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Holy crap.
I went to B & B for a work dinner. I did the whole antipasti, primi, secondi and we got sides and desert. And I did not want to go here, I am not a fan of Batali's food. Well I have changed my ways.
Pretty good bourbon list, which is nearly impossible to find anything other than Woodford or Makers in this town.
Caprese type salad - Best Salad I have ever eaten.
Black Spaghetti - Spicy tasty nonsense. At this point I am full.
Pork Chop - Ridiculous melty treat. I was already full after the spaghetti, I still somehow managed to eat almost all of the pork chop. I still am baffled by how I ate past the spaghetti.
Since I was with my work buddies I also got to try all of their food as well. The lamb chop, the ravioli, the gnocchi all were bonkers. Me and my work people constantly eat out for work, we have been everywhere in this city. All of us agree this is one of the best meals any of us have ever had.
I am going back at the end of the month for work and cannot wait. Shizz should be illegal its that tasty.
Everything was amazing. If your on the fence about going to some place vs. B&B, go to B&B. Ridiculous.
Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich team together to provide a high end Italian restaurant on the Las Vegas strip that is surprisingly unremarkable and can be missed by all but the true devotees of the Batali empire.
I opted for the pre-theater prix fixe menu which includes an amuse bouche, choice of appetizer, entree, dessert, and cafe americano for a reasonable $49.
Amuse bouche: Bruschetta topped with herbed garbanzo beans. A little large for an amuse bouche requiring three bites and follow up by fork for beans that ran astray. It was functional but not particularly creative.
Appetizer: I opted for the plate of salumi which included mortadella, lonza (stagionata), salami, pickled ramps, and olives. The ramps were really delicious, and the olives were of great quality. I liked the salami and its inherent spiciness. The lonza could have been better. Why not use San Daniele prosciutto instead? The mortadella was surprisingly bland and nothing at all like what I had in Bologna. Overall this dish was good, but I certainly have had better.
Entree: I selected the brasato al barolo with horseradish gremolata. This was a very good dish, but it could have been great. While braised the brasato was actually a touch dry, and there was no hint of the underlying Barolo whatsoever. Perhaps more liberal use of the wine in the preparation and a longer cooking time could have made this divine. The bed of polenta, and the accompanying salad were especially good. I only wish their portion sizes were larger relative to the very large brasato. And while the horseradish was freshly shaved before me, I failed to really pick up the taste of it in the dish, strangely. My glass of Monica wine paired very well with this dish.
Dessert: I chose two gelati, the peppermint and the ricotta cheese. The infusion of peppermint worked very well, and I rather enjoyed this selection. The ricotta was decent too. This gelato falls considerably short of what can be found in Italy, but for the U.S., it is decent.
Mignardises: a tiny biscotti, and two slightly larger candies. A thrifty selection compared to other Batali establishments, but, again, functional.
Overall at this price point, I was expecting haute cuisine. Instead, I found good Italian food at inflated prices. The ambience was atypically boring as well. At Lupa, Babbo, and even Otto in NY there is a hip vibe, an animated scene, and the restaurants are interesting to be in. Not here. This was a cookie cutter formal dining room with no flare at all. Presentable, yet soulless like the food.
3 stars
Bar - we had a good time. The bartender was a lot of fun and very helpful in making recommendations
Dinner - food was quite good. Tried a few appetizers - a special with heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, beef cheek raviolis... their bread is delicious
Service - Hmmm.... I ask for the pesto sauce with plain noodles. I think this is a simple request. You got pesto. You got noodles. No problem, right? Nope. Server tells me "we can't do that". I'm baffled. No even a "let me ask the chef". Iget that some chefs are particular about their food, but at LEAST act like you want to try and accomodate my preferences especially considering that you serve both items, just not in the same dish. I get a little frustrated. They bring me out something to try (nothing like what I had asked for) but it was truly delicious. Porbably some of the best pasta that I have ever had. But I just couldn't seem to get past their unwillingness to accomodate a simple request.
It's worth a try if you are a pasta / Italian lover. I guess I'm just high maintanence. :)
Two years later we have made our way back to B&B, still delicious, kick back professional service & the pasta, oh the pasta.
Amuse, same old, chickpeas, EVOO on a crostini. The bread went up a notch, more crusty, maybe too crusty, but better.
