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Which Would You Pick - Couple Prix Fixe and a Couple Nice Dinners

Discussion in 'Restaurants & Buffets' started by Check-Raise, Jun 13, 2013.

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  1. Check-Raise

    Check-Raise High-Roller

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    Prix-Fixe Early Tasting Menu's (before the shows we have tickets for), need 3!

    Julian Serrano - Looks great!
    Sage - Looks pretty good!
    Michael Mina - Menu looks great, doesn't show pricing though. Would be fine if it's around the price of or less than Le Cirque.
    Le Crique - Look really good, a bit more expensive than the other options though. How dressed up do you need to be here?
    Crico - Looks pretty good, nothing mindblowing but I love Italian.

    There are so many places to consider that aren't listed and I've hardly been to any of them. Feel free to list something I haven't included here, really looking for some interesting Early Tasting Menu's, preferrably around $60 or less per person (just food) as high as $80, more than that we might as well just wait and have a nice dinner after the show.


    Places I've considered but removed from the list-

    - Sensi - Looks kinda boring
    - Picasso - Surprisingly doesn't look very appealing.. Some really basic offerings.
    - Lemongrass - Seems pretty basic and uniteresting to me... Am I missing something?
    - American Fish - This one looks good, the Sage and Julian Serrano tasting menu's look more interesting but this one is potentially in the running.

    Any others I should be considering? Which of those listed would you choose?

    Also looking to have a couple nice dinners on the nights we aren't going to shows but haven't really decided on what type of place we'll go. A lot of that is dependent upon where we choose to have the pre-show dinners.

    Sorry for the long post, there are just so many options it's hard to decide without prior experience.
     
  2. mike_m235

    mike_m235 Tourist

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    I really enjoyed Julian Serrano on my last trip. Not sure if they do Prix Fixe or not...it's tapas, so the whole menu is really kind of a tasting menu. You'll end up with a lot of different dishes to try, but make sure one of them is the scallops.
     
  3. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

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    Just an FYI you're using some terms interchangeably which could lead to confusion.

    Tasting menus are different than prix fixe which can also be different from the pre-theatre prix fixe menu. Tasting menus will be your most costly but should also be the best especially if you're a bit adventurous. They may also take longer than you'd like for a pre-theatre meal.

    The distinction is important because you may see recommendations for the tasting menu and than inadvertently order the prix fixe or vice versa.

    Also don't write off Picasso so quickly. It's been a long time since I've been there but it was probably the first memorable meal I had in Vegas.
     
  4. lmondun

    lmondun Low-Roller

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    Have been to all the places on your list, so here's one guy's opinion:

    Julian Serrano - Looks great!

    Is great.

    Sage - Looks pretty good!

    Probably our 2nd favorite restaurant in Vegas (l'Atalier at MGM being tops).

    Michael Mina - Menu looks great, doesn't show pricing though. Would be fine if it's around the price of or less than Le Cirque.

    Had one excellent meal there a few years ago, but we found the room a bit too loud and crowded to go back.

    Le Cirque - Look really good, a bit more expensive than the other options though. How dressed up do you need to be here?

    A truly great restaurant with impeccable service. But it's formal. And. Not. Cheap.

    Crico - Looks pretty good, nothing mindblowing but I love Italian.

    Very good. Been twice. Would go again.

    Sensi - Looks kinda boring

    We love to sit at the "chef's table" here and watch the food being prepared in the glass-in kitchen. Food is great too. But probably not as "special" as some of the others on your list.

    - Picasso - Surprisingly doesn't look very appealing.. Some really basic offerings.

    Expensive, but the service and ambiance are top-of-the-line, and the food itself is expertly done. Just not particularly adventurous by celebrity-chef-heavy Las Vegas Strip standards.

    - Lemongrass - Seems pretty basic and uninteresting to me... Am I missing something?

    A fine enough restaurant but you can get far better Thai food in Vegas at Lotus of Siam (off-strip).

    - American Fish - This one looks good, the Sage and Julian Serrano tasting menu's look more interesting but this one is potentially in the running.

    Another good restaurant, but you do have to like fish to truly enjoy this restaurant. At one point, they offered a fabulously good and inexpensive tasting menu in their bar area. But that was over a year ago and I'm not sure it's still available.

    Good luck. Honestly, you don't have any duds on your list as far as I'm concerned.
     
  5. shifter

    shifter Degenerate Gambler

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    i have to agree with lmondun on every point. Sage is amazing as is Le Cirque. Didn't really care for Mina.

    as far as pre-theater menus, i would go to a restaurant at the location of the show. nothing worse than having to rush from dinner to the show in a cab or whatever. you want to be right on property already.
     
  6. uli_1515

    uli_1515 Low-Roller

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    Go to Lotus of siam, raku, sage, and splurge at E.
     
  7. mike_m235

    mike_m235 Tourist

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    To me, this is the best pre-show restaurant advice out there. I always try to pick a restaurant in the place I'm going to my show, or at least right next to it. You can pick up your tickets before dinner, plus you can walk right in after you eat.

    But don't forget to look at your tickets for what time the show starts or you'll be half an hour late to Elton John :eek:
     
  8. Bubbavegas

    Bubbavegas VIP Whale

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    And the Iberico pork Sliders as well and make sure you try the Red Sangria, by far the best Sangria I have had in the US.
     
  9. mike_m235

    mike_m235 Tourist

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    100% agree. If I was recommending two things, the second would have been the pork sliders.
     
  10. vegasbound

    vegasbound VIP Whale

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    Sage and Circo are my favorite strip restaurants. Circo will close next year so now's the time to enjoy. I was underwhelmed by Julian Serrano, though the restaurant is beautiful, and Michael Mina. I've eaten at all of Mina's restaurant except the new pub and Seablue was my favorite, it's a shame it's closed. The others are fine, but nothing particularly notable. So, my third choice would be Le Cirque. It's a fine restaurant that executes every detail well. The prix fixe menus are a steal.
     
  11. AusTex11

    AusTex11 Tourist

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    Someone in here mentioned L'Atelier, and my advice is that if you can get that onto your itinerary, do it. The seasonal tasting menu there was one of the best meals I've ever hard and made eating at Le Cirque the previous night a very distant memory. That said, Le Cirque was also a memorable experience. It's a matchbox of a room compared to other restaurants, so if you're looking to get intimate, this is the place to go. You can get away with business casual here, so a nice, tucked in button up and dress pants ought to be fine - I wore a tie and felt it too much. Le Cirque wins me over for two things - they've got STELLAR desserts and outstanding service. Ask for a table serviced by Martin. Like much of the staff, he's been there since day 1, but I found him to be the most personable and just a genuinely great guy.

    I'm leaning towards agreeing with those that say you shouldn't write off Picasso either. The food is rather basic, but the experience of it overall elevates it to a whole new level. Patio seating is available there now for dinner service. You'll stroll by Picassos to get to your table and then eat lakeside with the fountains going off every 30 minutes.

    Lastly, guys, I'm so glad to hear good word about Sage. It was on a short list for my next trip, and you all have effectively catapulted it into a must do next time I'm in town.
     
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