Las Vegas: Details you may not have heard

With a view of the fountains and a beautifully appointed Tuscan restaurant, what's not to love? I'll tell you. First of all, we truly enjoyed our meal and service, and the view wasn't bad.

Waiters were a touch on the snobby side. They seemed aghast that I was not going to order a $15 salad that was the size of my fist. Our main dishes were the homemade crab tortoli and spinach ravioli at $27 each. Both were superb! It was the best-tasting meal we had in Vegas. The portions were small, about six tortoli and maybe nine small ravioli.

Make a reservation early and ask for a view of the fountains. You can see most of the show from the dining room. Some trees do block a touch of the view. The restaurant itself is beautiful--bright cheary and a feast for the eyes. The ceilings are draped with silk red and gold fabric. Goblets on the tables are bright colbalt blue.

This is the place to take your loved one to pamper them or a business person to get them on your side. Menu prices are about the highest you will find in Vegas. For the two of us with our small pasta dishes and Pellegrino, our check was over $75 with tip.

We were in Vegas in November 2005, and stayed right across the street from the Mirage at the Venetian.

We ate here for lunch - prices were $17.95 per person. Lower than some buffets on the Strip for lunch. Cravings is the name of this buffet, and it is beautiful inside. Nice booths, the chairs unfortunately are overly hard.

The selection was pretty large, with ethnically based stations. Everything was ok, but nothing was really great. It was kind of like they put tons of effort into choices, and skimped on the actual food. The gelato was really good, and available lunch and dinners. All the other food was bland.

You really ended up not eating as much as you expect to in a buffet. You spend more time hunting for something that is really good, but keep finding "uhhh it's ok" kind of food. Another reason you have to hunt for the food is because it is soooo spaciously laid out. It does not allow you to remember where everything is, because it is such a long way to get to everything. If you want a good selection, and really well thought out recipes, go to Aladdin's Spice Market Buffet. Aladdin's is more expensive, more choices, and better food. I guess sometimes it pays to pay :).

We ate here during our stay at the Venetian in November 2005. It was rated the best breakfast in Vegas by a local publication, so we decided to give it a shot.

The bacon and sausage was very good. However, our breakfast was nothing out of the ordinary. But they did have options for French frites (French fries) for breakfast served in a silver cone. We did not opt for them.

The pastries are quite wonderful, and a chocolate croissant, so rich with Nutella, should not be missed.

The ambience of the restaurant is lovely. It is located in a courtyard on the tenth floor of the Venezia towers. The floors are tiled, and everything looks crisp and clean, like the linens.

Our service was, well, okay. Our waiter spoke very quietly, and with all the tile, and hard surfaces it was terribly loud in there. It was next to impossible to hear him. Our water glasses did run dry, and we had to ask for more. The atmosphere was lovely, the food was okay, and service was okay. At $40.00 for breakfast, I guess I was hoping for more.

We visited the Stratosphere in November of 2005 and discovered this wonderful little restaurant. What a find!

This restaurant is tucked in the back of the casino on the main floor. You could certainly walk right by Fellini's and not even know it was there. We could not get into the "Top of the World" restaurant and decided to eat here.

We were VERY pleasantly surprised by the menu, food, service, and atmosphere of this little gem. Prices were about the same as an Italian chain restaurant. We believed it to be a good value for the portion size.

It is a Disney-esque-decorated, Italian-themed restaurant (in a good way). There are lovely murals on the walls of different locations in Italy, a sky-painted ceiling, and courtyard-type feel to the place. The nonsmoking area is not visible from the main entrance and has all the murals. The smoking section is located in the main entrance, and it looks like an outdoor courtyard, indoors. The service was fantastic, attentive, and non-snooty, with waiters who seemed genuinely pleased you were there to eat.

Our food was wonderful. Huge portions, great flavor, and fine presentation made this our best Italian meal in Vegas. My husband is a big eater and went away with full belly and a smile on his face. The Stratosphere is worth visiting to see the view and this restaurant. It is about $11 per person just to go up in the tower, but I found it well worth it. The view from the Stratosphere is without a doubt the best in Vegas. Make sure to go at night. The Stratosphere is a hike from the rest of the new Strip. They have to do a little bit more to get people through the door, which is good for us tourists. Take the Deuce bus; it is the best transportation value in Vegas. It is more direct than the Trolley, and you see everything. $2 per trip, or $5 for the night, with as many stops as you want.

We visited Vegas in November 2005. My husband in past years has spent a lot of time on the old strip, or Fremont Street as it is now called. He loves this hotel. I have to admit that I was much more attracted to the flash of the new Strip, but the service here was the best we had in Vegas.

We ate lunch here for $7.99 per person; breakfast is $5.99 and dinner, I believe, was $10.99. Prices for the buffets are much cheaper on Fremont Street than the new Strip. They are smaller and have less selection, but if you want to get just as fat and happy, they work splendidly.

The servers that work here have been here forever and are very attentive. They seemed to know exactly what you were about to need before you needed it. I cannot say enough good things about our server. She was the best.