The wine, ORDER wine by the glass, the servers pour about 12 ounces into a decanter for the same price as a glass at a fancy restaurant: $26.
Appetizers:
*Crisy Rabbit Leg, delicious bitter greens and a wonderfully tender leg.
*Field Greens, a nice tangy vinaigrette.
Pastas:
*Mint Love Letters and Beef Cheeks hit it out of the park again.
*Black Linguine and Njuda, 45% cayenne pepper spreadable salami. Heaven!!!
Entree:
*Quail w/Sweet Corn & roasted Apricots. So savory and delectable.
Now there are little dessert freebies too, small cookies and gelees. Ok.
Love this place and always overlooked b/c of the lack of ambiance, hence the 1000 OpenTable Dining points.
The service was outstanding: the hostess seated us and then noticed we were uncomfortable in the… Read more »
I think it's not bad but it's a Batali place so I expected more. The menu seemed similar to Babbo in NYC (which requires very advanced reservation) so I was excited to try B&B and was able to make the reservation the day of.
The amuse with chickpeas was nice but nothing special.
We started with the special of the day app, which were the fried squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta cheese. I usually don't see this on most restaurant menus so I was excited that this item was on the special menu. They light and I loved the sauce they were on. I think it was around $18 or so for 4 blossoms. Ouch.
We went with the seafood theme so we both ordered the lobster pasta. I was not impressed. The sauce was just ok, it didn't taste very fresh to me. There are several Italian places in NYC that I think would make a better version.
For the main, we shared the grilled branzino. It's simply grilled fish, nothing special. What really shined and was memorable was the herb salad that accompanied the fish. Unfortunately, there was only about a tablespoon of it.
Perhaps they're better with meat items but considering that we paid about $200 (without wine, and 1 dessert) for 2, I expected more. If the price was lower then I would have given 3 starts but the price doesn't justify the quality.
Perhaps they're catering to tourists and not local repeat customers which explains the quality but I guess I'll have to make that reservation at Babbo to find out.
Overall, the experience was utterly mediocre for the price.
Mario Batalli's restaurant was really very good. When we got home, I bought the cookbook (I recommend making the oxtail ragu with gnocchi...yummy!).
To start, my husband and I enjoyed the warm lamb's tongue salad and beef cheek ravioli. Both were delicious. The main course was equally good, the food is extremely rich and filling but the flavors are vibrant and it is hard to stop eating!
I wasn't too impressed with B&B.
The portions are very small for the price you pay, except for the rib eye for two ... that's actually a lot of food.
Octopus was okay, but it was very charred - to the point where it was crispy. I'm not sure if it was supposed to be that way.
People are commenting that the gnocchi was too salty, but I tried some of it and I thought it was great.
I thought the mint love letters were good, too ... but unless you're like me and you love mint, you probably won't like them.
Our steak tagliata was given to us very rare and it took forever to chew it. We ordered it medium rare, but it was bright red and cool in the center. I was unimpressed with this steak.
I wouldn't come here again. There's so many more places in Vegas that I would rather eat at than here.
PS The staff is pretty pretentious as well. Be prepared.
We were impressed with the meal, the service and pretty much the entire experience. It was my birthday dinner so we were looking for something special and I think that we got it.
First of all, I have to say the the service was impeccable! Our server Jay knew the menu inside out and was patient in answering our questions about the "not so everyday" menu. We ordered a beautiful bottle of wine with the help of the sommelier. We tried the lamb tongue and it was so good, I can say that now I am a fan. I had the lamb chops which were so good, and a very hefty portion. I like to eat and was sad that I couldn't finish it all. My boyfriend had the the oxtail gnocchi, which I have to say I wish I had ordered because they were amazing!!
Wow. That was a memorable birthday dinner even though I was hoping to see Mario Batali!!
To me, the best part of Vegas is the dining. There are hundreds of amazing opportunities, so when you + your buddies fork over $50/person, and it just ain't too good, it feels like you just spent your Christmas vacay with the flu.
This is the place for you if you like oversalted small portions of pasta for $25 a plate.
Want to wait 45 minutes for food when the place is half empty?
How about a waiter that looks down her nose because there's a kid in your party?
