Local food critic and Eating Las Vegas* author Al Mancini shares some of his faves:
I hate to blaspheme against the cult of In-N-Out, but I just don’t get it. It’s a good fast-food burger, but I honestly think upstart Smashburger is better. Regardless, I don’t think there’s any hamburger I would call a can’t-miss item in a town like Vegas, unless you’re a SERIOUS burger aficionado, or you want bragging rights for eating some super-gourmet patty-n-bun combo. If you fall into the latter category, you might want to try the Rossini at Burger Bar, which is made with Kobe beef, sautéed foie gras, and fresh shaved truffles. It’ll run you about $60.
With burgers out of the way, I can point you to some of the dishes I think really shouldn’t be missed, and trying to pay attention to all price ranges and cuisines.
Let’s start with cocktails (beer is food, right?). Vegas’ most unique is probably the foie gras martini at Andre’s. Accompanied by a quartet of desserts, this may be the most decadent savory cocktail in the world. You can see a video of the man who invented it, former Executive Chef Gary Lamorte, serving it alongside that other unique Las Vegas cocktail, the bacon martin, to be found at the inimitable Double Down Saloon.
As far as snacks or appetizers go, one of my favorites is the charred edamame at Simon at Palms Place. Simple but addictive, they're flavored with lime juice and a blend of Japanese spices known as togarashi.
The foie gras crème brûlée [Ed: we're starting to notice a theme here, Al...] at Sage is unique and delicious. Restaurant Guy Savoy’s truffle and artichoke soup is a signature dish that always lives up to its hype. And the lobster corn dogs offered in the lounge at American Fish are astounding.
If you’re a fan of gourmet cheese, it’s worth a trip to Summerlin to visit Vintner Grill. Matt Silverman makes his own gourmet varieties using milk from his own herd of goats, and you won’t find anything like them on The Strip.
In the comfort-food division, recently I can’t seem to get enough of the huevos estrellados at Julian Serrano. They’re basically just French fries topped with chorizo and fried egg, but they hit the spot for me morning, noon, or night (click here to see a photo).
If you’re a steak fan, in particular of dry-aged beef, the "reserva" at Mario Batali’s Carnevino is definitely one for the not-to-be-missed list. Dry-aging is an expensive way to both tenderize meat and concentrate its flavor. The longer a steak is dry-aged, the more weight it loses, so most places do it no more than three to four weeks. At Carnevino, the average steak is dry-aged twice that time; the reserva, however, is aged at least six months. My co-author John Curtas and I once had one that was aged an amazing 15 months and it was unbelievable. You can see video of that meal on YouTube. If you want to try this ultimately-aged steak, however, be sure to call ahead a few days [Ed: weeks?!] to make sure they have one in the kitchen for you.
If you like sushi, you’ll find some of the best in the world at BarMasa. It’s flown in fresh daily from the Bay of Tokyo, and hits your plate within 16 hours of being pulled out of the water. Of course, it’s the most expensive sushi in town. For a more affordable Japanese treat that’s just as exquisite, check out the ramen noodles at Monta. The place is tiny and it’s hard to spend more than $10 on a meal. But the noodles are one of the town’s top treats.
If you’re a truly adventurous diner, you definitely don’t want to miss the weekly offal dinners at Comme Ça at Cosmopolitan. But be warned, "offal" refers to organ meats, and Chef Brian Howard regularly offers things like brains, tripe, testicles, and other cuts of meat that will frighten the squeamish. You can see some pics of his dishes here and again here.
For dessert, I recently discovered my new favorite: caramel budino at D.O.C.G. A waiter once promised me this caramel-flavored Italian pudding topped with fresh whipped cream and sea-salt/caramel sauce, accompanied by pretzel toffee, would be "life changing," and I really can’t call him a liar.
Finally, while it’s not a specific dish, the coolest culinary events in Las Vegas right now are the Back Of The House Brawl cook-offs that take place every few weeks during the weekly Saturday Night Truck Stop event at Tommy Rockers Saloon. Ever since the Truck Stop (a gatherings of local food trucks) became the hottest spot in town for the finest casino chefs to hang out after work, organizer Jolene Manina began recruiting them to participate in Iron Chef-style competitions held out of the trucks. There’s seriously nothing cooler than seeing a gourmet chef compete on a food truck.
*Ed: For additional tips on hole-in-the-wall gems, house specialties, personal favorites, and insider tips, there's really nothing like Eating Las Vegas, so check out the latest edition, if you haven't yet. It's a bargain must-read for any Vegas foodie, or anyone just looking for the best pizza or burger.
