Ranches, Deserts, Flying Carpets and Genies were out. The city had also maxed out on celebrity entertainer impersonators.  So what was left in the fantasy world. Well, they turned their David Copperfield skills to the task of producing celebrity chefs ...... out of thin air. 

Results have been uniformly suspect.   But let’s face it - if you can  continue to draw strolling hordes of ice cream and popcorn eaters in tank tops, stiletto heels, shorts, T-shirts and flip flops with this empire like  imitation of world renowned places followed by the  now tiresome  impressions of Presley, Sinatra, Garland, Davis etc., Emeril and his crowd should be a slam dunk....a winner and it is.   

 A quick buck was seen. So the enterprising  Mr. Bam, and his former employer, The Commander’s Palace plus  Splichal, Puck, Paladin, Trotter,  Ducasse, Keller,  Mina, Vongerichten, Selvaggio, Maccioni, Boulud, Palmer and  Matsuhisa all poured in or at least signs with their names poured in. Not one of them does much cooking in the desert.     

Recently, however, some actually legitimate fine dining additions  have been made. This is true, especially, with the opening of “The Wynn”, which is essentially one big water fantasy rather than a specific place. But it is rather well done and the wonderful ambience at each restaurant can make food seem to taste better.     

Those of you that have had the patience to read my stuff for the last few years know that my major expectation is that the principal be cooking, or in the dining room a very good portion of the time. Since most of the above names are generally thousands of miles away, that condition is rarely if ever met and it shows. These big name upscale but essentially chain style locations generally offer acceptable but uninspired food in fairly pleasant settings. In most cases, however they are seriously overpriced for what they offer. 

There is one exception and that also shows

Picasso at the dancing fountains in The Bellagio is unchallenged as the overall finest restaurant in Las Vegas on every level. Executive Chef Juan Serrano was seduced from Masa’s in San Francisco (considered at the time, the best in The City) by Steve Wynn for a signing fee of $1,000,000 and a yearly salary of $500,000. He is on the job and sold out every night with a wonderful French inspired contemporary tasting menu at $85 prox. and worth it.  It changes all the time so a description is of limited value.  I can only say that we have had the tasting menu three times and it has been exquisite on all occasions.

Large original Picassos adorn the walls. Tables are set well apart for a feeling of luxurious privacy. Service, plating and crystal are “en pointe” perfect without being overbearing or pretentious.  Many tables overlook the dancing fountains. At the end of the evening Serrano is out front conversing and mingling with the diners. It is as good as it gets.  Thus reservations should be made well in advance.

For a while, Aqua (also at The Bellagio) was a close second to Picasso. Highly talented Michael Mina was the executive chef at Aqua-San Francisco thought to be the best seafood restaurant in California.  Mina was in Las Vegas by private plane in less time than you can make it to the Music Center. Thus he was able to split his cooking time between the two sites.  But he was not managing... nor (ominously as it turned out) did he have ownership in either restaurant.  

Then suddenly Aqua was out in Las Vegas and Mina was out at Aqua in San Francisco. But, he was soon  back in at at the Bellagio..... in his old location but now with his own Mina’s, along with 2 new restaurants at The MGM Grand, plus a dubious location in a San Jose Marriot ??? and another Mina’s back in San Francisco. WOW !!! Then recently Mina opened a 6^th restaurant in the Saint Francis Hotel in San Francisco. That jet plane may be fast. But one wonders. Can he own, manage and cook at 6 places?   Maybe he learned about court coverage from speedy (formerly)  Andre Agassi. The latter  turns out to be the financial angel for all of this. Steffi must be one helluva money manager.

 

Valentino’s in Santa Monica owned by super restaurateur Piero Selvaggio has been my favorite L.A.  restaurant for many years. Selvaggio sent his longtime skilled veteran executive chef Luciano Pelligrini from Posto in the valley to open Piero’s new location at the Venetian.  Piero visits, perhaps, a couple of times a week.

While the restaurant has been a financial winner from the start, it has taken Valentino’s Las Vegas three years to find its way close to the original. The room is bland and service was spotty. But the tasting menu ($85) meal we had there recently was superb.

You forget that you are in the “City that knows no shame”  You have been transported to one of the finest luxe brass and glass brasseries on the right bank of Paris. Hard to do in Las Vegas.   Bouchon offers a plateau des fruits de mer that may alone be worth the air flight.  There are pristinely fresh shrimp, oysters, mussels, clams and crab etc. served with fine bread and sweet butter.   But perhaps the #1 bistro choice is the casserole of steamed bouchot mussels in a saffron broth.  Oh boy. All simple easily executed dishes that do require  premier ingredients and basic skills.

Prices are reasonable for Las Vegas.  Breakfasts are great.  Service is occasionally spotty. However it is still a great choice. Evening reservations are critical and should be made early. 

Then  Along Came Wynn.

Steve Wynn decided that all of the restaurants that he opened at his new The Wynn hotel would be manned by owner chefs...... on the premises at all times. 

Where did he get that idea? 

Maybe he figured it out when he still ran the Bellagio and saw that all those absentee big names did not do the job while Juan Serrano on his own won rave notices. He also decided that each restaurant would front a spectacular water feature. Those two ideas certainly drew my wife and me in.

But for an unexplained reason, he made one exception. And again he hit the jackpot…this time with Daniel Boulud of New York’s famed Daniel.  Though Boulud may be a semi-absentee manager, he has crafted a beautiful and simple brasserie menu that can be executed by a competent staff

Thus you should try for an outside table if the weather is friendly. The inside dining room, however is also very pleasant. Service was flawless. I would rate Boulud as a must on your next jaunt to play Texas Hold ‘em.   

Wynn then pulled Paul Bartoletta out of Spiaggia in Chicago to open Bartoletta Ristorante di Mare an Italian seafood restaurant. The room is sort of strange and somewhat overdone.  Perhaps it is ok for a bowl of pasta fagioli, but the fish is sold by the 100 grams and could become pricey. We have dined many times with Bartoletta at very upscale Spiaggia in Chicago and I would rate Drago, Angelini, Valentino and our own Tuscany and Rustico equal to or above Bartoletta most of the time and at much lower prices. Pastas don’t compare.  

Stampede of the Cattle........Restaurants  

If “red meat” is your style, you will not be disappointed. There may be more upscale steak houses in Las Vegas than there are in Dallas, Houston and Austin combined.

We cannot review them (bankruptcy issues) but we will list most of them in a loose descending order with some minor comments.

Finally, if all of these are  not enough choices for a 3 days jaunt, then consider this: Michelin 3 Star chefs  Guy Savoy opens soon at Caesar’s and  Joel Robuchon is opening 2 restaurants ??? in the not to be outdone MGM Grand. 

But the best news is that my hero, Super "Iron Chef"  Mario Batali of New York's  Babbo is coming to the Venetian. Mario says ”I Buy the freshest and the best ingredients. Then I try to do the least damage possible” Makes sense to me.

Incidentally Mario is getting aggressive and there are rumors that he is also looking for a location in Los Angeles in partnership with Nancy Silverton of La Brea Bakery and Campanile fame.