Giada opens her first Vegas restaurant, which seems so cliché, but is a much bigger statement than you may realize. In the land of Mario Batali and Gordon Ramsay and the heavy hitters like Joël Robuchon and Nobu, she stands as…well you guessed it: The only woman. #metoo
But her menu is anything but. A fusion of classic Italian and easy Californian, her most photographed dish is the huge, juicy but oh so tasty BONE-IN Rib-Eye. And the BONE-IN is emphasized because…well… it’s emphasized! The bone measures around 18 inches, and the rib-eye, tastes as big as the bone. Tender, tasty, and dripping with a perfectly over-medium egg on top, the dish hits the spot for any carnivore who is tempted by the menu description.
But in the fairness of reviewing, one of my favorite aspects of Giada is getting a table or booth along the Western wall just before sunset. This way you have time to settle in, order a fine bottle of wine, order from the menu, and just as the food arrives, there it is… that Vegas sunset. In the summer, the sky lights up in a beautiful palette of subtle desert colors…and then Laurence arrives at your table with that gorgeous Rib-Eye, the Lemon Spaghetti for your date, your guests are settled with the Rigatoni and the Branzino… and all is right with the world. And then he brings that huge pepper grinder, and you realize you are somewhere special.
You feel the royalty of ancient Rome seeping in as your take a bite of your entree, and look up through the 20ft windows at Caesar’s Palace’s Nobu wing, standing majestic. If only ancient Rome ate this well. And then as you’re relaxed through mother nature’s light show, the sensual sounds of the live music begin seeping in as you realize you’ve never heard a cello play Rhianna. Interesting. Cool. Easy.
But now the fun begins. Desert time! If you’re digging the Italian theme, then how could you have anything other than a Chocolate Hazelnut Macaron with Raspberries. Time for champagne to wrap things up. Yeah, probably should have ordered to begin with, but Vegas, baby, Vegas!
And to wrap things up and savor the memories, step over to the live action photo booth to get an selfie in the original fashion.
