ceo-cfogroup.com - The Top 100 Las Vegas Restaurants On the Las Vegas Strip

The Top 100 Las Vegas Restaurants On the Las Vegas Strip

It was just 1992 when Wolfgang Puck opened his first restaurant in Las Vegas, and Las Vegas has not been the same since. It has become one of the top cities in the world for restaurants. It is such a phenomenal restaurant town that any list of the top restaurants in Las Vegas has to be divided between the restaurants on the Strip and in the hotels, and restaurants in the rest of Las Vegas. There are a number of great restaurants on the Strip and an equal number of great restaurants off of the Strip. It has been the celebrity chefs, starting with Wolfgang Puck, that has set Las Vegas apart.

Jol Robuchon is France's "Chef of the Century" as named by Gault-Millau, a French restaurant guide and the first chef to win three consecutive Michelin stars. Joel came out of retirement to open his first and only fine dining restaurant in the United States. He has two restaurants at the MGM, Joel Robuchon at the Mansion and L'Atelier of Joel Robuchon. The New York Time's food reporter wrote about L'Atelier, "...the restaurant served the best food in Las Vegas and some of the very best French food I've ever eaten on the continent." He went on to write, "This is full-scale, damn-the-torpedoes, three-stars-or-bust Robuchon, worldly, luxurious and costly." Two set menus are offered: A small 9-course meal plus coffee for $165, or 16 small courses plus coffee for $295.

Guy Savoy is one of the most critically acclaimed Michelin three-star chefs in Paris and is regularly cited as one of the top 10 chefs in the world. He's a compatriot of Joel Robuchon. He has been awarded the Chef of the Year and France's Legion D'Honneur. He has opened Guy Savoy's in Caesar's Palace's August tower.

Daniel Boulud has been named "Chef of the Year" by Bon Apptit Magazine, and his New York restaurant, Daniel, has received Gourmet Magazine's "Top Table" award and a coveted four star rating from The New York Times, as well as Wine Spectator's "Grand Award." Daniel Boulud has earned the "Outstanding Chef of the Year" at the James Beard Awards and his restaurant was rated "one of the ten best restaurants in the world" by the International Herald Tribune. Boulud has created Daniel Boulud Brasserie at the Wynn Resort and Country Club.

Thomas Keller was named "America's Best Chef" by Time Magazine in 2001 and a "World Master of Culinary Arts" by a panel of international judges at the Wedgwood Awards. He and his restaurants have collected six awards from the James Beard Foundation, among them "Outstanding Chef: America", "Outstanding Wine Service", and "Best Service." Recently, Keller was named "Best Chef" by Reader's Digest Magazine. For the last two years, his restaurant, Napa Valley-based The French Laundry, has been voted number one on "The World's 50 Best Restaurants" by the London-based Restaurant Magazine's food writer's poll. The restaurant has received the Mobil Travel Guide's Five Star Award. Keller also owns Bouchon at the Venetian in Las Vegas and the Bouchon Bakery, in Yountville, CA. In 2004, Keller opened Per Se in New York City, which recently received a coveted "four-star" rating from The New York Times.

Alain Ducasse was one of the youngest chefs in Michelin's history to be awarded three stars (top ranking) for his work at the Le Louis XV restaurant at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo, and now is the only chef in the world to hold three stars from the Michelin Guide in three different countries. He also operates two restaurants at the Essex House in New York City and the Plaza Athne in Paris. He has expanded his restaurant empire which includes restaurants in Las Vegas, Tokoyo, Paris and London. His Las Vegas restaurant is highly regarded, Mix restaurant, on top Mandalay Bay's The Hotel.

