A Taste Of What’s New In Vegas
Vegas – what can you say except excess and plenty of it! This week and next, I am sharing some fabulous new restaurants in Las Vegas.
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At The Mirage hotel is Tom Colicchio’s Heritage Steak, the newest restaurant from the James Beard Award-winning chef and host of Top Chef. The restaurant features exciting open-flame cooking using wood-burning ovens, charcoal grills and the Grillworks Infierno that works as a hearth, smoker, broiler and more. The restaurant sits in the atrium of the resort, and has a rustic, comfortable feel with stacked wood, leather walls and walnut ceiling beams. The service is attentive but not over-bearing, and our server told us special requests are honored, and even vegans have enjoyed a great meal at the restaurant. The meat is all antibiotic-free and includes Wagyu ribeye, natural prime filet and grilled lamb chops. Also on the menu: seafood, chicken and duck, as well as a wonderful choice of salads and vegetable sides for vegetarians, such as hand-cut fries, roasted eggplant, roasted mushrooms, oven-roasted tomatoes and roasted asparagus.
In the mood for caviar? The Bellagio gourmet buffet Friday and Saturday evenings now is featuring a caviar station, where diners can sample the delicate flavors of some of the world’s finest caviars – Ikura and Tobiko – alone, or as a complement to a selection of freshly prepared traditional dishes. At this station, a chef attendant will top house-made blinis, miniature buckwheat waffles, freshly rolled sushi and ahi tuna cones with caviar and a variety of traditional garnishes including chopped egg, onions and crème fraîche, to each guest’s taste. The buffet has several live-action cooking stations and a huge variety of cuisine choices, including Italian, Japanese, Chinese, seafood and American dishes. If that’s not enough, the Alaskan king crab legs were perfectly cooked, large, meaty and pre-split! A cold salad station offers fresh greens, mixed salads, gourmet cheeses and fresh fruit. Pizzas, pastas and a dessert station with a sweet selection of sugar-free desserts round out the buffet’s gastronomic display. A great value at under $40 a person!
Diana Helfand, author of “Hawaii Light and Healthy” and “The Best of Heart-y Cooking,” has taught nutrition in the Kapiolani Community College culinary arts program. Email heartychef@hotmail.com.
