The restaurant is open from 5-11pm. It’s not cheap, but then, for the setting and atmosphere, it’s not horrendously expensive either. In fact, if you are arriving from England with all your high-value pounds right now, well, it will almost seem a bargain. N9NE is a fantastic place for a special occasion, and as it was my 30th birthday, it was okay to splurge a little.

N9NE is primarily a steakhouse, but the choices on the menu were very extensive. Not being a steak eater, I opted for the ahi tuna, which was seared to perfection, just how I like. Other non-steak choices included chicken, salmon, scallops, and pasta. They also have caviar and a variety of crustaceans.

My husband did go for the Porterhouse and said it was amazing. We live in Dallas, so good steak is not rare for us; therefore, I know it was good.

They have all the usual liquors and cocktails, beers, and wine that you would expect in a restaurant like this. When we went, it was still fairly new, so you had to have reservations, but that might have changed now. The decor is super-modern, with two giant waterfalls as you enter and all neon and blue glass. The crowd is very trendy, pretty, and young, unlike many steakhouses. Opposite us was a very attractive businessman with two ladies who were all over him. I think he had bought them as well as the food!! Vegas... baby... Vegas!!

The prices at the bar were not over-the-top either. The dining area is quite small here, with a round caviar bar in the center of the restaurant. The noise level was pretty high, so anyone trying to eavesdrop could not. Just to the left of the dining area is their "private" dining area, really more of a large room divided by mirrors and shut off from the rest of the world by tinted glass. Both sections seat about 25 people.

The food here was amazing. My favorite was the Crispy Carolina Rock Shrimp and two dipping sauces, one with a little kick and one with a lot of kick. They come in a Chinese food take-out box that is tall. If you eat enough of these, they could be your meal. For the main course, we had 12-oz. filet mignon Béarnaise. It was very tender, cooked the way you would like it. However, after filling up on shrimp, we didn’t get to eat as much as we would like. To top the filet were sautéed mushrooms. Those, you could have eaten alone. For dessert we had a chocolate ganache cake. Amazing. This large cake melted in your mouth. The also served small sides with our meal, like broccoli with lemon butter, potato gnocchi, and some of the best bread in Las Vegas. All of this was served with Page wine, one of the best wines I have ever tried. His wine is in several restaurants in Las Vegas. The waitstaff at both the bar and during dinner were fabulous and very attentive.

To make reservations, call 702/933-9900. They are open weekdays from 5 to 11pm and weekends from 5 to 11:30pm. They do have a dress code of business-casual. Overall, our dining experience left us still craving it. Definitely a stop every time we are in Vegas.

To my husband, nothing declares decadence, Vegas-style, like dining in a sophisticated steak and chop joint. To satisfy his craving, we decided to take a gamble on the new kids in town, N9ne.

Restauranteurs Michael Kornick and Scott DeGraff have recreated their exceptionally popular Chicago signature establishment in Vegas and given it a trendy single word title. Like Cher or Oprah, some things need no explanation, right?

Surely you understand the significance in the name N9ne? Well, neither did I.

I learned that nine represents the age at which the two life-long friends met and seemed destined to open some of America’s best eateries. It’s likely in the genes, as Michael’s father, Arnie Morton, is synonymous with sizzling steaks, while his brother achieved fame by presenting Hard Rock Cafes to the world.

Expect great meat at N9ne, but don’t expect the deep, plush booths; dark lighting; and heavy draperies found at your father’s dinner club. Instead, hipsters lolligag amid haute-Zen decor, walls of water, ultra-suede seating, subdued indirect lighting, and precisely spaced tables. The result is a surprisingly comfortable ambiance.

A touch of Vegas sits smack in the middle of the minimalist dining room with a champagne and caviar bar fashioned from gleaming stainless steel and glowing with 300 colors of computerized neon lighting. It is as much a work of art as the paintings or decked out 30-something’s who prowl the room dressed to the N9nes.

On the bar menu is a unique appetizer of cones served in a specially constructed stainless steel holder; one filled with lobster salad and the other with tuna tartar. Although the presentation and flavors were stunning, eating a cone of seafood while drinking a cocktail proved perilous to my attempts at being cool. I’d suggest ordering one of the more staid offerings, a shrimp cocktail perhaps.

A glance at the main menu left little doubt that we’d get what we came for-great steaks. Although the menu boasts temptations from lobster to chops, try the giant rib eyes, so delectable you may find yourself recollecting the meal weeks later as you try to button your mini-skirt. Served on a sizzling platter swimming with natural juices, they are easily the most mouth-watering steaks ever served outside a Texas patio. Side orders of mushrooms, onions, and wilted spinach round out the classic bill of fare, with portions so large you will wish you’d have brought along a friend or five.

Perhaps you’ll want to invite a few of the ladies sipping martinis at the bar. In classic beauty scale rating alone, N9ne is definitely a ten.