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| Wednesday, Dec 3, 2008, 03:27:39 PM |
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Thursday, January 27, 2005 EAT 100 (part 2 - French-Italian/Pizza)
FRENCH
Alizé 4321 W. Flamingo Road; 951-7000 Trendy/Black Tie; $$$-$$$$ Andre Rochat, proprietor of downtown's venerable Andre's, offers arguably the best nighttime view in Vegas, particularly from the tables along the east window. Doting service delivers a delish French menu (duck foie gras, braised veal shank and the like) and a pricey wine list. Why: Hipsters go French.
Andre's 401 S. Sixth St.; 385-5016 $$$$; Trendy/Jacket Downtown revival? Bah. Andre Rochat has held fast in this downtown bungalow for two decades, a testament to the chef's tasty French haute cuisine. Foie gras is now almost commonplace, but frog legs are not. Why: A menu that explores the breadth of France and a wine list boasting 500-plus selections.
Bonjour Casual French 8878 S. Eastern Ave.; 270-2102 $$$; Smart Casual Purists take heart: Proprietors Marie and Bernard Calatayund hail from Cannes, so you know the food is authentic, while the service is uncharacteristically friendly--a welcome anomaly. A Green Valley neighborhood fave for several years. Why: Delish French country fare and well-chosen wine list are worth the drive from anywhere in the valley.
Bouchon 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South (Venetian); 414-6200 $$$-$$$$; Smart Casual/Trendy Thomas Keller's outpost of his Napa Valley fave is already on the radar of those seeking discreet ostentation. Rendered by the renowned Adam Tihany as old-school French bistro, Bouchon serves an upscale power breakfast every morning, plus classic bistro fare (pan seared, braised and roasted meats and fish) at dinner. Why: It's Bouchon, of course.
Marche Bacchus 2620 Regatta Drive; 804-8008 $$-$$$; Casual/Smart Casual Once strictly an excellent wine retailer, in 2003 the Verge family added a French menu to this hidden-in-The Lakes bistro that attracts name chefs from the Strip. Enjoy tasty French standards, heavenly imported cheeses and, of course, wine, in a casual, elegant setting overlooking a lake. Why: Ten dollar corkage, the city's best vino value.
Mon Ami Gabi 3655 Las Vegas Blvd. South (Paris); 946-4433 $$-$$$; Smart Casual/Trendy Dining al fresco is clearly underserved in Vegas, for even the platinum prices don't keep people from using the tables at this French sidewalk cafe as dealmakers--just as on the real Champs Elysées. A steak fritte, a glass of wine...you are Bardot in waiting. Why: Service, food, style.
Pamplemousse 400 E. Sahara Ave.; 733-2066 $$$$; Smart Casual/Jacket Though eclipsed by the volume of excellent eateries opening in recent years, Georges LeForge's French old-house restaurant remains a classic haunt and a great date spot. The menu is in your server's head, the vegetables so fresh they snap, and the food darn good. Why: Intimate, unique and oh so continental.
ITALIAN/PIZZA
Bootlegger Bistro 7700 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 736-4939 $$; Casual/Smart Casual Typically, this 24/7 bistro bustles with cooing couples and smartly dressed families, but at weekends it's a Who's Who of Old and Noveau Vegas enjoying live entertainment. At the swing shift, sit with the city's best servers and strippers in the lounge, sampling the satisfying Southern Italian selections. Why: Step into old-school Vegas.
Broadway Pizzeria 850 S. Rancho Drive; 259-9002 $; Casual "Hey, how you doin', chief?" Greeted thusly by Mario or Anthony the moment the door swings wide to this unassuming storefront, you know this is a good Nu Yawk pizzeria. At the favorite Italian takeout joint for the Navigator moms from the nearby pricey 'hoods. Why: The deep dish is good, but when we slop down a slice of thin crust, fuggedaboudit.
Capozzoli's 3333 Maryland Parkway; 731-5311 $-$$; Casual Though serving a full menu of standard southern Italian food 24/7, the pizza is the main reason to visit Capozzoli's. Everyone has his favorite pie, and many consider this to be the place that serves it, on a medium, chewy crust. Why: The late-night entertainment sometimes includes post-show Strip entertainers.
Chicago Joe's 820 S. Fourth St.; 382-5637 $$; Casual/Smart Casual Ensconced since the early 1980s in a diminutive 1932 brick bungalow, 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. Why: Urban, romantic and affordable.
