Question of the Day - 25 April 2006

Picking up where we left off yesterday, here are the remaining categories for your favorite eats around town. We haven't even tried some of these ourselves yet, so thanks for the tips. And enjoy!

GOURMET

• "For that 'old-Vegas' atmosphere and EXCELLENT food and service ... drumroll please ... Hugo's Cellar at the Four Queens! We'll be in Vegas at the end of next month and I called to make reservations already."
• "My all-time favorite would be the Second Street Grill at the Fremont, which definitely qualifies as one of downtown's best-kept secrets. Ambience is old-school Vegas without being tacky, service is outstanding without being stuffy, and the cuisine is excellent. Prices are reasonable for a gourmet room, with dinner for two usually under $100 (if you avoid the wine list)."
• "One of the best meals I've had in my life was at Bradley Ogden's in Caesars Palace."
• "If you like waiters and the maître d' hovering around you, my favorite expensive restaurant is the Carmel Room at the Rampart casino. All I had was appetizers, but everyone acted like I'd ordered a full meal. They talked me into the Grand Marnier soufflé, which I recommend. When I left, the maître d' kissed my hand and made me promise to come back!"

STEAKHOUSES

• "All the casinos seem to have a steakhouse, but none seems to have the quality and low price of Billy Bob's at Sam's Town out on Boulder Highway. You can cut the filets with your fork. It may be a dorky name, but the meal will be excellent and you can watch the water show while you wait to be seated."
• "The petite filet at the Silverton's Twin Creeks steakhouse is a must on every visit. As a small-portion couple, my wife and I can do the combo, with chicken for her. The split-plate charge gets a second order of garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus and there's also a great bottomless salad bowl."
• "The steakhouse at the top of Binion's has been a favorite since we ate there the night of our wedding. Get there before sunset and watch the city turn on."
• "My favorite special-occasion restaurant in Vegas is the Range Steakhouse at Harrah's. Their side dishes have enough to serve four or five and the mushrooms and asparagus are out of this world."
• "The steakhouse at Circus Circus — another find in an unlikely location."
• "The one and only must-eat for us is Delmonico's steakhouse in the Venetian. If we had to have one thing, besides a steak, it's the parmesan truffle potato chips. They are OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! But you can only eat a few because they're so rich."
• "Our recent find is Yolies Brazilian Steakhouse on Paradise. All-you-can-eat turkey wrapped in bacon, sausage, veal, lamb, plus two different types of steak, all for under $35 pp. It comes with rice, veggies, fried polenta, and potatoes, all unlimited too. They have a regular menu as well, but the all-you-can-eat is well worth it."
• "The steakhouse at Imperial Palace has terrific food and great prices."

ITALIAN

• "Nora's Cuisine, 6020 W. Flamingo. Friends that live in Vegas introduced me to this place. Fabulous food, prices, and service."
• "The best down-home Italian food/cooking in my opinion can be found at Montesano's Italian Restaurant & Deli, 3441 W. Sahara. Makes you feel like your Italian grandma is in the kitchen cooking!"
• "Every time I visit Las Vegas, I head to La Scala Ristorante. Old-world feel, great wine list, a guy singing Sinatra tunes in the background, and friendly attentive service."
• "For all you pizza lovers from NY, I recommend Rocco's Italian Deli on Buffalo and Charleston. Yummy!"
• "We have eaten at Sergio's on Tropicana, by the Liberace Museum, many times and the osso buco is the best that we've ever had."

ASIAN

• "Buffet Asia on the northeast corner of Rainbow and Sahara – lots of good food for a reasonable price."
• "One of my favorites is the PF Changs in the Aladdin/Planet Hollywood. The portions are large, the food is good, fresh, and served hot. Ant it’s cheap! A great place for a group – no wonder it’s always crowded."
• "I insist everyone try Swish (7875 W. Sahara Ave.). It’s a Japanese Korean restaurant that serves shabu shabu and sukiyaki. Think fondue for shabu shabu, while sukiyaki is stir fry. The difference? YOU are the chef! You season and cook your food to your own specifications. Meat lovers and vegetarians will both find plenty to choose from and the staff and owners are very helpful in showing the newbies how to get started. Very casual and affordable and you get a lot of food (mainly veggies), so be careful ordering sides."
• "I recently spent six months in Vegas and tried to experiment a lot with the "less beaten path" (i.e., away from the casinos) when it came to dining out. My favorite place to eat became Sumo Sushi at Sunset and Green Valley. Definitely sit at the bar and try the chef’s specials, or ask one to create something based on your personal preferences. You won’t be disappointed."
• "I love Lotus of Siam on E. Sahara. I go to Vegas once a year and have to eat there at least once. I can’t pick one dish because everything I have there is excellent, fresh, and bursting with flavor. If you can’t decide what you want, I suggest ordering three or four appetizers and be prepared for an unforgettable experience."
• "For Chinese, we like to eat at HoHoHo on Rainbow and Sahara."

