Las Vegas: Smith & Wollensky – Restaurant Week

We hit Las Vegas just in time for the annual Restaurant Week during which, you’ll get prix fixe menus at a very affordbale price at a number of the city’s restaurants.  Smith & Wollensky is known for great, but pricey, steaks, so when we spotted Smith & Wollensky among the participating restaurants, we didn’t think twice before booking a table.

From the pictures I could find on the internet, Smith & Wollensky looked more like a place I would bring my parents than a chic restaurant for a girls night out, but while the restaurant might not be a hipster hangout, the food was truly amazing.

The first pleasant encounter was the bread. It was freshly baked, warm and incredibly tasty, so we ate it all before our starters, burrata with tomato and fresh basil, arrived. The servings were generous, and the burrata was delicious, but then again, it takes a lot to mess up such great ingredients.

Then came our filet mignon. It was without a doubt the best piece of meat we had on this trip, full of flavor and perfectly cooked. The deadly dagger, we had been given for the carving, was entirely superfluous, as the meat was so tender, we could have eaten it with a spoon.

The sauce was included in the price (which is not common at U.S. steakhouses), and you could choose from several different kinds. I took the hollandaise and AC went for the béarnaise, and both sauces were thick and creamy and perfect along with the steak.

When the chocolate cake were brought in, we were already full, and since it looked like one of those overly sweet ones, you can by in grocery stores, we actually intended just to skip it. But then we had a bite…and another one…It was so tasty, we couldn’t stop eating!

It was the same knowledgeable waiter, who served all three courses and poured the wine. He wasn’t afraid of providing us with his own opinion regarding choice of sides and wine considerations, and he had that exceptional ability to be around exactly, when we needed him and otherwise just melt in with the background. I really regret that I did not bring my camera as the bad iPhone photos does not really do all that great food any justice, but I hope you believe me, when I say that this was a truly outstanding dining experience.

• Smith & Wollensky is located on The Strip next to MGM, so if your plans for the evening includes Hakkasan clubbing, Smith & Wollensky is a great place to start the night.

• Smith &  Wollensky is a chain of steak restaurants. The first restaurant opened in New York in 1977, and the New York branch of Smith & Wollensky is featured in The Devil Wears Prada. It’s the restaurant where Andy gets Miranda’s lunch steak. I am a big fan of the NYC restaurants and you can read my blog post about the Porterhouse Steak at Smith & Wollensky in New York here.

My guide to the best restaurants in Las Vegas

Smith & Wollensky, 3377 South Las Vegas Boulevard The Grand Canal Shoppes, Las Vegas