Royally Flushed

Use a restaurant.com coupon to order the SUGARFOOT’S Dancing Chicken & Waffles with Wild Turkey American Honey maple syrup — a brunch “must-have” at First Food & Bar.

Las Vegas is filled with great restaurants and now you can find super dining deals at some of Las Vegas’ best restaurants. These restaurant offers — in the form of certificates from Restaurant.com — let you buy $10, $25 or even more $$$ worth of dining for a huge discount based on the newest restaurant promotion code currently available through the program. 

These are the coupons you may have read about on the popular money-saving website WalletPop.com or you might have heard about them from friends or family. We use them all the time especially when we want to try a new restaurant in our hometown AND whenever we go on vacation and can save money on our dining-out costs.

Here are just some of the terrific restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip that you’ll find offering money-saving certificates at restaurant.com:

Find these restaurants at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino –

Aureole – Home of the famous flying “wine angels,” this beautiful spot features a fabulous seasonal menu from Chef Charlie Palmer.

Mix In Las Vegas – Perched atop THE Hotel at the resort, MIX is one of the most beautiful dining spots in all of Vegas. Inside hangs the largest chandelier in the world with 15,000 hand-blown Murano glass balls, a menu originally composed by French Master Chef Alain Ducasse and a balcony that offers the best sunset view of THE Strip.

Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood — If you love creamy clam chowder, garlicky steamed mussels and the freshest fish prepared in a variety of mouth-watering ways, then RM Seafood is for you. The casual downstairs bar and grill is our favorite place to order up a couple of ice cold beers and enjoy bowls of clams and mussels swimming in fragrant broth served with lots of crunchy cheese-topped country bread perfect for sopping up all that great liquid.

At The Palazzo:
First Food and Bar — located inside The Shoppes connecting the Venetian to the Palazzo — brings the authenticity and character of the neighborhood bar concept back to life, minus the kitsch. This hip, yet comfortable restaurant and lounge is set in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip and has the vibe of a late-night spot blended with the casualness of a local eatery. FIRST caters to those who stagger in to feed their late-night cravings, as well as those looking for a mid-day business lunch or dinner.  FIRST features culinary options spanning from lunch to late… really late-night and the menu features American eats and drinks created by Executive Chef Sam DeMarco. Sunday Brunch with the bottomless champagne flute is not to be missed!

To find all the Las Vegas Strip restaurants participating in this money-saving program, go to Restaurant.com and search zip codes 89119 and 89109 for the selection of top restaurants you can choose from.

Be sure to bookmark this page so you’ll always have access to the latest restaurant.com discount code to save $$$ on some of the top restaurants in Las Vegas.

The latest deal: Restaurant.com Weekly Promotion! Save on $25 Restaurant.com Gift Certificates! You’ll also find the most current adlink at the bottom of this page — just click and go right to restaurant.com!

Lindeman's and Guinness Stout combine to make the Cupid's Arrow at First Food & Bar, Las Vegas.

Have we told you how much we *heart* FIRST Food and Bar at The Palazzo?  No?  Then let us count the ways:

1. FIRST feels like one of those secret out-of-the-way joints that only “insiders” know about.  Really.  To get there, you have to go to the second floor of the retail shopping area connecting the Venetian to the Palazzo; hang a right at Barney’s New York; and then make your way down the corridor to the barely-marked restaurant.  (We had a hard time just getting past the shoe display in Barneys’ windows.)
2. It’s open late — ’til 1 a.m. during the week and even later on weekends.
3. The front-of-the-house manager stops by — more than once — to check on your food, drinks, service, etc.  On our last visit, we felt like “regulars” by the end of the meal.
4. The food:  big yummy portions of amped-up diner food.  Burgers to blackened steak, pasta to pizza: this is comfort food meant to help banish your hangover (or get you poised to work on a new one.)
5. 

   Hearty breakfast sammie with Tater Tots at First Food Bar at the Palazzo, Vegas.

   Sunday brunch (11 a.m. – 4 p.m.) — A traveling Bloody Mary bar complete with a cute mixologist ready to make it your way.  (Our way?  Extra Tabasco and black pepper plus enough green olives to mimic a salad bar.)  A $10 per person all-you-can-drink champagne deal.  This may not be Krug or Cristal but face it, there’s something abnormally fun and decadent about washing down your corned beef hash or chicken and waffles with a glass or two — or eight — of bubbly.  Try the Breakfast Mini-Burgers with cheese, bacon, Hollandaise sauce and a side of Tater Tots.

