much debate, we chose pizza with chunks of pancetta, caramelized onions, tomato and Coach Farm goat cheese (pictured). The crust was thin and chewy, the tomato sauce was surprisingly sweet, but the ultra-creamy cheese took charge masterfully. Next time I'll go for the pizza Vongole, with mozzarella, clams and chili. For my filling entree, I devoured a plate of cavatappi pasta, perfectly al dente hollowed corkscrews, smothered in a rich lamb ragu with just enough mint to make things interesting (also pictured).

It's hard to order at Enoteca San Marco because everything appears so simple and appetizing. The menu is perfectly planned. It is the best place to munch bread, cheese and salami with loads of wine, and the Italian basics of salad, pizza and pasta are individually and artfully composed. And there's meat, too ... dinner options include grilled pork chop, braised pork shoulder with apple reduction, crispy duck, veal and ricotta meatballs, and the Tuscan fish stew Cacciuco. So the lesson is ... careful about which celebrity chefs you hate on, because some of them are really killing it.

first food and bar.

For now, let's ignore the history and development of First Food and Bar in the Palazzo and just concentrate on how it was to have lunch there last week, before the place was officially open. First is in a weird spot behind Barney's, actually squished in between Palazzo and Venetian. It's a large, almost industrial space, clearly designed to accommodate a noisy and rowdy crowd. To the left, a raised bar sports a lot of wood and leather, kind of a city-cowboy hybrid decor. To the right is an exposed kitchen, where, as I walked in, I noticed a chef rolling up what looked like baby waffle cones. A large portion of the dining room has a pretty nifty view of Las Vegas Boulevard, TI across the street and the big Palazzo marquee video screen.

Since it wasn't quite open, things were happening. The service was strong and enthusiastic. Our server was polite and happily replaced an odd tasting cocktail with a different one, and several other restaurant workers, management, perhaps, stopped by to make sure we were happy and apologize for moving tables about in preparation for that evening's opening festivities. But the best thing about First is the menu; think upscale bar food with plenty of unconventional, tasty twists. The only thing we sampled that wasn't completely delicious was the largest BLT ever assembled (pictured), and even that was pretty damn good, served on long, crispy toast and topped with avocado and onion rings.

Two salads were particularly impressive: the chopped salad, which is pretty much a Mediterranean salad, was served in three cute lettuce cups and fortified by falafel "croutons." This salad was well balanced and light, even if we couldn't decide to fork away or pick it up, lettuce-wrap style. The one mistake our server made was bringing a salad of mixed greens, balsamic and strawberries with duck confit instead of what we ordered, one of First's crazy Caesar salad renditions with the confit. But it was a great mistake as the strawberry salad was bigger and outstanding, and the duck was a meal by itself. We also received two warm pretzels with three different mustard dipping sauces to start our lunch, and also tried out one of the menu's "crazy little taco" selections, crispy things filled with prime rib and topped with salty cheese.

First is going to be written about and discussed a lot; it's obvious. But this menu deserves further exploration.

cut. (but mainly, super delicious piggy.)

I've developed an obsession with the piggy lately.

I've been incorporating pork into my order every place I go. I bought uncured back bacon one night at Fresh & Easy, brought it home and cooked some up for no reason. This developing addiction culminated with my recent David Chang-inspired creation of the Chinese Taco. (A five-pound pork shoulder was seared in sesame oil, then slow cooked overnight in Asahi beer, char siu sauce, garlic and onions. The meat was fork shredded and then simmered again in the reduced cooking sauce. I didn't make it this way officially yet, but the taco is a fried flour tortilla stuffed with this super piggy, a generous squirt of sriracha, and a crispy Asian cabbage salad in a sesame dressing. Seriously. Somebody finance me.)

I don't know if this constant porkature is going to have lasting effects, but I'm glad to still be in the throes of swinyness because it helped me to make a delicious decision last night. Having dinner at CUT in Palazzo, knowing I'm obligated to have a steak there, my first course was up in the air. So many amazing options here: bone marrow flan, warm veal tongue with marinated artichokes, crab and lobster cocktail, or oxtail bouillon with bone marrow dumplings (Does Wolfgang Puck love marrow as much as I love piggy?). I sighed and ordered maple glazed pork belly in an orange, Asiany dressing, followed by a bone-in New York sirloin. The wifey started with a butter lettuce salad with avocado, bleu cheese and a subtle champagne vinaigrette, and on the back, Indian-spiced Kobe shortribs.

This piggy was so good. Crispy, salty perfection in one bite, buttery melting fattiness in the next, kissed sweetly by the maple glaze. It was the super food version of getting a little syrup on your bacon at IHOP. A tiny toss of greens in the middle and a slight spice in the orange sauce brought it all together. It could have been dinner by itself.

