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12/26/2004 - Top 10 Restaurants of 2004
Top 10 Restaurants of 2004
By Heidi Knapp Rinella
Most things get easier after you've done them a time or two. That's not the case with my Top 10 list.
Every week, it seems, brings us more and more notable restaurants. Many of them are on the top shelf, to be taken down by most of us only for special occasions. But good things have a way of spreading. Increasingly, the neighborhoods are infused with the spirit of chefs who have left big names to open their own places and mom-and-pop operators who have seen the bar and raised it, in the process changing the standards for our weeknight dinners.
Formulating the following list involves a great deal of thought and no small amount of agonizing amid such plenty. I try to mix it up a bit and recognize restaurants at most points on the spectrum. And so we have restaurants that have opened fairly recently, some I've long thought are particularly worthy of note, and some that I've only recently had a chance to experience.
Note that a former winner's absence from this year's list doesn't necessarily mean said restaurant's star has dimmed.
1. Alizé, the Palms
OK, I'm a sucker for the how-Vegas-is-this? view (although I don't like that clanky right-hand elevator), but the view wouldn't be enough were it not for the fact that André Rochat and Jacques van Staden put their heads together every night to create some of the most interesting, innovative and well-prepared food in town.
2. Bradley Ogden, Caesars Palace
Excellent food, superlative service, though you'll have to settle for virtual views or a people-watching perch overlooking a casino. The Maytag blue-cheese souffle has acquired a permanent spot in my dreams.
3. Picasso, Bellagio
Julian Serrano's artful spot has been a fixture at Bellagio since the luxe resort opened, and for good reason: Serrano's never stale, always surprising, and the food and service are always perfect.
4. Le Cirque, Bellagio
I could be going out on a limb with this one because opening chef Marc Poidevin has decamped for Wynner pastures, but I don't think so. The Maccioni family who own the little jewelbox will doubtless continue their tradition of flawless-but-not-stuffy.
5. Craftsteak, MGM Grand
If you're ever feeling overfusioned -- yearning to drop the artsy and just get back to the farm -- Craftsteak is the place for you. I'm continually amazed at how much better the beef tastes there, and what wonders they can create with a simple tangle of green beans.
6. Bouchon, The Venetian
I don't really know how anybody could not like Bouchon. It's just a tad quirky, in the finest bistro tradition, and in the same vein it brings us simple, though perfectly prepared, bistro-style food. I especially like breakfast on the patio when it's pleasant.
7. Pamplemousse
Gourmets on a budget will find most of their traditional favorites at this venerable spot, cozy in a converted house. The whimsical crudite basket helps us meet our five-a-day quota.
8. Quinta Belina
"There are no good Mexican restaurants in this town," readers cry, which will never be true as long as newcomer Quinta Belina is around. This is Mexican food as it's prepared and eaten by Mexicans -- with just enough Americanization to make it safe for suburbanites.
9. Enrico's
My only misgivings about labeling Enrico's a great neighborhood Italian restaurant is that it's not in my neighborhood. Some of the best Italian food outside of Italy is prepared in New York, and those roots are clear at Enrico's.
10. Sterling Brunch, Bally's
This being Las Vegas, I had to include a buffet. There are lots of newer buffets than the landmark Sunday-only Sterling brunch, but this one reminds us all of the opulence and bounty of the old-time tables.