Hubert Keller was born in France and trained there as a chef. He first became known in America as the co-owner of San Francisco's Fleur de Lys Restaurant with Maurice Rouas. "Fleur de Lys is my pick as Restaurant of the Year," wrote John Mariani of Esquire Magazine. Bryan Miller of the New York Times rated Fleur de Lys as becoming "Arguably the top French dining room in the city." Michael Bauer wrote in Food & Wine Magazine, "Anyone who claims that Fleur de Lys is the best restaurant in San Francisco would get support in my book." Food & Wine Magazine has said that Hubert Keller is one of the 10 best Chefs in America and Wine Spectator was said that Fleur de Lys is the "Second Best Restaurant in the World." Keller has opened Fleur de Lys at the Mandalay Bay and he also opened the highly acclaimed Burger Bar at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Emeril Lagasse might be the best known celebrity chef in America because of his long standing television shows (over 1,000) on the Food Network. Lagasse earned a degree in Culinary Arts at Johnson and Wales. He later studied cooking in France. Once back in the United States he worked at a handful of fine restaurants until he was recruited to work in New Orleans by Dick and Ella Brennan, who owned the legendary Commander's Palace. He established his star status at Commander's Palace where he was the executive chef for seven and a half years. Now, Lagasse is the chef-proprietor of nine restaurants including three in New Orleans, two in Las Vegas, two in Orlando, one in Atlanta and one in Miami. Emeril's Restaurant, one of his New Orleans restaurants, was dubbed "Restaurant of the Year" by John Mariani in Esquire magazine in 1990. In 1991, Emeril's Restaurant received the Wine Spectator's Grand Award and Lagasse was named "Best Southeast Regional Chef" by the James Beard Foundation. Nola, another of his New Orleans' restaurants, has achieved the status of "Best New Restaurant" by Esquire magazine in 1993. His third restaurant, Emeril's New Orleans Fish House, was named "Best Restaurant in Las Vegas" by Zagat in 2001. In 2004, Delmonico Steakhouse received the Wine Spectator's Grand Award.Lagasse has opened the Delmonico Steakhouse at the Venetian and later opened Emeril's Fish House at the MGM Grand.

Bobby Flay is a chef, cookbook author and television personality. He gained his celebrity status as chef from his two New York restaurants, Mesa Grill and Bolo. When the Mesa Grill opened in 1991, Gail Green of the New York Magazine named it the "Best Restaurant." In 1993 he opened his Spanish-influenced Bolo restaurant and he was voted by the James Beard Foundation as the "Rising Star Chef of the Year." His restaurant, Bolo, was later was awarded a rare three stars by The New York Times. He has appeared on Food Network in numerous shows such as "BBQ with Bobby Flay," the Emmy-nominated "Boy Meets Grill," "FoodNation with Bobby Flay," and "Hot Off the Grill with Bobby Flay." Flay also serves as the food correspondent for "The Early Show on CBS". Bobby Flay opened the acclaimed Mesa Grill at Caeasar's Palace. Among other items, some say that it might have the best hamburger in Las Vegas.

Andr Rochat is claimed as Las Vegas's own celebrity chef. He is the Chef and owner of the award-winning Andre's French Restaurant in downtown Las Vegas and is considered the doyen of Las Vegas restaurateurs. Rochat grew up in the Savoie region in the French Alps, and learned about food from his mother at the family's delicatessen. At 14, he left home to apprentice at Michelin two-star Leon de Lyon, in France. He followed that with a job at the Hotel du Mont-Blanc in Mageve. In 1965, Rochat moved to America and worked at the Club Henry IV and at a number of prestigious East Coast Hotels. In 1973, Rochat opened the Savoy French Bakery in Las Vegas and later Andre's French Restaurant which consistently is rated among the best restaurants in Las Vegas. In 1997, Rochat opened the upscale Chateau-style Andre's at the Monte Carlo and in 2001 he opened the crown jewel of his culinary trilogy, Aliz French Restaurant, located on the top floor of the new Palms Casino Resort.

Todd English opened his fifty-seat Olives Restaurant in 1989 in Charlestown, Massachusetts. The food was English's interpretation of rustic Mediterranean cuisine. The restaurant became a hit. In 1991 English was named a "National Rising Star Chef" and later in 1994, he was named "Best Chef in the Northeast" by the James Beard Foundation. In 2001 English was awarded Bon Appetit's "Restaurateur of the Year" award. In recent years, English has opened other locations around the world such as Olives New York at the W Hotel, Olives Las Vegas at the Bellagio Hotel, Olives DC in Washington, DC and others. English also has four Figs restaurants in the greater Boston area and two at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Figs serves traditional and eclectic pizzas and handmade pastas. English's other restaurants are Tuscany at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut; Bonfire, a steakhouse in Boston; KingFish Hall, a seafood restaurant in Boston and Fish Club in Seattle. English's latest ventures are Todd English on the Queen Mary 2 and BlueZoo at the Walt Disney World Resort's Dolphin Hotel.