FISH & SEAFOOD

• "For me, it’s the drunken lobster at Fix in Bellagio. The gnocchi they serve with it are out of this world."
• "Hush Puppy’s (locations on W. Charleston and N. Nellis) – great fried fish and the ribs are supposed to be excellent."
• "The Chef’s Signature Fish Soup is as tasty an entree as you’ll get anywhere. When we asked the waiter for his recommendation, we were told that if you come to Aquaknox at the Venetian and like seafood with a kick, this was it. Boy, was he right."
• "Whole catfish at Chinois in the Forum Shops at Caesars. Yummy! We always have it on our periodic visits to Vegas."
• "Must eat for me is the Chilean Sea Bass at Fusia (Luxor). The best fish I have ever eaten. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was romantic."
• "My wife and I love the Pasta with Jumbo Shrimp (Grand Lux, Venetian). $18 per person for a half dozen good-sized shrimp, served in a big bowl of spaghetti – white or red sauce. Yum!"
• "For seafood, we love Joe’s Crab Shack."

MEXICAN

• "Fahitas at Don Miguel’s at the Orleans."
• "My response to the favorite food survey is, hands down, the fish tacos at the Pink Taco (Hard Rock). We go there every time we’re in town and I always get them – they’re wonderful!"
• "We’ve always loved the Mexican restaurant at the New Frontier. The menu is reasonably priced and the fresh tortillas are out of this world."
• "One of my favorite places for dinner is Guadalajara at Palace Station. It has all kinds of traditional Mexican foods and great drinks, all at reasonable prices. It also has a salsa bar. My favorite dish is the orange roughy with a cream sauce and baby shrimp on top."
• "Garduno’s Sunday Margarita Brunch (all the margs you can drink) is fabulous! Great food, atmosphere, and of course, margaritas. We come to town early on Sunday just for brunch."

GERMAN

• "One highlight on my last trip, as well as a good old-fashioned German meal, was the Hofbrauhaus. Having a German mother who was a great cook, the food at the Hofbrauhaus was just like I remembered as a kid. The great German beer didn’t hurt, either. I had the combo plate with several different sausages, which was excellent."
• "We found a very pleasant German place called Café Heidelberg in a strip mall on Sahara, just east of the Strip. Great authentic food. Cool tavern and deli."

DESSERTS & CHOCOHOLIC DELIGHTS

• "Hot fudge sundae at Ghiradelli’s is a must-have every time I visit."
• "Bread pudding at Nine Fine Irishmen in New York-New York (serves at least two!). And an honorable mention goes to the strawberry shortcake at the Silverton."
• "Chocolate Motherlode Cake at the Clam Jumper. All the food there is great but the Chocolate Motherlode Cake is exceptional. When I married in Las Vegas in 2003, the wedding party ate at Clam Jumper and the CMC was our wedding cake!"
• "Commander’s Palace at the Aladdin/Dessert Passage – don’t miss the pralines!"
• "The chocolate malt shakes at Roxie’s [Stratoshphere]!
• "A chocolate pastry from the Bellagio patisserie. They’re very rich and you can even share – definitely worth the calories."
• "Chocolate covered strawberries to die for at the steakhouse at Circus Circus.

BOOZE

• "Gordon Biersch on Paradise Rd. near the Hard Rock: Give it a try as the food is reasonable and the micro brewery has some very sweet beers."
• "Le Bayou’s yard of daiquiri (Fremont Street)."
• "The pale ale at Main Street Station is beyond compare."
• "The margarita popsicles available from the stand outside Diego at the MGM Grand. It’s a unique refreshing treat to cool you down and embolden you for the long trek from the monorail to the Strip."