We all ended up gnawing on the same rack of lamb because the rest of our entrees were so small and lacking. But the lamb was excellent! If you a forced to dine here, order the lamb or ask which is the largest portion on the menu.
So this was my birthday dinner, and I was so ecstatic to dine here for my lovely getting closer to 30 birthday. The service was not bad at all, but I thought the progression of my food was taking forever. I have done prefixe before so I know how long it's suppose to take to enjoy the food, and I didn't expect to be full off the secondi course. Anways, I didn't do prefixe but did my own type of prefixe with a twist of Nina :) I ordered in the style of a prefixe but chose the food I wanted. appetizer of calamari was a bit salty, and for a person like myself that loves salt; I felt like it was a tad bit salty..eekkkk as for the lobster and the fish I thought were decent. Not out of this world good,, and not worth the price good. As for the last course LAMB CHOPS!! it was pretty delicious, but it wasn't mind blowing like I would have loved it to be :( (if it were at the keg it would have blown my socks off but not at mario batali's restaurant ) all in all I wished I had gone to aureole or guy savoy like I intended, but the reservations that accommodated my party didn't accommodate my time :( whatever, over and done with....
NOT RECOMMENDED FOR FOODIES, AND GREAT FOR TOURISTS!
The best Octopus I have ever had! The Grilled Octopus with 'Borlotti Marinati' and Spicy Limoncello Vinaigrette was unbelievable! If I only came to eat just that, then my trip to this restaurant would be fulfilled. I typically never eat octopus, unless someone else orders for me or to be shared in a group. My wife and I were influenced by our waiter who highly recommended this appetizer. However a warning, that this octopus is not your typical rubbery texture, if that is what you are expecting do not order this fine, exquisite dish of enjoyment.
Gnocchi with Braised Oxtail was fantastic and was reminiscent of the flavors we experienced in Sienna Italy. If you have had oxtail before I would highly recommend this dish. If you have never had oxtail, then step out of your comfort zone and try this dish. Oxtail is dish that I would typically only order in Italy, however this homemade gnocchi with perfectly chunks of shredded braised oxtail encased with a strong pungent flavored sauce. The gnocchi was obviously homemade and perfectly prepared.
Wild Alaskan King Salmon with Agretti and Almonds was way too salty for my tastes, however it was not over cooked.
My FAVS:
1. Grilled Octopus with 'Borlotti Marinati' and Spicy Limoncello Vinaigrette - a must order! Pic: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
this dish is served at other Mario Batali restaurants - Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles CA & Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca in New York NY.
2. Gnocchi with Braised Oxtail - I would order this anytime!
3. Dessert: Chocolate Strawberry Torta with Strawberry Sorbetto - great for chocolate lovers. The Bônet with Lavender Flowers I heard is terrific.
4. Cappuccino - was so terrific, I had to order 2. It was hard to find a decent cap in Vegas.
Service was excellent, we asked to be re-seated in another area and it was not problem. I recommend a cozy booth/table. We sat next to a wonderful group of people that turned out were from a neighboring town back home. They enjoyed the Bônet with Lavender Flowers - dessert.
Recommendations: If you love wine, get a reservation and have them decant your favorite wine ahead of time. A wonderful selection of Brunello De Montalcino, obviously any from 97 "year of the gods", or a 99, or 01. On a budget, order the Morellino di Scansano, Perazzi La Mozza 2006 Toscana which I think is from one of Mario's vineyard in Tuscany.
$$$ to $$$$
If you are ordering wine and dessert, it is more so $$$$.
Its Mario Batali's restaurant so I figured I should try it. I was disappointed in their service. The waiter was unfriendly and I felt rushed to order quickly...and alot. I ordered a few items and he just kept saying...how about this or that. I felt a bit pressured. I tried the short rib, butternut squash ravioli, and lamb tongue. they were just okay. Would I go back there? probably not.
The main problem here, is that when I drop major coin on a dinner like this, I want to be 100% satisfied. And despite the crocs on the executive chef's feet, I can't say that I was.
The two big misses for me on this dining experience were the fried vegetable appetizer, which seemed to be a tempura of whatever leftover cauliflower and celery they had in the kitchen, and believe it or not the tables. Whoever chose these tables for the restaurant should get a crock to the butt, because I don't think I've ever felt further apart from someone I was dining with since the time my friends and I had to sit at different tables at a McDonald's.
