Delmonico's vs Craft - need advice/opinions

[Donkishness]

No mention of BOA in the Forum Shops at Ceasers? Good stuff.

[Kneel B4 Zod]

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craft. not close. we ordered the kobe platinum sampler among six of us and it was easily the best meal i ever had. no thinking necessary, they jsut bring you a ton of delicious food. but be prepared for a bill. with tip, $1900 between 6 of us (that was high end).

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did they actually serve Kobe beef?

also, geez that's a lot to pay for a steakhouse. was a lot of wine involved? if I was paying that much, I think the $350 12 course meal at Robuchon would be much better:


SAMPLE MENU DÉGUSTATION A $350

Le Pomme
cuillère de perles, de son jus rafraîchi d’un granité de vodka
Apple pearl, vodka granité

Le Caviar Osciètre
dans une délicate gelée recouverte d’une onctueuse crème de chou fleur
Oscetra caviar topped with a delicate gelée
and a smooth cauliflower cream

Le Foie Gras
en mille-feuille caramélisé d’anguille fumée aux saveurs orientales
Foie gras, mille-feuille of smoked eel with oriental flavors

Le Thon
en tartare, poivron rouge confit à la bergamot et au jambon séché
Tuna tartar, cold red bell pepper confit
with bergamote and dry cured ham

La Langoustine
truffée et cuite en ravioli à l’étuvée de chou vert
Truffled langoustine ravioli with steamed green cabbage

La Truffe
en tarte friande aux oignons et lard fumé
Truffle in a hot pastry, onions and smoked ham

Le Parmigiano Reggiano
avec un consommé végétal à la truffe noire
Parmesan and vegetable consommé with black truffle

Les Ecrevisses Pattes Rouges
en marinière aux petits légumes
Red leg crayfish in “marinière” with Parisian vegetables

L’Epinard
en duo de truffe et de tofu au coulis de persil simple et sa voilette
Mille feuille of spinach, truffles and tofu, parsley coulis

L’Ormeau
et l’artichaut poivrade dans un court bouillon au gingembre
Abalone, baby artichokes in a ginger bouillon

L’Amadai
cuit en écailles et servi sur une nage au yuriné
Amadai in a Lily bulb broth

Le Turbot
cuit sur l’arête dans son jus et en cocotte, fricassée de cèpe à l’ail nouveau
Roasted Brittany turbot “on the bone” with cepes and garlic

Le Veau
en côte au plat avec un jus gras et escorté de taglierinis de légumes au pistou
Sautéed veal chop with natural jus and vegetable
taglierinis flavored with pesto

L’Epeautre
du pays de Sault mitonné et doré à la feuille d’or
Sault wild oatmeal, gold leaf

Le Coing
en fine compote d’Amaretto, crème glacée au gingembre,
mousse de yogourt au Champagne
Quince compote Amaretto, ginger ice cream,
yogurt and Champagne mousse

Le Chocolat
chaud, gout café aux éclats de grué de cacao
Warm chocolate, coffee perfumed cocoa morsels

Le Café express
Espresso

[VegasNoob]

For an anniversary, no doubt, Delmonico's. My wife and I have been there several times, including dinner after our wedding (we got married on a gondola at the Venetian), and the atmosphere there will be great for an anniversary. When we did our wedding dinner there we got a tasting menu which was a lot of fun as it let's you try small portions of several dishes. They'll do the tasting with or without a wine pairing for each course, so you can go without if you don't want a lot of wine, but just let the waiter know your situation and ask if you can have a glass of red with the main course or however you want it. If you are going to order an entree off the menu though, then it begins and ends with the bone-in ribeye, do not pass go just order that puppy! By all means, call ahead and let them know you are celebrating a special event. I think the service there is always fantastic, but when I've been there for something special, they've really done it up.

By the way, I like Craft, but I think the atmosphere is totally wrong for an anniversary. It's loud, and it's easy to feel like you're sitting on top of the people next to you. Delmonico's is a much better setting for a romantic intimate dinner.

