Italian restaurants in Southwest
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Il Fornaio
Feast on wood-fired pizzas, salads and pastas, or make a meal of the antipasti platter with scallops wrapped in pancetta, baked eggplant, truffled cheeses and more. Delectable, fresh-baked breakfast goodies such as lemon-pecan scones are also available at ll Fornaio Paneterria, near the hotel lobby.
reviewed
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Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill
California flair pervades this ultra-contemporary bistro just off the casino floor. The truffled potato chips with blue cheese, skirt steak skewers with celery salad, wood-fired pizzas and ricotta gnocchi with sweet fennel sausage thrill, just like the New World wine list.
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Andiamo!
Everyone from hipsters to hippies will tell you that this is more than just another restaurant with an extensive, award-winning wine list, fabulous antipasti (around US$9), penne with spicy lamb sausage (around US$15), and a roster of authentic Italian desserts. Yeah, yeah, yeah... It's also really an excuse to see and be seen. You're likely to face a packed house, so make reservations.
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Sinatra
Ol’ Blue Eyes would’ve felt right at home in these posh casino surrounds, with gorgeous chandeliers, banquettes, classical statuary and garden views. The kitchen delivers a mix of heart-warming and sophisticated Italian-American classics, from lasagna bolognese and octopus affogato to osso bucco ‘My Way’ and good ol’ spaghetti and clams with red sauce. Reservations recommended.
reviewed
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Bootlegger Bistro
Ideal spot after doing some outlet shopping, or if you’re just killing time before catching a red-eye flight. This classy brick-walled Italian joint with lipstick red tablecloths and leather booths serves up hand-tossed pizzas, baked lasagna, ravioli and eggplant parmigiana, plus ‘graveyard’ old-school pasta specials (from 11pm to 6am). There’s live entertainment nightly.
reviewed
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Stratta
If you’re not feeling flush enough for chef Alessandro Stratta’s high-end dining room, try his laidback trattoria instead, with tables near the casino floor. Wood-oven-fired pizzas, meatball sandwiches and pasta puttanesca keep both the pretheater and preclubbing crowds happy. Tiramisu, cannoli, bombolini and house-made sorbet and gelato tip the dessert scales.
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B&B Ristorante
From thriving Italian restaurateur and TV chef Mario Batali and his winemaking partner (the other ‘B’), this risk-taking restaurant delivers eccentric yet tantalizing dishes, such as beef-cheek ravioli, baby red-oak leaf salad with blood-orange dressing and lamb’s brains with lemon and sage. Extravagant Eurocentric wine list. Reservations strongly recommended.
reviewed
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Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina
Pulling another rabbit out of his chef’s hat, Wolfgang Puck has landed this primo terrace upstairs at Crystals mall. Crispy, creative pizzas are the stars of the menu, or stick your knife into modern Cal-Italian classics like ricotta gnocchi, wild mushroom ravioli or eggplant parmesan. A hand-picked wine list includes both European and American varietals.
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Pasto
Italian food gets a contemporary twist at this candlelit cove with its copper ceiling and exposed brick walls. There are some interesting pasta dishes, but the chef’s talent truly shines when it comes to more complex mains, such as squab (young pigeon) with roast apples and spaghetti squash. The six-course tasting menu for two is a steal at $60.
reviewed
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Capo's Italian Cuisine
The gangster theme starts when you enter through the rear and someone peeks through a peephole to let you in. It's a shtick, for sure, but it's not overdone and just makes the meal - fit for Don Corleone himself - more fun. Psst, here's a tip: any of the house specialties is good, but the Maker's Mark New York steak is worth bustin' outta' jail for.
reviewed
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Trattoria Nostrani
Dinner at this trattoria is like a trip to Italy, complete with fresh pastas made by hand daily. The menu changes often, so return trips are a delight. Choose a theme to guide you through artful food - for a seaside vacation, start with the seared rare scallop salad followed by the talierini with clams or the sautéed shrimp with toasted orzo.
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Battista's Hole in the Wall
Behind the Flamingo is this kitschy Old Vegas hideaway. For more than 30 years, the Battista family has been dishing up the likes of steak Caruso, manicotti and veal parmegiana all with complimentary sides, including house wine and cappuccinos. It's just a block from the Strip, but decades away in feel, thanks to a strolling accordion player.
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Caruso
Caruso the cook has left as much of a mark on the local culinary scene as Caruso the tenor has on the world of opera. Linguine with clam sauce, chicken parmigiano and crispy-crust pizza have fed tummies and souls since the 1930s. If you’re on a romantic mission, skip the garlic bread but do book a patio table.
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M
Ago
Backed by Hollywood celeb Robert DeNiro, chef Agostino Sciandri’s sleek eatery will be hard-pressed to fail. The elegant menu of northern Italian cuisine includes signature house-made pastas, thin-crust pizzas, wild-mushroom risotto, delicately done seafood and other meatier fare. Inspired desserts.
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Postrio
This offshoot of Wolfgang Puck’s San Francisco original features playful signature dishes; devotees can’t get enough of the wood-oven-baked pizzas, pastas and rich desserts. Designed for people-watching, the patio always beats the stuffy restaurant. Interesting wine list.
reviewed
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O
Circo
This whimsical Big Top-inspired osteria overlooks the dancing fountains of faux Lake Como. Rustic yet complex handmade pasta and secondi such as Tuscan octopus and calamari stew perform well alongside an international wine cellar. Reservations suggested.
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Fammia
Fammia is set in a row of outstanding restaurants at MGM Grand, but what sets it apart is that it's a top-tier dining experience you won't be paying off for the next decade. You haven't had spaghetti until you've had Fammia's take on it, made with Kobe beef meatballs.
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Nove Italiano
Sittin’ pretty, this postmod Italian charmer attracts the preclubbing set with its rococo furnishings and floor-to-ceiling neon-light views. Just like the decor, the menu is simultaneously classic (pizzas, pastas, salads) and globally minded (yellowtail crudo).
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Pranzo Italian Grill
From thin-crust seafood pizzas to garlicky pastas to hearty grilled steaks, Italian flavors rule here. Stop by for a major meal, a romantic glass of wine on the rooftop terrace, or cool jazz Friday and Saturday nights after 21:00 (around US$5 cover).
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Grotto
Let yourself be drawn to the sunny patio beside the Nugget’s shark-tank water slide and swimming pool. Gnocchi and osso bucco are the tenor of the old-world menu, but wood-oven-fired pizzas and a 200-bottle list of Italian wines are the real stars.
reviewed
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Tony Caputo's Market & Deli
The line moves fast at this old-fashioned Italian deli where a short but satisfying sandwich menu includes meatball, prosciutto, and mozzarella with tomato. The adjoining gourmet market has a chocolate bar and a cheese cave.
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Il Piatto Cucina Italiana
This crowded, spirited establishment serves up creative Italian fare. When you want a night off from red and green chile sauces, a pasta dish with sun-dried tomatoes may be just the thing.
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Café Trio
The under-40 set gathers here for flatbreads and roasted meats fired in the wood-burning oven. You always get big portions of the California-influenced Italian meals.
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Scalo
A northern Italian grill and an Albuquerque staple, Scalo specializes in delicate hand-made gnocchi and tasty grilled pork chops with raspberry mint sauce.
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Grappa
The rambling old home at the top of the historic downtown hill is perfect for a romantic Italian meal. Dine under the soft patio lights in summer.
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