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Las VegasNow it’s FantasyFoodlandWalt Disney created the first juvenile Fantasyland about 40 years ago but in the last 10 years those gutsy Las Vegas entrepreneurs, Steve Wynn (Mirage and Bellagio), Kirk Kerkorian (MGM Grand and much more) plus Sheldon Adelson (Venetian and ill-fated Aladdin) have made his original efforts seem very Mickey Mouse. This Fantasyland of the desert shifted into second gear after the Caesar’s Palace remodel duplicated The Roman Forum. From that point on there was no holding back these champions of the pseudo in their desire to seduce guileless adult victims into believing that they actually were someplace other than a hot, windy and sandy gambling joint in desolate Southwest Nevada.
Recently, new heights in duplication, especially of
Italiandom, were achieved with the construction of The Bellagio
(above) and The Venetian Hotels (R). Water
is a big attraction in both as the former does an 11 acre remake of the
famous and beautiful Lake Como enhanced by a $50 million
With almost no place left in the world left upon which to commit further forgery, the champions of faux decided it was time to clone specific human beings, namely celebrity chefs. The results are astounding. There are more restaurants associated with the names of famous chefs in Las Vegas than any other city in the world with the possible exception of Paris. They have poured in from New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Santa Fe and Washington D.C. Charlie Trotter came in from Chicago but recognized that he could not maintain his ultra high standards while also operating his eponymous temple of haute cuisine in Chicago. He left. However, FantasyFoodLand is now the operative word in Las Vegas. Although there are almost 20 big names up on the doors, only one great chef is on the premises all the time in Las Vegas. Two others flit in on occasion. One chef that was there 25% of the time died and most of the others are almost never there. Hardly the way to justify those $300 and up tabs per couple. There is, however, one restaurant that rises above the rubble and delivers a remarkable dining experience at all levels. It begins, naturally with that one great chef who is on the premises full time. Rumors abound that Bellagio impresario Steve Wynn paid celebrity chef Juan Serrano a $1,000,000 signing bonus to leave famed Masa’s in San Francisco to take over the kitchen at Picasso.
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Further, the room is the epitome of muted elegance. You would hardly believe that you are in Las Vegas. The high ceiling room shows off four original Picasso paintings, along with sculptures and drawings. Service is attentive and friendly without being condescending. It is the one place to splurge on food if that is your inclination. If Picasso does not put your food budget in a shambles and you are still game for another |
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Napa at the Rio excelled intermittently for a while but sadly Chef Jean Louis Palladin, the nude poser of Washington’s notorious Watergate died. Without him the restaurant has languished. The Rio however is at the top in the “Buffet” category. It is the most sumptuous in the city. It is a literal crustacean heaven, featuring all the oysters, shrimp, crab, scallops and clams you can eat before hitting the ubiquitous carving of Prime Rib and much more. All of this goes on while those dancing “Girls from Ipanema” undulate provocatively over your head. After that it goes downhill. Most of the remaining spots are high priced clones from the already stretched out or overrated food entrepreneurs such as Puck, Splichal, Mueller, Palmer, Maccioni and Emeril (He must be a clone of a clone). Even Piero Selvaggio, though the owner only of the world renowned Valentino of Santa Monica (perhaps #1 Italian restaurant in the U.S.) has been unable to maintain his personal touch with the Valentino now at the Venetian. The room is undistinguished as is the food and service. |
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The oral pleasures of food can still be found without the threat of bankruptcy. It just requires a little work. Royal Star, the Chinese restaurant at the Venetian offers very acceptable exotic dining with a dim sum lunch and fairly priced meals at dinner. Barbary Coast on the strip offers a lusty Prime Rib buffet for $10.95. Popular IL Fornaio at New York- New York gives two a chance to split a large salad and a wonderful thin crust Quatro Stagioni pizza for about $20. You can buffet dine at the Golden Nugget downtown for 5.95 at breakfast, 7.50 for lunch and 10.25 for dinner. The Mirage has upscale buffets for about $8- breakfast, $10.25- lunch and $13 dinners. Top of the line Bellagio offers buffets that are as gourmet as they can be for $10- breakfast, $13- lunch, $23- dinner. They deliver a lot for the money. |
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| My personal overall fun choice is Bertolini’s at the fountain in Caesar’s Forum for two reasons. A fairly priced full Italian menu includes dishes such as Maltagliatta, (11.95) a rough cut home made pasta with a three mushroom sauce that is authentic, flavorful and fairly priced. The plus is that there is free entertainment. You sit in a simulated outdoor plaza setting where you can observe the transformed, entranced and bedazzled Middle American tourist. In a never ending parade, ladies stroll past Prada, Versace, Hermes and Gucci in 5” heels and navel baring low hung jeans. Males carrying shopping bags while wearing baggy plaid shorts or cargo pants, cross-training shoes from K-Mart and white socks with tee shirts offering obscene propositions grudgingly follow them. These folks are liberated. | ||||||
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There is also much more low cost or free entertainment out there beyond that passing parade. Those spectacular fountains at the Bellagio run at 15-minute intervals and can be observed from the street. If you don’t want to pop for $200 a couple to see the White Tigers of Siegfried and Roy, there is a low cost choice. Just outside the rear entrance to the Mirage is an outdoor animal habitat. For $10 you can see a very entertaining dolphin water show up close. In an adjoining mini zoo area you can observe 4 or more large white tigers at close range, albino lions and an absolutely hypnotizing snow leopard. Try to get there in the morning when the crowds are smaller and the animals are active. None of the animals are replicas. |
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Boccaccio’s was the leading restaurant in Ventura County about 30 years ago. It had no real competition for almost 20 years. It also had that great lakeside location which pulled diners from 25 miles away. But while competition came in and dining habits changed ,Boccaccio’s arrogantly hung on to an outdated menu with a service attitude to match. Business declined and the out of touch original owner finally sold out to noveau food entrepreneurs Jim and Kathy Emmons about two years ago. |
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Jumpstarting
with the Luxor and MGM Grand, no tourist attraction or
important country in the world was safe from being knocked off in steel,
concrete, glass and neon. The aptly named Mirage was followed by
places like Excalibur, Treasure Island, Mandalay Bay, Rio Suites,
New York-New York and Paris-Las Vegas. Only the 2,000-mile long Great
Wall of China and The Vatican seemed safe. 
synchronized
fountain show while the latter is infiltrated by the canals and lagoons of
Venice complete with The famed Rialto Bridge, The Campanile
and naturally, those comparably overpriced gondola rides. 
Bacchanalian
evening, Aqua, also at the Bellagio would be the next
alternative. While Michael Mina, owner of the present Aqua in San
Francisco is not in residence; he is only 45 minutes away by corporate jet.
His talented disciple Mark Lo Russo offers a fundamentally fish menu
with the sole exception of duck. He also delivers a wonderful 5-course
taster ($75). 
