Bib Gourmand: Vegas, Baby!

So, once again, The Foodie and The Hottie are headed to our home away from home this weekend which means I scoured The Information Super-Highway to see what's hot, what's new and what bargains can be had. For this trip, at least, the bargain hunting is merely so-so for me BUT I figured, hey, just because I'm “pinned” in to certain restaurants doesn't mean you are. SOMEBODY might as well prosper from my hours of research, amirite?

First off, don't cry too many emoticons for me since I'll be going to a Michelin-Starred place every night: miX , Nobu and Wing Lei . If you're reading this the week I posted it, you'll notice that (N)obu and (W)ing Lei nicely fit in the N & W category for Foodie: A to Z (as documented in the Elusive U Post earlier this month). But, I digress. This isn't a Look-At-All-The-Kewl-Places-I've Eaten-Blog this is a Get-The-Word-Out-About-Culinary-Steals-Blog. Now, normally, my Bib Gourmand blogs feature a single deal on a place I love. In this case, because Vegas is hurting so much for business, I'll just give you a summary on places with some pretty spectacular deals as long as you can plan ahead:

ALEX , DANIEL BOULUD , WING LEI (among others) AT THE WYNN.

At present, pretty much EVERY restaurant at The Wynn/Encore has some sort of Dine-At-An-Off-Time Deal in place. At Wing Lei you can have a 5-course Duck Tasting w/a glass of wine for $69 OR a 3-course Prix Fixe dinner with a specialty cocktail for $49. Do I really need to tell you how good a deal this is or remind you that they haz a Michelin Star? The “catch” is that it's only available before 7:00, but if you're catching a show or, say, taking a late flight back home and want to “sneak” in one, last good meal before heading home, it's ideal. The DB and Alex deals are similar: Eat before 7:00 and have 2-courses ($36) or 3-courses ($42) at Boulud's or 3-courses at Alex for $89. I can't personally vouch for Alex since I haven't been there but, hey, it DOES have TWO Michelin Stars. Boulud's place is one I've been to many times and that deal is DEFINITELY one I recommend without hesitation.

BTW, the Wynn stie is an EXTREMELY irritating Flashsite where Wynn wants you to hear him wax poetic about how amazing, interesting and unique he and his resorts are, so I couldn't link directly to the menus. So, much like the Mina Pre-Theatre menu, don't rely on the menus I linked if you're reading this blog a month after I posted it. YOU'LL have to take the hit and listen to Wynn's cheesy voice while you try and find the elusive Taste of Wynn promotion – I've already taken one bullet for you, I can't take the whole clip :p

AUREOLE , FLEUR DE LYS, miX (among others) AT MANDALAY BAY.

Much like the Wynn, a lot of the foodie destinations at The Mandalay (little 'f' foodie, a foodie in general, not me in particular) are having a 'Lion King Pre-Theater' dinner special which, of course, means dine before 7:00. Stripsteak and RM Seafood join the places listed above for having deals at this time. Frankly, The Aureole dinner sounds too good to be true: 3 course Prix Fixe for $45!!! Seriously, the last time we dined at Charlie Palmer's place, The Hottie spent more than that on a glass of wine and, sadly, I'm not exaggerating. It is the home of the Wine Angels after all. miX's offering is a little more vague: a half-dozen shared plates and two glasses of wine for $40/pop. So if you're looking for a “meal” this might not be for you, but if you're looking for a “steal” then go for it. miX is one of my fave places in all of Vegas: Awesome décor, creative, well-executed food and unsurpassed people watching 64-floors above the city. Bonus: This deal is offered ALL night long in the bar which, btw, is one of THE places to be seen in Vegas. Seriously, ZAGAT had it rated as their #1 destination for Nightlife in LV, no small feat. Chef Hubert Keller's SF transplant has deal similar to Aureole, 3-courses for $45, though it does lack the Michelin Star of the o/g. Still, star or not, a good deal is a good deal.

BTW, unlike the Taste of Wynn or the MGM Grand Summer Deals coming up, it almost seems like the Mandalay DOESN'T want you to know abut these deals. They pretty well hidden and most searches for said deals will send you to other blogs and websites. Weird. It's also worth noting that most of the Prix Fixes ARE still available after 7:00, you just pay more for them (~$10) which still makes them a bargain. Also, if you want a REAL steal, all of the Mandalay places have certificates available @ Restaurant.com (though the “special menus” are generally excluded from coupons). More on that below...

