Saturday, November 10, 2012

Las Vegas - the Gourmet Capital of the World?

Back in the day, the all-you-can-eat buffet for $2.99 is what everyone talked about when they came to visit Las Vegas. After a night of carousing on Fremont Street, we would pile into the Golden Nugget for the late night steak and lobster special for only $5.99 or the 50 cent shrimp cocktail. But our tastes and expectations have changed a bit.

 
It all started back in 1992 when Wolfgang Puck opened Spago at Caesars Palace. Now he has seven restaurants in Vegas, including one at McCarren Airport.
 
Eight years later in 2000, there were still only two more adventurers: Emeril Lagasse and Bobby Flay. Today there are many more famous chefs opening signature restaurants and trying their luck at new culinary ideas. I’m thankful so many wonderful chefs have decided to use Las Vegas as a “tasting ground” for their innovative ideas. The service quality is usually remarkable along with the unique food combinations. (It's one of the things that makes living in Las Vegas so amazing. We have more five star gourmet restaurants and chefs per capita than any other city in the world.)

“What’s THAT!?!?!” has become a key phrase based on Kitchen Nightmares, and many people watched Chef Gordon Ramsey choose his executive chef on Hell's Kitchen for his recently opened Steak House at the Paris Hotel. There’s a sign on a wall at Caesars Palace touting a new restaurant coming soon (Love the pig silouette covered in a UK flag design). We all wonder how Gordon Ramsey finds the time to do it all (and many of us now fear searing scallops).
 
Also at Caesars is Mesa Bar and Grill owned by Bobby Flay. The outer wall is made of glass so you can see across the tables into the kitchen. One word: Tapas! 
 
Turn to the right and down the hallway you’ll see another sign on a wall stating only one word: NOBU. Hard Rock Hotel hosts one of Nobu’s Japanese fusion restaurants which offers zen-like décor with excellent customer attentiveness, but what’s in the works at Caesars is nothing short of spectacular! Nobu is opening an exclusive restaurant AND his first ever Nobu Hotel. It’s so beyond words, I can only share the link: https://www.totalrewards.com/nobu/ 

BAR, BOOK and BAM? Check out Emeril Lagasse’s Stadium at the Palazzo or Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House at the MGM Grand. The list goes on and on, so if you’re a Food Network fan, Wanna Be Chef, Foodie, or just want a glimpse of a Famous Chef – be sure to make reservations and expect to pay a high price for a high quality dining experience in the “tasting ground” of Las Vegas.
 
by Guest Blogger and Food Junkie
Lisa Albarian

Writer for the Las Vegas Real Estate Market News Blog