Eat: Recommended Restaurants

Fire it up

By James P. Reza

Even longtime locals are a bit mystified about the rapidly shifting weather Las Vegas has experienced early this year. From sunny and 92 degrees in mid-March to an overcast 61 degrees in April, one never knows what surprises the desert has in store. Even days perfect for sunbaking can take a quick turn into a blustery chill by late afternoon. With that in mind --and not being in any rush for the pizza-oven days of summer--here are a few eateries where you can warm your toes by the fire after the sun dips behind the Spring Mountains.

Andre's

401 S. Sixth St.; 385-5016

$$$$; Trendy/Jacket

Downtown revival? Bah. Andre Rochat has held fast in this downtown bungalow for two decades, a testament to the chef's tasty French haute cuisine. Foie gras is now almost commonplace, but frog legs are not. With a menu that explores the breadth of France and a wine list boasting 500-plus selections, and garden seating reminiscent of Manhattan's best, Andre's has always been a reason to head north.

Bob Taylor's Ranch House

6250 Rio Vista St.; 645-1399

$$-$$$; Casual/Smart Casual

Bang in the middle of the once wide open, ranch-strewn northwest, Bob Taylor's is now floating in a sea of stucco. You can get Mesquite-grilled steaks and seafood on almost any corner anymore, so why make the drive? For a taste of old school hospitality and an escape from corporate blandness. Filet and shrimp, lobster tail, prime rib...the menu reads like 1950s Vegas.

Chicago Brewing Company

2201 S. Fort Apache Road; 254-3333

$-$$; Casual; Smart Casual

Windy City expats and fans of microbrewed beer rave about the selection of house concoctions poured here, complementing the tasty Chicago-style Italian food (including pizza) and all-American pub grub. Even the kids can get in on the act with the house brewed root beer, making this a jamming neighborhood joint.

Chicago Joe's

820 S. Fourth St.; 382-5637

$-$$; Casual/Smart Casual

Ensconced since the early 1980s in a diminutive 1932 brick bungalow, the lack of a full bar hasn't stopped Chicago Joe's from surviving the remaking of Las Vegas. Joe's serves southern Italian cooking, Chicago-style, in a comfortably intimate atmosphere. Tasty signatures include spicy Lobster Joe and stuffed artichokes to offset the red sauce pasta. Urban, romantic and affordable.

Fellini's

5555 W. Charleston Blvd.; 870-9999

(also in Sam's Town & Stratosphere)

$$$-$$$$; Smart Casual

You keep hearing about this elusive "old Vegas feel," and you wonder where you can find it. Wonder no more; in 1998, one of Sin City's oldest pizza joints (it was once a Shakey's) was repurposed as an upscale southern Italian joint where the mover/shaker crowd provides the atmosphere. Enjoy a deep antipasti menu, extensive wine and scotch list and delicious entrees--but don't sit with your back to the door.

Fiamma Trattoria

3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 891-7600

$$-$$$; Smart Casual/Trendy

Hipsters sniffed when the MGM's Olio ran off, but it's nice to have SoHo restaurateur Stephen Hanson replacing it with a new flame. A sister to Manhattan's Fiamma Osteria, Hanson updated and brightened the Olio room while maintaining its fab fireplace, plus the menu, sporting Italian faves from spaghetti and ravioli to surf 'n' turf--grilled swordfish, bistecca fiorentina (porterhouse for two)--is more accessible.

Memphis Championship Barbecue

2250 E. Warm Springs Road; 260-6909

4379 Las Vegas Blvd. North; 644-0000

4949 N. Rancho Drive; 396-6223

$; Casual

Barbecue is a big deal in the South, representing one of the few culinary arenas in which men willingly get their grill on, developing secret recipes that turn charring flesh into a militaristic science. This local low-key chain with a big following specializes in the national award-winning dry-rub barbecue of chef-owner Mike Mills, who imports apple wood from Illinois to impart the signature flavor into baby back ribs, chicken, beef, hot links and chopped pork.

Pamplemousse

400 E. Sahara Ave.; 733-2066

$$$$; Smart Casual/Jacket

Yet another converted old house has re-emerged as a great date spot after previous years in the spotlight. Eclipsed by the volume of excellent eateries opening in recent years, Georges LeForge's longtime French restaurant remains intimate, unique, and oh so continental. The menu is in your server's head, the vegetables so fresh they snap, and the food darn good.

Panevino Ristorante

246 Via Antonio; 222-2400

$$$; Smart Casual

Architecturally impressive yet comfortable, Panevino features an open dining room with an expansive curving wall of glass with impressive views the Strip, a seemingly unending bar punctuated by a comfortable lounge around a blazing fire, and a delicious menu of upscale Italian comfort food. Start with mozzarella campagnola, continue with insalata esotica (spinach, avocado, hearts of palm), and wrap it up with freshly made pasta (gnochetti, lobster ravioli) or risotto.

Sedona

9580 W. Flamingo Road; 320-4700

$$; Casual/Smart Casual

The southwest valley's sexy new Sedona is an upscale tavern sporting plenty of dining tables and a modern vibe. Owned in part by tennis star Andre Agassi, Sedona looks and feels like it actually belongs in the Mojave Desert, and the menu boasts some fairly impressive steak and seafood offerings. An enclosed patio with a firepit is cool-as, and the Friday night happy hour shows what hotties look like when they have money for clothes.

James P. Reza is the dining editor of the Las Vegas edition of the 2004 Zagat Survey. Send your dining faves to jpreza@cox.net.