Overall, dinner at CUT was great. The salad was good, but not better than the crispy parmesan-dusted breadsticks, warm Gruyere mini-biscuits and selection of tasty breads that started us off. Dinner in the bar has its privileges, and here it apparently results in unordered, awesome snacks. The steak was just fine, 20 ounces for $54 described as Illinois corn fed and aged 21 days. Great char on the outside, perfectly cooked medium rare, served with a selection of mustards. Best steak ever? No. But maybe that would be the 8-ounce, $160 of true Japanese Wagyu ribeye on the menu. Maybe when I get my tax return. The shortribs, however, were outstanding, tender and strongly spiced and served atop some smooth puree of spicy pumpkin and gram masala. At any other restaurant, one that hasn't quickly become one of Vegas' most esteemed beef joints, this would be the standout.

But for now, even at one of the best steakhouses on the steak-crazy Strip, the piggy is the star of the show.

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.

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.

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: Luciano Pellegrini

Luciano Pellegrini is chef and partner at Valentino in the Venetian and Giorgio at Mandalay Bay.

What's new at Valentino? How has the restaurant changed over the years?
Luciano Pellegrini: It was a very good year for us at Valentino. We first opened in 1999, right with the opening of The Venetian, and we've changed our look a couple of times over. The restaurant definitely looks different now. That's just something you have to do in Vegas to keep things fresh. And I believe the food has improved as well. You know, we're not a cookie cutter restaurant. We're still very much about first class service and food, and we've managed to stay that way.

How would you describe your vision for the restaurant when you first came to Vegas in 1999?
Well we came to town not as pioneers in Vegas but really in that second wave of big resorts opening up shop at the time. There was not a lot of fine dining Italian restaurant experiences on the Strip at that time. In fact there was nothing like what we wanted to do. That was our vision, to be the restaurant in that category. And really the work comes in maintaining that high reputation.

As a young man and burgeoning chef in Italy, you served as a parachutist in the military. What made you want to volunteer for that duty? And are there any similarities between jumping out of planes and running a couple of restaurants on the Strip?
Yes that's true. I remember being with all my friends, who also all volunteered for military service because really, everyone did at that time, it was expected, and on the first day of orientation this guy came in and started asking who wanted to be a parachutist. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. I raised my hand, and that was that, I was one of about four guys out of 100 to do that. It was pretty intense. Obviously jumping out of a plane gives you quite a rush. After a while, I had done what I needed to, and I said that's enough for me, and I returned to doing what was my destiny to do for the rest of my life. But I did learn a lot of valuable lessons from being in the military, besides working at one time to serve three or four thousand meals, lunch and dinner, in the service. The kitchen can be very militaristic. The chef is the supreme being; the sous chef is like the lieutenant. Things need to go in a certain way with no questions asked, and being in the service definitely taught me to keep that order when in the kitchen. But you also need to know when to give someone else the room and space to operate on their own.

A lot of big time chefs have come to Vegas in recent years, but you are one of a very small group to be honored with the prestigious James Beard award. How important is that type of recognition?
I mean, what can you say? It's kind of huge. It took about a year for it to really sink in, that I could win something like that and what it meant, considering how many talented chefs there are out there. It was really a combination of things, a combination of timing, talent, luck, a little bit of everything. That's not to say that I rest on an accomplishment the day after. It was never my ultimate goal to win something like that, but it was a very pleasant surprise, very rewarding.

Awards are one thing, but the real competition among restaurateurs in Vegas seems to be where the hottest restaurant is, and how you can maintain that edge.
The hardest thing you can do is to maintain a spot as one of the top restaurants in town. Las Vegas is growing in so many ways, and the restaurant market is not to be underestimated. This is a place to shine, a place with opportunity for the underling to move up and the chance to gain recognition for the star chef. A lot of people come in ready to find success, and some have, and most have not. It's very difficult.

Giorgio at Mandalay Bay has become a popular, more casual restaurant. How do you compare it to the Valentino experience, and do you enjoy the differences between the two?
Well after the first year at Giorgio we really kind of stepped aside and let chef de cuisine Nico Chessa take over and do his thing, and he's doing a great job over there. We decided to really let him express himself to the highest degree, and it has been to the ultimate benefit of the entire company. It's vital for a restaurant to establish its identity, and Giorgio is a place to go for a good meal, to enjoy a pizza, and not get hurt too much in the wallet. It was fun to start a new project like that. New projects always bring a lot of excitement, and it was a great experience. Slowly but surely, it has come along, maybe a little slower than we thought. But it's doing very well.

What does the future hold for you and the Valentino group? Any expansion plans?
We are keeping our eyes open. We've had a lot of talented people leave our company to go find other opportunities. Las Vegas has turned out to be not such a great bet after all for many restaurateurs. But we're always considering our next move.

INTERVIEW: Robin Leach

Robin Leach is, well, he's Robin Leach.

How long have you been a full-time resident of Vegas?

Robin Leach: I have lived in Vegas full-time for seven years now. I love the city. I love its excitement, its pulse and the fact that away from the sins of the Strip it is a vibrant growing and extraordinarily generous community in its care for those less fortunate. It was never my intention to live full-time here but to cut down on commuting from NYC on Food Network TV business and with the executives of The Venetian before it was

planned out. I bought a small townhouse to cut down on the exhausting travel schedule, but then I fell in love with Vegas so I bought Gavin Maloof's home and made the switch from Manhattan.

