amen! This is the real reason why Carnevino & Cut are head over heels better than everywhere else, the steak is brilliant at both of these places but the accoutrements to the meal are what take them over the top. If your just going for American grass fed Angus steak and nothing else matters, then the top of the tier which includes SW, Jean Georges, and a few others are basically similar enough that its just the minuta that matters.

According to the finacee (who is more of the foodie than I am and paid more attention), the fixed price menu she noticed had a price of $89 pp but she isn't here right now for me to ask her if it was a five course or a three course. Whatever it was, I thought it was $59 pp.

Went to MGM's website and the fixed price menu is five courses, but the price wasn't indicated.

For those on a budget and wanting to try a restaurant, fixed price is probably the way to go.

The MGM website for L'Atillier is out of date, the menu is not current, the newer tasting menu options are not displayed and the seasonal menu is incorrect.

I dunno, to me, fine dining seems like -EV when there are plenty of reasonably priced restaurants in Vegas. I also feel like a bit of a schmuck when paying too much for food. I have visions of the waiters and cooks laughing at us. "Can you believe that idiot paid 20 bucks for grilled asparagus?"

My fav place in Vegas is Maggiano's, located in the Fashion Show Mall. Great food and hardy portions at a good price. The big steak is awesome.

<--------------Casual Dining Thread is that way. And we should probably start a ****ty Dining Thread for Maggiano's.

Thanks for stopping by.

i lol'd @ hardy portions

If you are going to eat at Maggianos (which I don't think is awful btw), what is the point of going to Vegas?

Guess that's what I get for believing what I read on the 'net.

heading to vegas for the first time this week (sat-thur) and want to eat some good food while i'm there. going to spend one night checking out the downtown area and the rest will be spent on the strip/at the rio.

i've read the last hundred posts or so in this thread and mundo's seems to be a pretty popular place. jean george's at the aria was mentioned a couple of times for steaks and their tasting menu look pretty good for $109. i'm certainly not on an unlimited budget but **** it this is vegas, and i want to good meals when i take a break from the pokers. want to get sushi one night, how's yellowtail at the bellagio? probably a little on the pricey side, i'm not a sushi snob or anything thing. a friend suggested a sushi place on the rio side of the freeway but couldn't remember the name, probably not fine dining tho. also, probably going to hit up lotus one night too.

let me know if i'm making any mistakes in my choices, it'll be me and two other dudes, will report back with results.

I might be the only person really qualified to comment on Downtown fine dining because I actually live Downtown... I feel this area is a diamond in the rough, I've watched it slowly come back over the last five years, and the plans for the future are outstanding. i'm vested in the future of this area, the only part I don't love is Freemont Street, the surrounding area south is really cool.

The best food downtown is in no particular order: are Mundo, Le Thai, Emergency Arts, Popup Pizza and Oscars. None of this is really fine dining, but this is where you will find ome of Las Vegas's greatest chefs hanging out when they are off duty.

Mundo: 2nd or 3rd best Mexican in Vegas, located across from the Smith Center for the Arts inside the World Market Center. You can get there via cab, take the road just north of the Plaza west across the train tracks. Go there at night and sit outside, its very cosmopolitan.

Le Thai : This is where you go if you want to eat lunch with all the downtown entrepreneurs, it is one of the two places the CEO of Zappos spends his days. Zappos is taking over downtown, their new corporate offices are inside of the recently abandoned City Hall and Metro Police Station as of January 1st. Sister restaurant of Hu Thai, really accurate and jammed!

Emergency Arts: Hipster/Bohemian heaven. Killer French Press coffee, jamón cut from the leg, and killer sandwiches in a very creative setting while listening to vinyl records. Used to be an emergency ward, great re-use of space!

Popup Pizza: Just opened, hidden inside of the Plaza. The owners are my neighbors, they accurately recreated northern NJ 3 day old pizza crust, its fast become the go-to spot for a quick bite downtown.

Oscars: This is a steakhouse named after Oscar Goodman, the former Mayor of Las Vegas and noted organized crime defense attorney. The best thing about Oscar's is the location, it has been the movie set of many a film and its stunning while retaining it's old-school charm. The food has come a long way, its not as good as places like Cut or Jean-Georges Vongerichten's places but if you want to stay downtown then this is a really solid option. Sit at the bar and drink the night away. This is the only formal dining experience of all the places I listed above - but its also informal, it is as good as you make it.

Technically Lotus of Siam is not downtown, but most people consider it part of the same area because the shopping area it is in is a bit seedy and off the strip, can't miss here either.

enjoy!

As much as id like to read through 184 pages, need some info on The palms steak house and Rios seafood buffet, thanks for your thoughts on these two places.

PuraVida- the place your friend mentioned on the Rio side (the other side of I-15) was probably Naked Fish - not a white table cloth place, but very good sushi, reasonable prices, and a favorite with Poker Players.

Live Action Nine at the Palms is a very nice steakhouse - esp. for people watching. The seafood buffet at the Rio - not one of my favorites - it is OK, but a little on the high price side for the quality that you get. Typical Harrah's type of buffet food. But, if they have exactly what you want - rare - not bad.

If you have a car - try going out to Michaels Gourmet Restaurant at the South Point - it is "old Vegas" done to a T. But, not cheap.

How does Vic and Anthony's steakhouse at the Nugget compare to Oscars? I really enjoyed the place the last time I was in town and am unsure if I want to check out Oscars when I know I like V and A's

I haven't been to LV for 2 years.

What's are the current better choices for taster's menu on and off the strip?

What is the 1st or 2nd best Mexican in Vegas?

TT, thanks for that informative response!

You have thousands of posts but never discovered that you can search in a thread? I'm gonna hook you up! This is how to do it, hope this helps...

PS: Rio Seafood Bufffet is better suited for the casual dining thread. I havent eaten at The Palm in years, not on my radar.

Could it have been Sen of Japan?

Vic & Anthony's gets mostly tourists, Oscars gets a lot of business movers and shakers. Food wise they are close to similar, both are what you would expect from a downtown steakhouse. Oscar's has the sick view though, best bet - plus it's associated with Mayor Oscar Goodman.

Depends on your tastes, but it generally perceived to be Border Grill and China Poblano if you are looking at the high end of Mexican cuisine.

Dealbreaker

Hoping to avail upon the collective wisdom here. Need a choice for a place for three couples to eat. Majority of diners would be happy with high end steak house, but one diner is a seafood only gal. It is important that the meal be just as good for the non-red meat eater. About a hundo a head for food without booze is the range. What would you guys recommend?

Every high end steakhouse is really a "steak & seafood house" - she will have no problems selecting from a fair range. Pick the steakhouse you 5 like, check with her that there are enough options on that particular menu for her to pick from.

If you all go kobe/lobster you will bust that budget, but regular cuts of steak and fish entrees, sharing sides, apps and desserts $100/head is about right.

What Simon said, and also Sage @ Aria. They do the mix of red meat/non red meat pretty well.

And what Simon said goes in reverse too, every seafood joint has steak on the menu, but I'd rather bring one seafood eater to the steakhouse than five steak eaters to the seafood restaurant.

What is the general opinion of the foodies in here about Mix?

Meh

I speak for everybody, of course

We have had a few unforgettable dishes (in the terms most positive meaning) at Mix, and never really any major disappointsments food wise. It probably comes down to how you feel about Alain Ducasse's style of cooking in general.

The service, OTOH, is at best hit-or-miss. Which the experience of dining al fresco on "64th" floor might or might not compensate for.