Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

WHERE TO DINE 123
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.
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 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 slowly, salads are making their
way onto the menus, and some more health-conscious restaurants are opening.
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 high-falutin’ stuff all together. The late-night specials—a complete
steak meal for just a couple 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 still can 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 Vegas Visitor and What’s On in Las Vegas),
Tips Hot Off the Presses
September 2003 will see the opening of Bouchon (in the Venetian), a
branch of Thomas Keller’s bistro in Napa Valley. Keller is best known for
The French Laundry, considered perhaps the best restaurant in the United
States. Bouchon in Napa offers what you might expect from a French
bistro—not just frites and paté, but divine boudin blanc (sausage made
with pork and rice) and other wonderful dishes. The chef on the premises
will be Michael Deimers, who worked at Rio’s Napa under Jean Louis Pallidin
and briefly at Alizé, and as both of those restaurants were/are among
the finest Vegas has ever seen, we can only imagine what working for
Keller is going to mean. You will see us there a lot.