2011 (LAS VEGAS) Thanksgiving Guide: Where to dine in town

2011 (LAS VEGAS) Thanksgiving Guide: 

Where to dine in town

By Allison Duck 

Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011 | 3:20 p.m.

If the hassle of a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal isn't worth the time and stress, there are options galore at restaurants on and off the Strip. With menus to fit a wide range of palates and budgets, peruse the list below for an option that sounds a little more exciting than Stove Top and doesn't involve any cleanup.

Wynn:

In addition to chef Paul Bartolotta’s extensive menu of Italian seafood specialties at Bartolotta Ristorante di Marewill also offer a special four-course holiday menu featuring seared sea scallops with porcini mushrooms and shaved parmigiano, butternut squash ravioli with brown butter and amaretti, oven-roasted wild turkey with chestnuts, sausage, Tuscan cabbage and sage gravy. Dessert is a frozen torrone sabayon with bitter chocolate and orange. The four-course menu is prix fixe for $95. Reservations are available from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Call 702-248-3463.

Chef Carlos Guia’s Thanksgiving menu at The Country Club The Country Club features brown sugar-brined pork chop with fire-roasted corn succotash and black mission fig-bourbon sauce, roasted free-range turkey with traditional dressing, bourbon whipped sweet potatoes, cranberry chutney and giblet gravy, roasted rack of lamb with mint gastrique and lamb demi-glace and charred New York strip steak round out the bill of fare. The a la carte menu is offered from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Please call 702-770-7000.

In addition to the extensive a la carte seafood menu, chef David Walzog at Lakeside will offer holiday specials including pumpkin soup with spiced cream and roasted natural turkey served with green bean and Brussels sprouts fricassee, confit turkey roulade, cranberry sauce and country turkey gravy. Dessert is Lakeside’s signature tableside dessert trolley presentation, The Sweet Cart Named Desire, featuring a number of Thanksgiving sweets including pecan tart, cranberry gelee, pumpkin cheesecake, buttermilk panna cotta and warm pumpkin tart. Reservations are available from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Please call 702-770-3310.

Stratta offers a roasted turkey breast with turkey roulade, cranberry compote, roasted potatoes and giblet jus entrée in addition to the complete a la carte menu. Reservations are available from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. with a special late night menu available from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Please call 702-770-2040.

At SW Steakhouse, Chef David Walzog offers his full chophouse menu featuring plus Thanksgiving specials including pepper-crusted venison carpaccio, oven-roasted natural turkey with maple roasted breast, herb-braised leg and shepherd’s pie, sweet potato gratin, Brussels sprouts with smoked bacon, cranberry chutney, porcini and sourdough dressing and traditional gravy plus a pumpkin tart for dessert. Reservations are available from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Please call 702-248-3463.

The Buffet offers an all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving feast with all the trimmings. Brunch is served from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is priced at $37.95, or Thanksgiving dinner is served from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., priced at $45.95, per person.

Encore:

At Society Cafe, guests begin their holiday meal with a choice of fruit and nuts over field greens or kabocha squash soup. Next up is an entree of free-range turkey with sausage and herb stuffing, Yukon gold mashed potatoes, root vegetables and cranberry compote. Dessert is a pumpkin tart with spiced whipped cream. The meal is available from noon until 10 p.m. and is $41 per person, or individual items can be ordered a la carte. Call 702-248-3463 for reservations.

Chef Mark LoRusso of Botero offers a five-course holiday tasting menu featuring fall fruit panzanella with persimmons, apples, pears and parmesan, littleneck clam and salsify chowder with a buttermilk biscuit, black truffle risotto with butternut squash and a red wine reduction, roasted organic turkey with confit turkey legs, vanilla bean yams and traditional trimmings finished with a tasting of Botero holiday desserts. The prix fixe menu is $95 and is served from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Call 702-770-5388.

Chef Rene Lenger at Switch Steak will feature Thanksgiving specials of herb-roasted free-range turkey with chestnut–sausage stuffing, sweet potato gratin, haricot vert, mashed potatoes, cranberry-quince relish and giblet gravy plus pumpkin cheesecake with walnut crust and toasted cinnamon ice cream for dessert. Switch Steak’s full a la carte menu will also be available. Reservations are available from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Please call 702-770-5340.

Aria:

American Fish by Michael Mina presents a menu including Diestel Ranch turkey with roasted Brussels sprouts, cranberry compote, marshmallow-crusted sweet potato, smoked bacon stuffing and pinot noir gravy. The menu is $48 per person and is offered from 5 to 10:30 p.m. Call 877-230-2742.

Executive Chef Robert Moore at Jean Georges Steakhouse presents an a la carte menu in addition to the regular menu. Guests can enjoy roasted squash soup, roasted organic turkey served with crispy sweet breads, grilled figs with fresh mozzarella and spiced pumpkin cake. Call 877-230-2742 for reservations.

At Sage, the Thanksgiving prix-fixe menu includes a choice of roasted pumpkin soup, Taylor gold pears and shaved Brussels sprouts or the signature foie gras creme brulee. Entrees include roasted organic turkey, day boat scallops or braised veal cheeks, each served with a selection of chef's seasonal sides. Dessert options include pumpkin mascarpone tart or the bourbon caramel bar. The menu is $83 per person. Call 877-230-2742 for reservations.

Sirio Ristorante offers an a la carte menu that includes carpaccio alla Cipriani, gnocchi di zucca and Il Tacchino -- roasted stuffed turkey breast with traditional side dishes. Additionally, the menu will include Italian comfort like risotto o tagliatelle al tartufo bianco, risotto or tagliatelle pasta with fresh shaved white truffles. Call 877-230-2742 for reservations.

Bellagio:

Julian Serrano designed a special four-course menu at Picasso with options including creme of butternut squash soup and sauteed steak of foie gras, as well as Kobe spheres and roasted milk-fed veal chop. The menu is $150 per person with a wine pairing available for an additional $95. Call 702-693-7223 for reservations.

Le Cirque starts off the five-course Thanksgiving menu with Alaskan king crab and a choice of sauteed foie gras or creamy risotto with fresh truffles. The next course offers roasted wild turbot, then a choice of wild venison, Australian A5 Kobe beef tenderloin or stuffed roasted turkey. Dessert selections include chocolate souffle and pumpkin crepe. The menu is $145 per person, and a wine pairing is available for an additional $65, or $95 for premium wine. Call 702-693-8100.

The Buffet at Bellagio offers traditional and adventurous choices this Thanksgiving. Guests can enjoy a whole roasted free range Tom turkey, while those looking for a novel approach can dine on roasted garlic rubbed Kobe top round, maple seared salmon or split Alaskan and snow crab legs. Brunch is available Nov. 25-27 from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. and is $32.95 per person. Dinner is served from 3 to 10 p.m. and is $44.95 per person.