Q:
Do most of the 'better' casinos bake their bread/pastries on site or do some of them use a local bakery? If so, are the bakeries open to the public and will you share the names of some local establishments so I can patronize them?
A:
As far as we know, all casinos bake their bread and pastries on site, with each buffet/restaurant being responsible for its own dessert menu, the only exception we're aware of being when a celebrity birthday cake is catered by an outside entity.
Many casino restaurants excel in the dessert department and a recent LVA Reader Poll highlighted some of the best options in town, from buffet to gourmet.
Our Eating Las Vegas guide also has a whole section dedicated to "Best Desserts", which features a mix of casino and non-casino suggestions.
- Jean-Philippe Maury, who's been named as "Best Pastry Chef in France," is executive pastry chef for Bellagio, which involves overseeing dessert production for 17 restaurants, room service, and all the property's catering functions. According to Wikipedia, his team of 70 employees produces close to 15,000 pastries each day and, from personal experience, we can vouch for the fact that they're really yummy. If you'd like to sample his wares without sitting down for a full meal, you can check out Jean-Philippe Pâtisserie, which now has locations in Bellagio and Aria.
- Like Maury, chef François Payard is French-born. A recipient of the James Beard "Pastry Chef of the Year" award, you can sample his famous chocolates and desserts at the Payard Pâtisserie & Bistro at Caesars Palace, which also has a retail dimension.
Those are just a couple of the more famous pastry chefs who have restaurants and retail outlets in town, but when it comes to local offerings, we're also extremely well catered for in Las Vegas, as evinced by the city being featured twice already on TLC's "Fabulous Cakes" series.
- Caked Las Vegas, which opened two years ago, has been featured on the TLC series and has created cakes for numerous celebrities and events, as you can see from clicking the link.
- Freed's Bakery is a Las Vegas institution that currently has two venues, but will be consolidating back into one early next year. Another of those featured on "Fabulous Cakes," Freed's is also no stranger to celebrity catering but also features lots of humbler daily offerings, including freshly baked pastries and breads.
- Bonjour Bakery, located at Flamingo and Rainbow, also has a good reputation as a local bakery and received some praise via the Reader Poll cited above.
In addition, we'd recommend the bakeries at Paris and Venetian for fresh-baked pastries and breads, while The Cupcakery and Retro Bakery both have strong reputations in the cupcake department.
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