Back in September, I reviewed Scarpetta at the Thompson Hotel in Toronto and mentioned that I’d like to visit all five of the restaurants in North America. I had assumed that my second restaurant would be in New York, but instead, it became Las Vegas. Scarpett was the first restaurant I went to during my trip. Though I had the tasting menu when I was in Toronto, I opted for a la carte in Vegas. While the restaurant and owner are the same, the menu and price points will vary somewhat, depending on location.
Like the Toronto restaurant, and probably other Scarpetta locations, the bread in the bread basket is stuffed with salami, with a trio of dips and spreads. Placed on top of the bread basket is a large slice of bread (the “scarpetta” – the crusty bread used to soak up sauce) and was served warm. At the dinner, I had the following:
Roasted Diver Scallops: This starter is not on the Toronto menu. The scallops, which are of substantial size and come with sugar snaps, watermelon radish and a dollop of pea foam. This is one dish to order if you are looking for a more substantial appetizer without having anything that has too much starch (e.g. risotto or pasta). Another dish to have (a signature at the restaurant) is the creamy polenta with truffled mushrooms.
Spaghetti (with tomato and basil): This simple dish that is on every Scarpetta menu. If you recall my Toronto review back in September, I mentioned that the pasta was a little over-cooked. This was definitely NOT the case in the Las Vegas restaurant. Perfectly al dente, the dish, which was slightly bigger in portion size (because this was the full sized version rather than what you’d see in a four or five course tasting menu), and is good without the need of additional Parmesan or ground pepper. In fact, it would probably be an insult to the chef if you add anything more! If you aren’t in the mood for pasta, the main course selections include lamb, several different types of fish and beef.
In addition to the pasta, we also ordered two sides. The simple broccoli rabe was tossed in garlic and chile, a pretty good compliment to pasta, interestingly enough as were the carrots, which were honey glazed and came with Sicilian toasted pistachios.
Nutella & Vanilla Creme Bomboloni: About ping pong sized balls of dough, sprinkled with sugar and with gooey Nutella inside, this is definitely lava doughnut heaven. We were fairly full after a big meal, and figured that this dish, is the most shareable between four people. The Bomboloni is available at all Scarpetta restaurants, which means that one won’t have to travel to Las Vegas to give it a try. I might order it again the next time I go to the Toronto location.
Scapetta Las Vegas is located in the Cosmopolitan Hotel, which opened in 2010. Like the Toronto spot, it has large windows with darker furniture and decor, relying much on natural light (we sat near the window overlooking the Fountains of Bellagio at the Bellagio hotel. Since the dinner was at least 90 minutes long, we probably saw at least half a dozen of the fountain’s “performances”). Service was excellent, though a little bit slow. In our case, it didn’t matter much, as we were not in a hurry to catch a show. If you are in Las Vegas, Scarpetta is definitely a restaurant to go to! Reservations can be made online (via Open Table) or by calling them at 702-698-7960. Scarpetta is not open for lunch. Scarpetta’s sister restaurant, the more casual DOCG Enoteca, is next door.
Two down, three to go, not including the more casual spot in Vegas.
