I'm also a big fan of "Desperate Housewives" and all of its stars including Eva Longoria.

So when the two teamed up to create Beso, a Latin-themed steakhouse also at The Crystals, I had high hopes even though Longoria DH character Gabby is a notoriously bad cook.

I won't go so far as to say I was disappointed but while good, Beso didn't quite live up to the expectations I had.

It started off well - the room is gorgeous, done in various shades of black with crystal accents and big windows looking out toward the main entrance of CityCenter. It's elegant and sophisticated in a way that makes it feel modern without trying too hard.

It was once we got to the menu that things started being less than exciting. There are a million steakhouses in Las Vegas and they all serve the same basic stuff, so it's the interesting twists and dishes that make something stand out. Unfortunately here, the emphasis is on steakhouse over the Latin themed part of the equation, which means that you have to hunt for the dishes that aren't on any other steakhouse menu in town.

A raw bar serves up a variety of seafood - oysters, clams, shrimp or lobster cocktail; starters include crab cakes and beef tartare with a truffle vinaigrette and quail egg; there are things like Caesars salad and lobster bisque in the soup and salad section; and then you've got the steaks and entrees - filets, strips, ribeyes, pork chops, lamb chops, more lobster, roasted chicken, salmon, short ribs, and even a burger. Pretty standard fare.

You have to look really closely to find the Latin influence. There's a taquiera tasting in the appetizer section, three mini tacos with skirt steak, tuna tartare, and lobster salad; Eva's Tortilla Soup, with chicken and salsa verde; and a paella with saffron rice, lobster, shellfish, chicken, and chorizo. These are a couple of examples of only a handful of original dishes. The rest is just another steakhouse.

Which isn't to say that it isn't good. The tortilla soup was a creamy wonder, served piping hot in both temperature and flavor and I loved the macaroni and cheese side dish, all velvety goodness the way it should be.

The filet I got was a fine cut of meat, cooked the way I ordered it and tender, and I dressed it up with a blue cheese crust. To be honest, that is the only thing that saved it from being just another filet. You can also get whatever cut you choose Oscar or Rossini style or with a truffle butter, any of which I would have to recommend if for no other reason than to amp up the excitement level a notch.

My table-mates ordered one of the fish entrees and the burger, both of which were declared "good" but there wasn't a lot of jumping up and down when so described.

Prices are typical for a Strip restaurant, which is to say expensive. Starters run $10-25, soups and salads $10-19, steaks $34-52, and entrees $21-44 with sides $7-20. A full meal with wine, tax, tip, and dessert is easily $75-100 per person.

I usually only want to pay that kind of money for something truly special. The word I kept coming back to for Beso was "good," but not special.