Vegas Vacation Eats

If you follow me on twitter and instagram, you know that we just got back from an amazing trip to Las Vegas.  We went out there to celebrate Chicken Leg’s birthday. It was the best trip ever!  We were running on fumes when we hopped on the plane to come home. I think that is they way you are suppose to do Vegas though. 
My favorite part of Vegas is the food. There are so many world renowned chefs with restaurants in Vegas. I love to eat my way through town! Thankfully we walk at least 5 miles a day, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to fit in my pants!
We stayed at the Aria this year.  This was the second time we have stayed here. It is a nice hotel and not as hectic as some of the other hotels.  
Our first stop after checking in was at Todd English’s P.U.B. It was perfect because it is connected to the hotel. It is quick and has a great variety of food.

Chicken Legs started with a Bloody Mary. 

He got the sliders and fries.

I opted for the Corn Dog Puppies and fries. 
Dinner that night was at Jean Georges Steakhouse in the Aria. This was the fourth time we have eaten here. The food is always great. Unfortunately, our server was a big disappointment this time. No worries, we didn’t let that stop us from enjoying our meal.  We had a late lunch, so we skipped appetizers and headed straight for the entrees.  
I got the Soy-Glazed Short Rib over Apple Jalapeño Puree and Rosemary Crumbs. It was fall apart tender, and I ate every last bite!

Chicken Legs chose the Colorado Lamb Chops with Broccoli Rabe and Pecorino Mushroom Bolognese.  I saw the plate being set down in front of him, and the next time I looked up it was almost gone! Needless to say, he loved it! 
(It was super dark in the restaurant, so the photos aren’t super great. I didn’t want to use a flash since the waiter was super snooty.)
Day Two started off at Grimaldi’s at The Palazzo. I was SUPER excited to eat here.  I love pizza, and I couldn’t wait to try their famous coal oven pizza!

I loved the wine bottle chandeliers! 

It was decorated like it was in NYC.

I had a sausage, ham and fresh garlic pizza. The sauce was so delicious. It tasted so fresh. The pizza was topped with fresh mozzarella. SO good!

Tadd got pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms and jalape̱os Рhe was in hog heaven!

We saved room for dessert. We had to get a cannoli. OMG! 
Before dinner we hit The Bourbon Room at The Venetian. It is based on The Bourbon Room from the play Rock of Ages (one of our favorite plays). Hairbands rule!  It was SO much fun. 
 

I finally found a bourbon drink that I like – the Man O’War on the rocks. It’s Maker’s Mark, orange Curaçao, Sweet Vermouth, and orange Juice. I loved it!
After drinks we headed over to Lavo. We always hit up Lavo for dinner. It has a great atmosphere and the food is fantastic!

We started with the Kobe Stuffed Rice Balls. To-die-for!

We split the A-5 Kobe Meatball with whipped ricotta. Chicken Legs doesn’t usually split food when we go out, but the meatball was about a pound. We couldn’t finish it. It was so tender and delicious.

Our side was Polenta Fries. Super delicious. We couldn’t finish these either.
Chicken Legs stayed up until 6:00am gambling, so we slept in and skipped breakfast.  We headed to one of our favorite lunch spots – PJ Clarke’s in Caesar’s Palace.  We always eat at PJ Clarke’s in NYC, so we make a point to eat at the Las Vegas location.
Chicken Legs started the meal off with a Bloody Mary (hair of the dog). Look at how awesome it is! That shrimp was huge!

Chicken Legs got the Cadillac Burger with an egg. This is the inspiration for the Cadillac Burger on the blog. Delicious!

Onion straws – perfectly cooked.

I got the Prime Rib French Dip. It came with fries. One of the best I’ve ever had. 
Dinner was at The Pallazo, so we headed over early to The Bourbon Room for a pre-dinner cocktail. After a drink we walked over to Carnevino. It is Mario Batali’s Italian Steakhouse. It is one of the best places that I have ever eaten. The service is spectacular.

I had a few Blood Orange Cosmos. I love them. 
It is worth a trip to Vegas just to have a Blood Orange Cosmo from Mario Batali. Seriously!

The meal starts with these little cheese puffs. One bite of deliciousness.

The bread is served with whipped butter and a bacon fat spread. Oh yes, bacon fat.

We started with Spaghetti Nero. It was crab, jalapenos, and shallots. The pasta was made with squid ink. Squid Ink! Yikes! I stepped WAY out of my comfort zone and tried it. It was good, but scary looking. 

I got the filet. It was the best steak I have ever eaten – EVER. It was cooked perfectly and wasn’t charred on the outside. I had to make myself not stuff the last few bites down. It was amazing. Get it!

Chicken Legs got the double cut chop. He didn’t have any left.

We got creamed corn as our side. It wasn’t really creamy. It was more sautéed corn with peppers.

They surprised Chicken Legs with a little birthday treat at the end of our meal. 
I just love Carnevino. It is the one spot that I can’t miss on our Vegas trips. 
Please go. You won’t regret it!
We headed back to The Bourbon Room after dinner. Kyle Lowder (a/k/a Brady Black from Days of Our Lives) plays Stacee Jaxx in Rock of Ages and came in after the show. That was our only “celebrity” sighting this trip.
I danced the night/morning away to 80’s music. Chicken Legs had to drag me away and make me go back to our hotel. I didn’t want to go! 
I will be back!!

