One of the big reasons we go out to dinner? We want to be waited on and feel like we’re the most special people in the world. And at Carbone, mission accomplished. It’s as if restaurant creators Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi and Jeff Zalaznick took a New York Italian restaurant from the mid-20th century, put it in a time machine and transplanted it to Las Vegas.
You’ll know you’re going to experience something special from the moment you enter. You’ll dig the plush, high-backed booths and velvet curtains around the dining area, as well as the eclectic playlist. Captains are assigned to your table, and they attend to your every need and desire, providing you with detailed menu descriptions and more than a little personality in the process. Before you even order a cocktail, you’re feeling a bit tipsy from the rush. But you definitely want to order one here. Start with a classic cocktail like the Negroni, simply concocted with London gin, vermouth and Campari, or a fancy one like the White Lady, with gin, orange liqueur, vanilla and egg white. Num-num.
You cannot go wrong with the appetizer menu here, but we strongly suggest starting with the carpaccio Piemontese, featuring truffles, walnuts and mushrooms atop thinly sliced beef tenderloin, brushed with a white truffle emulsion. Other highlights in this section include the baked clams, sizzling pancetta and prosciutto and melon.
Moving onto main courses may present a challenge, as there are plenty of eye-catching offerings. For meat lovers, a medium-rare ribeye Diana with a cacciatore-style sauce is sure to satisfy, although we’re particularly partial to veal Parmesan, and this version is pretty much the reason. It’s enormous and enormously satisfying, accompanied with a cheese-crusted, deep-fried rib.
If seafood is more your style, the dover piccata, drizzled with a lemony brown butter sauce and finished tableside by your captain, is irresistible. Another must-try for seafood lovers is the lobster ravioli, such a perfect rendition with substantial chunks of the delectable meat.
For pasta fans that might not prefer seafood, the choice here is clear: the rigatoni in spicy vodka sauce, an absolute Carbone classic that lives up to its name and then some. You’ll probably suss out Calabrian chili, as well as plenty of onion. Whatever you do decide to order, don’t forget perfect sides like spicy rabe, potato Louie, corn tartufato or funghi trifolati.
It’s awesome enough that you’re given a free bottle of limoncello just before your departure (along with seven-layer cookies), but don’t skip dessert. Again, Carbone specializes in the classics, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, especially when items like tiramisu and cheesecake are presented so beautifully and create a perfect end to this experience.
Aria, 877.230.2742
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