James Beard Award-winning chef Tom Colicchio uses only the finest ingredients to create dishes bursting with flavor.
This restaurant was re-reviewed in the July 2009 LVA; some of the information contained in this review may no longer be accurate. Halfsteak (MGM)—We tried the deal at MGM Grand’s Craftsteak and loved it. Least expensive is a six-ounce hangar steak or beef short ribs for $17. The sides—for which Craftsteak is famous—are $6 each, but a choice of two (sautéed spinach, roasted asparagus, and cut corn among them) comes with an entrée. The other entrée choices are scallops ($18), tuna ($18), skirt steak ($19), and filet ($34). The appetizers run $6 to $12. We tried the arugula and shaved pecorino salad for $6 and an amazing Wagyu beef tartare for $11. What a play for gourmet appetizers and drinks! Of course, you have to go easy on the drinks or you’ll still crank up a $100 tab for two. Surprisingly, the half-portions are plenty filling, but desserts are also on the menu ($5) if you want one. This restaurant was reviewed in the August 2002 LVA; some of the information contained in this review may no longer be accurate. It's amazing, but somehow the dozens of high-end restaurants that keep crowding into Las Vegas continue to find a way to distinguish themselves. Craftsteak, the new kid on MGM Grand's restaurant block (replacing Brown Derby), does it with vegetables. A veritable cornucopia of vegetables, including beans, peas, squash, beets, turnips, fennel, celery root—even two we'd never heard of: farro (barley-like) and salsify (a root that tastes like oysters). Preparations are myriad and there's a borderline fanaticism about quality and freshness—the restaurant boasts a network of farms and produce providers across the country to ensure the highest standards. Most of these great vegetable sides run $8 to $10 and it's worth trying a few. Entrees are mostly steaks, chops, and seafood from the mid-$20s to the upper-$30s; they come roasted, braised, or grilled. Our tab for two with a few glasses of wine was $210. It's an expensive dinner, but one of the most distinctive you'll find in this great dining town.