It doesn’t matter if you’re coming from Southern California or if you’ve never heard of Wally’s Wine & Spirits, the neighborhood liquor store-turned-full epicurean destination with locations in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. It only takes one visit to those spots, or the Las Vegas Strip restaurant at Resorts World, to understand exactly what kind of place this is.
It’s a go-to for oenophiles, obviously, but it’s also a chill spot with great food for less-serious wine enthusiasts. And once we get through these weird pandemic times and everyone becomes more familiar with the vast dining offerings at Resorts World, our Vegas Wally’s should ease into a role similar to Wolfgang Puck’s Spago during its Forum Shops at Caesars Palace run: a Strip restaurant loved by locals.
Wally’s claims there are more than 8,000 labels of wine, spirits and beer at this casually upscale spot, and it sure feels like that’s true when you’re sitting among sky-high racks of wine bottles sharing bites of caviar, jamon Iberico, duck salami, 10-year-old Wisconsin cheddar and tangy taleggio. The cheese and charcuterie offerings are vast, and all of Wally’s menu offerings—with the exception of breakfast—are designed to go well with wine. But these dishes are delicious on their own merits.
A thick, juicy cheeseburger has always been one of my favorite pairings with a glass of red, and the Wally Burger ($34), available during brunch, lunch or dinner, is one of the best new burgers in the city. My beautifully charred patty was a perfect pink medium rare, topped with Old Amsterdam gouda, tomato and caramelized onions, with ideal fries riding shotgun. A nine-ounce New York strip steak frites plate ($56 brunch, $98 dinner) offers similar satisfaction, and other steak options have moved about the menu since Wally’s opened last summer. Horseradish-crusted king salmon ($44) and pan-roasted diver scallops ($45) lead the seafood highlights.
If you’re a local giving Wally’s a chance, you’re probably thinking the entrées are a bit expensive. You might be right, but then again, you don’t need to go big here. Save your budget for the wine, and check out the addictive wood oven-baked Brie ($28) with truffle honey and baguette; the truffle Caesar salad ($29) with shaved garlic croutons; and one of the flavor-packed pizzettas ($23-$27) with seasonal toppings like roasted winter squash or porcini puree. This is a grazing experience, folks. Get the chorizo-spiced grilled Spanish octopus ($30) and the Moroccan cauliflower ($26), spiced with ras el hanout and preserved lemon, and nosh slowly. Have a conversation. Take it easy. Enjoy yourself. That’s why they built this place.
WALLY’S Resorts World, 702-676-6966. Daily, 7 a.m.-4 a.m.
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