[VegasNoob]

Growler's, nice that you mentioned Rosemary's ... that is such a great place, but being far off the strip, I don't think it always get's the attention it deserves.

I totally agree with you about being underwhelmed by Nobu.

[growlers]

[ QUOTE ]

By the way, I like Craft, but I think the atmosphere is totally wrong for an anniversary. It's loud, and it's easy to feel like you're sitting on top of the people next to you. Delmonico's is a much better setting for a romantic intimate dinner.

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I can agree with you here to an extent. Craft is a little louder. I don't think either place is the quiet romantic type of place, though, where you are in your own little world in the corner. If you want that you are picking from the wrong two choices. Commander's palace for instance is much more romantic than both of them, that eiffel tower restaurant at Paris is supposed to be romantic as well. But the OP didn't want us to get off track and only gave two choices [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] I didn't find Delmonico's to be particularly romantic, but I'll agree it is quieter than craft.

As far as the guy whose bill was $1900, the platinum Kobe menu was ~$190 per person, as I said before I feel like the regular ribeye for two was just as good as the kobe and it was $78 (for two, remember).
Unless it is something you want to do for the hell of it, there is no reason to run the bill up with the kobe.

I'm sure OP will get a great meal either place. I really think their styles are totally different - my wife's lamb was encrusted with bacon and bread crumbs, was over goat cheese grits, and had a rosemary reduction sauce.
I haven't had the lamb at Craft, but I can guarantee ut will be a great cut of lamb simply prepared and served in a cast iron skillet in a reduction of its own juice from the cooking, with maybe a sprig of rosemary on top. Totally different styles.

[growlers]

[ QUOTE ]
Growler's, nice that you mentioned Rosemary's ... that is such a great place, but being far off the strip, I don't think it always get's the attention it deserves.

I totally agree with you about being underwhelmed by Nobu.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, the tasting menu there at Rosemary's is just incredible. They also will pair it up with beer selections for each course instead of wine [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

They put out a coupon in those "value paks" that come in the mail for $25 off, so we go every two months and use the coupon! I am a cheap bastard at heart....

I think, as someone pointed out, that Picasso should probably be my next pick. I don't have ANY desire to dress up though, I wear shorts everywhere, so as stupid as it sounds that's why I haven't been there or Prime or Le Cirque. We are a really casual couple.

Places we want to try still (none real formal):
Nob Hill
Boa (there is a 20% off locals deal they have now)
Wynn steakhouse
Aureole
Bouchon

After those above we have hit just about everywhere.
I truly think that Commander's palace is the most underrated place on the strip. And it is actually cheaper than alot of the places we have been discussing. We had our wedding dinner there when we eloped (before we moved here) and have been back several times, I've had most of the menu.
Most overrated for me is Mon Ami Gabi, but my wife really liked it (for some reason [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img])

edit: Oh god, how could I forget - the MOST overrated is Border Grill at Mandalay Bay - I have been dragged there 3 times and I would rather have gone to Del Taco- my food just sucked all three times.
And Sensei at Bellagio was really wierd - the lobster bisque and seafood risotto my wife got were so salty they were almost inedible - I got chicked makhani which was good - I have to conclude it was a bad day with the salt.

[VegasNoob]

Actually, one of the best places I've been in town for an intimate atmosphere is Nob Hill at MGM. They have a row of booths right opposite the bar that seem like your own private room when you're in there. I've never eaten in the main dining room there, just those booths, and I haven't been there in quite a while, so I don't know if the food there is still good (it was fantastic when I was there before).

But as you said, the response to OP was limited to two choices.

And I'm probably a little biased towards Delonico's for romance since we ate there after our wedding.

[VegasNoob]

I'm hungry now.

[JBB]

Delmonico's, not close.

The Caesar prepared table side is very solid, but was a little heavy on the lemon.

Order the mushrooms as a side, they were fantastic.

[GoblinMason (Craig)]

[ QUOTE ]
The Caesar prepared table side is very solid, but was a little heavy on the lemon.

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Yes, I had this too. Excellent, and I'm not much of a caesar fan.