Restaurant Week is upon us once again, the time (June 15-26) when savvy local diners take advantage of special discounted prix fixe menus at dozens of amazing eateries (find the list at helpoutdineoutlv.org) with proceeds benefitting Three Square. There are always plenty of drool-inducing menus to choose from, but rarely does one restaurant jump to the top of the must-try list. This year, it’s Andre’s at Monte Carlo, which is serving up a throwback dinner menu ($50.15) reminiscent of the restaurant’s original Downtown location to pay tribute to chef Andre Rochat’s 35 years in Las Vegas. Appetizer choices include pork rillette, escargots de Bourgogne or green bean salad with tomato, while the main course offers a choice of lamb loin, scampi Andre, or pan-roasted chicken with risotto, mushrooms and white wine sauce.
If you haven’t tried Michael Mina’s new-ish Bardot Brasserie at Aria, this week provides the ideal excuse. Dinner ($50.15) offers an appetizer choice of country pâté or scrumptious á l’orange-inspired duck wings, then a smoked pork chop, steak frites or herb-crusted Alaskan cod for your entrée, and creme caramel or the mega-chocolate macaron for dessert.
Speaking of French greatness (great Frenchness?), Bouchon at Venetian offers extras on its dinner menu ($50.15). Each diner gets two small appetizer dishes, buttered garden radishes and Scottish salmon tartare, and then a classic salade Lyonnaise with escarole, frisée, bacon lardons, poached egg, croutons and bacon vinaigrette. Then the entrée, either sautéed rainbow trout or Bouchon’s divine roasted chicken, and a dessert choice of profiteroles or crème brûlée.
Cleo at SLS.
I’m definitely hitting Carnegie Deli at the Mirage for lunch ($20.15) one day this week, because I need to eat the Goldbergenstein Trifecta Torpedo—corned beef, pastrami, salami and cole slaw on a sourdough sub roll. Toss in a scoop of chopped liver and a slab of cheesecake and I’ll be in deli heaven.
Cleo at SLS always offers the chance to sample lots of little, flavorful Mediterranean plates, and Restaurant Week is no different. Your three-course dinner ($40.15) includes three choices within each course. I’d recommend a selection of veggies from the wood-burning oven, the kebab plate and the Greek yogurt with berries, but you know, mix it up a little.
How’s this for a perfect summer dinner ($40.15)? Head to Hearthstone at Red Rock Resort, do the watermelon salad with feta cheese and avocado and the poached salmon with wild mushrooms, plus cookie butter crumb butterscotch pudding. Boom. (If you wanna get a little more rich, sub in the black truffle hanger steak with crispy potatoes. Boom, again.)
Hearthstone at Red Rock Resort.
On the other side of the Valley, those looking for a Restaurant Week lunch deal ($20.15) in Henderson should look no further than longtime favorite The Pasta Shop. Start with a classic Caesar, flip a coin between the ravioli bianca or the rigatoni primavera, and close with a cannoli.
Prefer perfect pasta on the Strip? Portofino is the answer. The Mirage gem does dinner ($40.15) centered around your choice of chicken “foiefredo” (yep, chicken Alfredo with foie gras), braised oxtail lasagna or "ripatelli" with lamb sausage and peppers. You can’t lose.
