While I’m working feverishly to finish the next edition of my Moon Handbooks Las Vegas, I am running behind on putting up full new reviews on Vegas4Visitors.com. In the meantime I’m pitching out a series of mini-reviews so I can tell you about some cool stuff without having to wait until my cranky editors let me out of the stockade they’ve built for me and let me return to the wonderful world of the web.
This week, some quick reviews on restaurants I have recently visited:
Flavors Buffet at Harrah’s
As buffets move as relentlessly upscale as their hotel hosts they often become a little too snobby for their own good - I don’t care how much foie gras you put on the plates, it’s still a buffet, people! But Flavors does a good job of elevating the concept without becoming inaccessible. Their regional stations all have festive names (Ole for the Mexican, Fresh for the seafood, etc.) and their carving station is one of the most complete I’ve seen with roast beef, chicken, ham, turkey, sausage, lamb, roasted vegetables, and more. And unlike many buffets, their dessert station satisfies. Chocolate fountain. That’s all I’m saying.
Café Ba Ba Reeba
In case you’re not familiar with the concept of tapas, it’s a Spanish term for what basically amounts to appetizers. Only here instead of being a pre-meal treat, they are the meal as you delve through a huge selection of options including paella, cold and warm seafood, beef and lamb, chicken and pork, and more cooked with a Spanish flair and served in small portions. Order a bunch and share at the table to turn your meal into a communal feast or get a couple just for yourself so you can eat a more sensibly sized lunch or dinner. Don’t miss the mini-desserts - perfect and cheap cappers to a terrific dining experience. Located at the Fashion Show Mall, www.cafebabareeba.com.
Stack at The Mirage
Done by the same people who do Fix at Bellagio, this restaurant shares more than just a corporate structure. The design is similar, with what appears to be an undulating cocoon of wood set off by dramatic high-ceilings and lighting plus a simple, one-page American diner menu with fun twists. Appetizers include mini chili-cheese dogs or pigs in a blanket and a small selection of steaks and seafood is the main pickings here, but everything is done with care and delightfully presented. The atmosphere can be raucous with the bar in front full of noisy party-goers and the nightclub worthy sound-system making quite dinner conversation impossible, but the energy and cuisine more than make up for it.
Sweet Water Prime Seafood
Along with the nearby Bonefish Grill, this area is becoming an unlikely hot spot for fine seafood dining. Sweet Water is unique in a lot of ways, from their warmly upscale design to the fun chef’s tables with views of cooking facilities to the fish market up front in case you want to put a grouper in your suitcase for the trip home. The seafood selections are vast with salads, chowders, and create your own shellfish feasts noteworthy and many of the dishes have a vaguely Asian or French spin on things but it’s often the tried and true that win the day here - the pan seared swordfish steak served with a choice of accompanying sauces was perfect. A few steaks and chicken dishes satisfy the non-seafood eaters and everyone will love the cheesy garlic bread appetizer. 9460 S. Eastern Ave., 702-588-5400, open daily 11am to midnight, www.sweetwaterprimeseafood.com.
Roberta’s at El Cortez
Eating at Roberta’s is like slipping on a comfortable dinner jacket. The antithesis of the trendy, expensive, and loud restaurants on The Strip, this place is a traditional steakhouse in a room that still manages to be casually lovely without turning into cliché. The menu will not surprise you - steaks, seafood, lamb chops, and a few other dishes plus salads and soups - but the presentation, portion, and especially the prices will satisfy all but the most picky of food snobs. The atmosphere is charmingly friendly and familial - our server was celebrating her sixteenth anniversary as an employee at the hotel!
M&M Soul Food
In 2006 I took an extended road trip through the American south and experienced some of the best down-home cooking anywhere, so I know of which I speak when I proclaim this to be the best example of the cuisine you’re going to find in Vegas and pretty worthy even when compared to what you’ll find in Mississippi. Try the smothered fried chicken, three pieces of juicy, slightly spicy meat covered in delicious gravy or go traditional with the hot links, collared greens, gumbo, catfish, or short ribs. Their home-brewed barbecue sauce is revelatory and will make you wish they bottled it for you to take home with you. Sheltered suburban types may be slightly intimidated by the neighborhood but get over yourself and go experience southern cooking at its best. 3923 W. Charleston Ave., 702-453-7685, open daily 7am to 8pm, www.mmsoulfoodcafe.com.
Palms Buffet
The only disappointment on my recent gastronomical fiesta was the new Palms Buffet. The old one was delightful, with an interesting assortment of regional foods including Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes that you really couldn’t find anywhere else. The new buffet is smaller, the food selection is limited to the same old stuff you can get anywhere, and none of it was all that terrific. And they are even charging higher prices for this than they used to. There are many better buffets so you can skip this one.
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