Restaurants

Among the images that come to mind when people think of Las Vegas are food bargains so good the food is practically free. They think of the buffets -- all a small country can eat -- for only $3.99!

While minor hotels still seek to attract guests with meal deals, frankly, eating in Las Vegas is no longer something you don't have to worry about budgeting for. The buffets are certainly there -- no good hotel would be without one -- as are the cheap meal deals, but you get what you pay for. Some of the cheaper buffets, and even some of the more moderately priced ones, are mediocre at best, ghastly and inedible at worst. And we don't even want to think about those 69¢ beef stew specials.

Meanwhile, the Vegas food scene has seen an enormous change. Virtually overnight, there was an explosion of new restaurants, most the creations of the so-called "celebrity chef" phenomenon. For this, we can thank those luxury-resort hotels, whose management realized that food today is a major indulgence and obsession and thus a significant part of the vacation experience. All of a sudden, Vegas can hold its head up alongside other big cities as a legitimate foodie destination.

Look at this partial list: Celebrity chefs Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse have ten restaurants in town between them; multi-Michelin-starred chef Joël Robuchon opened two restaurants in the MGM Grand; master Italian chef Mario Batali has two; deservedly famed chef Julian Serrano reigns at Bellagio's Picasso; Thomas Keller, the brains behind Napa Valley's French Laundry -- considered by many to be the best restaurant in the United States -- has a branch of his Bouchon bistro; legendary chef Alain Ducasse is behind Mix at THEhotel; and branches of L.A., New York, San Francisco, and Boston high-profile names such as Pinot Brasserie, Le Cirque, Aureole, Olives, Border Grill, Nobu, and others have all rolled into town. Not only are there more, but the 2006 James Beard Awards featured several Vegas nominees, while Robuchon's L'Atelier won Best New Restaurant in 2007. Unthinkable less than a decade ago.

Unfortunately, this boom has affected only the very highest end of the price category. In other words, boy, can you eat well, as long as you have a trust fund. Even as dedicated foodies, we can't, in good conscience, tell you to eat only at places that will require taking out a small bank loan -- except we just don't really have any other options. For the moment, with a few exceptions, it's hard to eat extremely well or memorably in Vegas (especially on the Strip) for a down-to-earth price. The buffets remain, certainly, but they're not the bargains they once were; the midpriced food is, by and large, pretty forgettable; and the really low-end food found in the hotels -- well, we try not to think of it as anything but fuel. That is, if you can still find it. Of course, this may not bother you as much as it bothers us.

If you get off the Strip, however, you can find some cheaper, more interesting alternatives, which we have listed below. If you're staying on the Strip and you don't have the mobility of a car, your food options will be severely limited. Getting outside those enormous hotel resorts is a major proposition (and don't think that's not on purpose), which is why visitors often settle for what the hotel has to offer -- long lines and diminished quality. Walking to another hotel -- on the Strip, yet another major investment of time -- means probably encountering much of the same thing. But not always: Once, when faced with dismal breakfast choices, we went from The Mirage over to Caesars, landing in their Forum Shops, where the Stage Deli stood, largely empty and with considerably better munchie options.

South Strip

In addition to the restaurants listed, the Monte Carlo has a branch of Andre's, a restaurant that has long been a favorite in Downtown. The South Strip branch is just as highly recommended for fabulous food and attentive service.