I've been here twice. The first time was within my first few weeks living in Vegas, and I thought I'd hit a goldmine. My dining companion and I stuck to the appetizers and pastas per the smarmy but likable barkeep's exhortations (we sat at the bar). To our delight, every dish was fairly exquisite, the octopus salad and mint love letters filled with lamb were especially notable. Expensive, but worth every penny.\n\nMy second time I relied on the trusty barkeep's wisdom once again, ordering mostly apps and pastas, but was severely disappointed. Dishes whose flavors had popped off the tongue on my first visit were either bland or pathetically exaggerated on my second. \n\nI'm still struggling to figure out what happened...did the restaurant just have a bad night? Doubt it -- kitchens can fuck up a dish or two on any given night, but not an entire meal amongst 4 diners. Did my fleeting Mario Batali man-crush cloud my judgment during my first visit? Maybe. As much as I love flowing red locks atop a greasy Italian belly wearing clogs (I don't), my taste buds have been through enough heartache to know not to be swindled by infatuation. Maybe I was too shell-shocked from all the silicone and awful dye-jobs to taste the food my first time. Most likely I got stuck with the backup chef my second time. But any restaurant worth its salt shouldn't vascillate that dramatically with its second stringer behind the pans. Cuz if that's the gamble I have to take when I walk through the door, I'm taking my shit elsewhere. \n\nSo a measly 2 stars for your Vegas joint, Mario. Not Michelin stars, Yelp stars. Consistency matters.\n\np.s. it's also irritating as shit to walk into a half-empty dining room to be told that they're \"completely booked,\" and we'd have to sit at the bar while your gamboholic comps gum it up at the craps table, flanked by some plastic flusies. but that's vegas, and what's to be expected when dining on the strip. which is why i try to avoid it.
places reviews