Las Vegas: A Culinary Tour in Pictures

Gone are the days of the $3.99 all-you-can-eat-buffet (well, almost – now the buffets are conceived by top chefs and offer gourmet choices, and prices reflect it, too!). Regardless, if you’re a foodie, then Las Vegas is must-taste travel destination.

In the Raw

The perfect lunchtime appetizer to share: Ahi Tuna Tacos, uber chef Hubert Keller’s way, at Fleur, in the Mandalay Bay resort. This is the chef that created the $5,000 burger (it comes with a bottle of 1995 Chateau Petrus!), but if that’s not in your budget, he’s also got a $35 burger that will suffice quite nicely.

Well Done

There’s the beef, stunningly presented and deliciously cooked to perfection – along with many other Japanese cuisine specialties, from sushi to steak, at Japonais, at the Mirage Resort and Casino.

Scenes from a Mall

Fuel up for a day of shopping at the Town Square Shopping Center – just down the Strip from Mandalay Bay. Double Helix Wine & Whisky Lounge offers cheese and charcuterie trays that will entice most protein hungry shoppers. And don’t forget Happy Hour, from 3:30 pm to 7:3 pm daily.

Beer Me!

If you’re a beer lover, and you love to eat, there’s only one place in Vegas: Public House at The Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian. This gastropub features Nevada’s only certified Cicerone (that’s beer sommelier to you and me) who deftly pairs the ales, drafts, lagers and more with everything from housemade terrines, like the one shown here, to dessert. Yes, I said beer and dessert. Try it, it’s fabulous.

Love, Italian Style

Who says Italian-inspired cuisine can’t be light and unfettered with carbs? Award-winning chef, Scott Conant, that’s who. (Okay, he’s also famous for a sinfully rich plate of spaghetti.) At Scarpetta, in The Cosmopolitan, he takes fish to delightfully new heights.

Wolfie, We Love You

Spago. The word just elicits thoughts of food, celebrity devotion and a guy with a last name that’s like music to Canadian hockey fans’ ears. Wolfgang Puck is his name, and food is his game. To just show you one dish wouldn’t do the place justice, so here, enjoy an icy appetizer, the simplicity of a spinach salad and strawberries and cream for dessert.

Simply Steak

If you’re downtown, before trying your luck at The Golden Nugget, tuck into a classic dry-aged steak or San Francisco Bay style seafood at Triple George. This grill has helped revitalize the “Downtown3rd” neighbourhood along N. 3^rd St. with its rep for the place to do a power lunch. Don’t skip the martinis – where they can be shaken or stirred, any way you like.

Night Cap Chemistry

Molecular gastronomy has infused its way into cocktail hour. Try a smoky, sexy drink, mixed tableside at Hyde Bellagio Night Club. The room opens up to an al fresco view of the Strip – sparkling at night.