Wolfgang Puck is one of the most influential chef-restaurateurs in America. Puck was the one who brought the first gourmet restaurant to Las Vegas with his Spago at Caesar's, which recreates an outdoor Italian caf. Spago introduced the world to gourmet pizza, with toppings such as smoked salmon and goat cheese. He is credited with reviving California's culinary heritage by blending fresh California ingredients and classical French training. His first Spago was in Hollywood on the Sunset Strip which earned many awards, including the prestigious James Beard "Restaurant of the Year" Award in 1994. He also opened Spago Beverly Hills, Spago Chicago, Spago Las Vegas and Spago Palo Alto. Puck also opened the internationally acclaimed Chinois in Santa Monica, California which features Asian-inspired cuisine and later, Chinois in Las Vegas. His next restaurant was Wolfgang's Postrio Restaurant which opened in 1989 in San Francisco's Prescott Hotel. A second Postrio was opened at the Venetian. In addition he opened the Trattoria del Lupo, located at the Mandalay Bay Resort.

Michael Mina was named Chef of the Year by Bon Appetit and San Francisco Magazine as well as Restaurateur of the Year by the International Food and Beverage Forum in 2005. He had come to San Francisco under the direction of Chef George Morrone and together they opened the restaurant Aqua in 1991. Mina served as Aqua's executive chef from 1993 to 2002, where he was awarded Rising Star Chef of the Year in 1997 and Best California Chef in 2002 by the James Beard Foundation. He opened several more restaurants, Charles Nob Hill in San Francisco which earned three-and-a-half stars, the three-star Pisces in Burlingame, and the Aqua at the Bellagio in Las Vegas (now Michael Mina Bellagio), a Mobile four-star winner. In 2001, Mina opened Nob Hill at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and Aqua at the St. Regis Monarch in Dana Point, CA. In 2002, Mina formed his own company, the Mina Group, with partner Andre Agassi. Under the auspices of the Mina Group, he has opened two new restaurants: Arcadia in San Jose and Seablue at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Charlie Palmer is known for his signature "Progressive American" cuisine, a style which reinterprets classic European cooking using American artisanal products and small farm producers. He established his credentials as the executive chef at The River Caf in New York where the restaurant earned a prestigious three stars from The New York Times. In 1988, at the age of 28, Charlie opened the highly acclaimed Aureole restaurant as chef and proprietor in New York. In the 1997 he won the James Beard Award for "Best Chef" New York Later, he opened Charlie Palmer's Mtrazur in Grand Central Terminal in New York City; Aureole at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and Charlie Palmer Steak at The Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas. In 2001 he won Wine Spectator's Best of Award for Aureole New York, Wine Spectator's Grand Award for Aureole Las Vegas and Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence for Charlie Palmer Steak in Las Vegas. In June of 2003, Charlie formally began presiding over the menu creations and catering of The Stirling Club at Turnberry Place in Las Vegas.

Jean Georges Vongerichten is the chef and owner of Jean Georges in New York, which routinely captures a Mobil 5-star rating and is among New York's best restaurants. Vongerichten also has outposts of his Vietnamese/French fusion called Vong from London to New York, and has a spin-off restaurant in Shanghai. In Las Vegas, the legendary French chef, decided to offer a Parisian twist on the steakhouse. He opened Prime in the Bellagio where he serves lesser-seen European cuts like hangar steak and accompanies his meats with an array of sauces. For sides, Vongerichten foregoes the standard twists on potatoes for more imaginative cuisine like chickpea sticks.

Tom Collichio is the chef behind the New York restaurant empire that includes Gramercy Tavern, Craft, Craftbar and Witchcraft. He opened a steakhouse at the MGM called Craftsteak which USA Today believes might be the best in Las Vegas. At the MGM Grand he brings in his unique theory behind his "craft" restaurants, letting diners build their own menus from a vast selection of meats, sides, and sauces. Choices here range from artisanal salamis and charcuteries to roasted quail, braised short ribs and lamb shanks, and top dry-aged beef. He has also brought to the MGM his Witchcraft restaurant, which might have the best sandwiches in Las Vegas.

Nobu Matsuhisa is probably the most famous Asian chef on earth. He has Nobu restaurants in New York, Miami, London, Switzerland and Greece. He also has Matsuhisa restaurants in Los Angeles and Aspen. His Peruvian-Japanese fusion might be the most widely copied cuisine of recent years, and his signature rock shrimp tempura in cream sauce and miso infused black cod still make his two Nobu restaurants in New York extremely popular. At Nobu at the Hard Rock Casino, Nobu recommends his omakase chef's tasting menu.

There are a lot of other great chefs in Las Vegas, such as Julian Serrano of Picasso at the Bellagio, Alessandro Stratta of Alex Restaurant at the Wynn (and formerly of the Renior at the Mirage), Joachim Splichal of Pinot Pinot Brasserie, Bradley Ogden of Bradley Ogdens at Caesar's Palace and many more that have made Las Vegas one of the top culinary destinations in the world.

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John Laub is the President of the CEO-CFO Group.