6. The Cupid’s Arrow — Just like drinking an alcoholic dark chocolate truffle.  Take a bottle of Guinness Stout and a bottle of Lindeman’s Framboise Ale then pour them — simultaneously — into an iced schooner.  Drink.  Drink.  Burp.  Drink.
7. Strip view.  Grab a spot near the windows and gaze out onto Treasure Island and, if the sun has set, the pirate battle show.

In-house aging is one key to the juicy tender steaks at STRIPSTEAK LV.

I recently had lunch with a friend of mine (a professional food writer and guest reviewer here) who made the most spot-on comment I’ve ever heard when it comes to Chef Michael Mina’s food: “The man is a wizard with potatoes!” So, you’re thinking if this is a review on STRIPSTEAK LV, why do I care what the chef does with potatoes? It’s the meat that matters not the sides. Well, in this case, while the steaks are more than worthy, it is definitely the spuds that make for a memorable meal. And, did we mention that said spuds are free? No kidding, these crisp crunchy beauties come courtesy of the chef… au gratis… n/c.

First, the restaurant itself: Located at Mandalay Bay Las Vegas, the space is sleek and edgy with enough hard surfaces to make sound somewhat of an issue if you were hoping for an intimate dinner for two.* But keep in mind, the sound bouncing from walls to ceiling comes from people having fun! This is a great spot for celebrations like bachelor/bachelorette parties, birthday bashes and other group events or for couples looking to dine in a high-energy atmosphere. (We had a terrific time chatting away with the couple at the table next to us who also happened to be from Phoenix. Yeah, it’s that kind of place.)

This trio of spectacular fries is presented au gratis with dinner at the winning STRIPSTEAK LV.

The fries: Okay, back to those marvelous complimentary potatoes. After ordering drinks (wine for P.B., a draft for me) and dinner, the server brought out this very cool serving stand filled with three tubs of perfectly cooked-in-duck-fat fries – herb-flecked, paprika-dusted and saffron garlic – along with three dipping sauces: housemade ketchup, perky BBQ sauce and our hands-down favorite, a luxurious truffle cream sauce I would’ve eaten with a spoon! The serving is so large we couldn’t finish it but, oh, how we tried.

Dinner: For an appetizer, we chose to share the Maine lobster fritters, a dish we unfortunately wouldn’t order again. The batter was too heavy for the delicate seafood flavor to come through and the bacon mentioned in the menu description seemed to be AWOL from our dish. In hindsight, we would have merrily munched on the fries with our drinks and ordered a salad to share with the yummy warm potato focaccia (served in a cast iron skillet) before the main course. For our steaks, we chose the American Kobe beef – the Rib Eye ($64) for P.B. and the Rib Cap ($65) for me. (STRIPSTEAK also offers Japanese A5 Wagyu beef at Market Price.) Chef Mina’s steaks are heralded for their cooking method which entails a long slow-poach in clarified butter and then a quick turn on a high heat (think 1,000 degrees!) grill. The process renders a steak that is meltingly tender inside with a beautifully crusty exterior. As we expected, our steaks were superb. As a side, we shared a de-lish mountain of creamed spinach topped with crumbled bacon bits. (Note to self: next time we eat here, we walk back to our room at the Bellagio.)

Well-marbled and perfectly cooked, the rib cap American Kobe steak is a terrific menu choice.

Dessert: Overkill for sure but the “Beignets with Macallan 18-Year Butterscotch Pudding” were just way too tempting to resist and we’re so glad we didn’t. Plump, fluffy pillows of warm donut dipped in scotch-flavored caramel pudding…uh, what’s not to like? (Do be aware that the liquor really comes through in this decidedly “adult-flavored” dessert.)

Service and other highlights:

Excellent, attentive service even on a busy Saturday night during prime time dining hours of 8 – 10 pm.

Another freebie courtesy of STRIPSTEAK — A bag of gourmet dark-chocolate-drizzled caramel corn made in-house sends you out the door.

I have to say that I knew we were in for a great meal when Las Vegas local, UNLV professor and famed foodie, Patti Shock, highly recommended the place to me via Twitter. (If you are interested in food and Las Vegas you should follow her.  @PattiShock)

The best: We used a $25 certificate purchased for $2 at Restaurant.com (use coupon code “FOUR” and the link below) to pay for part of the meal.  At the restautant, be sure to present it early on so they have time to validate the certificate before the check comes.

STRIPSTEAK definitely merits a top spot on our list of “Best Las Vegas Steakhouses.”

(*Looking for a romantic spot to dine? Try Fleur De Lys or Mix In Las Vegas, both located at Mandalay Bay and both participate in the Restaurant.com certificate program.)

