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 new 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 half a dozen restaurants in town between them; multi-Michelin-starred chef Joël Robuchon opened two restaurants in the MGM Grand; 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. 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. 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.

Great Meal Deals -- We've already alluded to the rock-bottom budget meals and graveyard specials available at casino hotel restaurants. Quality not assured and Pepto-Bismol not provided. As prices and deals can change without notice, we don't want to list examples, but finding a full prime-rib dinner for around $5 is not rare (pun definitely intended).

Your best bet is to keep your eyes open as you travel through town, as hotels tend to advertise their specials on their marquees. Or you can go to www.vegas.com and click "Dining" and then "Dining Bargains," though the tips and prices may be similarly somewhat out-of-date. Following are three examples of current options for late-night munchies: Ellis Island offers a $4.95 10-ounce steak (plus potato and other sides), and $7.99 gets you a Porterhouse steak at Arizona Charlie's Boulder. Mr. Lucky's 24/7 at the Hard Rock Hotel is a particularly good diner, with particularly good people-watching. And then ask your server about the $7.77 steak, three barbequed shrimp, and sides; it's not on the menu, so you have to know about it. And while it's not a "meal" it is certainly a "deal": Onda at the Mirage has a comp wine tasting, complete with nibbles, from 5 to 7pm on Fridays.

South Strip Dining -- 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.

East of the Strip -- In this arean, we cover restaurants close to the Convention Center, along with those farther south on Paradise Road, Flamingo Road, and Tropicana Avenue.

Our Best Las Vegas Restaurant Advice

Getting In -- There are tricks to surviving dining in Vegas. If you can, make reservations in advance, particularly for the better restaurants. (You might get to town, planning to check out some of the better spots, only to find that they are totally booked throughout your stay.) Eat during off-hours when you can. Know that noon to, say, 1:30 or 2pm is going to be prime time for lunch, and 5:30 to 8:30pm (and just after the early shows get out) for dinner. Speaking of time, give yourself plenty of it, particularly if you have to catch a show. We once tried to grab a quick bite in The Riviera before running up to La Cage. The only choice was the food court, where long lines in front of all the stands (fast-food chains only) left us with about 5 minutes to gobble something decidedly unhealthy.

Staying Healthy -- "Unhealthy" is the watchword here; if you don't care about your heart or your waistline, you will do just fine in Vegas. (And really, what says "vacation" more than cream sauce?) But there are healthy choices on many menus. You just have to look for them. And we certainly don't mean to take away any enjoyment of those extravagant buffets; heck, that's a major part of the fun of Vegas! "Excess" is the other watchword here, and what better symbol is there than mounds of shrimp and unlimited prime rib?

Saving Money -- So you want to sample the creations of a celebrity chef, but you took a beating at the craps table? Check our listings to see which of the high-profile restaurants are open for lunch. Sure, sometimes the more interesting and exotic items are found at dinner, but the midday meal is usually no slouch and can be as much as two-thirds cheaper.

Or skip that highfalutin' stuff altogether. The late-night specials -- a complete steak meal for just a few dollars -- are also an important part of a good, decadent Vegas experience (and a huge boon for insomniacs). And having complained about how prices are going up, we'll also tell you that you can still eat cheaply and decently (particularly if you are looking upon food only as fuel) all over town. The locals repeatedly say that they almost never cook because in Vegas it is always cheaper to eat out. To locate budget fare, check local newspapers (especially Fri editions) and free magazines (such as Showbiz and What's On in Las Vegas), which are given away at hotel reception desks. (Sometimes these sources also yield money-saving coupons.)

About Price Categories -- The restaurants in this chapter are arranged first by location, then by the following price categories (based on the average cost of a dinner entree): Very Expensive, more than $25; Expensive, $15 to $25; Moderate, $15 to $20; Inexpensive, under $15 (sometimes well under). In expensive and very expensive restaurants, expect to spend no less than twice the price of the average entree for your entire meal, with a tip; you can usually get by on a bit less in moderate and inexpensive restaurants.

A Final Word -- As welcome as the influx of designer chefs is -- and, good lord, is it welcome -- you can't help but notice that the majority are simply re-creating their best work (and sometimes not even that) from elsewhere rather than producing something new. So the Vegas food scene remains, like its architecture, a copy of something from somewhere else. And as happy as we are to encourage you to throw money at these guys, please don't forget the mom-and-pop places, which struggle not to disappear into the maw of the big hotel machines and which produce what comes the closest to true local quality. If you can, get in a car and check out some of the options listed that are a bit off the beaten track. Show Vegas you aren't content -- you want a meal you can brag about and afford, now!