Las Vegas may have started out as a desert gambling destination but over the decades, it has successfully turned into the capital of all things excess. Big casinos, bigger hotels, gigantic shopping malls, enormous shows and yes, a fantastic locale for foodies in search for the perfect delicacy.

Alright, first things first. Wolfgang Puck dominates the restaurant scene in Vegas. This Austrian born chef does not need an introduction. He became famous for his thin crusted pizzas at Spago and cooking for the Oscars.

I had been to his Chinese food restaurant, Chinois in Caesars Palace, but this was my first time at a Wolfgang Puck steak restaurant Cut, recently opened in Palazzo Hotel. The restaurant houses a mixture of cool colors mixed with cement, metals and glass. Entering the establishment, I felt like I was entering a sterile operation room, for cows in this case. Good gimmicks such as German pretzels served with 3 kinds of mustard. Start to look at the menu. Would like to order the True Japanese 100% Wagyu Beef from Saga Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan but I balk at the price in mid one hundreds for 6 oz. of meat. The waiter presses on "..but this animal is kept in a small enclosed area with a full time live-in Japanese girl wiping his hide with Japanese Sake." Impressed but not convinced, I order the 8 oz. of New York Sirloin American Wagyu / Angus “Kobe Style” Beef from Snake River Farms, Idaho costing in the $80 range. Oh, you want some steak sauce with it? That would be $2 for a small serving. So I ordered the House Made Steak Sauce, Wasabi-Yuzu Kosho Butter and the Argentinean Chimichurri. My friends ordered the same steak with additional toppings like Wild Field Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions and Bone Marrow. Yes, Bone Marrow! when the steak arrives, the bone marrow looks like white round pellets of butter. I tasted one. It melted in my mouth like soft, warm butter. I could feel my cholesterol level rising as I swallowed. I would have to eat 5 boxes of Cheerios to lower it back to pre-Vegas numbers.

The American Wagyu does not get Sake massages from Japanese girls, but it is tender and like butta' without the bone marrow topping. I don't much remember the side dishes, after sharing two bottles of Italian La Bottega red wine. Done with the steak, but still wondering what the Japanese Kobe tastes like. What do you know? Our waiter suggests trying the 2 oz. New York Sirloin Japanese Wagyu from Saga Prefecture for $20. Why not, bring it on. We split the 2 oz. into 4 morsels and tried the steak. Don't claim you have eaten the best steak in the world until you taste Japanese Kobe. When you first bite into it, your mouth becomes overwhelmed with the rush of fatty juices gushing out of the piece of meat. Your mind plays tricks on you. You feel like you should be chewing on a piece of rubbery fat, yet the meat is melting in your mouth. After eating 1/2 oz. of the Kobe steak I was ready to go to sleep right there and then. Cut is worth trying if you visit Vegas.

What do I remember about this place? Oh yes, David Burke incorporates eggs to most everything he cooks. Formerly with Smith and Wollensky, Burke is known as an innovator and an entrepreneur. The bread served with dinner is a brioche and is delivered in individual pans. While very impressive looking, it showed off Burke's artistic side. I ordered the Onion Soup which was cooked in rich, thick broth and served piping hot, just the way I like it, unlike the Mon Ami Gabi style in Reston. As a main course I ordered the Grilled Swordfish "Rossini" served with seared spinach, crispy potato cake, black truffle Madeira sauce and topped with foie gras. Fish was soft and tender, but the foie gras was too rich and tangy. Not a good match in my opinion. David Burke is an above average restaurant with attentive servers. Visit it for its novelty if you must and take a picture with the metal Humpty Dumpty sitting on the bench just outside the restaurant. Why? Don't know, but every tourist passing by does it.


Ah... SushiSamba a restaurant after my heart.

The truth is, accompanied by good friends anything would taste great. SushiSamba provides the enabling ingredients. Orange colored decorations puts you in a good mood. 8 millimeter film projected on the wall showing the tanga filled bums on the beaches of Brazil makes you wish you were in Rio. The menu promises to deliver the "essence of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cuisines." The large group I was with, lead by "Food Diva", ordered 2 very large servings of sashimi and sushi sampler plates. Awesome is the word what would describe the sampler plate. I have to also mention that SushiSamba makes great cocktails. You should try the generously served lemon Mojitos and Gin Tonics.

I don't know if Mario Batali is still on TV, but I used to watch his cooking show religiously. He now has 14 restaurants. He wears orange colored signature Crocs and they are proudly displayed at his restaurant Enoteca San Marco in the fake San Marco square inside the Venetian Hotel. We stopped here for lunch, and started our meal with the Arugula Salad served with a light lemon dressing and topped with shaved Parmesan cheese. Good, but a little dry. For our meal we had the Linguine con Le Cozze, pasta served with mussels, saffron and marjoram and it was good. But the Pennette alla Norma, very under cooked pasta served with tomato, eggplant and ricotta was less than average. The pasta in Italy tends to be served a little more al dente than the US but this dish was crunchy. If you are watching your salt intake, go home. Vegas is not for the fat or sodium challenged folks and Enoteca San Marco is not exception to that rule. We finished off with some coffee and sampled the biscotti platter while enjoying the street performers sing, juggle and entertain the awed tourists passing by in the "San Marco Square". While the biscotti was stale, the ambiance in the square really does take you away into a wonderful world of make believe.

Last and but not least, I sampled numerous Chinese dishes at Bellagio's Jasmine Restaurant. Decorated in the fashion of European Baroque, this restaurant is great for watching the now famous water show in front of Bellagio Hotel.

You get a front row seat to watch the water show against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower. With us was our good Chinese friend, an enthusiastic foodie. I ordered Hot and Sour soup and my Chinese foodie friend almost fell off his chair. Apparently this is not a soup that is found in mainland China. We ordered 5-6 dishes from and off the menu. Generally good tasting, but not worth the price of $75 per person, sans alcohol. The show outside may be worth visiting this restaurant with your husband or significant other. Remember what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. To this I can add, what you eat in Vegas, doesn't stay in Vegas. It is stored in your love handles and thighs for a life time.

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