looking for great Italian, for lunch.

I need an excellent Italian restaurant idea for lunch. Downtown or upper/middle strip. We may not make it there, but I don't have an Italian option on my list. We adore good food and I don't want to squander my few Vegas days on mediocre restaurants.....but it has to be lunch because that fits our schedule and Ace resists my efforts to get him into evening-finer-dining-attire (Ace don't play those sartorial games.)

Hey, wanna critique my luncheon list?

Sunday arrival day: Pizza Rock. Non-negotiable, I am a pizza fanatic and want to eat at an award-winning pizza place.
Monday: the only day we might be up and around for breakfast, so Eat downtown, my #1 choice, or DuPars 2nd choice downtown. If we have a big/excellent breakfast, we won't be eating lunch.
Tuesday: Ace's choice of "independent gourmet-ish" - Carson Kitchen downtown; or seafood - Joe's Steaks and Stone Crabs Caesars Forum Shoppes; or fried chicken/southern - Yardbird Palazzo/Venetian; or Italian _________?. (Tuesday we won't make it south of Caesars, Wednesday we will make it at least as far as the Bellagio.)
Wednesday: Ace's choice of something from Tuesday's list that we didn't go to. So (casual but excellent) Italian around the Caesars/Bellagio/Cromwell corner (and as far as the Cosmo) is in play.
Thursday: not finer dining I know, but haven't fed the man a buffet yet so thinking MSS buffet (we're staying there) before heading to airport. The dining room photos look beautiful.

Nights will be drunchies wherever, hopefully at MSS/Cal 'cause I plan on those meals ending up comped.

So. Italian suggestions? And what do you think of my dining plans?

 

My Uncle Vito isn't seeing anyone right now. He is 5'10", slightly chunky, but a ball of energy. He is...

Oh, sorry, Lucille! Misread your thread title there. Thought we'd finally found a match for Uncle Vito!

Your plans look good to me! Best of luck dealing with Ace!

RICHARD

 

We enjoyed Chicago Joe's

http://www.chicagojoesrestaurant.com/menu.html

 

Otto at the Venetian.

 

We enjoyed lunch many times at NYNY - I will disclose I have no idea what "authentic Italian" is.


https://www.newyorknewyork.com/en/restaurants/il-fornaio.html

 

Trattoria in the Grand Canal Shopping mall is a pretty neat place and opened for lunch. There are a few places in the Forums Shops like Carmines and of course Spago's. Too many great choices in Vegas but for a treat Spago's would be my choice........Rick

 

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! I'm headed now to research Grand Canal Shops restaurants.....

 

Oh my. Has anyone been to Il Mulino at the Caesars Forum Shops? It's the one Italian menu in all my research that truly excites me (with prices that truly terrify me ). But research says it's business casual dress - I fear that even just at lunch we won't fit in wearing our old-people sneakers and such. Anyone know? Thanks!

 

Only have been to il Mulino for dinner. Relatively formal for LV. Great food and service.

I would probably lean towards Spago on the patio.

 

Thanks Mr. jones. I suspected from their website that it would be a bit too formal for us. Ah well, we're gonna eat very finely I'm sure wherever we end up at.....

 

We've been doing that one off and on for decades! I did not even know they were open for lunch. It's very small. We've always gone early for dinner on a weeknight.