Restaurants in Southwest
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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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A
Bert’s La Taqueria
Long-time local favorite Bert’s recently moved into a big new location closer to the center of town. Thank goodness that affordable food – including Mexican, veggie dishes, burgers and delicious homemade salsa – is still the norm. Choose between a large outdoor patio near the aromatic open-air grill or colorful, contemporary and casual indoor seating.
reviewed
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Sakura
Usually packed to the gills, this Japanese restaurant will satisfy purists with its fresh eel and tuna, the squeamish with its baked California roll, and meat-eaters with its teppan (fun tableside chopping and pyrotechnics). The Sakura Boat featuring 32 pieces is great for sharing and there’s even a ‘Karate Kids’ menu for pint-sized Samurai.
reviewed
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Michael Mina
An adventurous fusion menu of ocean delights whispers of savory black mussel soufflé and Maine lobster in Thai coconut cream. Sadly, the experience doesn’t quite measure up to the sky-high prices, and the restaurant is close to the crushing conservatory crowds. Michael Mina’s Seablue at the MGM Grand is a more value-conscious choice.
reviewed
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El Tovar Dining Room
The memorable surroundings feature dark-wood tables set with china and white linen, and huge picture windows with views of the rim and canyon beyond. The service is excellent, the menu creative, the portions big and the food very good. Breakfast options include fresh-squeezed orange juice, El Tovar's pancake trio (buttermilk, blue cornmeal and buckwheat pancakes with pine nut butter and prickly pear syrup) and cornmeal- encrusted trout with two eggs. Lunch and dinner menus are equally creative.
Reservations are required for dinner. To avoid lunchtime crowds, eat before the Grand Canyon Railway train arrives at 12:15pm. The adjacent cocktail lounge is busy for afternoon…
reviewed
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Oyster Bar
You might have to queue for a seat at this little ol’ seafood shack, incongruously situated in the middle of a busy locals’ casino floor. But you’ll know it was worth the wait once you taste the Cajun seafood gumbo and étouffée, steamed mussels and clams or San Francisco cioppino stew. Key-lime torte and NYC-style cheesecake are such sweet endings. No reservations.
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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Gruet Steakhouse at the Monte Vista
Ensconced in the former, historic Monte Vista Fire Station, this fine-dining establishment is owned by the Gruet Winery. As a result, you'll enjoy a great wine-and-steak pairing here. Although you'll probably have something like steak salad, they also have a fair amount of seafood. Upstairs, the popular bar spills onto a balcony overlooking the nighttime scene.
reviewed
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Beaver Street Brewery
This place packs them all in – families, river guides, ski bums and businesspeople. The menu is typical brewpub fare, with delicious pizzas, burgers and salads, and there's usually five handmade beers on tap, like its Railhead Red Ale or R&R Oatmeal Stout, plus some seasonal brews. Serious drinkers can walk next door to play pool at the 21-and-over Brews & Cues. Nightly dinner specials run between $13 and $16.
reviewed
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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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Hussong’s Cantina
This Baja-style cantina brings rowdy, south-of-the-border attitude to Mandalay Bay’s mall. The original Hussong’s down in Ensenada claims to have invented the margarita, so trust the drinks here will be knock-outs, especially when served in skull-shaped glasses. Tacos, nachos, burritos and other Mexican-American standards make up the wooden signboard’s menu.
reviewed
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Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina
Dig into crispy, creative pizzas and Cal-Italian classics on the primo terrace upstairs at the Crystals Mall.
reviewed
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First Food & Bar
Foodies will salivate over this haute bar and grill with a seriously creative edge. Order up Philly cheesesteak dumplings, Dr Pepper ribs with cheesy grits or a cotton-candy-flavored cocktail. Metallic industrial design, vintage-goth furnishings and carpeting with tattoo patterns all look especially sexy after midnight, when the clubbing crowd takes over.
reviewed
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Morels
Another LA imported steakhouse, bejeweled Morels has a few secret weapons: gorgeous alfresco patio seating elevated above the Strip, an ice seafood bar, an artisanal cheese and charcuterie meat bar, and a wine-dispensing system that lets you sip just a glass of thousand-dollar French and Californian vintages. Impeccable service. Reservations recommended.
reviewed
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Shugrue's Hillside Grill
Promising panoramic views, an outdoor deck from which to enjoy them and consistently excellent food, this restaurant is a great choice for an upscale meal. If it's too chilly to sit outside, don't fret – the walls are mostly glass, so you can still enjoy the scenery. The menu offers everything from steak to ravioli, but it is best known for its wide variety of well-prepared seafood.
reviewed
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L'Auberge Restaurant on Oak Creek
Featuring refined American cuisine with a French accent, the menu at L'Auberge changes seasonally (you might find ramps and morels in the spring, and roast duck and beets in the fall). The creekside spot is a local favorite for celebrating special occasions in elegant environs, with a select wine list to complement your meal.
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Bouchon
Thomas Keller's rendition of a Lyonnaise bistro features French classics in a lovely poolside dining room. Come for the extensive raw bar and leisurely, decadent breakfasts.
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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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Lbs Burger Joint
It’s a detour from the Strip, but so worth the trip for all-natural, hand-crafted beef, turkey or veggie patties lovingly laid on house-made buns, and piled high with boundary-breaking toppings like brie and wild mushrooms or smoked bacon with a fried egg. With warm sourdough pretzel sticks plus a vodka milkshake, it all equals a happy meal for adults.
reviewed
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Zoom
Robert Redford-owned restaurant in a rehabbed train depot.
reviewed
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Tim's Stray Dog Cantina
- Taos, USA
- Restaurants › Other
Famous for its flame-roasted red and green chile, Tim’s Stray Dog Cantina is a ski valley institution. It serves fabulous northern New Mexican cuisine – the breakfast burritos are perfect fuel-up food – along with fresh margaritas and a big selection of bottled brews. The perfect après-ski or hiking hang-out.
reviewed
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American Fish
From the fertile mind of chef Michael Mina, Aria’s upstairs seafood house keeps things simple. Choose your fish cooked one of four elemental ways: poached, baked in sea salt, grilled or wood-smoked. Delicate shellfish appetizers such as abalone stew, seasonal garden vegetable sides and exquisite cocktails are all stand-outs. Reservations recommended.
reviewed
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Mahalo Express
The truest tastes of the islands are found at this cafeteria. Your fellow diners are likely to be homesick Hawaiian families or bleary-eyed gamblers who know there's nothing like a mixed plate of two-scoop rice, macaroni salad and succulent meat to stave off a hangover. Walk over to the Cal casino hotel afterward for Lappert's Hawaii-style ice cream.
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Fix
It’s a perfect preclubbing launch pad, or just the venue for eyeing celebs and the casino floor. This trendy, high-flying kitchen makes gourmet comfort-food goodies such as lobster tacos, Kobe beef sliders with spiced fries and choco-java ‘shake & cake.’ Reservations recommended at Fix and its sister Japanese restaurant and sushi bar Yellowtail.
reviewed
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Lambert's
Winner of multiple 'Best of Taos' awards, including best restaurant, Lambert's is a cozy local hangout where patrons sink deeply into sofas and conversation for hours on end. Lace curtains and subtle elegance make this atmospheric eatery a fine experience, whether you're digging into caribou, buffalo or the pepper-crusted lamb loin ($34).
reviewed