But these complaints aside, B&B delivered where it counted most, making up for a lackluster app, and canyon sized tables. First, they brought out a complimentary chick pea bruschetta that was oily, and awesome. And when the entrees hit, I was in food heaven. My steak was cooked perfectly, and seasoned just right. And the sweet potato ravioli was a mini revelation in creative dining.
The wine selection was really impressive, and the bottle we settled on was really good. But if I was gonna nit pick some more, I would have to say that at a restaurant like this, it shouldn't matter that I picked the cheapest bottle on the menu - it should have a cork, not a twist off cap. No class.
The entrees and the free starter were godly, but a few glaring problems just won't let me justify anything over than a three star rating. There's a lot of fine dining at The Venetian, and you may be better off exploring somewhere else.
we did a tasting here which started off with a bang: Black Spaghetti with 'Nduja and Sicilian Pesto... and unfortunately left my taste buds craving more but the remaining dishes weren't as impressive.
wine pairing was well in 2 of the 5-6 courses.
service was good. we only ate their because they had the earliest opening and we were starving.
Great atmosphere!
Great service!
Delicious food!!!
By far the best meal I had while in Las Vegas!
Perfect from the appetizer to desert!
I ate here with two friends, we each ordered an appetizer a first course and a second course. We decided against wine and went with some very delicious mineral water. Overall the service was excellent, we let them know we only had 2 hours to eat and they got us out right on time. In addition our water glasses never ran out & they folded our napkins every time someone went to the bathroom etc. The server was extremely helpful when we were trying to decide between ordering a la carte and the tasting menu.
We decided on the below:
Starters:
Grilled Octopus (amazing, slightly over salty for me)
Grilled Porcini Mushroom w/ Spicy roasted corn (A must order, a fantastic combo perfectly cooked and seasoned)
Lambs tongue w/ chanterelles (earthy and delicious)
First course
Beef cheek and mushroom ravioli (hearty, very intense meat flavor, not my favorite of the dishes although still quite good)
Spaghettini aka Spaghetti w/lobster (slightly spicy, very light and fresh tasting, pasta perfectly al dente, lobster also perfectly cooked. Not exactly the most inventive dish but absolutely perfectly executed)
Oxtail Gnocchi (another very hearty dish, very meaty, well executed, but not my favorite as it was a little too rich for my taste)
Second course
Steak with spicy greens (forget the cut, my friend really made us look like amateurs when he ordered it, he kept on saying to the waiter to make it charred, the waiter offered to have it extra well cooked, but then my friend said to make it medium but extra charred on the outside and waiter rightfully had some questionable look on his face. The steak came med to med rare, it was quite good, I really prefer mine more rare so hard to say more. Also was a very large portion.)
Duck (came as med rare roasted breast over a stewed leg, huge portion, especially for the price ($32), very good but wasn't blown away either)
Veal Chop (EXCELLENT, you must order this entree. I don't have enough great words to describe it. We got it med-rare, it was perfectly cooked and came with some sort of creamy herby sauce stuff. It was the best meat I've ever had. By a huge margin. It's also a large portion of meat (approx 10-14 oz I'm guessing) served on the bone. Again, just in case I didn't make the point clearly enough before, if you are in Las Vegas, and you eat meat, you must at least come here and order this dish.)
Dessert:
We had a berry Napoleon something, it was the berriest thing I've ever had. Served with some cold lemon ricotta, I highly recommend this dessert.
Also, a vanilla flan like dessert with some caramel sauce. It was good but cannot compare to the berry dessert.
Cappuccinos here are excellent.
Just a note on the table size, I did not find it too large, but we did order a good portion of food and I was not trying to play footsie under the table.
I would have given it four stars if we had not gotten the veal and the berry dessert.
I think another reviewer hit the nail on the head when they said you have high expectations when eating at Mario Batali's restaurant, and this place just does not deliver. Although it looks classy and the wait staff are professional and friendly just this side of reserved, the food is just not that good. We ordered the pasta sampler which was $99 per person and expected to be amazed. Sadly, we were so underwhelmed that we barely made it through three courses. The staff were very gracious and let us order something else, but when you are charging $99 for pasta, it had better deliver. Instead, it was pretty bland and one course tasted like someone had popped open a can of Dinty Moore beef stew and mixed it with a too al dente pasta. Soooo disappointed, and cannot recommend this place. Walk down the block to Caesar's Palace and go to Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill.
