I am looking for fine dinning in Vegas. I know nothing about excellent fine dinning restaurants...preferably a steakhouse, Italian, or Creole.

I tried to look up Zagat, but that wasn't as useful as I thought it would be.

Are there any recommendations? Good websites to read?

Thanks.

---

All I ever really needed to know, I learned from watching Star Trek.

If you don't know anything about fine dining, I suggest:

CraftSteak - MGM Grand

or

Lawry's

I've been to both and I think you'll find them quite enjoyable. There's also a Charlie Palmer's somewhere on the strip and while I haven't been to that location, I did enjoy Charlie Palmer's in Washington DC.

There is another place out in Summerlin that we went to once that was very enjoyable, but I cannot recall the name. A bit far from the strip if you don't have a car or are not willing to drive.

The list is endless, but what do you consider "fine dining"? They have most of the steak chains- Morton's, Smith and Wollenski, McCormick and Schmick's, Ruth's Chris etc. There is also a Maggiano's (Italian) and Mon Ami Gabi.

Pretty much every hotel has a steakhouse. I am not a steak eater, but I usually end up at one during my stay as my business associates are all meat lovers.

I have heard good things about Stripsteak in Mandalay Bay, Circo at Bellagio and pretty much everything at the Wynn. I was at Del Frisco's last year (the place with the James Bond wine table, and another chain) and everyone raved about the steak. My fish was excellent, as were the sides.

Il Fornio at New York New York is very good, and reasonably priced for Vegas but not what I would really call "fine dining." More like a nice restaurant.

I'd check out Chowhound if I were you. Sure to find tons of opinions there. I'm sure others will chime in here.

DM

Lawry's The Prime Rib. You don't have to know fine anything. Bring your appetite.

Ask for my daughter Dorothy's table. She'll treat ya right. And keep coming back.

---

A man who is of "sound mind" is one who keeps the inner madman under lock and key.
(Paul Valery)

This is the best steak I've had in Vegas.
[www.emerils.com]

I'd suggest either of these first.
Off the strip is Rosemarys, Lotus of Siam with an excellent wine list and quite reasonably priced.

Mon Ami Gabi is good for food, but avoid the wine. It's all cooked.
Stripsteak is helpless with anything other than red meat.
Border Grill at Mandalay can be hit and miss.
Raos is supposedly quite good as is Mesa Grill. I've not been to either there.
Firefly on Paradise is very good, but really loud and young.
Aureole at Mandalay is very good, great wines, expensive, but very much away from the other @#$%&.
In n Out Burger.
Bouchon is ridiculous. Avoid it unless you have, no tatste buds, someone to impress and the $ to back it up.
Olives at Bellas is very good, though rather steep.
PF Changs is good Asian for a chain place.
Michael Mina at Bella is good, but steep for what it is.
Sensi is very good, but steep.
If you like a great almond croissant, Payards at Caesers.
Yolas at PH is hit and miss.
Origin India is very good and reasonable.
Tamba is very good and inexpensive.
There is a place called Metro Pizza that was surprisingly good. I'm a NY pizza snob.

There used to be a Commander's Palace in one of the big casinos (at the time the only one outside of New Orleans; since then they've put one in Destin, FL), but it was closed a while back.

So lacking that, go to In-N-Out Burger, of course...

Alize at the top of the Palms is excellent. Wife and I had our 10th Anniversary dinner there. Wonderful view, small, intimate, great food.

Bouchon is great for breakfast. They have the best chicken and waffles I've ever had. I haven't eaten any other meals there.

Emeril's at MGM was good when I ate there 10 years ago.

I've eaten at Del Friscos in Dallas and it was very good. I can't vouch for the Vegas place, though.

While I was there, I just usually grabbed something convenient. Shouldn't be too hard to eat responsibly. Avoiding cigarette smoke is another story, however. Yesterday at the Detroit auto show a woman struck up a conversation with me about Vegas smoke, as a matter of fact. While we were waiting to sit in the Chevy Equinox.