Save 80% off on every $25 Gift Certificate order. Use code “FOUR” and pay just $2 through 10/12/09 only at Restaurant.com.

A dedicated wine room overlooks the main dining area at the contemporary French gem, Fleur de Lys at Mandalay Bay Las Vegas. (All photos and content property of www.royallyflushed.com)

In honor of this week’s episode of “Top Chef Masters” on Bravo TV, we give you our review of chef/competitor Hubert Keller’s splendid Fleur de Lys at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. (Warning: gushing ahead!)

This last trip to Las Vegas was memorable for a number of reasons not the least of which was not only did we enjoy a superb dinner at contemporary French restaurant, Fleur de Lys, but also because we had the unique opportunity to meet the chef. (We have been fans of Chef Hubert Keller’s food for years after having dined at his original San Francisco outpost several times over the years so meeting him was a real treat.)

But, more on that later: first, we’ll highlight the food and atmosphere of  Fleur De Lys at Mandalay Bay. (By the way, we used one of our fav dining discounts – a $25 certificate (our cost $5) from Restaurant.com toward our check. See details at the end of the post.)

The space: This is a romantic Las Vegas restaurant perfect for couples and it seems especially designed for those celebrating special occasions. In addition to the low-lighting, lush smoky velvet drapes, widely-spaced tables and hushed atmosphere, the compact space somehow fits in several private, curtained tables for the ultimate in cozy dining. Although compact in floor-space, the room is easily two or more stories high and features a second-floor wine room overlooking the main dining area. (The night of our visit, a private table for two was in use in the glass-fronted, candle-lit space so you may be able to book a table there in advance.)

The focal point of the room is a huge leaf-shaped wall sculpture made entirely of hundreds of fresh peachy-pink rosebuds. When we remarked on it, our server shared that a local floral company came in daily to replace any spent blossoms.

The food: For a chef who has been re-interpreting French classics for decades, Chef Keller’s dishes are as fresh and imaginative as they were twenty years ago. While looking over the inventive wine list – a menu of specialty cocktails is also available – the kitchen sent out an amuse bouche of a tiny bite of cod paired with a creamy smidge of warm potato salad and a spicy aioli sauce.

Tender monkfish, clams and mussels served atop flavorful barley is a winning entree.

Having settled on a bottle of the Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($75,) we indulged in the chewy pretzel bread while deciding on the night’s meal. We began the meal by splitting a light salad of organic greens and heirloom tomatoes in a perky herb vinaigrette.

For entrees, we chose the citrus-glazed monkfish ($43) with clams, mussels and chorizo sausage and the “gently heated” Alaskan King salmon filet ($39.) The generous monkfish plate was a riot of color, flavors and textures with the lobster-like sweetness and meatiness of the fish playing off the briny taste of petite mussels and clams and all set off by a risotto-like side of creamy barley festooned with bits of oven-roasted tomatoes, baby broccoli florets and a smoky dice of chorizo.

Though simpler in presentation and number of ingredients, the Alaskan King salmon filet was a master’s example of how to treat a scrumptious piece of fresh fish. Oven-roasted at just 200 degrees, the fish emerges from cooking with a silky, melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and clean, smooth flavor. The accompanying julienne of beets and surprisingly mellow apple rosemary puree and horseradish chive bouillon served to accent rather than overwhelm the pearly filets. We would most definitely order both dishes should they be on the menu on our next trip.

Even though both entrees were more than generous, we specifically went light on the first course so that we could indulge in something sweet post-entrees.  While chocolate and Grand Marnier soufflés are available (order early in the evening to ensure ample time for prep) and we saw several tables sharing the airy confections, we chose the appealing carrot cake ice cream sandwich ($12) and finished every bite. Luscious cream cheese-flavored ice cream was fitted between two slabs of moist carrot cake, the whole sprinkled with candied walnuts and served with a decadent scoop of pineapple coconut ice cream.

The service:  Excellent service with attentive yet non-intrusive servers.

Back to meeting the chef: While we were sipping our wine and relaxing before the first course, out from behind the long velvet drapes that line the front of the restaurant, pops Chef Keller himself – sort of like a culinary Wizard of Oz.  It was so cool to see him in Las Vegas and according to our server, he visits Mandalay Bay for at least one week each month.  Table to table he went, greeting diners and making small talk. Once he reached our table we couldn’t help but ask about his “Top Chef Masters’” experience (he enjoyed it immensely) and compliment him on the many dinners we’ve enjoyed throughout the years at his restaurants.  (For a “foodie” like me, meeting Chef Keller is like coming face-to-face with a rock star you’ve listened to for years!)

