NY Post ran a "best" list and an "avoid" list for Vegas dining (which is fairly rare to see). There's much to quibble with and much I agree with. Anyway, worth the read:

http://www.nypost.com/p/lifestyle/tr...O9sWQXviOn9PFI

noooooooooooooooooooooooooo to the hate directed @ wolfgang puck. Rest is lol to read.

Guy Savoy better take cover!

that article is pretty lol. it's almost deserving of the "look at me i'm an attention whore" picture.

This may be a stupid question, but the Top of the World at the Stratosphere has a dress code of "business casual", can somebody explain exactly what this is? In the UK I guess this would mean shirt and tie, but just want to check that it would be the same thing over there.

Pretty sure in the UK it would not mean a tie. Prob a shirt + no jeans i guess.

It can be. Europe is NOT the place to get a steak so no, not in Europe.

In Vegas, business casual basically means "We reserve the right to not let you in if you show up looking really dirty." Shorts and sandals are the only things I see people ever getting turned away for. I've eaten at business casual places in jeans and a t-shirt plenty of times, upgrade the t-shirt to a polo or button down and you won't even be conspicuously under-dressed.

Puck restaurants are reliably poor experiences, and I've tried all of them in town but Cut, many of them multiple times (I hear good things about Cut so I'll try it out at some point). I just don't like the dude's recipies I guess.

CUT is AWESOME. Top notch steak restaurant and has some very unique steak dishes (tasting of NY sirloin, for example). I've tried many other Puck restaurants and I agree but this is a must try place.

I agree about skipping Charlie Trotter - the menu looks AMAZING but the food was just too small and took too long to be prepared. So much potential.

fyi, ever since I've come back from Vegas my local restaurant experiences are simply not the same. If I don't eat exceptional food every time I drop $100+ I get pissed off now. Thanks Vegas!

I don't care where I am...Big Bux Food had better equal be an exceptional experience or they should know that you and your wallet will not be back. Dropping a fun ticket for average food is a far worse sin then getting f'ed at the drive thru over a 5 spot.

Agree 100%, I'll also add that he might have "Bobby Flayitis" - great chef, but cannot get a decent management team in place when he opens up to assure his kitchen standards are met. This is a big issue with "absentee landord" uber-chefs in Vegas, with some exceptions (Roubichon, Batali, Balloud for example). I have recently heard that the food quality at Bradly Ogdon has gone way downhill since the father & son team split for example, such a shame, I loved that place!

anybody been to the steakhouse at bill's lately?

Was there a couple years ago. Meh. In a town full of steakhouses, no real reason to go back.

ClarkNasty + TT, have you guys been to Puck's Spago @ Caesars recently? I'm just wondering because my experience there was diametrically opposite to your comments. Even the ELV critic has nice things to say about Spago.

I haven't been there for about 2.5 years. I think I've eaten there 4 times, and just never been really happy afterwards.

I simply don't really like his food. Obviously lots of people do, and frankly that's perfectly ok. It's just not my thing.

Similarly, lots of people like Batali. To me he's heavyhanded and overseasons things. I like Emeril's food, which many find uncreative and I also love Michael Mina, which I've heard some say is overpriced. I also put a huge premium on service since I find most of the high end restaurants serve really good food, making service a major differentiator. Different strokes, different palates, different priorities. That's ok.

Clark, point well taken.

Here are some reviews that I came across recently:

KevinEats:

Serrano

Sage

ELV:

Union vs. Jean Georges review @ aria

Mozen breakfast @ Mandarin Hotel

Sage

jeans are almost always fine with business casual its the shoes that matter alot if you arent wearing dress shoes your sneakers better be at least semi fancy

Mix any good?

I've never been but ELV says yes and I almost always agree with his taste: http://www.eatinglv.com/2009/05/mix/

My gf is taking me out for my bday in a couple weeks and she is trying to keep it about $100/person (not including tip). So what is the best food/atmosphere/experience/value/etc without breaking the bank at a place like Roubechon?

Vegas's bad run is your good fortune.

Lots of high end places are doing prix fixe menus now.

My wife and I ate at Daniel Boloud back in November with a $55 prix fixe menu, and throroughly enjoyed it.

There may be some restrictions (the DB menu was esssentially an early bird special, only available until 6:30) but look around online and you should get some ideas.

Mix for example, has a $90 prix fixe menu listed on their site right now.

Call ahead and make sure that the information is accurate.

Had a really bad experience last night at Carnevino getting the tasting menu. It was an easy 15-20 minutes between courses, none of it was seasoned well at all (what little salt on it definitely made each bite a lot better) and it just wasn't that inspired or flavorful. Make sure you get a real steak when you go there.

i ate at that place wearing jeans, a polo, and a very casual sport coat. i wouldn't go much more casual than that, but i by means felt under dressed.

one other consideration is age -- if you are in your 20's or early 30's, hardly anybody ever wears anything out that would be considered classic "business casual." i think a 60 year old dude wearing jeans and an ironic t-shirt would stand out a lot more than a 23 year old wearing something similar. they'd probably still let both in, except at the fanciest of places.

any good recommendations for the weekend before valentine's day? gf and i spending the weekend in vegas, looking for something fun/unique/possibly romantic but doesn't have to be. if anyone has a hookup somewhere or good ideas i'd really appreciate it.

tks