On the Strip: Delmonico Steakhouse
May brings a delicious milestone to Las Vegas. In 1999, renowned chef and TV star Emeril Lagasse opened Delmonico Steakhouse (The Venetian, 702.414.3737) with his signature New Orleans flair. Twenty years later, the culinary destination is fantastic as ever.
Fine cuts of charbroiled beef are the main attractions, like the dry-aged prime ribeye with Creole seasonings and maître d’butter. The enormous yet elegant Chateaubriand is carved tableside with asparagus and Lyonnaise potatoes on the side. There’s also plenty of amazing seafood on the menu, too, like the festive tower of king crab legs, poached shrimp, lobster tails, oysters on the half shell, and tuna tartare served with handcrafted sauces like shallot-infused mignonette.
For lunch, try the sunshiney heirloom tomato salad with burrata cheese and the eye-popping applewood-smoked bacon cheeseburger. And don’t pass on Emeril’s classic banana cream pie for dessert, with caramel sauce, chocolate shavings and whipped cream. You’ll be sure to say “bam!” when you’re done. –Greg Thilmont
Off the Strip: Old Soul
Old Soul
“Good food for good people.” That’s been chef Natalie Young’s tagline since she opened Eat in 2012. If you’ve dined at the downtown favorite, you know Young makes food that warms from the inside out, and her newest project is Old Soul (495 S. Grand Central Parkway, 702.534.0999). The menu blends East Coast dishes with Southern-style flair. The smoked trout swaps corn cakes in place of traditional latkes while grilled branzino comes with wilted arugula and house-made chimichurri. The bread pudding with pineapple and vanilla ice cream is killer, too. –Leslie Ventura
#trending: Forte Tapas
When Nina Manchev opened Forte Tapas (4180 S. Rainbow Blvd., 702.220.3876) 10 years ago, her objective was to shed light on the cuisine of her native Bulgaria. Blending the cuisine with other Eastern European flavors and a tapas-style format helped, and a stint on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives didn’t hurt. To celebrate the big anniversary, Manchev has added grilled meats, seafood and veggies from a Spanish Josper broiler to the menu alongside favorites like stuffed sweet peppers and beef Stroganoff ragu. –Brock Radke