More reviews at urbanspoon.

More info:  Save money while dining at some of the best spots in Las Vegas! Save 80% Off w/every $25 Gift Cert. order. Use code PORTION. Pay $2 thru 8/13/09 at Restaurant.com.

Mandalay Bay Resort is a fabulous place to stay while in Las Vegas (have you seen the extensive pool area and “beachside casino?”) plus you can’t beat the great online rates right now.  Check out  Special Online Promotions at Mandalay Bay Las Vegas

Michael Mina's Nobhill at MGM Grand Las Vegas serves a stellar soup & sandwich nosh.

In this Part 2 of our “Top Las Vegas Chefs for Less” post, we show you how to save money on more great Las Vegas restaurants.  While we always plan for one extravagant gourmet meal — hello, Botero! — we actually enjoy our visits to casual Vegas restaurants just as much and these “name” chefs have made it easy for us to sample their culinary talents for a lot less dough.

Here are three more Vegas dining deals: (more…)

Creative gourmet sandwiches from "Top Chef" Tom Colicchio are on the menu at 'wichcraft at MGM Grand, Las Vegas.

Eating well in Las Vegas isn’t hard but eating well on a budget in Las Vegas?  That’s a little more tricky.

Let’s face it — we’re all watching our pennies and nickels and dimes (and, if we have any, dollars) these days and even if we are off on vacation, we still want the most bang for our buck — especially when it comes to dining. Did you know you can experience the cuisine of several of the best chefs in Las Vegas (actually in the country!) but for a lot less money? Sure, you can spend the big bucks at their “signature” restaurants, or, for a fraction of the cost, you can eat very well at their more casual Las Vegas eateries.

Here’s a sampling of some of the best Las Vegas restaurant values: (more…)

Enjoy a glass of the signature Sauvignon "B" while perusing the menu at Enoteca San Marco at The Venetian Las Vegas.

Any trip to Las Vegas wouldn’t be complete without me making a sojourn to one of the many celebrity chef outposts on The Strip.  On our last visit, I left P.B. at the Bally’s Sports Book and took a trip to The Venetian where I had a completely enjoyable solo lunch at Mario Batali’s Enoteca San Marco facing St. Mark’s Square.

It was a relatively quiet Sunday afternoon so I had my choice of tables.  With newspaper in hand, I selected a table on the patio and settled in for a long leisurely lunch.  Soon after I was seated, a group of performers from the resort’s “Phantom of the Opera” production took to a small stage set up on the Square and proceeded to entertain diners and visitors to the Grand Canal Shoppes alike.

My server arrived promptly to give me a run-down on the Chef’s specials including the daily pizza, pasta and salad choices.  After looking through the selections on the menu, I chose one of the day’s pasta specials – cavatappi with pork belly ragu along with a side of the Brussels sprouts salad.  While a hearty red would have gone with the pasta dish, I chose a glass of the signature white Sauvignon “B” which was, in my opinion, a little more conducive to lunch.  The quality of the wine plus the hefty eight-ounce pour made the $15 price tag seem a lot more reasonable. (more…)

Stylish dining at Botero Steak at Wynn Encore in Las Vegas.

A lot of special occasions are celebrated by going to Las Vegas.  Birthdays, anniversaries, bachelor and bachelorette parties, “the-divorce-was finalized-and-it’s-time-to-party”-party.  You name it; we celebrate it by taking a jaunt to the Nevada desert.  So on a recent trip to Las Vegas, when it was time to pick a restaurant for a birthday dinner for P.B., we chose the new Botero Steak restaurant at Wynn Encore.

Being huge fans of SW Steakhouse at Wynn Las Vegas, we were curious to see how the newest steak-centric Wynn restaurant would stack up.  It’s a real pleasure to report that this newest eatery is firing on all cylinders – and that’s just a few weeks after opening.

Botero – named for the South American painter, sculptor, and artist who is a favorite of Steve Wynn’s – is striking in its design and lay-out no doubt in part to nightlife impresario and Botero partner, Victor Drai.

(more…)

Sliced apples atop perfect puff pastry from Jean-Philippe at The Bellagio.

As much as I love the hustle and bustle of the Strip in Las Vegas, it’s kinda’ nice to also find a quiet spot and just kick back, relax and soak in the atmosphere.  If you’ve been reading this blog, you know of my fondness for all things sweet — be it a five-star dessert, a humble cookie or a morning pastry — so it will come as no surprise that this little respite from the action included a visit to Jean-Philippe Patisserie at The Bellagio.

