Crêpe Suzette

Certainly enough for two to share, crêpe suzette is a French dessert dish consisting of - you guessed it - crêpes and beurre Suzette (a butter and caramelized sugar sauce), with a twist of orange. Ours were filled with a little orange juice and the pulp of a fresh orange, Grand Marnier, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Though I think using orange zest may beat using fresh oranges (as to avoid any pith, or that white part of the orange), this is definitely my favorite type of crêpe so far.

Where you can enjoy this yourself:

La Creperie
Paris Las Vegas (Hotel and Casino)
655 Las Vegas Blvd So.
Las Vegas, Nevada

The crêpes here are about $10 a plate. It's expensive, and we must have waited 20 minutes (with only one or two people ahead of us), so don't expect the same quick and easy on-the-go snack you might find in the real Paris.
It looks an awful lot like Paris - but don't be fooled! (Paris [Hotel and Casino] Las Vegas)

BEST Prime Rib

I'm just going to pause you here, for effect. You can click to see a larger photo...

What you're looking at is...the most perfect Prime Rib. In the world. Period.

Here is the Master Carver (note the large medallion indicating his prestigious status!) who is responsible for the table-side carving of my requested cut and preferred temperature of meat (rare, thank you very much!).

Much like the BEST stuffed mushrooms, this prime rib will change your life.

It's difficult to find truly rare prime rib, but Lawry's Prime Rib in Las Vegas has done it. The meat is so tender you could cut it with a fork - and it positively melts in your mouth. This isn't just prime rib, it's Prime Rib. It's hard to imagine I've ever settled for anything less.

You know the name Lawry because the company (though recently bought by Nestlé, as I understand it) makes great marinades you can buy at any grocery. It's clear where they got their start, as they really make some of the best steak I've ever had. In addition to the side of great mashed potatoes (note: by default they add their gravy to the mashed potatoes, but you can also opt for au jus instead), I added a side of creamed spinach and my company had an extra side of creamed corn. Surprisingly, I preferred the corn to the spinach - the spinach is seasoned with spices, onion, and bacon, and the corn is a sweet golden yellow served in a broth of cream - basic enough, but exceptionally delicious.

Where you can enjoy this yourself: (PS this restaurant needs to go on your bucket list, so take note!!)

Lawry's The Prime Rib
4043 Howard Hughes Parkway
Las Vegas, Nevada
http://www.lawrysonline.com/theprimerib_lasvegas_gen_info.asp

Note on the website, there are several locations, and also several other Lawry's restaurants! It also needs to be noted: RECIPES FOR EVERYHING mentioned in this post are available ON THE WEBSITE listed above. I hadn't noticed it before, and it's really hard for me to contain my enthusiasm about this!! In part because they only have locations far, far, far away from the East Coast...

Off the main strip in Vegas, you need to know about Lawry's The Prime Rib ahead of time (so if you're reading this you're in good shape!). How did I find out? I struck up a conversation with a stranger at a wedding, it came up that I was headed to Vegas soon, and he said there was a restaurant I HAD to try - so you know that my radar went right up! "It's the best prime rib sandwich I've ever had," he told me. He'd had lunch there, but we ended up dining for dinner. As I recall, the cut I got was $34 - but wait - because INCLUDED in your meal was a dinner-sized plate (below) of Lawry's famous spinning-bowl salad, fresh Yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes, whipped cream horseradish, and the prime rib (my cut was 6 or 7 oz, I believe). This is an upscale restaurant, but the prices are realistic and you really get your money's worth. They get extra credit in my book for being so down to earth in that regard - and for having a prime rib that makes me want to hop a plane for 5 hours just to have it again.
Our lovely waitress preparing the famous spinning salad
Tossed in Lawry's specialty dressing, the evening started off with a great serving of salad...
And finished with an English trifle grand finale!

TAO Restaurant

TAO: A spiritual dining experience. That's what they say on the sign outside the Venetian in Las Vegas, and that same idea is certainly reflected in the interior decor of this restaurant. Dim lighting, lots of small candles, and a giant Buddha sitting atop a koi fish pond, dining at TAO was a fun experience. The food is a little on the pricey side, but it's a fine dining Chinese establishment - we felt a little underdressed in our jeans. The food was great though! We started with some plum wine - sweet with a nice fruity taste to it (and I usually can't *ever* taste 'fruit' or anything in wines...) then ordered a number of dishes to split between the two of us: shrimp and sweet potato tempura, TAO lo mein, and steamed vegetable dumplings with sesame and pickled cucumber.

First, what absolutely surprised me the most: the pickled cucumber was REALLY good. Cool and refreshing little slivers that you could easily eat a whole bowl of. They were a great palate cleanser between each different part of our dinner. The dumplings were the softest I've ever had and were a nice texture comparison to the other dumplings I've enjoyed. The lo mein was in a dark, rich sauce, and chock full of a nice array of vegetables. I'd definitely recommend stopping into TAO (they have locations in Vegas and NYC) - but get some of the more unique dishes (for instance, the tempura was good, but you can get it almost anywhere).

Where you can enjoy this yourself:

TAO Restaurant
The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino
3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, Nevada
http://www.taorestaurant.com/

Wolfgang Puck

Lupo's, in Las Vegas, is the first Wolfgang Puck restaurant I've been to. The food and ambiance was great, though I was a little disappointed with my dish (our server explained it to be quite different than it was, so I was expecting something else). The menu, about two pages long, is easy enough to read through but hard to make a decision about - everything really sounded wonderful. My dish was Scialatielli "Ai Quattro Passi" con Salsicce alla Bolognese, Basilico e Lamelle di Parmigiano - House Made Thick Noodle Pasta alla 'Quattro Passi', Sausage Bolognese, Cream, Basil, Parmesan. It was essentially a bolognese sauce over square-cut homemade pasta (that looked a lot like worms, actually). Their regular bolognese sauce is much brighter tasting, but my sauce had nice warm tones to it and the fresh basil added a nice light, fresh contrast to the dish.

The desserts were also delicious. I haven't seen zeppole ("zeppies") outside of a pizzeria - and they're a rare find even there. Traditionally small round donuts made from leftover pizza dough, the dough is fried and then tossed in a mountain of powdered sugar. They're messy, but delicious. But! These were ricotta zeppole, made with a ricotta dough base and served with a warm caramel and cool vanilla dipping sauce. They were great. I also have a photo of the tiramisu, ordered by my friends (very picturesque, but I'm not a big tiramisu fan) which got rave reviews from everyone else at the table.

Where you can enjoy this yourself:

Lupo by Wolfgang Puck
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, Nevada
http://www.mandalaybay.com/dining/trattoria.aspx (menu available!)