Getting a table at the original Rao’s in East Harlem is legendarily difficult. The restaurant’s 10 tables are essentially reserved at all times for regulars, so unless you’re Derek Jeter or Bill de Blasio, you’re out of luck. So while you might have a better chance of hitting Megabucks than scoring dinner at Rao’s in New York, consider yourself a winner when you visit Las Vegas because an outpost of the renowned restaurant can be found at Caesars Palace. And, best of all, they have a table waiting for you.
Upon first entering Rao’s in Las Vegas, take note of the rooms opening off the spacious bar; these are replicas of the Harlem space, replete with celebrity pictures and year-round Christmas lights. Grab a table in one of these rooms and you’ll practically be transported to the Big Apple to dine on Italian classics while Tom Jones, the Spinners and Frank Sinatra waft through the background in a continual stream of jukebox classics.
You may want to start your meal with a light and flavorful seafood salad. With calamari, shrimp, lobster and crab swimming in a crisp citronette dressing, it serves as an effective foil to the hearty meal yet to come. For a more substantial option, try the oregano-rich baked clams instead.
Traditional Rao's meatballs Photo by: Big French
Rao’s version of sacchetti fills ravioli purses with Bartlett pears and ricotta cheese for a savory dish that could easily fill in as a dessert. A more well-known dish, lasagna, was until recently only a periodic nightly special. After many, many requests, Rao’s owner Frankie Pellegrino acquiesced and added the meaty, cheesy rendition to the regular menu; it’s as good a version as you’ll find on the Strip—or anywhere else outside your Italian grandmother’s home.
You’ll find classics such as the Italian restaurant fixture veal Parmesan on the menu. But Rao’s less-common dish is served bone-in—a majestic sight when delivered to your table smothered in sharp marinara and a combination of melted mozzarella and Parmesan. On the lighter side is Uncle Vincent’s lemon chicken. The charbroiled, bone-in fowl is served bathed in a fresh, buttery lemon sauce that anyone’s uncle would be proud of. And no visit to Rao’s would be complete without an order of traditional Rao’s meatballs; these ground veal, beef and pork spheres could be the standard by which all other meatballs are judged.
Traditional dessert options include light and airy tiramisu and crisp, creamy ricotta-stuffed cannoli alongside a less traditional but nonetheless rewarding peanut butter tart. And be on the lookout for the chocolate caramel tart, offered as a special, as the treat melds salted caramel with rich chocolate filling for a symphony of salty and sweet. Like you needed another reason to check out Rao’s.
Caesars Palace, 5-10:30 p.m. daily. 702.731.7267
