Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

MID-STRIP 139
The presentation of the French cuisine is just lovely. The menu will probably
change periodically, but on a recent visit, we enjoyed the appetizer of smoked
codfish with white-truffle oil and arugula, a combo that works surprisingly well.
For a main course, we loved the crisp black bass with lobster sauce and herb noodles,
and the turbot poached in tarragon broth with baby veggies.
In The Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S. & 702/414-2220. Reservations strongly recommended for dinner.
Main courses $26–$38. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 5:30–10:30pm.
Onda ITALIAN Onda is anything but a run-of-the-mill hotel restaurant.
Chef Todd English, whose Olives cafe over at Bellagio is also well worth your
dining time, offers a Mediterranean slant on Italian cooking, coming up with a
menu that’s full of pleasant thrills, putting most other Italian joints in town to
shame. Vegetables are flown in especially for Onda, so we encourage you toward
menu choices that feature them. The restaurant itself is pretty and comfortable
(dress is casual chic), with a particularly good vibe later in the evening (after
9pm, say)—for some reason, the staff doesn’t tire but is still ready to take care of
your every wish, allowing you to linger as much as you like.
Begin with that basket of varied breads, making sure that the Gorgonzolalaced
breadsticks are among them. Move on to antipasti with polenta, truffles,
fresh mozzarella, onions, stuffed zucchini, roasted peppers, and goodness knows
what else. Soup is good food, in particular the fine baby-sweet-spring-pea purée
with a dollop of mascarpone cheese. A foil-wrapped veggie packet (slit at the
table for you) includes porcini mushrooms good enough to make even
non–mushroom fans fall to their knees, reconsidering their previous conviction.
Gnocchi in sauce are light and wonderful. By now you don’t need a heavy
dessert, but the chocolate-mousse cake is highly recommended if you can handle
it, as is the sorbet sampler (featuring flavors such as champagne grape and
caramelized grape) if you can’t.
In The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S. & 702/791-7223. Reservations recommended. Main course
$17–$35. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 5:30–10pm.
The Palm STEAK/SEAFOOD A branch of the venerable New York
eatery, which has been branching ever farther afield recently, this place attracts a
star-studded clientele fond of the reliable and hearty, if not terribly exciting, bill
of fare. (The famous may also be hoping to find their faces among the many
caricatures that cover the walls.) This is plain but filling food—at manly prices.
Red-meat lovers will be happy with the high-quality steaks found here, though
those on a budget will shudder in horror. The tendency is to give them a good
charring, so if you don’t like your meat blackened, start with it less well done
and send it back for more if necessary. If you’ve hit a jackpot, your money will
be well spent on one of The Palm’s Buick-size lobsters. They’re utterly succulent
and outrageously priced, but given their size—they start at 3 pounds—they can
easily be shared. If you’re worried that all this won’t be enough, add one of the
delicious appetizers (plump but high-priced shrimp cocktails or a perfect prosciutto
with melon) or toss in a side of crispy deep-fried onions. Desserts are
similarly heavy and unspectacular.
In Caesars Palace Forum Shops, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S. & 702/732-7256. Reservations recommended.
Main courses $8.50–$14 at lunch, $15–$35 at dinner. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 11:30am–10pm.
Picasso FRENCH A Spanish chef who cooks French cuisine in an Italian-themed
hotel in Vegas? Trust us, it works. This may well be the best restaurant
in Vegas, and given the sudden serious competition for such a title, that says