Food Network celebrity baker Buddy Valastro has established a pattern on the Las Vegas Strip, building his business in off-the-beaten-path casino nooks. It all started with the Buddy V’s restaurant and Carlo’s Bakery outlet at the Grand Canal Shoppes, sandwiched between the Venetian and Palazzo resorts, and it has continued over the past couple of years with new venues at Harrah’s and the Linq.
Jersey roast beef focaccia sandwich
The latest arrival is the most hidden spot yet, but find it you must. The Boss Café is a tiny treasure trove of deliciously unique pizza, focaccia sandwiches, salads, desserts and more.
It’s located next to a new Dunkin’ Donuts at the very back of the Linq casino, if you’re coming from Las Vegas Boulevard or the bustling Linq Promenade. It’s also accessible from the Monorail station and a new walkway connecting to the Caesars Forum convention center. If that sounds confusing, try to stay focused on what you’re going to choose with your first course, creamy mozzarella made fresh daily ($9) with bright basil pesto, roasted or pickled peppers, tomato-olive relish or served simply with aged balsamic vinegar and basil.
That wonderful cheese is also a key component of the café’s sandwiches, including the fantastic Jersey-style roast beef ($14). Herb-crusted, slow-cooked beef mingles with “the mutz,” and sweet and spicy peppers on a garlic butter-toasted focaccia with au jus for dipping. You can build your own sandwich or stick with signature creations like the Jersey Boy Italian grinder with all the meats, the Hoboken Havana—a twist on a classic Cuban with rosemary ham and smoked pancetta—or the chicken Milanese with a breaded cutlet, arugula and lemon-tomato aioli (all $14).
Chicken parm pizza square
These are quality ingredients and big flavors that are a bit unexpected at this small, super-casual casino eatery. But if you’ve dined at Buddy V’s or grabbed a slice at PizzaCake at Harrah’s, you know this food is no joke.
The Boss Café’s pizza style of choice is a square slice billed as “bakery pizza,” so you don’t confuse it with the East Coast “grandma slice” you might be familiar with at other local joints. Topped with everything from thick-cut pepperoni to chicken parm ($8-$10), these slices are crisp on the bottom with a good chew, the kind of pizza you’d expect generations of bakery workers to come up with for a satisfying snack.
Of course, Valastro’s signature desserts await at the checkout counter, including massive slabs of cake and the delicate “lobster tail” cream-filled pastry. This is the first time we’ve experienced a chocolate-dipped peanut butter cannoli, and it’s every bit as fabulous as you think it is.
THE BOSS CAFÉ The Linq, 775-490-2870. Sunday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 7 a.m.-midnight.
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