Fellini's 5555 W. Charleston Blvd.; 870-9999 (also in Sam's Town and Stratosphere) $$$-$$$$; Smart Casual You keep hearing about this elusive "old Vegas feel," and you wonder where you can find it. Wonder no more; in 1998, one of Sin City's oldest pizza places (it was once a Shakey's) was repurposed as an upscale southern Italian joint where the mover/shaker crowd provides the atmosphere. Enjoy a deep antipasti menu, extensive wine and scotch list and delicious entrees--but don't sit with your back to the door. Why: Isn't that the mayor?
Fiamma Trattoria 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 891-7600 $$-$$$; Smart Casual/Trendy SoHo restaurateur Stephen Hanson's MGM Grand flame is a sister to Manhattan's Fiamma Osteria. The ever-changing the menu sports Italian faves from pasta to surf 'n' turf (grilled swordfish, sea bass, ravioli), but save room for the freshly fried doughnut dessert. Why: Good bar scene, better food.
Jazzed Cafe & Vinoteca 8615 W. Sahara Ave.; 233-2859 $$-$$$; Smart Casual/Trendy This bustling suburban bistro in The Lakes overflows with local soul, and top-notch northern Italian cuisine tempts an urbane clientele who enjoy being bathed in live jazz, local art and a lovingly tended wine list. Fresh banana crepes and Illy espresso finish any meal in style. Why: Nearly perfect hand-stirred-to-order risotto.
Metro Pizza 1395 E. Tropicana Ave.; 736-1955 4001 S. Decatur Blvd.; 362-7896 4178 Koval Lane; 312-5888 $; Casual A local pizza joint that capitalized on its success and expanded, Metro remains the populist favorite--the one non-chain place where everyone knows you can get a good pizza or calzone. Crusts of varying thickness are available, but we prefer the extra thin, crispy crust of the basil-heavy Olde New York. Why: Chain pizza? Blech.
Montesano's Italian Deli 3441 W. Sahara Ave.; 876-0348 4835 W. Craig Road; 656-3708 $-$$; Casual One visit illustrates why Montesano's grew from a small storefront deli and bakery to two busy bistros. The menu is a mishmash of New York Italian dishes; the pizzas are all delicious, and the sandwiches (including sliced-to-order egg salad) show why locals line up to buy fresh bread. Why: Just gaze at that fresh-baked dessert case.
Nora's Cuisine 6020 W. Flamingo Road; 365-6713 $; Casual First a pizzeria, then a small, full-menu, full-service restaurant. Sound familiar? Serving great food for better prices, Nora's has built a solid following thanks to the family's delicious pizza and traditional Italian recipes. Why: It's the little joint that could.
Panevino Ristorante 246 Via Antonio; 222-2400 $$$; Smart Casual Featuring an open dining room with an expansive curving wall of glass overlooking the Strip, a seemingly unending bar punctuated by a comfortable lounge around a blazing fire, and a delicious menu of upscale Italian comfort food, Panevino is a pleasant place to nosh the gnocchi. Why: It's all about the view.
Piero's Italian Cuisine 355 Convention Center Drive; 369-2305 $$$$; Smart Casual/Trendy Freddie Glusman's off-Strip hideaway is so Mob Vegas that he once joked that "the boys still come in here, but now the FBI follows them in." At least we think he was joking. Famous as much for its clientele as its specialties (osso buco, stone crab), Piero's attracts old-guard celebs and those who dress like them. Why: A holdover from the golden days.
Viaggio's Italian Cuisine 12261 S. Eastern Ave.; 492-6900 $$-$$$; Smart Casual Get vertigo at Viaggio with a view that stuns the uninitiated, not to mention a salad and appetizer menu (Phyllo wrapped shrimp with gorgonzola! Crab ravioli!) that can evolve into a meal in itself. Extensive fresh pasta selections, plus steak and seafood--all at prices the tourists would envy. Why: A neighborhood nosh of the first order.
Milo's Best Cellars 538 Nevada Highway; 293-9540 $-$$; Casual/Smart Casual In the old downtown quarter of Boulder City, Milo's offers 23 wines by the glass, a longer list of beer and ale, and a retail wall of 100 bottles of wine under $10. A modest $10 corkage fee pops the top to enjoy your selection with the short but satisfying menu of salads, panini, and cheese and fruit plates--perfect foils to the vino. Why: Day trip!
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