While P.B. was enjoying breakfast and the newspaper back at our hotel’s all-day café, I took a walk over to Bellagio to see the latest transformation of the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, pick up a light breakfast and simply enjoy the morning. (more…)

Daniel Boulud at Wynn Las Vegas failed to impress this diner.

Our favorite food writer visits Daniel Boulud Brasserie at Wynn and comes away with a less-than-stellar impression.

Not even the crustiest critic goes out looking for a bad experience.  Au contraire! Hope springs eternal that each new restaurant just might be the one that delivers a great meal with adept service in a charming environment.

Naturally, the more high profile the eatery,   the more the diner is led to expect and if the name Daniel Boulud is not emblazoned in the culinary firmament, I don’t know what is.

Boulud’s Vegas home is at The Wynn, tucked downstairs with a view of the lagoon (they actually call it a lake) and its always-surprising conceptual sound and light show. The room is narrow, sinuously curved and with a palette of grays, coolly cozy. Cool might best describe the staff as well, at least until an issue arises. (more…)

Rick Moonen's RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay Las Vegas.

It may seem odd to go to the Nevada desert to indulge in your favorite seafood dishes but that is exactly what P.B. and I set out to do when we dined at RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay Resort And Casino. RM refers to Chef/Owner Rick Moonen, a former New Yorker who previously helmed the kitchens at two of our favorite NYC seafood restaurants – The Water Club and Oceana. Because we were familiar with his food, we were expecting excellent meals and weren’t disappointed.

Occupying a back corner of the casino, the two-story restaurant is near the Mandalay Bay theater. Upstairs is the high-end more formal restaurant complete with chef’s tasting menu, Hudson Valley foie gras and an assortment of caviars. Downstairs, where we ate, is a seafood joint that would be perfectly at home on any street corner in New York or San Francisco.

White leather banquettes, teak chairs and table tops — plus a few TV screens perched over the bar — let you know you’re in the “slang” portion of the restaurant. While the setting and menu may be more casual, the attention to food and service is most decidedly not. (more…)

Morels French Steakhouse at The Palazzo made our list of favorites.

Doing a “Best Restaurants in Las Vegas” list is sort of like doing the “Sexiest Man Alive” issue of People magazine.  We’ve probably missed a couple of hotties; you might think a few are past their prime; and we may even have you shaking your head in a “What-the-hell-were-they-thinking-picking-Zac-Efron?” kind of way but, hey, it’s our list and we’re sticking to it.  (At least until our next trip to Vegas later this month….)

And while you can go to innumerable websites and find scrolls and scrolls of Las Vegas restaurant listings, we’re going to give you a workable, two-page printable list of our favorite Las Vegas restaurants — mostly on the Strip — conveniently arranged into different categories.  We’ve even included the 36 links you need to check them out for hours, phone numbers and all the info you may need.  Also, be sure to check out the most up-to-date Las Vegas dining deals and restaurant coupons at our sister site, BestLasVegasValues.com.

Steakhouses:  SW Steakhouse at Wynn Las Vegas     BOA Steakhouse at the Forum Shoppes at Caesars Palace     CUT at The Shops at the Palazzo     Morels French Steakhouse at The Palazzo     Delmonico Steakhouse at The Venetian     Craftsteak at MGM Grand     Strip House at Planet Hollywood     N9NE at The Palms     Prime at The Bellagio     Charlie Palmer Steak at The Four Seasons Las Vegas

Seafood:  RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay (either upstairs or the more casual downstairs)     AquaKnox at the Venetian     Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn Las Vegas     Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House at MGM Grand     Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab at The Forum Shoppes at Caesars Palace     Michael Mina at The Bellagio     SeaBlue at the MGM Grand

Sushi:  Koi at Planet Hollywood     Social House at Treasure Island     Nobu at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino     Sushi Roku at The Forum Shoppes at Caesars Palace     Yellowtail Sushi Restaurant & Bar at The Bellagio     Shibuya at MGM Grand

Chef-Driven, Food-as-High-Art, Titanium Card Preferred Fine Dining: Alex at Wynn Las Vegas     Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace     Bouchon Bistro (Thomas Keller) at The Venetian      L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand     Picasso (Julian Serrano) at The Bellagio

Staff Favorites:  Olives at The Bellagio     Burger Bar at Mandalay Bay     Mon Ami Gabi at Paris     David Burke at The Venetian    Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace     Rosemary’s Restaurant (Off-Strip and completely worth the cab ride!)     The Grill at Valentino at The Venetian     Mix at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay