Sin City is home to a lot of restaurants and bars, but there are tons of hidden gems that the majority of Las Vegans aren't unearthing. To help guide us to these potential discoveries, we've enlisted some of our city's food players to share their recommendations for a weekly feature dubbed Dining Confidential. Know a chef who wants to share some top dining spots? The tipline is open.
Minnesota-born Chris Bennett left the cold confines to pursue several degrees, first in Chicago then at UNLV before getting involved with restaurants. Here in Las Vegas, Bennett has worked for Michael Mina, Wolfgang Puck and Tom Colicchio. He passed the certified sommelier exam s in 2010. Now Bennett works as the assistant general manager and sommelier at Vintner Grill. Here he talks about his favorite restaurants in Las Vegas.
Ichiza — This place is always packed no matter time of day or night. They have great sashimi and beef tataki, Plate presentations are always done well. After a few sakes, I like to be a bit more dangerous and try something new. Chicken gizzard has become a new favorite more recently!
N9NE Steakhouse — This is my wife's favorite restaurant and our special occasions spot. We've celebrated birthdays, Valentine's Day, etc here numerous times. While we don't go more than a few times a year, we've yet to have a less than great experience. The shellfish platter is remarkable and with your steak of choice, you have to accompany it with the truffle gnocchi and lobster mash potatoes!
CUT — Again, it's a spot that I go to not all that often, only when I'm in the area. One can't deny that the overall food, beverage, service and ambiance makes it one of the better restaurants in all of Las Vegas. This is a steakhouse, but they do everything well. If you don't want steak, they have loup de mer, Dover sole, poussin, etc. If you're looking to do apps only at the bar, you have to try either the pork belly or the bone marrow flan. Great wine list and great scotches and specialty cocktails!
· All Coverage of Vintner Grill [~ELV~]
· All Dining Confidentials [~ELV~]
