carnevino

las vegas, nv

website

i wonder if jenny and i are the only people who go to vegas for the food and shopping. it's a nice option for me because most of the great nyc restaurateurs have opened up outposts in las vegas. as we walked along the strip, jenny (the native new yorker) was surprised to see the names of familiar restaurants - mesa grill, carmine's, tao, and the list goes on and on. of course, the restaurants are not completely authentic - the food is generally a small step below in quality compared to the nyc originals. but i was very happy to see a batali restaurant and the pasta was almost as good as the pasta you get at his nyc restaurants. batali's pasta is simply the best. i recommend carnevino to everyone who goes to vegas. don't get the steak, get the pasta!

burgr

las vegas, nv

website

the restaurant is called BurGR - get it? - GR for Gordon Ramsay. oh, so clever. anyway, it's a burger joint in the planet hollywood casino. their milkshakes are served with a british twist - each shake comes with pudding on top. for example, the strawberry shake comes with coconut pudding. apparently british people like pudding. the shake was fine. the burger was fine. if you're craving a gourmet burger while walking the strip, this place is as good as any. but i wouldn't make it a priority.

lotus of siam

las vegas, nv

website

lotus of siam is possibly the most famous thai restaurant in the united states. it's been featured many times on foodtv and other foodie shows as a chef favorite. it's not close to the strip and requires a car or cab if you're staying on the strip. but it's definitely worth it. saying that this is the best thai food i've ever had seems too limiting - in fact, this is one of the best meals that i've ever had. i can't remember exactly which dishes we ordered, only that we asked the waiter to guide us to the favorites. jenny, jenny's cousin, and i devoured the food so quickly that i only remembered to take a picture when the dessert showed up. i really can't wait to go back again. hopefully next time i take better notes and more pictures.

wicked spoon

las vegas, nv

website

love the name. love the food. jenny and i were kids in a candy store. except instead of candy there were all kinds of foodie treats, including piles of bones from which you could extract delicious bone marrow. unlimited! well, i'm sure at some point they would run out of cows. but otherwise unlimited amounts of bone marrow! of course, there was more than just roasted bone marrow (you can only eat so much before you can start to feel your arteries clog). my next favorite was the french toast, which i topped with strawberry sauce and whipped cream. yum.