Piero's
Italian Cuisine: Distinctive Las Vegas Dining
If
you're looking to immerse yourself in one-of-a-kind
Las Vegas lore, Piero's Italian Cuisine is an itinerary imperative.
This revered Vegas restaurant is a bona fide landmark just off
the infamous Strip, exuding its 30-year history as an old school
Rat Pack hangout. Back in the day, in addition to serving guests
spectacular Italian cuisine, Piero's served as a meeting place
for the mob, casino executives, and colorful locals. Still moving
and shaking as a dining hot spot rivaling the best the Strip
has to offer, Piero's still offers the perfect atmosphere for
closing deals - both business and pleasure. It's also an ideal
locale for celebrity watching - all while enjoying killer signature
dishes.
Over
three decades Piero's has collected numerous awards for their
incredible food and five-star service. Honors include Zagat,
Jerry Lewis Five Star Award, Five Star Diamond Award, American
Express Platinum Fine Dining Award and the Distinguished Restaurants
of North America award. As a Zagat Award Winner, Piero's has
been named as the "Best Italian Restaurant in Las Vegas"
for the past 10 years and voted "America's Top Restaurants"
several times during the same period. It has also been the American
Academy of Hospitality Science Five-Star Diamond Award for 11
consecutive years. Having dined at Piero's, I can assure you
these accolades are well earned.
Piero's
has fully 345 seats in six separate dining rooms plus a "Monkey
Bar" area that features live music on Friday and Saturday
nights. The dining room ambiance is reminiscent of a supper
club with high-backed booths and chairs, providing a relaxed
setting and somewhat mysterious vibe that emanates from the
photos of Sammy, Dean, Frank and a few famous mobsters that
grace the walls. There is a casual and intimate feel to the
restaurant's main room highlighted by lithographs and original
oil paintings flanked by fresh floral displays. When making
your reservation, try to snag the booth where Sharon Stone and
Robert DeNiro wined and dined when they filmed some famous scenes
from the movie, Casino.
Not
just adding to, but embodying, the titillating ambiance at Piero's
is its owner, Fred Glusman, who can be seen meeting and greeting
tables and keeping the staff well on their toes. If you're lucky
and if, and only if, he's so inclined, "Freddie" might
join you at your table and enrich your experience with first-hand
accounts of the Rat Pack and other tales of Vegas past. I had
the pleasure of dining in Freddie's company and it was the best
and most unique dinner conversation I've had in my lifetime.
It's under Fred's watch that his decades-long wine director,
Pat Rost, maintains a wine list that features fully 1,900 wines
and boasts a collection of over 10,000 bottles. Enjoy an incredible
vino or a cocktail from its full bar before or after your meal.
Often with an ambiguous, never-set closing time, this is a place
to hang out, get comfortable, and savor the scene.
When
hunger strikes, Italian cuisine aficionados can take heart.
Piero's menu features over 40 selections prepared by executive
chef, Gilbert Fetaz. Hot and cold appetizers abound to start,
including copious fresh antipasti, pasta, vegetarian and seafood
starters. My party thoroughly enjoyed the Agnolotti Freschi
Alla Crema - homemade country-style fresh pasta stuffed with
spinach and served with a velvety cream sauce. Truly decadent.
We also enjoyed the Calamaretti Fritti crispy fried calamari
served with house-made marinara; and the insanely fresh Insalata
Caprese, with Roma tomato, fresh buffalo mozzarella, basil,
pine nuts and a balsamic vinaigrette.
Other delectable starters include the Salmone Affumicato, freshly
cut Scotch smoked salmon; Gamber Etti e Gabioli, grilled shrimp,
white beans, tomato, and scallions; and the Carciofo Con Battuto,
Roman style stuffed artichoke.
Entrée
highlights at Piero's here include the Osso Buco; Scaloppine
Milanese; and Linguine All'Aragosta - all staples on the menu
throughout the restaurant's 30 years of service. I myself ordered
the Osso Buco, served with linguini. Stewed for hours with the
bone intact, the veal is tender, rich and flavorful. A tiny
marrow fork is offered to get to that bit of goodness. Other
notable entrées include La Zupa di Pesce - a house specialty
bursting with lobster, clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, and
calamari, served in a light fish broth with a touch of tomato;
Or, opt for the Sautéed Veal with plum tomatoes, or the
mammoth Seared 18 oz. New York Strip Steak with shallots, oregano,
and olives. The restaurant also offers close to a dozen daily
specials, which always includes a selection of fresh pasta and
seafood. In fact, my party also ordered the Salmon with pesto
and the Halibut that evening, both with impossibly large portion
sizes - the Halibut was a full 14 ounces!
While
by this point I KNOW you will have indulged, be sure to leave
room for dessert. There are decadent dessert creations as well
as homemade spumone and sorbet. We savored the New York cheesecake
in a raspberry sauce, which was utter perfection. While you're
at it, do also try a Cappuccino All Amore, which is Piero's
concoction of espresso and assorted liqueurs blended and topped
with whipped cream.
When
my incredible dinner was done, it became quite clear why celebrities
the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Jim Belushi, Bill Clinton, Justin
Timberlake, Mick Jagger, Cindy Crawford, John Travolta, Cameron
Diaz, Michael Jordan, Roger Clemens and Shaquille O'Neal, along
with international and national sports figures and legends of
music, patronize Piero's. Here, the sense of days-gone-by still
fills the imagination, while stellar Italian fare feeds your
heart and soul.
Piero's,
located at 355 Convention Center Drive, is open daily for dinner-only
seven days a week and is available for special breakfast and
lunch meetings upon request. . Learn more online at www.pieroscuisine.com.
By Merilee Kern, 'The Luxe List' Executive Editor
"The
Luxe List" Executive Editor Merilee Kern scours the luxury
marketplace for exemplary travel experiences, extraordinary
events, and notable products and services. Submissions are accepted
at www.LuxeListReviews.com.
Follow her on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/LuxeListEditor
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***Some
or all of the accommodations(s), experience(s), item(s) and/or
service(s) detailed above were provided at no cost to accommodate
this review, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of
Merilee Kern and have not been influenced in any way.***