It was when Michelin chose to get out of Las Vegas that we saw a definite gap for a credible new restaurant guide that would do justice to the undeniable culinary excellence that now defines a town once known almost exclusively for all-you-can-chow buffets, cheap late-night carbs, and old-school "gourmet" rooms.
Hence, Eating Las Vegas was born, a new twist on the classic restaurant guide, since it clearly identifies the three voices behind it, voices belonging to the city's acknowledged top three food critics who have little in common aside from that fact and are vocal in their frequent disagreements (we should sell seats at some of the production meetings -- makes the UFC look like daycare!)
The concept defining ELV was that our trusty trio would identify by unanimous vote both the Top 10 restaurants in the city and then, by extenstion, another forty picks to round out an "Essential 50". While the latter includes some intriguing hole-in-the-wall ethnic joints that we recommend highly, the main body of the book primarily contains restaurants at the higher end of the price spectrum. ]
We certainly didn't want it to be élitist, however, especially as we do most of our dining at local gems that we definitely want to see staying in business and are happy to share. Hence, we added a section at the back of the book dedicated to "Best ofs" including "Cheap Eats", "Burgers", "Late Night", "Sushi", "Desserts", "Wine Bars", and more. Plus, since every inclusion in the 50 had to be unanimous and sometimes Al, John, and Max simply couldn't agree, we also included a section of "Vetoes" that listed restaurants that narrowly missed making the cut.
As with any guide book, particularly one that covers the ever-changing Las Vegas scene, it's inevitable that things change. Heck, Alex, the first entry in the 2011 edition and one of the Top 10 restaurants, was a subsequent victim of the economy, as was Rosemary's, as you point out, while The Cosmopolitan hadn't even opened yet, but now claims several inclusions in the 2012 edition. So yes, absolutely there is a new edition of Eating Las Vegas in the pipeline. It's in production right now and should be in-house and available November 15 (it makes a great stocking filler).
This time around, we've stuck with the "Top 10" and "50 Essential" formula, but we're greatly expanding the back of the book, to include the best of Las Vegas' steakhouses, food trucks, veggie-friendly joints, downtown eats, and more. Plus, all the lists are expanded this year, including the "Vetoes" section. We're really excited about it and have already earmarked a few new China Town joints we're unfamiliar with for a tasting session asap.
