There’s never been a better time to eat Las Vegas. As the Strip and the city around it have evolved, so has the Valley’s sprawling dining scene. From eat-your-way-through neighborhoods to groundbreaking restaurants, these 10 reasons are a right-now snapshot of why today truly is the Golden Age of Las Vegas dining.
7. We have really good pizza now
Just like the city’s overall dining scene, the Vegas pizza universe has its own milestones of significance. In 1976, Carmine Vento started selling New York pizza by the slice at Villa Pizza in Commercial Center. In 1986, two other New Yorkers decided to switch things up, rechristening their Original New York Pizza shops as Metro Pizza. In 2005, Settebello brought authentic Pizza Napoletana from the birthplace of pizza, Naples, Italy, to our own Green Valley. And in 2013, we broadened our horizons sampling these four staggeringly delicious styles of pizza.
Pepperoni at “Secret Pizza”
Cosmopolitan, 698-7860.
The crust: Classic New York perfection, floppy and foldable, flavorful and fantastic. The crust at the hidden pizzeria is the biggest reason this not-so-secret joint lives up to the hype.
The toppings: Spicy pepperoni bleeding its oily, flavor-packed essence into the tomato sauce and golden-crisp cheese bubbling onto the crust edge … what else do you need?
Smoked Salmon at Novecento
5705 Centennial Center Blvd. #170, 685-4900; 9460 S. Eastern Ave. #130, 485-2900.
The crust: Ideal Neapolitan, light and super thin, fired to bubbly, slightly scorched perfection in 90 seconds in a 900-degree stone oven.
The toppings: Decadent smoked salmon with capers, red onions, extra virgin olive oil and goat cheese—and no tomato sauce.
Roman-style Prosciutto E Rucola at Due Forni
3555 S. Town Center Drive #105, 586-6500.
The crust: Thin and crispy but also more firm and crackly than its Neapolitan counterpart—a truly unique bite.
The toppings: Rich, smoked bufala mozzarella is amplified by buttery prosciutto San Daniele, fresh arugula and dark, sweet drizzles of vincotto.
Sicilian at Five50 Pizza Bar
Aria, 590-7550.
The crust: This hybrid combines styles and comes out big on chew and developed flavors with an airy-but-substantial texture.
The toppings: Savory pancetta, slightly bitter broccoli rabe, creamy white cheese, sweet red peppers and briny blasts of white anchovy.