You'll always be linked to the celebrity lifestyle. What are today's celebrity hot spots in Vegas? Is there a particular restaurant that really attracts the stars right now?
A battle rages between the Tao and Pure nightclubs as each week they seesaw in the No. 1 spot for claiming the top Vegas celebrity hot spot. Best celebrity spotting hotel is The Palms with its N9NE steakhouse restaurant and the new Nove, which attracts young Hollywood stars and sports VIPs alike. Tao's restaurant in The Venetian attracts numerous celebrities, as does Pure's Social House restaurant directly across the street at the Treasure Island and Pure's Pussycat Dolls lounge at Caesars. They are the best for night-time stars, and check out Spago in the Forum Shops of Caesars for daytime celebrity spotting.

You've sampled the best cuisine around the globe. Did you ever think that Vegas would become a great dining city?
I've said publicly for a long time now that Vegas is the top dining destination in the world and exceeds New York, Los Angeles, Paris and London. We simply have more superstar chefs here than any other city on earth: Joel Robuchon, Guy Savoy, Alain Ducasse, Wolfgang Puck,Thomas Keller, Michael Mina, Emeril Lagasse, Bradley Ogden, Daniel Boulud, Charlie Palmer, Bobby Flay, Todd English, Kerry Simon, Nobu Matsuhisa, Pierro Selvaggio, Alex Stratta, Julian Serrano, Jeans-Georges Vochterin and Hubert Keller, just to name a few. Back in 1998 when I first began assisting The Venetian with its plan to have the world's best chefs and their restaurants as part of the resort's masterplan I never guessed that everybody else would copy that formula. Now it's growing bigger and better everywhere else on the Strip -- but at The Venetian we still have Mario Batali and David Burke to join this winter!

Besides the obvious growth, how have you seen Vegas culture change over the years?
I'm thrilled about the development ongoing downtown. The Lou Ruvo Brain Institute for Alzheimers Research near the World Market Center speaks volumes for what Las Vegas will eventually stand for. We have flourishing support for the downtown performing arts center and that will benefit classical music, opera and ballet -- Vegas just ain't about slots and gaming tables anymore. It's the food, the entertainment, the spas that have made Vegas what it is today and that culture now expands outwards, too. Vegas will one day be proudly known as a resort city with its own distinct culture and not just as gaming central.

Do you have a single favorite restaurant in Vegas?
It's impossible to name just one favorite restaurant -- we are blessed to have so many. I'll give you a couple of my favorites: I love the comforts of Spago in Caesars and Postrio in The Venetian; I love the gastronomic experiences of Joel Robuchon at MGM and Guy Savoy at Caesars. I love the Japanese delights at Shibuya at MGM, Japonais at The Mirage and Little Buddha at the Palms. For superb steaks and sensational seafood, I recommend N9NE in the Palms, Delmonico at The Venetian and Stripsteak at Mandalay Bay. I love my Italian suppers at Valentino's and Zefferino in The Venetian and Nove at the Palms. I love the fun noisy casual mood at Simon Kitchen & Bar in the Hard Rock and I love the elegance and romance of Andre Rochat's Alize at the Palms and Fleur de Lys at Mandalay Bay. Offstrip, my two favorites are the two Nora's restaurants for Italian food and the wondrous waterside delights of the Marche Bacchus French restaurant and wine bar.

Which hotel/resort do you believe has created the finest dining experience with its collection of restaurants?
Admittedly I'm biased in favor of The Venetian for the most extraordinary collection of superb restaurants and fine dining choices. But MGM along with its Bellagio and Mirage properties are playing catch-up fast and furious! I love to see the war being fought and who knows what's next as the Luxor and Planet Hollywood unveil their new restaurants.

What is the most decadent dish you've ever been served in Vegas?
I'm all for delicious dining decadence. I'd have to tip my toque to two meals I ate from the master, Joel Robuchon. He's not called the Pope of the food world for nothing. In his Mansion I went through an 18-course meal with my friends Michael Boychuck and his wife, Karen Rader, that we'll never forget. And then the superstar chef topped that with his very own custom-made chef's tasting menu next door at his "workshop," L'Atelier. Michael Mina dazzled the night before he opened Stripsteak and Guy Savoy created art wth his offerings at Caesars. Forget the prices, though. Just sell the car, take a loan and definitely do one of them before you die! And yes, with the highest prices in town it's not only justified but worth the extravagance. To have one particular dish stand out above all others is an actual impossibility because it's the entire meal that become memorable. But I'll never forget the truffle pasta Luciano Pellegrini made for me at Valentino and the truffle ice cream David Robins at Spago conjured up. In fact, Spago has a "Rich and Famous" pizza even though it's not on the menu. Order it and you'll get smoked salmon and cream cheese on the pizza -- and you can enter the world of extravagance and decadence simultaneously by saying, "Top it with all the caviar you have!" Perfect with very expensive fine champagne ... and now you all know where "champagne wishes and caviar dreams" came from.