Restaurant Recommendations

Hello All,

My wife and I will be on our now annual Las Vegas trip this coming March Break so I'm looking for restaurant recommendations. I'd like two recommendations: one Mexican and the other is completely open.

Lindo Michoacan is one recommendation for Mexican that I've seen floating around. Todd's Unique Dining is one in the open category. Comments on either of these?

We'll have access to a car and I don't mind driving, but keep it within a 30 minute drive of the strip (we're staying at the Wynn).

Thanks folks.

You might try Dos Cominos at Palazzo for Mexican. What other kinds of food do you enjoy? Steak? Seafood? "Unusual" food?

Quote: helpmespock

Hello All,

My wife and I will be on our now annual Las Vegas trip this coming March Break so I'm looking for restaurant recommendations. I'd like two recommendations: one Mexican and the other is completely open.

Lindo Michoacan is one recommendation for Mexican that I've seen floating around. Todd's Unique Dining is one in the open category. Comments on either of these?

We'll have access to a car and I don't mind driving, but keep it within a 30 minute drive of the strip (we're staying at the Wynn).

Thanks folks.

Lindo Michoacan is very good, but be warned, it's not gringo Mexican. You won't recognize half the dishes on the menu.

My favorite Mexican is Garduno's in the Palms, with the qualification that the food it offers is actually New Mexican, not Mexican as such (but I love green chile). There really aren't very many authentic Mexican restaurants in the US--what you usually get is either Calimex, New Mexican, or Tex-Mex. Actual Mexican cuisine has strong regional variations: Mexico City cuisine is very grilled meat oriented, Veracruz is seafood, Oaxaca--I could go on. I would definitely say stay away from the $35 entree "Mexican" places in the Strip megatoilets---they offer WORSE Mexican food than what you get in the downtown taco shops.

I don't know about Todd's. Do you have a particular kind of cuisine in mind for the "open" category?

I had a great dinner at China Poblano at Cosmopolitan last month. If you like Mexican, and like Chinese, you'll love it, too. The "Don't Be Jealous" is a hot and spicy soup with surprising hints of smoked chipotle. The pork dim sum seemed to melt in my mouth. The sauce on the chicken ji sung (lettuce tacos) was amazing. And the Salt Air Margarita (topped with an emulsified lime/salt foam) is one of my fondest memories of the trip.

Service is hit-or-miss. I called ahead for reservations at 5:30, and they said it would be two hours. I was in the area anyway, so I showed up at 5:15 and was seated immediately in a near-empty restaurant. It could be that the reservations line had no idea what the restaurant was doing -- this interdepartmental disconnect was still rampant at the Cosmopolitan on my visit.

On the other hand, the server was attentive, friendly, quick, and made some great suggestions. I appreciated that chef José Andrés refused to allow us to substitute one ingredient for another in one dish (sour cream for guacamole, I think); the server gently explained that doing so would compromise the integrity of his intended dish. I can see that this would anger some folks, though.

Quote: travisl

I appreciated that chef José Andrés refused to allow us to substitute one ingredient for another in one dish (sour cream for guacamole, I think); the server gently explained that doing so would compromise the integrity of his intended dish. I can see that this would anger some folks, though.

It would positively tee me off :) I once walked out of a restaurant that refused to remove brocoli from the dish I wanted to order. I respect artistic integrity, but cooking, even the high end haute cuisine which requires talent and creativity, is not art.

Anwyay, thanks for the review. The restaurant caught my eye, as I posted elsewhere, because Mex City's center is rife with Mexican/Chinese cafes. one thing I didn't mention in my other thread is that a beef and orange, spicy dish I've found in Chinese restaurants in the US, and one in Mexico, commonly use a red pepper known down here as chile de arbol. It's a long, thin, red or green colored pepper that's very, very hot. If cooked, I can eat one whole (just one; I once ate three on a dare and swore I'd never do it again)

For the "Open" category, I recommend Binion's Steakhouse. Great, reasonably priced food, old Las Vegas feel, and an amazing view at night.

For Mexican, I've had several good experiences at Isla, at Treasure Island. The food is good and reasonably priced, and they have an extensive tequila selection.

As for the open category, I'd suggest Marche Bacchus. It's a little out of the way, but I'm pretty sure it's under 30 minutes from the strip. Great French food in a relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant is attached to a wine shop where you can choose your own bottle to drink with dinner, making it an even better value.

Quote: Kayday

For Mexican, I've had several good experiences at Isla, at Treasure Island. The food is good and reasonably priced, and they have an extensive tequila selection.

As for the open category, I'd suggest Marche Bacchus. It's a little out of the way, but I'm pretty sure it's under 30 minutes from the strip. Great French food in a relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant is attached to a wine shop where you can choose your own bottle to drink with dinner, making it an even better value.

I like Marche Bacchus better than Todd's Unique. It is a much prettier section of town, outside seating on a lake, and the wine is much better bargain.

Fine regional Mexican cuisine is not that easy to come by in Vegas. I have looked very hard. I would recommend Chapala's for family style Mexican cuisine.

Quote: mantic59

You might try Dos Cominos at Palazzo for Mexican. What other kinds of food do you enjoy? Steak? Seafood? "Unusual" food?

My wife and I enjoy a variety of cuisines -- Indian, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, French, German, Italian, African. I like crab/lobster, but am not so much into fish. My wife likes fish and seafood. We enjoy steak too. So I guess for the open category it could be just about anything that you'd want to recommend.

Thanks for the recommendations folks.

It looks like Marche Bacchus is the open winner.

We may do both Lindo Michoacan and China Poblano. I play $10 blackjack at Bellagio so perhaps we'll pop over for supper to China Poblano.

I'll try to report back after the trip.