Sharing a chilled seafood tower in the David Rockwell-designed “treehouse” in the center of the Shops at Crystals feels like a rite of passage for the new Las Vegas diner, the modern equivalent of the old-school steakhouse business dinner. Whether it’s groups of convention visitors converging here for a big meal to start a week of networking or a vacationing couple taking in a romantic, whimsical experience, this is the place everyone wants to be—Mastro’s Ocean Club.
The one-of-a-kind environment is complemented by classic country club cuisine, originated on the California coast and executed in Las Vegas with precision by veteran chef Ricardo Romo. That stellar seafood tower, decorated playfully with dry ice fog, can be customized with your favorites—shrimp, lobster, snow crab claws, Alaskan king crab legs and oysters on the half shell. If you’re not in a raw mood, consider steamed mussels, vanilla-battered shrimp, meaty crab cakes or classic oysters Rockefeller. A specialized sushi menu created by chef Angel Carbajal of Cabo San Lucas favorite Nick-san rounds out appetizer options.
Mastro’s fans tend to steer toward steak for the main event, particularly a juicy and flavorful 18-ounce, bone-in filet cut, or for a different bite, a wonderfully charred 16-ounce New York strip. The feast would be incomplete without decadent sides like lobster-laden mashed potatoes, gorgonzola-topped mac and cheese and king crab-black truffle gnocchi, but room must be saved for the signature warm butter cake. Too much is never enough. Mastro’s Ocean Club at the Shops at Crystals, 702-798-7115; daily 5-11 p.m.
