Italian
Last updated -- November 15, 2000
You’d think with the Venetian Hotel, there’d be plenty of Italian restaurants on this list. Oh no, no, no… the Venetian has a couple of Italian restaurants, but there’s also the signature steakhouse by Emeril, a dim sum joint, a couple of theme restaurants, and one or two strikeouts. Be assured that the Venetian will likely have one or two more restaurants on 21 in the future, but don’t bet on them being Italian.
Market City Café – Monte Carlo
Nice large portions of grilled meat, fresh breadsticks, an antipasto bar, plus they put a carafe of iced tea on the table, rather than a large glass. The lamb chops are very nice. Service has always been good and attentive, so if you don’t need a white tablecloth, this is a good place to catch a meal.
Trattoria del Lupo – Mandalay Bay
A café style restaurant lost in the other specialty restaurants of Mandalay Bay, Lupo is the other exception to my "No Wolfgang Puck" rule. It’s got pasta, pizza, new furnishings, and nice service even when it is crowded.
Venetian Italian Restaurant – 3713 West Sahara Avenue
Last Checked 11/10/2000
Don’t confuse this with the Venetian hotel; it’s an old-line, old-style restaurant off the Strip (i.e. off the beaten path) that is renowned for its’ homemade sauces and perfectly cooked pasta. Unique among off-strip places, it’s open on a 24 hour/day basis and pulled a "Best of" award from CitySearch’s editors AND users. We have to credit the Food TV channel for this find.
Go West on Sahara, across I-15, and once you cross Valley View Road it's on the left-hand side; you'll have to U-turn around to get there, but you can't miss the place between its prominent sign and the expensive cars parked out front. It's almost silly to think they've got a valet parking service for what appears to be less than 20 slots around the place, but I'm not going to argue.
While most reviews have gushed about their red sauce, I found their red wine salad dressing just as delightful. I will also personally vouch for the homemade sausage and the veal parm (could have used a little more red sauce on the pasta accompanying the sausage...). Rank the bread as average and the desserts tarts a winner.
One day I'm going to wander in there at 5 or 6 AM for breakfast and see if they're as sharp as they are at 10 PM.
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