Prix fixe at Robuchon is something like $500 right?

Tasting menu but yes. I definitely don't recommend it for everyone. Picasso is way way way more accessible.

I've never been to Robuchon at the Mansion but I've been to L'Atelier. Still expensive but not quite as much. I like sitting at the counter and watching the chefs and enjoyed that meal very much.

I've had a meal at all three of those and they're three completely different experiences. It's honestly hard to compare them. It's easier to compare them to their competitors in class. Imo JR > Guy Savoy. And then Picasso and L'Atelier are better than everything in their class with the former being more traditional and the latter more adventurous.

You can have a great meal at JR and get out for 350 all in. I wouldn't try it for less. But you get that bread cart. And the dessert cart. And really everything was so on point that it was hard to even nitpick. I thought it was better in all ways than Picasso except for sommelier where Mike at Picasso is the best I've ever met. But again. Not a fair comparison.

Seasonal with wine at L'Atelier is the way to go imo. Sit at the bar. Yeah it's going to set you back 300 but it's a great experience. I still think their amuse bouche is so elite. I also remember my server, Ernie, and this was 2012. He was that good.

Degustation at Picasso was the first "best meal of my life" experience I had. It turned me on to foie gras and wine both.

I'm going to Vegas with my fiancée in July and have all three reserved on consecutive nights. As long as you're prepared to drop 3 or 4 bills on a fine dining experience I don't think you can go wrong at any of the three.

Does anyone have a review of the absinthe at Sage? I was considering going there just to try that and not really any food. Are they cool with that?

Review of absinthe? I don't get it. There is a wide selection. Most likely though, you won't like the taste unless if you are really in to herb heavy spirits.

They have a standalone bar so I'm sure they'll be more than happy to serve it to you without food.

I was mostly just wondering if anyone who has been there thinks it is worth the price and if it's a good experience.

They'll wheel out the absinthe cart and do a whole show for you, all in an effort to get you to spend a ridiculous amount for a bright green drink that tastes like nothing but licorice. If you're an absinthe connoisseur, you might think it's all silly and for the rubes while if you're new to absinthe you're better off just trying it without all the bells and whistles. But really, absinthe is better off doing nothing more than rinsing the glass of a sazerac. And they make a fantastic sazerac there.

And yes, if you're just going for drinks you should just be in the bar.

never been to any of these three, any reason it would matter which one i pick in a vacuum?

Cut
SW
Prime

I think all Steakhouses are pretty close in terms of food, just want to make sure I'm not missing anything. Have been to STK, Craftsteak, and Jean George's in the past and thought all met expectations (should have stuck with just a steak at JG's though)

Cut

SW





Prime


IMO

cut and sw very close. if you want white table cloth, caviar, classic steak house feel hit up sw. if you want something modern and some wagyu hit up cut

dont go to prime

Concur

Concur

CUT my favorite but only because I really like sitting at their bar.

If you go to CUT, don't make the fish move of getting American Wagyu. Much better to get a smaller portion of A5.

If just getting USDA prime, not a huge difference between CUT and SW.

It's kind of like if you are going to Carnevino for steak, make sure you can get the Riserva or there is really no point in going.

A couple of months ago I asked for some recommendations for a visit I was going to make to Nobu. My friends and I went to the Nobu at Caesars Palace this past weekend and here's a quick little trip report.

It was raining in Vegas this past Saturday (4/25/2015) and maybe because of that, we were slow to get a taxi when leaving the Signature MGM. I called ahead to let them know we'd be about 15 minutes late. We were seated right when we arrived.

Our dishes (served in this order):

-Yellowtail with Jalapeno
-New Style Salmon Sashimi
-Tiradito White Fish

The new style salmon was savory and provided a nice contrast between the other two, which had more of a citrus flavor to them.

-Rock Shrimp with Creamy Spicy Sauce

These were solid, with just the right amount of crunchiness.

-Black Cod Miso

This was the dish I was most looking forward to, as I've read about it a lot. It didn't disappoint. Tender and yummy. Also the serving size was larger than I expected. The various pictures I saw online made it look smaller.

-Chicken Yakimono

The wasabi pepper sauce (I think it was that) for this was really good.

-Toban-yaki Steak

This came on a skillet and under a cover. The smell when the cover was removed was fantastic and mouth watering.

-King Crab with Amazu Ponzu

Another solid dish with a subtle sweetness to the sauce.

After the above dishes we ordered a few more items.

-Scallops with Wasabi Pepper Sauce

The sauce with this dish was fantastic. I could eat happily with just that sauce and a big bowl of rice.

-Three pieces of sushi (nigiri) to end: albacore, snapper with dry miso, o-toro

The albacore was solid and the o-toro was of course melt in your mouth goodness. I've never had sushi with dry miso before so the snapper stood out. It added a new flavor and texture I've never had before.

For dessert, we got a bento box to share, which they spruced up a bit for my birthday.

My favorite items were the new style salmon, black cod miso, o-toro, and the snapper with dry miso. I imagine I'd enjoy all sorts of other sushi with the dry miso.

The dishes were all served one at a time except for the rock shrimp and black cod miso coming together and the sushi at the end. The pace of the dishes was nice, as they gave us enough to to enjoy each dish and talk about it before moving on. I think the dinner took almost three hours total. Service was great, as to be expected. Had a really fun time.

Son,

Awesome trip report, glad you had a great time!

the ken medai (golden eye snapper) with dry miso is one of the most wonderful things I've eaten in my life.

Kinmedai is awesome. One of those underappreciated fishes in the west. I remember having a whole fish at a local place one time with the body made in to sashimi and the head and bones made in to soup.

One of my other favorites that I prefer over something more obviously tasty like toro is shima aji. It has the richness and briny flavor of aji but with a cleaner finish.

Amoeba,

Lol, after your first sentence, I was getting ready to post "another awesome under appreciated fish is shima aji."

100% agree re: both of those.

I had some incredible shima aji at sushi roku in Pasadena.

I think my fav raw fish in no particular order:

kenmedai
sayori (needle fish)
ume masu (ocean trout)
uni

Do any of the fine dining restaurants at Bellagio have bars where you can eat? The wife and I like splitting an app/salad/entree, which usually goes better at the bar. Thinking specifically about Prime and Michael Mina.

Prime has a bar but is pretty tiny and seems best suited for a solo diner.

Michael Mina was disappointing last time I was there. But I seem to remember a bar on the immediate left as you enter.

There are a few great places to do this, Prime isn't one of them, so I'm not sure how much of a deal breaker being on property is.

My fav steakhouse to eat at the bar is across the road in PH @ StripHouse, often doesn't get mentioned on here, swallowed up by Cut/Delmonico/SW discussion, but is a very good bar option, often more attentive service than in the restaurant. That said, the appetizers have never blown me away (I don't eat shellfish tho so that might be an option) but it works well by splitting a salad and an entree and loading up on a couple of sides instead. For example, the romanoff potatoes, black truffle creamed spinach and wild mushrooms are all excellent with a conventional steak order.

Another good bar option nearby would be Jean-Georges @ Aria.

Simon,

Agree re: strip house being a great place to eat at the bar. I actually prefer the bar to tables there.