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.

Merkato Ethiopian is excellent with a very helpful charming waitstaff. Most of the customers are Ethiopian with a smattering of white people. The kifto or the gored gored (different forms of spiced, rare or raw beef) is excellent. If that sounds risky to you. The tibs of marinated beef (served from a hot, ceramic plate atop a small fire) is a clear winners, if you want your meat cooked. Good choice of beers and full bar. Ethiopian beer is good, but I can't stand their honey wine. The "full coffee service" is a treat if you have time.

I highly recommend this place. It's a kind of scary looking half empty shopping center, but it's not dangerous.

Almost the diametric opposite of Marche Bacchus.

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.

Hi I am new at here and I have gone Las Vegas I was in same problem and i searched some restaurant then I got a nice restaurant in Vegas Locals.

Quote: Ayecarumba

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

Went there in December and really liked the food and it was reasonably priced. My only problem with the place was that it was so dark inside I couldn't really tell what I was eating.

I was stayed at recent trip of las vegas.
The decor was nice and the waiters are very friendly and polite. The food was good.It was good food and the service was great, but it just didn't quite hit the high notes for me.Las Vegas Restaurant

Quote: SlangNRox

Quote: Ayecarumba

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

Went there in December and really liked the food and it was reasonably priced. My only problem with the place was that it was so dark inside I couldn't really tell what I was eating.

Hopefully, they do that to maximize the view out the windows, not just to hide what's on your plate. You get a real sense of what Vegas was like back in the 50's/60''s there.

Hi Folks,

I was in Las Vegas last week and made it to two out of the three restaurants.

First we got to Marche Bacchus on Monday night. Making reservations was a little wierd. I tried to call them at lunch time on Monday and the phone must have been on the fritz because it would just hang up immediately. Eventually I hit the web and used their link to Open Table to book a reservation online.

We drove out from the Wynn and I was a little worried about traffic and making our 7PM reservation, but my fears were unfounded. We made it in about 25 minutes and had 10 minutes to browse the wine selection/store area to pick a bottle for dinner. My wife is the wine lover and she picked a lovely Syrah from Clarendon Hills. It was fairly low acid and wasn't a big wine like a Sauvignon, but nicely complemented our meal.

They sat us on the patio beside the lake. No one was eating inside that we saw. My wife was a little concerned at being outdoors as she hadn't brought a cover for her shoulders, but they had heaters and a gas fireplace running to keep people warm. The lake, the fireplace, and the sunset made for a nice atmosphere for our meal.

My wife started with the L’ASSIETTE DE CHARCUTERIE which is pate, cured meats, bread, and savories. It was wonderful with the wine although I found it a little salty as I often stay away from salt. I started with the WARM SPINACH SALAD which had a nice light oil dressing and the goat cheese croutons were a nice touch.

As my main meal, I had the PEPPERCORN FILET MIGNON which was lovely, but the Yukon Gold Potato Gratin reminded me of the scalloped potatoes we make at home. My wife had the SEARED AHI TUNA and she loved everything about her entree. The tuna was perfectly cooked. The spiced tomato sauce and ginger in the cous-cous was a very nice touch.

We both had dessert. I had the Crème brûlée which was a solid choice, but unspectacular. My wife had the flourless chocolate cake. My wife called it the best dessert she's ever eaten. They give you three pieces which we found a little much and it is extremely rich so much so that we had trouble finishing it. Best to share the flourless cake between two people.

The meal ran $200 plus tip with $68 of it being the bottle of wine.

We also made it to the Cosmopolitan and China Poblano. Vpfree2.com lists a number of $0.25 9/6 JoB games so I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone.

We stared with the Salt Air Margaritas. I had regular and my wife had pomegranate and both were excellent.

Other items were hit and miss. First the dishes that were a hit. The two taco dishes we ordered were excellent -- Langosta and Carnitas. They were flavourful and the salsas that came with them were just the right amount of spiciness for us. You only get two small tacos per order and they were $16 and $8 respectively so don't expect huge portions here. We also ordered the Traditional Sui Mai which was melt-in-your-mouth good.

Now the misses. We ordered Ocean Nest which is seafood and pan-fried egg noodles. This was very disappointing. The noodles and sauce were ordinary and some of the seafood items had a fishy taste. I've had better tasting food at the local mall. The other big miss was a "tea for two". It's a mexican beer based drink with tequila and other items added in to try to turn it into a green tea-style drink with alcohol. They really couldn't get the beer flavour out of the drink and it was also served flat -- as intended mind you -- but at least if they left in the carbonation of the beer it might have given it something. It never really approached what they intended -- i.e.; green tea.

China Poblano ran us $168 plus tip.

I never did make it to Lindo Michoacan so I'll have to save that for next time.

Overall I would recommend Marche Bacchus to anyone and we'll definitely make time for a meal there on our next trip. As for China Poblano, I liked a few of the dishes, but given the expense combined with the small portion sizes I'm not sure I'll make time for them again. Dollar for dollar March Bacchus is a much better choice.

Thanks again for all your recommendations.

Quote: helpmespock

First we got to Marche Bacchus on Monday night.
The meal ran $200 plus tip with $68 of it being the bottle of wine.

Marche Bacchus can be nice for light meals as well if $200 is not in your budget. They do have excellent wine choices in the $20-$30 range.
$21 L’ASSIETTE GOURMANDE “BACCHUS” Selection of Imported Cheeses, Charcuterie, Lobster Salad, Mixed Olives, Apple & Quince Served with Artisan Bread
$8 SOUPE A L’OIGNON Caramelized Onions, Croutons Gruyere Cheese
$9 CHICKEN & ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE GUMBO
$13 SHRIMP & GRITS Sauteed Shrimp, Cheesy Grits, Remoulade Sauce
$13 MOULES MARINIERE Mussels, Shallots, White Wine, Butter Garlic & Parsley

Quote: pacomartin

Marche Bacchus can be nice for light meals as well if $200 is not in your budget. They do have excellent wine choices in the $20-$30 range.
$21 L’ASSIETTE GOURMANDE “BACCHUS” Selection of Imported Cheeses, Charcuterie, Lobster Salad, Mixed Olives, Apple & Quince Served with Artisan Bread
$8 SOUPE A L’OIGNON Caramelized Onions, Croutons Gruyere Cheese
$9 CHICKEN & ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE GUMBO
$13 SHRIMP & GRITS Sauteed Shrimp, Cheesy Grits, Remoulade Sauce
$13 MOULES MARINIERE Mussels, Shallots, White Wine, Butter Garlic & Parsley

STOP IT! I'm drooling down my shirt front.