There’s only one thing more decadent than a high-end steakhouse in Las Vegas. The massive playground is littered with them, from the central Titan to the Golden Star to the sleek and sophisticated Don’s Prime at Fontainebleau. But that concentration hasn’t stopped a flood of like-minded restaurants from opening in Sin City.
Simon Kim imported his Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse, Kot Ko Kot Ko Viennese, in October. That same month, James Trey opened the aptly named High Stakes on Rio’s 50th floor. Coming soon: Kume Onowachi will unveil his Caribbean genre, Maroon, in the Sahara this winter. And Scott Sartiano, the mastermind behind Zero Bond, is bringing both his members’ club and Sartiano’s Italian Steakhouse to the van.
Part of the motivation for all these holes is why Las Vegas is so primed for these restaurants in the first place. It’s a city that “has more” energy, says Jose Andres, who recently relaunched his steakhouse, Market Meats, in the Venetian, after more than 10 years in the Sahara. The Steakhouse is an ideal setting for living and celebrating life large. Newcomers want to take a classic look and put a fresh, creative spin on it. “I think if Sartiano’s was called a Vegas steakhouse right now, it wouldn’t really do it justice,” Sartiano says. But do all these holes have the hunger to succeed – both literally and figuratively?
Less so it seems. “Fingers crossed, hopefully you’ll have to choose another steakhouse because you can’t get into the coat.” Cote’s West Coast location, which follows locations in New York City and Miami, marks a homecoming for the restaurateur, who began his culinary career while a student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The new restaurant is bigger, louder and flashier than its predecessors, with tables designed in a tiered stadium-style setting and doors geared for attention-seekers: you walk under the DJ booth, where everyone’s eyes are already trained.
Certiano’s Italian Steakhouse design takes a different tack, prioritizing intimacy over exposure to the outdoors. It provides a calming backdrop to the Calabrian and Napoleonic family recipes on the menu. Meanwhile, Marvin will highlight Caribbean food. It’s a restaurant Onwachi says the city “needs.” He plans to serve jerky steaks, mashed potatoes with crawfish creole sauce, and traditional dishes like pepper crab.
Hencho
Then there are the trees, which unlike cities outside of cities, were born and raised in Vegas. Although he’s opened several acclaimed restaurants in the city, High Steaks will be his first steakhouse here — and it’s not aimed at tourists. “We want to be a local place,” he said, explaining his decision to partner with the Rio, which sits just off the Strip, rather than one of the big casino operators. “Vegas is very good at giving you 80 percent of what you want,” he added. “We want to take that and give people 100 percent.”
While he acknowledges that chefs from far and wide have helped elevate the city’s food scene, Trees also points out that some treat the city “like an ATM,” opening up preconceived notions to cash in on all the tourism. Speaking of the hubbub surrounding the coat extension, for example, Trees says, “I would never go there. There would be no reason for me to go there.” If there is less hope, it may not be a problem, you may not get a reservation in the first place.
Restaurant Roulette
Part of the steakhouse’s appeal is that there’s something for everyone. If you don’t like red meat, here’s what else to order.
High stakes: Trees has created a steak-like experience for vegetarians with tiger’s mane mushrooms that are pressed, caramelized and drenched in a vegan demi-glace.
Marvin: Onowachi is working on a large-format barbecued Brussels spot dish, which has never been seen in any other restaurant.
Certiano’s Italian Steakhouse: One of the most popular dishes at Sertiano’s in New York is the mushroom truffle lasagna (left), which you can also get in Vegas.
coat: Kim and his team have launched their most unusual raw bar yet, which they envisioned for years before bringing it to Las Vegas.
Meat market: Inspired by a dish in Spain’s former El Belloni, “beef steak” is a twist on tomato tartare that doesn’t use meat at all.
The authors
Tori Latham