We had the pasta tasting menu, which overall was disappointing. The first two dishes were really good including a black pasta with a touch of jalapeno. The next three courses were all downhill though, culminating in a pate stuffed ravioli that reeked of vinegar. The wine pairings were strange and didn't add anything to the dishes.
Price: Pre-Theater Special
Atmosphere: Clubby, Old Fashioned
Service: Ice Cold
Food: Above Average
3 ppl, early business dinner 5:30pm. They had a pre theater special that can only be used if all people at the table order it, $49.95 3 course Appetizer, main course and dessert. This is a good deal considering your in Vegas and everything is overpriced.
Veggie Frito Misto was excellent, Boneless Beef Short Rib was near perfect and plenty, Dessert was excellent.
I wish Mario would not use fancy Italian phrases to title each dish while I appreciate the novelty it makes it difficult to understand and the waiters see this as a reason to go all high brow on you. Your a waiter take it easy.
meh, I've had better food in NY. I've had better Mario Battali in NY. I think you could find somewhere better (with better prices) in the Venetian or at another hotel on the strip.
The service was very good though, can I put 5 stars for them!?
September 2009 was my second time dining at B&B and it didn't dissapoint. We had the regional tasting menu of pasta and as the waiter said- "it will be a journey" she wasn't joking! We got there at 8pm and didn't leave until 11:30. We decided to do the wine pairings and that is the way to go. Every course was thought through and using local ingredients. At several points during our dining journey the staff commented on where the tomatoes were from, the process for making the pasta, who makes it and why dishes were paired with that particular wine. Just thinking about it- wants me to schedule another trip to dine at B&B. We heard that truffles will be coming out soon- maybe, just maybe- that will be my reason to go! The service is impeccable and everyone is paying attention to what you need- from the bus staff to the wait staff. I love dining at this restaurant and is a must every time I am in Vegas. Then you can go and dance it off later!! Love Batali!!!
Went here on a Thursday evening for a 2 1/2 hour dinner, not rushed at all. Ordered a very nice super Tuscan wine which was fantastic. Started with the cured meat plate, a mozzarella and ramp appetizer, and a calamari and seppi fritti. Shared a couple of pasta dishes between the 4 of us for a secondi, one was the mint love letters and the other was lamb ravioli. Everyone liked these a lot. My wife had the whole fish which she loved, her friend had the rabbit, I split the rib eye for 2 with the other guest. Ordered a killer Brunello Di Montelcino which took about 45 minutes to open up and finally reveal the true character of this very nice wine.
Deserts were shared and were very good. The waiter we had, Marco, was very attentive, the sommelier was very knowledgeable and helpful.
I was so impressed with my whole meal. I felt so happy to be eating at this fine dining establishment. I was with my sister and 2 other Sisters enjoying Las Vegas. We ordered from head to toe. Our wine was amazing, our appetizers were delicious and my lamb was to die for. I ate every bite and enjoyed every full pain it gave me. I ordered the lamb to the chef's liking and everything was incredible. I would eat here again if I ever go back to Vegas....
Since I live in California, I frequent Las Vegas up to five times a year mainly for work. Since we usually stay at the Venetian due to the Sands Expo, I make it a point to visit B&B every time. I always pick something different from their menu and have never been disappointed. The food and quality is excellent and you can never go wrong. They're wine selection is just as perfect as the food.
Out of all the restuarants owned by celebrity chefs that I have beeen to, Mario Batali's B&B is by far the best!
Love Batali's food. Been eating the stuff since we were kiddies.
Well, not really. But we've eaten at most of his restaurants in NY and were excited to discover his new establishment in Vegas. Anticipation was cranked up another notch when we learned that B&B was modeled after Babbo, Mario Batali's NY temple of pasta worship.
If wifey and I could impart a single nugget of wisdom to others in this world, it would simply be this:
"When dining at a Batali restaurant, don't fuck around with anything other than pasta."
Sure, you're gonna want to try that roast beast, or the foo-foo salad.
