Restaurant News
Fix at Hotel Bellagio
If you want to have a nice dinner and never leave the excitement of the casino floor, Fix will do quite nicely. Located in the Hotel Bellagio, near the passageway that leads to Caesar’s Palace and Bally’s, Fix sits facing directly adjacent to the casino, without any walls separating the eating area from the gaming room. The location results in two phenomenon; first, a great spot to watch people, and second, noise. To accompany the already frenetic pace, Fix plays loud pre-recorded music that makes quiet conversation a challenge. Televisions without sound allow you to watch various sports events around the bar, which is also open to the rest of the eating area.
As far as a wine-friendly place, Fix gets good marks. The restaurant permits carry-in wines, and charges a modest fee of $25.00 for corkage. They will also decant wine for you upon request. Fix has an adequate although not overwhelming wine list, at fair prices considering the going rate for Las Vegas strip mega-hotel restaurants. Their wine list includes a good selection of more than a dozen California cabernet blends, ranging in price from $52.00-$335.00 per bottle. The 2003 Insignia and Opus One take top accolades from this group. While only listing two Bordeaux reds, Fix has a little better selection of premium Italian wines, with the 1996 Valdicava Brunello topping the price list at $244.00. They also maintain a good selection of champagnes and have a few wines by the glass, ranging from $8.00-$28.00.
I found service at Fix top notch. Dining with a friend, we brought two bottles of wine. Upon request, the waiter, Eduardo, provided us each with two better quality wine glasses, one for each of the wines. He also provided efficient and courteous service throughout the meal, without rushing us or becoming overbearing. Later in the evening, a lady friend arrived, and the waiter immediately brought her two glasses so that she could also taste both wines. Class act.
Fix offers mostly steaks and some seafood, along with a fairly extensive list of side orders, all a la carte. The customer may choose from a selection of dry aged or wet aged beef. Fix prices most of their steaks in the forty-dollar range, except for their Kobe beef special, which goes for $70.00 plus. I ordered their New York sirloin, medium rare. It was a nice piece of bone-in meat, but came out somewhat over-cooked. I also sampled the Chilean sea bass; cooked perfectly for my taste, but a very small portion.
Overall, I came away with a mixed impression of Fix. On the night I dined there, Fix provided a wine friendly environment with excellent service, but the food, considering the quality, quantity and price, was good, not super. As to the ambience, it depends on what you want. If you can’t get enough of the thrills that a casino brings, Fix hits a home run. You could actually walk out in between dishes and place bets. If you seek a quiet romantic setting for a dinner, you might do better to dine elsewhere.
Bistro Zinc
Operated by renowned chef Joseph Keller, and located in the Monte Lago Village at Lake Las Vegas, the Zinc Bistro provides a unique off-the-strip dining experience. It sits close to lake, and has ample indoor and outdoor seating. From the outdoor seating, diners may enjoy their meals alfresco while taking in a great view of the lake. On evenings when the temperature soars, visitors can opt for the air-conditioned retreat of the great indoors. The indoor seating gives a feeling of airy openness, as Zinc has a towering ceiling with lots of glass windows. They have wisely configured the seating so as to leave ample space between tables, so customers have a sense of privacy while dining. The colorful tiled floors ad to the charm of the restaurant, but also make the indoor dining area a bit noisy.
Definitely a wine friendly restaurant, Zinc charges only $20.00 per bottle as a corkage fee for customers bringing their own wines. Zinc has its own sommelier, Norma Poole, who selects the wines included on the menu. She makes certain that the wine list provides an interesting and wide-ranging assortment of both red and white wines.
I understand that the wine list changes frequently. On the night I dined at Zinc, some of the more notable wines included the 2002 Ridge Monte Bello, the 2002 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages, a 2001 Leroy Burgundy, a 2004 Etude pinot noir, and the 2000 Modicum cabernet sauvignon. All in all, the wine list allowed for more than 70 different wines for the customers choosing. Bottle prices ranged from $36.00 for a Gloria Ferrer sparkling wine up to $270.00 for the Ridge Monte Bello. Zinc also has a large selection of wines by the glass, ranging in price from $10.00 up to $19.00.
Zinc has an exciting menu that proves almost as varied as the wine list. The entrees include short ribs, steaks and filet burgers, priced between $15.00-$40.00, seafood dishes between $26-$35.00. and chicken and duck meals between $18.00-$30.00. All entrees come with some type of vegetable side dish. Zinc will often feature a “specials” menu that includes some extra culinary creations. I ordered from this menu, had a dish of lump crab baked in cream sauce and cheese, and beef Wellington. I enjoyed both immensely.
Zinc lies a bit off the beaten track in that the Casino Mira Lago or the Ritz-Carlton lots allow for the closest parking. However, the stroll through the village is a short and pleasant one. Take some time and enjoy an evening lakeside, sipping wine and sampling the culinary creations at the Zinc Bistro.
Zinc Bistro, telephone (702)567-ZINC (9462)
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