The Pizzeria

Las Vegas really isn't the cheapest place in the world. Food prices were really kind of crazy at all the different restaurants and we didn't really want to fall back on our favorite chains that dotted the landscape, but man, the prices were kinda outrageous at places. I thought the best deal on the strip were the people selling ice cold water for $1 on the bridges--I bet they make a tidy sum.

So, in search of a cheap lunch I happened to come across this place called simply "The Pizzeria." The reviewers on Yelp talk about the place as though it is a secret find--and it really does feel like that when you do find it. Like finding an old friend, the Pizzeria is hidden down a nondescript hallway on the third floor of the new Cosmopolitan Hotel.

This restaurant was a great find. The slices are fresh large slices of greasy NY style pizza for about $3.50 each. If you want a whole pizza you can get one for about $20, more with toppings. As we waited in the short line a piping hot meat-lovers pizza came out of the oven and replaced an old looking pizza on the counter--that they promptly threw away due to sitting too long. The sodas come in red plastic party cups like the fraternity boys hid beer in in college. I hear it's free refills, although I didn't test the theory.

The pizza I had was warm, floppy but crisp and a smidge too salty (but it was meat lovers, what are you going to do?). My husband--a true pizza connoisseur enjoyed his slice of meat lovers and the plain cheese, folding them like a pro and avoiding any drips or crumbs on the flimsy paper plate.

There is minimal seating space at the counters and a tiny bit to stand in, but you can always take your pizza out to the pool table or the business center where there's ample space. If you're craving something tasty and cheap the next time you're in Vegas don't miss The Pizzeria.

The Pizzeria, The Cosmopolitan Hotel

Las Vegas, NV

Map

The Bellagio Buffet

When we decided to go to Vegas for the first time for a short getaway, everyone raved about the food--and the shows. The thing is, once you're in Vegas it's really hard to center in on the best restaurants to go to--the ones that have higher prices because they have great food vs. the tourist traps. It's also hard to bring yourself to a restaurant half a mile up the strip when you're hungry and the 99 degree heat is pounding down on the hot cement beneath your already tired feet.

We're glad we decided to stay in the Bellagio, arguably in the center of things so we didn't have to worry about long walks to everything. But some days a walk up the street wasn't on our list of things to do and so we settled for what some say is the best buffet on the strip--the Bellagio Buffet.

We headed down to the Buffet around 10am on Saturday morning. I thought that since it was "so early" and most people in Vegas were probably awake until the wee hours, that it wouldn't be that crowded. When we arrived, the line was about 10 people deep and we soon found that this was only because the pre-paying was going on and people were slow to pull out their wallets. We were actually seated fairly quickly and directed to the buffet as the attentive waitress took our drink orders.

While it was 10am, I was surprised to see a couple of dinner/lunch options on the buffet line and not all the classic breakfast items expected. The buffet is varied for sure, roasts, eggs, omelet bar, fruit, cereals, Chinese noodles, desserts, pastries, and fish. The fish part of buffets is always my very favorite part. I just adore smoked salmon bit it's so expensive to buy. Eating smoked salmon at a buffet, however, suddenly makes it totally worth it.

I decided to skip the omelet line and made a beeline towards the french toast, fruit, mashed and boiled potatoes and then the fish... Even though I tried some meats as well I think it's safe to say that the smoked trout, smoked salmon (2 varieties!) and muscles were the bulk of my meal. I topped breads with them, I made tiny sandwiches, I had trout with the boiled potatoes and the mashed potatoes with pesto. It was delicious.

The thing is the buffet wasn't as special as I had hoped for $25 a person. I wanted a crepe bar or hash browns or the best seasonal fruits--I got melons, some strawberries and mashed potatoes. There were pre-constructed apple cinnamon crepes that left a little to be desired. The breakfast wasn't bad, it was good but it wasn't amazing. The brunch we had in Kauai two years ago at the Marriot far surpassed this one. The brunch at the Bellagio lacks any view at all and feels like a regular hotel breakfast--except for the heaping plates of smoked fish.

