My wife and I dine out often. We have a regular set of restaurants that we frequent. This is a list of them with what we like most about them.
Some of these restaurants are not for everyone. We enjoy going to restaurants with a classic feel, which is reflected in the list.
Hugo’s Cellar
Hugo’s Cellar is our favorite restaurant in Las Vegas. It is at Four Queens. It is a great place to get an old school Las Vegas experience. The service here is consistently the best we’ve had anywhere. The entrance is down a set of stairs. The entry is a lounge with a few seats at the bar.
All women are presented with a rose when seated. It is a nice touch of class.
We start with the crab cakes. My wife sticks to the filet. It’s perfect every time. I skip around the menu, but I often get the seafood trio or one of those items by itself.
The meal has several extras most restaurants in this price point do not. This includes a side.
The meal starts with a salad cart. There are more than 20 items on it. It is prepared at the table. I get everything except anchovies. My wife does not eat salads. She does not eat any of the ingredients on the salad cart, so she skips it, which is apparently quite rare.
Sorbet is served after the salad to cleanse the palate. Typical flavors are raspberry and lemon.
After the meal, a variety of chocolate-covered fruit is served. It consists of strawberries, apricots and dates. There is a separate dessert menu. However, we always skip it.
You should plan ahead if you want to try Hugo’s Cellar. You may need to book days in advance for a weekend night. You may get lucky on a weeknight waiting until the last minute after 8pm.
Other Mama
Other Mama is on Durango Drive just south of Spring Mountain Road. It is a seafood restaurant with an Asian influence. There is a daily menu and a chalkboard with oysters, sushi and daily specials. It’s hard to say what our favorite menu items are here as the menu changes daily.
There is a creative cocktail menu there. I get the Svetlana, which is a horseradish vodka drink. My wife gets an amaretto sour with egg whites in it.
There is a happy hour menu from 5pm to 6pm. There are $1 oysters
Salvatore’s
Salvatore’s is our local favorite. It is at Suncoast. Salvatore’s may not be for everyone, but it is perfect for Suncoast. There is a pianist there nightly. A singer joins him a few days a week. The music is generally oldies. I usually get the daily fresh fish. My wife sticks to standard pasta dishes like cheese or seafood ravioli and gnocchi. It is consistently good.
Salvatore’s does not generally have a wait so it is a good place to go on a weekend if eating out is a last-second decision. It’s closed on Mondays.
Via Brasil
Via Brasil is one of our splurges. It is a Brazilian steakhouse. It is all-you-can-eat with more than 20 meat selections served tableside. It’s $51 for all of them. There is a smaller selection for $43. In addition to the meats, there is a large salad bar with several hot items. Via Brasil is on the southwest corner of Charleston Blvd and Fort Apache Rd.
My wife’s favorite meat is the picanha, which is the house sirloin. I like the strip and shrimp.
Via Brasil offers a weekend brunch. The menu is limited for it. The salad bar is offered with some additional breakfast items. The price for this is $26 though signing up for their mailing list will get consistent $6 discounts for brunch.
Egg Works
Egg Works is our typical breakfast spot. It’s a consistent level of food for a fair price. The breakfast menu is creative. It also has several lunch items such as sandwiches and Cincinnati chili.
Bambino’s East Coast Pizzeria
Bambino’s is a small pizza and pasta joint on Durango just south of Sahara. It has good pizza, especially for Las Vegas. The lunch menu starts at $5.50 for two slices. There are several $7 and $8 pasta and sandwich items on the lunch menu. All come with a drink.
The dinner menu offers a half-size option, which is comparable to lunch portions. That should be enough food for most people. The dinner size almost guarantees leftovers.
