Get ready for an unforgettable experience the moment you enter Fresco Italiano. This longtime favorite of locals and tourists alike sets a wonderful tone with brick accents, hardwood floors and towering arches, all overseen by a huge, antique espresso machine. It’s the perfect setting for the comfort foods to come.
You’ll want to start with a cocktail, and Fresco Italiano has plenty of signature libations to get your taste buds primed and ready. We recommend two in particular: The Milan, a white peach Bellini made with Ketel One Botanicals peach orange vodka, white peach and prosecco, all topped with vanilla gelato(!); and the Palermo, a spicy Sicilian margarita made with Patron silver tequila, blood orange, sparkling grapefruit, firewater and Sicilian sea salt.
Now down to business! Appetizers don’t get much more satisfying than the meatballs, a blend of slow-braised beef, pork and veal, all smothered with basil ricotta, Grana Padano and marinara, and the calamari, served with hot peppers, lemon crema, marinara and mint. You’ll definitely also want to try the margherita pizza, an all-time classic with tomato sauce, roasted tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil.
Main courses are a cornucopia of classic favorites, and you may have a seriously difficult time deciding. Definite highlights include the chicken marsala, so flavorful with roasted mushrooms, cipollini onions, florio marsala and butter whipped potatoes; lasagna al forno (a best-selling menu item) made with pork and beef Bolognese, ricotta, mozzarella and basil; and scaloppine de vitello, veal loin with capers, lemon, parsley and spaghetti.
How about some pasta? We can’t recommend highly enough the linguine and clams (another hot seller, pictured) with littleneck clams, garlic, chili, lemon and parsley, or the spicy penne alla vodka, a dish you will not want to share with its combo of Italian sausage, Calabrian chili, basil and Pecorino Romano.
And if you really can’t decide, play it safe and go with the Chef’s Selection, a menu with three courses of: your choice of an Italian chopped Caesars salad or zuppa Toscana; your choice of chicken fettucine Alfredo, chicken Parmesan, rigatoni Bolognese or grilled salmon; and your choice of Biscoff butter cheesecake (this is my particular favorite) or tiramisu.
Westgate Las Vegas. 702.732.5276 or westgatelasvegas.com
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