Heading to Las Vegas!

I'll be heading to Las Vegas this week to gamble on and watch the NCAA Tournament; along with spending time at the sports books and blackjack tables, I'll of course also sample some of the best food the Sin City has to offer.

This is my sixth trip to Las Vegas, and while none have been food-driven, I've still had the opportunity to eat at fantastic restaurants up and down the Strip.  People often overlook Las Vegas when they talk about major foodie destinations, but I cannot think of a place with a more concentrated group of fine dining establishments run by celebrity and world-renowned chefs (even matching New York City, which of course is far better overall based on their plethora of fantastic neighborhood eateries).

One unique aspect to Las Vegas food culture is the abundance of buffets; one can be found in basically every single hotel.  I have tried the buffets at Treasure Island, the Mirage, Excalibur, and MGM Grand.  As a rule of thumb, I'd say that the quality of the buffet matches fairly well with the quality of the hotel (Excalibur was fine but by far the most basic, while the Mirage and MGM Grand were probably the fanciest).  I've never been, but the buffet in Planet Hollywood has the best reputation.

For higher end restaurants, I've tried Mesa Grill, N9NE Steakhouse, SW Steakhouse, BLT Burger, and Wazuzu.  Each had their own unique feel and food, and all were exquisite.  I'd recommend SW Steakhouse highly; in addition to the wonderful food, the restaurant sits out on the man-made lake at the Wynn and entertainment goes throughout the night.  At N9NE Steakhouse, a trendy restaurant at the Palms, you eat in a "cool blue" space, and can do your best guessing whether guys are their with their wife, girlfriend, or hired help.  The rest were equally amazing, and there are countless others (Emeril's steakhouse Delmonico's, Joel Robuchon, and Michael Mina are three of the best) that will match any restaurants worldwide with steaks, seafood, and ambiance. 

For my trip this year, we have reservations at CUT (http://www.palazzo.com/cut.aspx), a Wolfgang Puck steakhouse in the Palazzo that features several different styles of beef (dry-aged, corn-fed, American "Kobe", and authentic Wagyu) in a trendy dining atmosphere in line with "new" Las Vegas.  One look at this menu, or others in the fine dining category, and you can see the quality of ingredients the chefs are using in every dish, as well as the variety of options they are offering, especially at the steakhouses where diners have plenty of non-meat alternatives.

When people think of Las Vegas, they think of gambling, money, and "sins" of all kinds.  Often overlooked is one of the preeminent dining destinations in all of the world, and one that continues to grow, diversify, and improve with the construction of each new hotel and the development of the next great chef.