{"id":11623,"date":"2011-02-18T06:00:09","date_gmt":"2011-02-18T12:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=11623"},"modified":"2016-12-15T12:49:47","modified_gmt":"2016-12-15T18:49:47","slug":"las-vegas-vacations-beyond-the-buffet-the-top-3-hippest-eats-in-vegas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2011\/02\/las-vegas-vacations-beyond-the-buffet-the-top-3-hippest-eats-in-vegas\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the buffet: The top 3 hippest eats in Vegas"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Stack at Mirage tempts with affordable, American bistro fare and a heavy dose of scene.<\/p><\/div>\n

By Vince Font<\/em><\/p>\n

With all the attention on gambling and booze, it would be all too easy to box your Las Vegas vacation<\/a> into an itinerary of Blackjack and gin. Certainly, food doesn’t come to mind as a first priority, but that’s a rookie mistake. The locals know that when it comes to fine dining and nightlife, the feast starts long before the first course. Here, we size up the three hippest restaurants in Las Vegas hotels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Stack at Mirage<\/a>
\n<\/strong>The food at Stack is so good that you could make the argument that the hotel and casino are just there as an afterthought. This is the kind of place where the food is almost secondary to the vibe, which is best described as being \u201cconstantly abuzz.\u201d In other words, you don\u2019t come here for a quiet dinner. You come here for the food and the experience, and to see what other Las Vegas restaurants are doing wrong by comparison. The wooden \u201cstacked\u201d architecture is gorgeous, and the American Bistro menu is both diverse and shockingly affordable for the quality.<\/p>\n

Tastiest recommendation: the Cowboy Steak, a 24-ounce bone-in ribeye that\u2019s about the closest thing to the perfect steak. Not a steak lover? Then the Garbage Salad — which consists of shrimp, salami and artichoke with Italian dressing — might just be what you\u2019re looking for. If you\u2019re dining with a fellow carnivore, try going in together on the Ultimate Steak, an incredible 40-ouncer that can be made even more incredible if you add a lobster tail. Not a meal that\u2019s easily forgotten.<\/p>\n

Fix at Bellagio<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Mirage\u2019s Stack owes a lot in both look and vibe to the Bellagio\u2019s Fix, but since they were both the brainchild of the same company I won\u2019t complain. Besides, good architecture\u2019s one thing — good food is another matter entirely, as is ambience. Fix has both in perfectly measured proportions. Again, this isn\u2019t the ideal setting for a romantic date unless you\u2019re both more into people watching and soaking in a killer vibe. The menu, which is top notch American cuisine, is as varied as the clientele, and for the sizes of the portions and the overall atmosphere, a great value.<\/p>\n

Fix is great if you\u2019re into sharing your dishes, something that alot of high-end food joints typically thumb their nose at, but in this case it\u2019s actually encouraged with an entire (albeit short) portion of the menu dedicated specifically to shareable plates. The thin crust pizza is good enough to make a pizzaiolo flush with envy, but if you really want something special go for the Ultimate Shell FIX. With a stated emphasis on the capital letters, this monster dish comes with lobster, crab, prawns, oysters and clams. Parting tip<\/em>: If you\u2019re just in the mood for something small, go for the Kobe beef slider appetizers. You can thank me later.<\/p>\n

Lavo at Palazzo<\/a>
\n<\/strong>If you\u2019re looking for the best of the best Las Vegas restaurants, you\u2019re spot on if you set your sights on Lavo. One half of Lavo is a fine restaurant, the other half a happening night club that\u2019s known as a hot spot for celebrity sightings. Probably the best thing about Lavo is that it\u2019s the ideal one-stop evening hangout, especially if you\u2019re in the mood for a place where you can eat like royalty (without it hitting your wallet too hard) and drink like a celeb (without requiring the suspension of disbelief).<\/p>\n

Plus, think of it this way: Once you\u2019ve finished gorging yourself, you can burn off some calories by taking to the dance floor. Not convinced you\u2019ll gorge? Then you\u2019ve probably never seen the menu, which is exquisitely Italian and is actually very reasonably priced for a place this stylish. Brick over pizzas are two feet long and you can even get a lobster scampi pizza, but true Italian lovers will lose their heads over the grapefruit-sized A5 Kobe meatballs. Just make sure you save room for dessert, as you won\u2019t want to miss the delectable Oreo beignets, which taste an awful lot better than they sound. Tip<\/em>: For the best restaurant view, jockey for a spot on the terrace that overlooks the Vegas Strip.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to sign up for all-inclusive vacations<\/a> to enjoy any of the hip Las Vegas restaurants on the list above\u2014but it doesn\u2019t exactly hurt matters, either. Just remember that the best Las Vegas vacations are those taken in good measure with great food. In a town as hip as Vegas, who wants to eat anyplace dull? Hopefully my short list will point you in the right direction.<\/p>\n

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