Your mom—she’s seen you in so many not-so-flattering situations, like your first fast food uniform (and you know how impressive that was) and headed off to the prom. It’s seriously hard to convince her that you even know what you’re talking about. This Mother’s Day, we’d like to help you with a few suggestions for places and dishes to help convince Mom that you know, you really know, good food.
The Ice Cream Social
1. Tom Colicchio's Heritage Steak at The Mirage. OK, maybe this one is for mostly for you. But mothers like dessert, too! The Ice Cream Social feels like a Baskin-Robbins brought straight to your table. A cart including ice cream bars, various toppings and two types of chocolate dip are delivered, and your server takes your request: dark or milk chocolate coating, after which it is either dipped in peanuts, cookie crumble or sprinkles—or all three. There’s also homemade funnel cake. It’ll make you, and your mom, feel like a kid again!
2. Nobu at Caesars Palace. At Nobu Matsuhisa’s Japanese fusion masterpiece, executive chef Christopher Chan Yai Ching’s When the Sea Meets the Land is perhaps the ultimate surf-and-turf, with A5 Japanese wagyu served flambé-style at your table atop superheated rocks with black pepper teriyaki sauce, sitting alongside a brick-oven fresh king crab leg served dry miso-style. Mom will never look at surf-and-turf the same.
3. Morimoto Las Vegas at MGM Grand. Masaharu Morimoto’s classics include this fixture—toro tartare, and its presentation befits its reputation. Mom is sure to be wowed. Two flat boxes perched atop a bowl of crushed ice are delivered to your table; in one is the buttery Kindai bluefin tartare, garnished with a dollop of white sturgeon caviar, while the other contains accoutrements: wasabi, sour cream, nori paste, chives, guacamole and rice cracker crumbles. Pick and choose how to complement the tartare, mixing and matching along the way.
4. Bardot Brasserie at Aria. If you take mom off to this Michael Mina restaurant, one of the prettiest dishes around is the prime steak tartare. It’s more than pretty, though. The steak is topped with a deep-orange egg yolk, drenching the raw meat with a complementary creaminess; a dollop of sauce verte (green sauce) contributes even more color and flavor, while house-made waffle fries serve as an unorthodox, yet tasty, method of delivery.
Swiss chard ravioli
5. Mercato della Pescheria at the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian and The Palazzo. Satisfy Mom’s need for healthiness with this Swiss chard ravioli. Although Swiss chard may seem an unusual ingredient for ravioli, this dish dispels any preconceived notions about the leafy green. The restaurant stuffs bright green ravioli with a smooth cheesy mix, and the whole dish comes together with a pesto cream, grana padano and toasted pine nuts on top. Mom will be sure you are eating your vegetables now!
