Eataly is my Target. I go to the Italian food marketplace at Park MGM to pick up a slab of Roman pizza for lunch or a bottle of olive oil to take home, and end up spending much more time and money there eating and shopping. And it’s fine; Target doesn’t have Negronis.
The various food counters in the central Cucina del Mercato portion of the complex have so much to offer, guests tend to bypass the two sit-down restaurants at Eataly Las Vegas. The casual La Pizza e La Pasta is much more accessible than the fine-dining concept, which recently rebranded and reopened with an emphasis on the cuisine of the Tuscan countryside.
This dinner-only destination was previously known as Manzo, a celebration of beef grilled over wood. Now it’s Toscana Ristorante & Bar, and it feels like the same classy, 94-seat dining room with open-kitchen views of that impressive grill. But the menu isn’t as focused on the meat, and the overall experience is more multifaceted—more than 30 wines by the glass, two different three-course tasting menus. Even if you never ate at Manzo, Toscana is a great excuse to revisit Eataly.
The go-to starter has to be burrata with pappa al pomodoro ($24), creamy cheese and fresh basil perfectly complemented by the classic Tuscan composition of tomato, bread, olive oil and garlic. More traditionally served as a soup that’s equally delicious hot or cold, this version is cool, sharp and fresh, and it ought to be used as a sauce on everything. Marinated beef carpaccio ($27) also sings, thanks to a lemon-mustard vinaigrette and crisp, paper-thin slices of beet and radish. The baller appetizer is seared scallops with artichoke purée, radicchio, celery leaves and black truffle vinaigrette ($36).
All of the house-made pastas are slightly different than what you’ll get at the Strip’s other fancy Italian joints. Fat, green gnudi dumplings ($26) are stuffed with ricotta and spinach and laced with butter and sage, and Toscana’s lasagna ($42), meant for two, is utterly rustic with sheets of spinach pasta slathered in rich beef and pork ragu and 24-month-aged Parmigiano Reggiano. Share this masterpiece and you won’t need a main course.
You can still go big on beef with the 42-ounce Fiorentina porterhouse ($130), served with fresh herbs, potatoes and Franci extra virgin olive oil, or the similarly sized tomahawk ($150), also from Creekstone Farms in Kansas. The Peposo alla Fiorentina ($42), Chianti-braised beef short ribs, isn’t advertised as shareable but certainly gets the job done in portion and flavor. Pan-fried branzino ($48) and a traditional cacciucco seafood stew ($46) with scallops, tiger prawns, cod, clams and mussels are less showy but certainly satisfying, further demonstrating the restaurant’s bucolic tendencies.
When you arrive at dessert—and you absolutely must—the fabulous flair kicks back in. Panna cotta with a sprinkle of black pepper is surrounded with chunks of olive oil crisp, ripe cherries and Amarena syrup. And a showstopping take on chocolate mousse is decorated at the table with thick hazelnut caramel, a decadent and memorable treat that should make any list of top Vegas desserts. This bite crowns the meal the same way Toscana caps the Eataly Las Vegas experience.
TOSCANA Eataly at Park MGM, 702-730-7617, eataly.com. Wednesday-Sunday, 5-10 p.m.
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