Denney's (waiting for time to pass to get to my flight)
Milk and 2 eggs.
Convenience Deli
Croissant, almonds and Milk
Airport
Water
Almonds
Bellagio (splurged)
Turkey Sandwich
Roast Beef Sandwich
CVS
Odwala juice
Bellagio
Bread

[FOUND MY RECEIPTS]
[img513.imageshack.us]
[img513.imageshack.us]
[img513.imageshack.us]
[img513.imageshack.us]
[img210.imageshack.us]
[img210.imageshack.us]
[img210.imageshack.us]
[img687.imageshack.us]

Quote
Mini 9
While I was there, I just usually grabbed something convenient.

Ha. Sounds like we go to Vegas for different reasons. We don't gamble much - maybe a few hundred at blackjack over a few days, tops. But we structure our whole trip around fancy hotels and great restaurants...that's how LV takes our money.

I could have spent whatever on meals, since it was on an expense account. Hey, I had a $9.50 sandwich... twice! Talk about splurging!
And only because it was not MY money.

Dimas Tacos!! Screw wasting money if you want yummy food

When I go to Vegas, the people I'm with think the buffet at the Texas Station is the bee's knees, thus I only know the 'fine dining' places by reputation.

Here's a brief article mentioning some of the better restaurants in the newly opened Las Vegas City Center.

And while it's not quite "fine dining" you can get some absolutely hellaciously good eats at Hash House A Go Go. Prices are reasonable, the food kicks a**, and the service is great. Be warned, the portions are *huge*, so bring your appetite. The food is so good, you could almost make your choice by closing your eyes and stabbing your finger at the menu; you'd likely still come away with a full belly and a big grin on your face.

Check out TripAdvisor for their LV restaurant ratings.

[www.tripadvisor.com]

---

Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

There are so many places to eat steak in Las Vegas it's dizzying. For me the decor of the restaurant has as much to do with choosing the place as the actual food. I loved BOA at the Cesar's Palace shops and a second vote for Mon Ami Gabi. Their pomme frites are addictive.

Old school in the Four Queens is Hugo's Cellar.

My wife took this photo of me leaving a buffet just yesterday.

Chow Hound can be useful.

Las Vegas search

I just left the buffet at the Bellagio. Their "Champaigne Brunch" was excellent. I would not hesitate to try any of the other restaurants in the Bellagio. Infact, the best Prime Rib I've ever consumed was at a cocktail reception held at the Bellagio. In las Vegas, there are just sooooo mant good places to eat.

> Ask for my daughter Dorothy's table.

Small world. Lawry's is owned by the family of a good friend of ours here in Westchester, NY. I'd never heard of it and haven't been to one yet, but I did ride by the one in Chicago a few weeks ago and it looked good. Real good.

Thanks for the advice...I haven't been to Vegas in over 15 years, so I had no idea of where to eat.

Thanks again, everyone.

---

All I ever really needed to know, I learned from watching Star Trek.

This suggestion is at the tail end of the line, don't know if it's too late, but you know, there are several celebrity chef restaurants in Vegas now. Emirill Lagasse, for example, and Bobby Flay, have new restaurants in Vegas, Emerill has more than one, one in the MGM, and one in Ceasar's, I think. My wife and I hit Bobby Flay's, and loved the famous Cuban Burger. And Emirill's stuff is fantastic. Based on his famous Creole restaurant in New Orleans, with his signature banana creme pie for dessert. It was the best food we've ever had there. I'm considering getting a Bobby Flay cookbook, just 'cause he's married to that cute prosecutor babe on Law & Order SVU. And because his southwestern flair is peerless. If you watch any of the cooking channels, FoodTV, etc., and have the urge to taste what some of these guys do, Vegas is the place!

Cheapo Travel's opinions of various places in Reno pretty much mirror my own, so I wouldn't hesitate to take their advice about Las Vegas as well. There's a handy definable-search comparison chart in the menu under "Cheap Eats" on the left that also covers the not-so-cheap places.

I forgot to add Carnegie Deli at The Mirage to my list. Just like the NY version (the place is not as big as in NY, but the sandwiches are just as large)