JOEL ROBUCHON , L'ATELIER DE JOEL RUBOUCHON , SEABLUE, CRAFTSTEAK (among others) AT THE MGM GRAND.

First things first, NO you shouldn't go to Creaftsteak. As I've said MANY times before there are WAY too many good places to go to in Vegas to dine @ Craftsteak. BUT you if INSIST on trying Colicchio's place, you might as well take advantage of their new 'Halfsteak Menu'. Think of it as a parent giving his kid protection: I don't want you going all the way with Tom Colicchio, but if you're not going to listen to me, I STILL want you to be smart about it :p

Good, got that out of the way. Now on to places worth my keystrokes...

Joel Robuchon has graced us with a couple of deals at his one and three star establishments @ the MGM. First is the new L'Unique menu at L'Atelier which runs 3 courses for $39 before 7:00. It's also his “express” option: the food is served all at one in a bento-style box within 15 mins so, if you're looking for a night out, this isn't the option for you. If, however, you're looking to taste Joel's food at a fraction of the price, then this is for you. If, however, you want to go all the way with one of The God's of French Cuisine, might I point out that he just introduced new, smaller tasting menus @ the THREE-STARRED restaurant starting at...$89??? Now, don't get too excited, $89 is the starting point for two courses. However, the fact that you can now pick the level of commitment from two courses ($89) to six ($195) is a bonus. Don't get me wrong, I ADORE Robuchon's stuff, but a SIXTEEN course menu is just a bit much - I do need to fit in my trunks the next day, after all. Nobody wants to look like a bloated whale at The Hard Rock Pool.

Lastly, if you want you some bargain Mina, both of his places @ the MGM have affordable prix fixe deals: 3 courses @ Nob Hill for $39 and 3 courses @ Seablue for $45 as part of the MGM's Summer Tasting Menu Promotion. As I've said before, I haven't gone to either place and it's unlikely I ever will simply because I'm spoiled and go to his two-starred SF namesake enough that I'm a regular. Still, anything under $50 for 3-courses at ANY Mina restaurant, regardless of it's location is a deal. Seablue's Happy Hour (5:30-7:00), however, is another story: two-dollar Stella Artois, one-dollar/pop for oysters or shrimp plus half-price on Mina's signature Lobster Corndogs and Salt and Pepper Calamari is prolly TOO good a deal fro The Hottie to pass up if we're in the area...

AUREOLE , miX , STRIPSTEAK, LITTLE BHUDDA, CAFE BA BA REEBA (among others) VIA RESTAURANT.COM.

Note: As of the time of this entry, Restaurant.com is running a promo for 80% of their certificates. In other words, you can get a $50.00 Gift Certificate for $4.00 by using promo code 'NAPKIN'. I know it sounds to good to be true, but it's not.

Now, some of you might find using a 'coupon' cheesy but, to you, I say go bury you face in the latest issue of Saveur and leave my blog alone. I hear that creepy judge from Top Chef Masters that looks like the 'Mmmkay' Guy from South Park is their editor-in-chief and he is SUCH a pretentious douchesnob that I'm sure you'll get along famously. Money saved is money saved whether it's a promotional menu or an e-mail link you clicked and, face it, you've read thru a blog about SAVING MONEY on dining out so, clearly, it interests you to some degree. Now, where was I? Oh yeah...saving benjamins. In a nutshell, you pay restaurant.com a fraction of the value of a gift certificate from participating restaurants and print them from your computer. Generally there are restrictions (the time of day or dates it can be used or minimum amout you need to purchase are fairly common) and the restaurants participating can be few and far between but, lately, they added a few more high end places that, frankly, I was shocked to see @ Restaurant.com. Bottom line, if I can pay $20 in advance for a $50 dining credit @ miX, Aureole or Fleur de Lys, why wouldn't I? We use a certificate from Cafe Ba Ba Reeba nearly every time we go to Sin City (The Hottie is a sucker for their Sangria/Tapas and the fact that's it's as The Fashion Show Mall doesn't hurt either) and the inclusion of some higher end restaurants can only makes things better. Just make sure you read the fine print and you're gtg.