Screw it.
Order the goddamn pasta,
strap yourself in,
and prepare for your life to change.
The pasta tasting menu really should be the only damn thing on their menu. People should be shot for trying to order anything else.
5 courses of pasta perfection, in a whirlwind of flavors and textures. From the pungent gorgonzola nudi, to the creamy and decadent goose liver ravioli, it's an experience like no other.
4-stars because the pasta tasting menu at B&B is $30 more than than the same menu in NYC for no good reason at all.
Didn't think I'd catch that, eh Batali!!??!
If your food weren't so damn good, I'd have to bitch-slap that Italian face of yours for price gouging me like that, pisano!
We had a late night dinner here and the food was fabulous. There were four of us and we ordered a bunch of dishes and just shared. We started with the garbanzo bruschetta and duck egg salad. Both were excellent.
Next we had the goat cheese ravioli and sweet potato lune which were recommendations made by the hostess. These two pastas were my absolute favorite of the night. The filling was delicious and nothing beats homemade pasta. Then we had the king salmon and lambchops. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the lamb chops were so tasty. For dessert we had grapefruit sorbet. It was a nice finish to an excellent meal. I would recommend any of these dishes to anyone who tries this restaurant. Also we had a bottle of wine which we probably could've done without.
The service was excellent, they were very attentive. The ambience is nice, a little dark, more for an intimate dinner I suppose.
Yes it is a little pricey...but really you won't get food this good in an olive garden or maggianos. You get what you pay for....excellent food and excellent service.
Craving Italian for weeks I visited Mario Batali's B&B Restorante. A friend had eater there weeks ago and recommended I give it a try.
Per usual for me, I order the tasting menu. The pasta tasting menu, as B&B has two tastings. I'd hope to detail each course for Yelp member but visiting B&B a few course have changed, and the tasting included a lot of ingredients, in particular proteins, I hadn't eaten before. However, I can tell you that the complimentary bread given to each and every table is terrible (burnt purposefully), the goose liver ravioli with balsamic vinegar and brown butter was very good and the 6th and 7th courses, the two desert courses, left much to be desired.
The casual but elegant dining and service were very much to my liking, including the Queen music playing at B&B's adjacent bar. And, the service was exceptional, as I had expected it to be.
Unfortunately for me, my meal didn't hit the spot, but it's not the fault of the restaurant. When I thought Italian I mistakenly thought homestyle, I thought rustic. However, for refined Italian the B&B Restorante delivers. I'd go back.
I don't know why the ratings for this place are not that great, but I loved it!!! I love Mario Batali, and I so I was very excited to eat here. I liked everything that was served to us. When we arrived, the hostess was very nice and the place was not crowded at all. Our server was also very nice, knowledgeable, and attentive.
We started our meal with the cured meat plate and the fresh, homemade mozzarella appetizer served with toasted baguette slices and ramps. That fresh mozzarella appetizer was absolutely amazing!!! We then moved on to our pasta courses, where we shared both the Spaghettini with Spicy Budding Chives, Sweet Garlic and One-Pound Lobster and the Beef Cheek Ravioli with Black Truffles and Crushed Duck Liver. The Spaghettini was cooked perfectly al-dente. The lobster was also tender and the flavors of the tomatoes and herbs in the pasta were so fresh and tasty! My boyfriend was a huge fan of the Beef Cheek Raviolis. For our main course, we shared the Duck with Grilled Plums and Bitter Almond- Yummy! The duck was tender with a nice, crispy skin and the crispy confit leg was perfect! For dessert we had the lemon and marscapone pudding with a thin layer of cake on the bottom and topped with a crunchy pine nut brittle. The pudding was so creamy, and the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
Overall, I really enjoyed this place and even though there are tons of restaurants I would love to try in Vegas, I will definitely be coming back here when I return.
I hate to only give this place two stars but I just wasn't feeling it. Here's the rundown:
Cons:
Overstaffed - I know we beat the pre-dinner rush (when I'm sure they are needed) but the amount of hovering waitstaff was annoying and intimidating.
$6 hot tea? You're kidding right?
Pretentious menu with little translation - I almost felt like I was bothering the waiter by asking but I seriously had no idea what 80% of the menu said - I'm not an idiot either, I can usually figure it out but here I was clueless.