The food was good, a little blander than some of the more exotic cuisine in other buffets. The bread pudding is "World Famous" (or so the sign says). It did have wonderful flavor, and I ate a good deal of it. Soups were homemade, with great flavor. Some salads were made there, others were not. The macaroons were AMAZING! Not to be missed were the cheese blintzes, available lunch and breakfast. I literally ate five of them. The lunch buffet was great because some breakfast options were available then too, like bacon, eggs, sausage, pancakes, and other staples. If you go to Fremont Street, go to the Golden Nugget Buffet and enjoy. Make sure to see the largest golden nugget in the world while you are there, too.

We visited and stayed at the Venetian in November of 2005. We had a comped meal at the Grand Lux and enjoyed it very much. Our service was okay, but our server was a little distracted. I think she was ready to go home.

Our meals were so different, with tons of different styles of cuisine. I had a Thai dish and my husband has pasta. Both were delicious. They are owned by the same people as the Cheesecake Factory. The meals were blessed with huge portions; the dessert would have served a small country!

This restaurant is 24 hours and right inside the casino at the Venetian. We had dinner, but they have an extensive breakfast, lunch, and after-hours menu. Everyone in your family or group would be able to find something wonderful on this menu.

Prices are very reasonable. We had an appetizer, dinner, and one dessert for $55. Lines are sometimes out the door at prime times of the day. If you go at off times, you can walk right in. The half-round booths are very comfy, and you can cuddle with your loved one, so make sure to ask for one.

We visited Jean Philippe Patisserie at Bellagio during our November 2005 visit. What a neat takeout dessert place! There were a few tables scattered around if you wanted to eat there, but most everyone had their desserts and coffee to go.

This little spot has the largest chocolate fountain in the world, and it is not to be missed. It is made up of cut-glass islands with milk, dark, and white chocolate free-flowing over them all day long. It starts at the ceiling and hits about 15 cut-glass islands all the way down. The chocolate is then cycled through and sent down again. This item was worth the trip for that alone, but the desserts are wonderful!

My husband and I had crepes, sugared brioche, cafe mocha, and hot chocolate. All were wonderful! There was also gelato, and all kinds of decadent-looking pastries.

We took our yummies outside and enjoyed the fountains. Here is a huge tip: if it is chilly outside for the evening water shows, go and grab a hot drink here and have yourself a little picnic near the fountains - this free show is the best in Vegas! The service was quick, and proficient at the Patisserie. Our coffee and hot chocolate were up faster than Starbucks.

We visited the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace in November 2005. This restaurant was located two doors down from Spago. We looked at Spago's lunch menu, and nothing looked very appetizing. We decided that Bertolini's had more options for us.

We had a short wait, about 10 min. for a table at lunchtime on a Saturday. There is a large "outside" eating area. The smoking area is located next to the "fountain of the gods" in a courtyard in the forum of shops. It kind of looks like it is outside, even though you are still in the forum shops mall area.

Inside is the non smoking area. It was pretty loud, dishes clanging and hard surfaces. My husband loved his canneloni; my panini was ok.

The creme brulee was listed on the menu as an "award winning recipe" - whoever ranked this was on the money. This was the best creme brulee that I have ever had in my life! Trust me when I say I've eaten a lot of it. All in all, this restaurant was pretty good, but the CREME BRULEE is not to be missed.

The admission price for the shark reef is pretty pricey, but we found it to be worth it. The aquarium area is set in a rain-forest-type environment, and it is done kind of realistically, if maybe a teeny bit cheesy.

Every exhibit has a voice recording that you hold to your ear to learn about the residents. The neatest area for kids is a touch pool. The kids and adults can touch horseshoe crabs, stingrays, and baby sharks. There was a very large jellyfish exhibit and a tunnel you could walk through. If you stopped at every exhibit and listened to all the information, it could take you several hours to get through. We went relatively quickly and spent about an hour and a half there. I would recommend going but finding a coupon in some of the local publications before going.

We visited in November 2005. With more than 130 shops set in a climate-controlled dessert, what girl wouldn't be in heaven? The facade around all the shops looks like you are truly in the desert, with a "Vegas Sky" painted on the ceiling. There are affordable and exorbitant shops intermingled along this mall. This is where I fell in love with Sephora, by far the neatest cosmetic store I've ever seen. The greatest thing is that you can test EVERYTHING! Anyone would feel welcome in there, too, unlike Yves Chantre, where I feel like I need to be wearing my Prada to enter.

This is a really neat place to spend an afternoon. It is not as busy as the Forum Shops at Caesar's. There is entertainment along your journey in the Passage as well. There are contortionists, jazz pianists, acrobatic body balancing, and even a live rainstorm with thunder lightning, pouring rain, and a cloud burst! There is plenty to fill your tummy after a hard day of shopping, too. There is everything, from gelato and paninis at Aromi d' Italia to a cheeseburger at the Oasisi. If you are in the mood for more, check out the Spice Market Buffet, my best pick for buffets in Vegas. I liked this passage of shops; however, if you can only hit one mall in Vegas, let it be the Forum at Caesar's. This mall is a bit more budget conscience for those who spent it all at the black jack table, though.