We got up early the next day and went to breakfast at Bouchon Bistro in The Venetian. I love the Bouchon Bakery, so I was excited to try the bistro.

They brought us the pretty bread to start. They served it with butter and orange marmalade. It was the best marmalade I’ve ever had. I could have drank it from the dish.

I got the chicken and waffles. It is roasted chicken with a bacon and chive waffle. They served it with syrup and a Chasseur sauce (I have no idea what it was, but it was delicious on the chicken). Everything was so good! 

Chicken Legs got the Croque Madame with a sunny side up egg. Incredible. 
This will be a regular stop on our future Vegas trips.
For lunch we stopped by the Secret Pizza Place at the Cosmopolitan. We weren’t super hungry, but we knew we couldn’t make it to dinner at 9:30. The Secret Pizza place was perfect. 
The Secret Pizza Place is located at the top of the escalator on the 3rd floor of The Cosmopolitan.  There is no sign – it’s a secret. It isn’t a very well kept secret. The line was out the door when we left.

The hallway is lined with old album covers.

They hand toss the dough.

They put out various pizzas, but you can add toppings to anything they have out.

I got a slice of pepperoni. The pepperoni was big and delicious.

Chicken Legs went for pepperoni, mushroom, onion, pepper and olives.
The pizza is a little greasy, but it’s really good and affordable.
We blew it out for dinner since it was our last night and Chicken Legs’ birthday. We had been eyeing Old Homestead at Caesar’s for a while. We decided to stop in the bar for a drink and check it out. Well, drinks turned into an amazing dinner.
We started off with the bacon appetizer. OMG. It was SOOOO delicious. It was hard to get a really good picture with the lighting, but trust me on this. It was so much that we shared with the couple next to us!
The bartenders finally talked us into having dinner. They brought us out this bread basket. I could have just eaten the bread basket for dinner! My favorite was the asiago muffin. YUM!
I got the famous burger and duck fat fries. I had seen a special on the burger at Old Homestead, and I was super excited to try it! Now, I don’t eat duck. I know it is delicious, but I just don’t like to eat Donald and Daffy. I tried the fries, and they were divine. They were crispy, salty and delicious. I really liked them – a lot.  I will be ordering this on our next trip.
Chicken Legs got the bone-in filet. The bartenders both said it was their best steak. They were right. It was great. It was cooked perfectly. Chicken Legs almost ate the whole thing.
Chicken Legs got a side of roasted mushrooms. They are his favorite steakhouse side.
We had a blast at the bar at Old Homestead. 
Thanks to Melissa and James for making our last night in Vegas one of the best! 
We will be back!!
Just so you know, we did other things besides eating. We did lots of people watching, shopping and walking. We walked over 5 miles every day. My feet were killing me at the end of the day! Chicken Legs gambled at the tables, and I played The Hangover slot machines. I am totally addicted to it! 
We already have a list going for our next Vegas trip. We saw a few places that were about to open that we want to check out and a few places that we haven’t tried yet. We are definitely going to Olives at the Bellagio and the new Carmine’s in Caesars.
Have you been to Vegas?  What are your favorite Vegas restaurants? I am always looking for suggestions!

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Comments

  1. WOW! AMAZING food! It looks like you had a blast! I love Las Vegas, my husband and I went for our honeymoon and try to go every year at least once…it's good to see new restaurant suggestions! 🙂

  2. If you enjoy sushi, you have to try Sushi Roku! The tempura lobster is heavenly. It is my favorite place and we go each time we are in Vegas. The best steak is at Del Frisco's Vegas location. We normally go there at least twice during a trip. Perfectly cooked steaks and great drinks too. I can't wait to try some of the places you mentioned.

  3. You HAVE to try the Sage Fried Chicken at Hash House in Imperial Palace. It was featured on Man Vs. Food and it is deliciously huge!

  4. What an awesome trip! The food sounds incredible!!

    Years and years ago I went to Vegas with my parents. I wanted a PB&J so bad that my dad paid $12 for one! Back in like 1979!

  5. Renee – I can't get them to understand that there is so much more to do in Vegas besides gamble.

    We would have a blast in Vegas with you!

  6. Omg Stephanie, I am drooling here! I really want to go to Vegas with y'all sometime. Still can't talk dear ole dad? We would have so much fun!

  7. I am a Vegas native and love it here! If you want to venture off the Strip next time, there are some amazing places to try. However on the strip, my husband and I love Joe's Stone Crab at Caesars, Il Fornaio at NYNY, Buffett at Bellagio. Still need to check out Gordon Ramsey's places, but my friend ate at Burgr at Planet Hollywood and loved it.

  8. Marie – shop at The Forum and at the Venetian/Palazzo – best shopping on the planet.

    My favorite Cirque show is Mystere at Treasure Island. We have also seen Jersey Boys and Rock of Ages – both are great!

    I also love the secret garden at the Mirage (lions, tigers, dolphins).

    Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at night and watch the Bellagio fountains!

  9. I'm headed to Vegas with girlfriends to celebrate one of their birthdays- we are definitely going to check out some of the restaurants in your post!!

    Any suggestions of things to do besides gambling? We lucked and got Garth Brooks tickets!!

  10. I love Olives and we try to go every time we are in Vegas. I also love Table 10, one of Emril's restaurants. I will definitely check out Merio Batali's restaurant next time I'm there. So glad to know other people love Vegas for the food like I do!

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