Lengthy wait time for food - ok I know B&B is supposed to be a traditional Italian style meal with a leisurely pace but the wait was excessive.
Very dark! It was like sensory deprivation and I didn't like that.
Pros:
Perfectly cooked pork chop - exactly how I asked for it ("not pink" despite the dirty look I got from the waiter for the request), was probably one of the most delicious pieces of meat I have ever had.
Really excellent flavor pairings - they obviously hone their combinations to perfection here, the food love is apparent.
Dunno if the pros outweigh the cons but I probably wouldn't make a return trip here. Meal was very expensive! Over $110 for two people.
we stumbled across b&b after avoiding several other upscale restaurants for their vegetarian-hostile menus. from the outside, it's just like any other vegas restaurant. inside, the tables are so wide, it's uncomfortable to hold hands or play footsies. fortunately, i was dining with my best friend, so the wide table simply gave us room for plenty of food.
they started us with a complimentary taste of some sort of chickpea and olive oil concoction atop a slice of baguette. tasty, though messy. the appetizer was completely forgettable. it sounded italian on the menu, though looked and tasted just like tempura. we opted to leave some on the plate to save room for the main course. we shared two raviolis - the sweet potato and the goat cheese. this wonderful combination left us satisfied beyond ordering dessert. they say two people should order five plates to share. i cannot fathom the food coma that would have left us in.
the service is good. our water glasses never ran dry, the food came at a pace to match ours, and, despite feeling underdressed, the waitress never rushed us out our did anything to indicate that she'd noticed.
What a lucky find! I'm a fan of Mario B. from TV, but had never had the chance to eat at one of his restaurants. B&B was across from where Wayne Brady was performing -- and they could seat us immediately (just two). The waiter was well informed about both the food and the wine. He offered me a taste of the two wines by the glass I was considering. He also steered us correctly regarding our dessert options. We'd heard about the oatmeal gelato -- but it wasn't available. Have no fear, the honey infused polenta was great! The supervisor from the Platinum hotel was also on the mark with the lobster spaghetti and we found the beef cheek ravioli on our own.
Perfect food, perfect service, perfect location. Yum!
BAR REVIEW ONLY
Our bartender was horribly inappropriate and fun. It seems to be that the best bartenders are always wanna be actors and "Stefano" was no exception. Wait, strike that, they're the most fun, not necessarily the best. The boy couldn't remember a drink order to save his life, but we had fun with him, even if he was a terrible breast obsessed pervert that I accidentally showed my underwear to. I'd tell you that story, but you know, Vegas Law and all.
In any case, we had a fun time, but I think that was more because of the mood we were in and how much fun we were having with each other. I can see other people not having great things to report.
I had high hopes for this place, but it was just OK. Maybe I was expecting more for spending $600 on three people (including a relatively moderate priced $100 bottle of wine). But I'm inclined to think I should be blown away for that price.
Don't get me wrong, the food was quite good, and the house made sausage was downright incredible. But two days later I'm having a difficult time remembering anything specific other than the sausage and the bill.
Our server started out sassy, but as the night wore on she was bordering rude. And here's a gem, I was asked for my ID *after* paying with my charge card. That's quite a send-off.
The $99 Umbrian tasting menu was the best meal I've ever had in Vegas. One of the dishes had leeks perfectly incorporated - great for taste and texture. The service was pretty good, the space was OK, and they had a good selection of wines by the carafe. So if you like good food, I'd pick this place over any of the other "celebrity" chef places in Vegas (full disclosure: I've never been to Guy Savoy). My only complaint about thee food is that it appears that Lydia made mario take all of the organ meat off the menu
I went here with my girlfriend, who really loves pasta.
The ambiance of the place was so so. You kinda feel like you are in a mall because of the crowds walking by outside the restaurant. I guess it can't be helped.
The servers were very nice. They aren't as attentive as other fine dining restaurants but it wasn't a problem.
The food was good, but didn't blow me away. My gf had the goat cheese tortelloni, which was delicious, but we both love goat cheese so maybe we're biased. The other dishes were tasty but nothing worth mentioning.
Overall value was good.