(Every time we passed the buffet line after our initial eating there it was snaking in rows of threes sometimes spilling out into the casino. It turns out if you go a little later in the day from say 12-9:3o pm, you can meet with a hungry crowd, so get your eats in early if you happen to be awake.)

The Buffet at the Bellagio

Las Vegas, NV

Map

The Mesa Grill

Tasting LA went to Las Vegas this weekend to check out the local sites and restaurants. We didn't really plan out our trip except that we (aka my friend since I'm scared of the phone) made reservations at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill for Saturday night.

Ever since his first appearances on Boy Meets Grill, Bobby's cooking has intrigued both my husband and I. This is the first chef we saw that cooked basic meats using spices and specifically different types of chili to make things interesting.

It's a good thing we had reservations, when we arrived 15 minutes early for our reservation, we were surprised to find the restaurant completely packed already with a wait!

The atmosphere at the Mesa Grill is pretty nice considering it is right in the middle of a casino. I was a little disappointed that some of the smokey smell from the casino was coming in through the cracks between the glass, however that didn't really deter me from enjoying the meal.

The food really lived up to my expectations. The menu isn't that large but you can tell that each dish is prepared with expert care to detail. My husband and I decided to order at least one thing from every course as we knew we wouldn't be racking up the bill on alcohol.

At the suggestion of other reviews, I started with the Blue Corn Duck Pancake. This is more like a blue corn crepe stuffed with bbq'd duck in a sweet sauce and then topped with a little chili sauce and some unidentifiable greens. This dish was incredibly rich! The pancake was cooked to perfection and not at all dry, the duck was rich and delicious and the flavor could only be cut by the greens on top and a dip in the chili sauce.

While we waited for our next courses to come, we savored the bread basket on our table. I was disappointed to find a hard cold round of butter in the small dish served alongside. Tell me, friends of the world, how do you spread cold butter on fresh bread? The highlight bread for us was the jalepeno bread that seemed to have some sort of cheesy crust. There was also a raisin bread that I actually enjoyed despite my dislike of raisins; and the famous blue & yellow corn muffin studded with jalepenos. I thought this muffin was a bit dry for my taste--I bet it would be good with butter...but without a small plate or warm butter the crumbs got all over the place instead.

Our main courses came, Joey had the ribeye with a chili spice rub and a side of mashed potatoes with a creamy cheese sauce. I had the pork tenderloin rubbed on the outside in different chilis and topped with a chili sauce similar to the one that came with the duck pancake. The tenderloin also came with a sweet potato tamale with pecan butter. While the dish at first didn't seem like a very big portion, I was nearly busting at the seems trying to finish it and half the potatoes. The pork was cooked as I have never had it before, succulently tender with a melt in your mouth feel. The outside of the pork was covered in a chili spice rub that was actually a bit firery for my taste, but still very flavorful. The sweet potato tamale was delicious but filling and I could barely eat half of it, despite it's small size. Joey's ribeye was flavorful especially where the fat marbled accentuating the flavors. I've never thought of adding cheese sauce to mashed potatoes--but let me tell you, it's a great idea! The potatoes were creamy and slightly cheesy--hard to differentiate from melted butter.

Even though we were completely stuffed by the end of the main course, we decided we had to order dessert. The menu had some tempting options--like churros with dark chocolate dipping sauce. I was kind of leaning towards those even though I'd heard that they weren't particularly amazing--but I was so full, could I really eat a bunch of deep fried dough? I guessed not so we ordered the blueberry lime tart with blueberry marshmallow swirl ice cream. Midway through eating the shortbread-like crusted delight, we learned from our informative waiter that there was actually no marshmallow in the ice cream, it was just meant to taste like the texture of marshmallows. No matter, it was totally delicious with a cascade of cooked blueberries on the side, this dish was a perfect end to a delicious dinner.

The Mesa Grill

Caesar's Palace, in the Forum Shops Casino

Las Vegas, NV

Map