Food critic and Eating Las Vegas author Al Mancini writes:
If you’re asking specifically about chefs who host their own shows on The Food Network, there are actually only two: Bobby Flay and Scott Conant.
Flay has been here the longest, and his presence is the most obvious. His Mesa Grill sits just across from the sports book in Caesars Palace, within sight of The Colosseum, the poker room, and Pure nightclub. Open for lunch and dinner, it's always packed with a loud, lively crowd.
So is it any good? Well it depends who you ask. For the second year in a row I nominated it for inclusion in Eating Las Vegas: The 50 Essential Restaurants. And for the second year in a row my co-author, John Curtas (who has a long-standing feud with Flay), vetoed it. I don’t want to rehash our reasons (you can read them in the book), but I feel everyone should visit the place at least once. Just don’t expect to run into Bobby. He’s a busy guy, and only gets to town every few months.
Conant, on the other hand, is a relative newcomer to Las Vegas. Last December he opened two restaurants in The Cosmopolitan: Scarpetta and D.O.C.G. Both are Italian, but Scarpetta is pretty formal, while D.O.C.G. is casual.
John Curtas nominated Scarpetta for inclusion in this year’s book, and I agreed with him. But Max Jacobson exercised his "Veto" power. All three of us, however, unanimously agreed to include D.O.G.C. If you visit Scarpetta, do yourself a favor and try the spaghetti. I know it sounds simple, but it’s Conant’s signature dish, and it lives up to the hype. And if you’re at D.O.C.G., save room for dessert: The caramel budino may be the best dessert in town! (You can find more recommendations in the book.)
I should also mention that while he doesn’t have his own show on The Food Network, Iron Chef Mario Batali has three restaurants in the Venetian and Palazzo: Carnevino; B&B; and Otto Enoteca Pizzeria. Carnevino is a top-of-the line steakhouse that offers what I consider the best steaks in town; B&B is formal Italian; and Enoteca is casual. Both Carnevino and B&B were unanimously included in ELV 2012.
Finally, Food Network star finalist Vic Vegas is currently planning some new ventures that I can’t discuss right nowm but from time to time he does "pop-up" appearances (guest cameos) in the kitchen at Rumor hotel. Sign up for their mailing list to stay informed about those.
