Smith & Wollensky are two names synonymous with a great steakhouse. So, were they two ranchers or rugged cowboys of the Wild West that joined forces to create the best cuts of meat? Nope. They were two names picked randomly from a phone book. First came the name Smith. The second shuffling of the pages produced Wollensky. And, in 1977, a N.Y. steakhouse was born. However, one thing that was not left to chance is the Smith & Wollensky dedication to offering the best in USDA Prime beef, rich and marbled and sourced from small family ranches with grain-fed, humanely raised cattle.

Since its first restaurant, Smith & Wollensky has ventured across the nation and globe with outposts including Boston, Chicago, London, Taipei and, most recently, Las Vegas—in a two-story classic steakhouse.

Start your Vegas dining experience in the tavern-like lounge on the first floor and order an end-to-summertime cocktail like the Strawberry Sipper with Sobieski vodka, fresh strawberries, pink peppercorn syrup and club soda. Since it’s a classic steakhouse, indulge in all the standard cocktails here, too, like a martini, Manhattan, sidecar, mule, gimlet or gin sour.

Move up to the second floor for dinner and peruse a menu packed with top beef selections, many aged for extended periods of time for tenderness and intense flavoring, so be sure to ask your server about the aging varieties offered. Classic steakhouse cuts include bone-in ribeye, bone-in New York cut, boneless New York Strip and filet mignon. Star entreés fall under chef’s recommendations like the coffee- and cocoa-rubbed 10-ounce filet with ancho chili butter and onions, the Cajun bleu stacked filet medallions with bleu cheese and confit bacon and the 10-ounce filet Oscar with jumbo lump crab meat, asparagus and Hollandaise.

For an over-the-top experience, there’s the 44-ounce swinging tomahawk ribeye from Snake River Farms—a dry-aged cut of American wagyu, carved tableside and served with beef-fat potatoes.

And what’s a classic steakhouse without some options from the sea? Smith & Wollensky offers shellfish dishes like jumbo shrimp cocktail, East Coast oysters, chilled Maine lobster and Alaskan king crab; or throw it all together with a shellfish tower for two, four or six people. The goodness never stops.

The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, 702.637.1515

Click here for your free subscription to the weekly digital edition of Las Vegas Magazine, your guide to everything to do, hear, see and experience in Southern Nevada. As part of your subscription, each week via email you will receive the latest edition of Las Vegas Magazine, full of informative content such as restaurants to visit, cocktails to sip and attractions to enjoy.