As you walk through the Botanical Gardens at Bellagio there is no need to look to closely because if you’re lucky you can enjoy your dinner and get a great view of the gardens while having a glass of red wine inside Michael Mina.

The Michael Mina Bellagio is a luxurious, contemporary dining room bathed creamy neutral tones and golden light.

The menu here is in the care of a talented group of chefs trained and transported from San Francisco, who create innovate seafood dishes with California ingredients. The menu is extensive and offers la carte selections in addition to a pair of five-course tasting menus, one vegetarian and one seasonal.

Classic dishes include savory black mussel soufflé with saffron and Chardonnay cream and Maine lobster pot pie. The wine list focuses on American producers and contains some gems from small vineyards.

Large bright spaces and a roomy dining room make this place a pleasure to dine at. The restaurant is a bit loud but that gives it a certain atmosphere that lends itself to whispering into your dates’ ear.

A substantial number of online food lovers, as well as many Las Vegas locals I know, credit Bellagio with offering the best buffet in town. It costs $20 at lunch, and the crowds can vary from teeming to nonexistent to teeming again in a matter of minutes. If the line swerves round the corner, don’t sweat. It moves quickly.

It is, as buffets go, classy. Among the many choices: a composed salad station offering a decent niçoise; kurobuta pork shoulder braised in apple cider with apple compote; dry-rubbed, St. Louis-style ribs; pizzas that emerge constantly fresh from the oven; curried duck breast (the most polished dish I sampled); sushi rolls; turkey with stuffing; and soft-serve ice cream.

Roving servers are sweet souls who won’t prod you to rush. I spied folks who looked like they’d been lingering for quite some time.

A remodeling of the buffet’s Parisian café setting, street lamps and all, will soon occur. No word yet on what the new look might be, though the hotel will be installing a new station offering – wait for it – flambéed dishes. Yeehaw!

Bellagio
3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South
702-693-8111
www.bellagio.com/restaurants

Thomas Keller is a world famous chef. At the age of  52-years old, the French-American chef has won countless awards. His restaurants have been top ranked in Michelin stars including the highest three stars for the  French Laundry in Napa Valley, California, and the gourmet New York eatery Per Se.

Keller participated in an interview with Reuters. He spoke about his cooking philosophy, favorite dishes and the most difficult thing about being a chef.

When asked what was his cooking motto, Keller replied, “One of our overriding philosophies is the law of diminishing returns, which is: the more you have of something the less you like it. We establish our compositions based on the view that when you are finished with a dish, you wished you had one more bite. That way you have reached the highest flavor for that dish and it becomes memorable.”  Full article

Your favorite high-end restaurant has perfect ambiance, impeccable service, and the the food is to die for. The problem is you can never get in to some of the best restaurants because they’re almost always booked well in advance.

In Napa CA.,  the French Laundry restaurant is booked sometimes two months in advance, making it frustrating for anyone dying to eat there. It just received two stars from the Michelin Guide, so those reservations will be even harder to come by.  The trick is to keep calling and get on their email wait list hoping for a cancellation notice.

The French Laundry, isn’t alone.  Take a look at ten top restaurants where finally getting a reservation can feel like a gift from above. Full article

Ever got sticker shock looking at an upscale restaurant’s menu? How about shelling out $150 just for a last-minute cancellation of a dinner reservation?  You will at “Masa”, the sushi temple in Manhatten – New York.

Although eating out in New York is expensive, it palls compared to other cities around the world.  London tops the list with an averga edinner check of $79, according to the 2008 Zagat survey.  Paris is second at $74 and Tokyo third at $70. New York patrons only average $39.  Full article