We read all the reviews saying that service at B&B was weak and figured "well, who cares, we go for the food, service is secondary." But no, it really does kill the experience. We waited for a table for over 20 minutes, despite having a reservation and despite being told to wait at the bar for *5* minutes when we arrived. The waitress was never around. We were halfway through our second course by the time the wine arrived.
And the food was completely average. We're both Batali lovers so we were really surprised at how unspecial the food was at B&B. Very sad, definitely wouldn't go back.
Ok. I ate here before I became vegan, so ... here is a vegetarian-friendly review:
I came here with my now ex-boyfriend on my 21st birthday, mainly because (1) this was Mario Batali's restaurant, and (2) his brother raved about the service and the food.
And the service.... well, they really do tend to your hand and foot. Our server was pretty kick-ass looking too, with his ear plug and shaved head. You would've thought that he played in a rock band on the weekends or something similar. But anyways, they were extremely helpful in accommodating my vegetarian diet, giving me suggestions on what I could order on the menu and whatnot.
So I had some sort of mushroom dish (4 kinds of mushrooms?) and whoaaaaa I still salivate over the thought of those mushrooms today. Completely simple and in their natural flavor... the pasta was hand-made/hand-cranked also! Very delicious. My partner had some sort of penne dish I can't remember the vegetable but the penne was damn good. It was hand-rolled and paper thin.... I still salivate over that as well.
I think the desserts were so-so, not very memorable; the presentation of all the food was beautiful (of course) and we had a delicious glass of Muscato accompanying our dessert.
I would definitely go back if I were to stop in Vegas again .. and if I had money and they had vegan options, just because the service was so top-notch. What I mean is, the server (or any server) paid attention to you, but not in the annoying salesperson sort of way.
However the location of this restaurant is a bit weird. It's located in a mall. So as nicely dressed up as you are, you.... look out and see a bunch of tourists... in their usual tourist garb.
Bravo! We had a party of 6 with varying degrees of food pickiness, and everyone found something to enjoy. The service was top notch, and we even got impromptu dinner theatre while overhearing some middle aged guy yell at someone who was either his wife or his mistress ("If you fucking mention Facebook again, I swear I'm going to get up and leave this fucking table!") AWESOME.
Most of us ordered an antipasti dish, then we spit several primi amongst the table. Each of us ordered a main dish. We were stuffed to the gills, but happy. I wish we'd saved room for desssert! Standouts included the goat cheese tortelloni, the gnocchi with braised oxtail, the grilled branzino, and the steelhead trout.
Fan-freaking-tabulous. I'll definitely visit again the next time I'm in Vegas.
Terrific! A friend was celebrating his thirtieth birthday and he wanted either pasta or steak. Enter B&B.
The menu format is similar to Del Posto with appetizers, Primi pasta and then Entrees. We had a table of 6 and the Sommier attended to us like it was a table of two. The waitstaff was professional, helpful and efficient. The meal was impeccable. The Ribeye for two was unreal. The lamb was amazing, avoiding any game-iness. B&B really is the best that the franchising of celebrity chefs has to offer.
As an added bonus, there was an issue with the check and the manager was remarkably helpful; she remedied the problem in record time.
Meh is right. We shared the beat salad to start. Everything was sooooo oversalted. huge chunks of kosher salt in each bite. totally ruined my fave appetizer. yuck.
next we shared the pumpkin lune. this was good. and perfect amount between the two of us. i could have used more sage though. traditional dish done well. then i got the beef tagliata and a got the trout. my meat was cooked right, but it was only ok tasting. a's trout was nice, but his riso nero was undercooked, like really undercooked. also was too salty.
for dessert, we shared the meyer lemon pudding. that was the best part of the meal. there were crunchies on top and it was the perfect amount of sweet and sour.
oh ya, and our waiter. seemed like a washed up surfer. also, kept on saying segundi instead of secondi. cmon! at least read the menu. i'm surprised he didn't say tagliata wrong. Also the resto is so damn loud. i'm just tired of that crap. can't even have a regular convo with someone sitting next to you.
Buy 1 Pizza, Get 1 Free on…
Las Vegas, NV
Fuggedaboudit Fridays
Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas, NV
Category: Italian
Las Vegas, NV
Category: Italian
Las Vegas, NV
Category: Seafood
Las Vegas, NV
Category: Italian
Las Vegas, NV
Category: American (New)
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