The latest culinary upgrade at the iconic Mirage transports us to the seaside villages of Southern Italy. At Osteria Costa, the focus lies on spectacular seafood dishes like the frutti di mare salad—loaded with poached shrimp and squid, bright cherry tomatoes and shaved radish—and a classic linguine and clams; but the menu stretches comfortably to include other Italian favorites.
Rigatoni alla Norma is one of the new restaurant’s signature items, a vegetarian creation with eggplant, garlic and pomodoro sauce, and fettuccine with a Neapolitan beef ragu is another satisfying choice. House-made mozzarella, created from scratch daily, is served simply with olive oil, crunchy sea salt and seasonally appropriate accompaniments including marinated peppers, basil peso and eggplant caponata, an obviously great choice for an appetizer to share with your table. This kitchen is also making its own sausage, showcased in the richly layered lasagna al forno with dollops of creamy ricotta cheese.
Osteria Costa also pays homage to Naples, the birthplace of pizza, with a menu of thin-crust, hearth-fired pies including the traditional margherita with just tomato, mozzarella and basil—allowing each fresh ingredient to shine—and the salsiccia bianca with sausage, fennel and onion. With such wide-ranging offerings, this new eatery is sure to become a definite crowd-pleaser.
The Mirage, 5-10:30 p.m. daily. 702.791.7111
