7/14/2001 - Added: Commander's Palace (Cajun), Delmonico Steakhouse (Steakhouse),
Zeffirino (Buffet)
TOTAL: 21 restaurants listed

11/17/2000 - Added: Osaka (Asian), Studio 16 (Signature Cuisine)
Dropped: Yolimbo’s Brazilian Steakhouse (Steakhouses)
TOTAL: 19 restaurants listed

11/4/2000 - Only 18 (eighteen) restaurants listed

Las Vegas has become one of the great dining centers of the world, but not every restaurant in town is a good one just because the name on the front door happens to be a Food Channel personality. This directory is for people who like to dine. I’m not looking an average dining experience, but places where I’ve had GREAT food and good service.

If you’re reading this before you’ve hit the ground in Los Wages, you’re my kind of person because you’re trying to plan ahead. Your clients, customers, vendors, whatever you want to call them, deserve to go to a nice place for dinner. Be a good sales person, be a good team leader, plan to go to someplace great at least once while you are in town and take some people along to enjoy the experience. Make reservations in advance and make the evening an event.

Most of these places have my personal endorsement because I’ve been there more than once, like the food, like the service, and want to go back again. Your tastes may differ and you may disagree with my selections. I know I wanted to go up to a full 21 restaurants, but could only come up with 18 great ones because I couldn’t bring myself to put several names on here. After my next trips to Vegas, I expect to add a few more names and maybe peel out one or two, with more deleted over time as newer, better choices are rotated in.

There are a few establishments on here that I haven’t been personally visited, but I feel comfortably enough from what I’ve heard from third parties and the local press to put them up here without hesitation.

One of the restaurants resides at 3900 Paradise Road, the location of a restaurant "mall" that also has Japanese, Indian, and Moroccan restaurants. It’s sad the area has become so popular because parking spaces fill up quickly on evenings and weekends. 

People are going to yell because some of the restaurants I have listed are members of chains and not "originals." SO WHAT? Some of the chains – especially the steak houses -- are out-servicing the noveau snob restaurants with the Big Names on the front. The locals know it and you should too.

Finally: I have two buffets on this version of the list. I think the stock Vegas buffet is not where you’re going to find fine dining – think slop house, think cattle, think long lines -- but there are two buffets worth visiting if you can find the time.

The 21 List

Breakdown of the 21 List by Cuisine

Asian, Including Chinese and Indian 4
Buffet 3
French 1
Italian 3
Seafood 2
Signature Cuisine    4
Steakhouse 4

TOTAL       

Dropped 2

7/14/2001