Famous for its glitzy casinos, wild entertainment and elaborately themed resorts, Las Vegas attracts millions of visitors each year. And while this truly unique U.S. destination is infamous for its 24/7 gambling and endless opportunities for debauchery, it’s also making a name for itself as a rising culinary destination, something visitors are certain to notice as they discover restaurants helmed by local and celebrity chefs tucked around seemingly every corner. For those who love The Neon City, its collection of incredible eats comes as no surprise, but for the uninitiated, this side of Vegas is often an unexpected treat, allowing visitors to eat their way through different regions of the world at places like New York-New York Hotel & Casino, Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, The Venetian and more.
As fans of all things delicious, The Compass team was thrilled when The Tour Guy invited us to join a local food tour hosted by Best Bet Vegas Tours. We were in town for VAX Connection, VAX VacationAccess’ first-ever event, and the food tour made for the cherry on top of an already excellent weekend. Curious about all the scrumptious details? Here’s what travelers can expect when they indulge in the “Best Bites on the Strip.”
Stop 1: New York-New York Hotel & Casino
The flavors of an authentic Jewish delicatessen in the middle of the Nevada desert? While it might sound unlikely, that’s exactly what travelers will find when they visit New York-New York’s Greenberg & Sons Delicatessen. Hidden within a charming facade that’s so convincing it really feels like you’ve stumbled upon a small deli on the dimly lit streets of New York, during our first stop, we sampled Greenberg & Son’s mile high corned beef sandwich (spoiler alert, it was amazing). Perfectly paired with a petite pickle spear, this scrumptious sandwich ticked all the boxes. Yummy corned beef and pastrami, check. Tangy slaw and thousand island dressing, check. Fresh-baked rye bread, check. Our tour was beginning with a bang, and as we enjoyed our first few bites, our guide took a few moments to refresh us on Vegas’ intriguing history, showing us photos of mobsters and the desolate stretch of land that eventually transformed into the Las Vegas Strip we know and love today.
Stop 2: Park MGM
After finishing our last few bites at New York-New York — I miss you already, corned beef — it was time to head to our second stop on the tour, Park MGM’s Eataly. Spanning 40,000-square-feet, this impressive dining option instantly transports visitors to an authentic Italian market where guests can enjoy both grab-and-go goodies and seated meals or purchase fresh ingredients to replicate their favorite dishes at home. Inside, we were impressed by Eataly’s expert usage of natural lighting, greenery and bright colors, all of which worked together to create a welcoming atmosphere for us to sit down and enjoy our next “bite:” a slice of pizza crafted with house-made mozzarella cheese and Italian imports, served on the cutest ceramic plate. As expected, the pizza was fabulous, and our group sat in a comfortable silence as we enjoyed the cheesy goodness and admired our quaint surroundings (something that’s not so easy to come by in Vegas). Of course, the fun factoids continued, and our guide shared that Park MGM boasts an outdoor theme (hence “park”), noting subtle nods to nature throughout the hotel’s decor, all the way down to the carpet.
Stop 3: The Cosmopolitan
Young, fresh and hip, our next stop brought us to The Cosmopolitan, one of the coolest new casinos to join the Strip. According to our guide, this property attracts a youthful crowd, so it was only fitting that the tour’s third featured stop was hidden inside Block 16, a trendy food hall serving everything from donuts and coffee to fried chicken sandwiches and tacos. After grabbing us a table just around the corner from the bustling venue, our guide returned with goodies from Bāng Bar by Momofuku, a restaurant specializing in spit-roasted meats and sides with an Asian-inspired spin. Planning ahead, our guide grabbed everyone’s individual orders before we arrived, and I opted for the chicken teriyaki option although beef, pork and eggplant were also available. Tangy and delicious, my fold-up wrap hit the spot with its refreshing slaw, tasty Bāng flatbread and, of course, perfectly prepared meat. In fact, Bāng Bar was so good, I returned the next day for another round.
Like previous stops, our visit to Block 16 was accompanied by a quick history lesson with our guide sharing that the food hall’s namesake was inspired by the once infamous Las Vegas street by the same name.
Stop 4: The Bellagio
What’s a good meal without dessert? Before leaving Block 16, our guide asked us the most important question of the day, “which flavor of gelato did we want?” After going around the group and collecting our individual orders, we set off for the Bellagio, the tour’s fourth and final stop for a sweet treat. Something I found fascinating about our route was the way almost every stop was connected, and getting to the Bellagio was no different as we traversed a long hallway filled with eccentric art, passed more popular dining spots like The Wicked Spoon buffet and The Cosmopolitan's hidden Ski Lodge and finally, descended a pair of escalators, eventually leading to Bellagio Patisserie. Home to the world’s-largest chocolate fountain and some truly excellent French cuisine and pastries, we looked on in glee as our guide gathered and issued our gelato orders, which, I’m happy to report, were not skimpy servings! I tried the pistachio flavor, and it was everything I could have dreamed of with just the right level of sweetness.
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As an added bonus, and a grand finale to an epic day of eats, we made a quick stop at the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, a free attraction at the hotel with rotating floral displays depending on the time of year. In our case, the theme was spring, and we oohed and aahed as we walked amongst the fresh flowers and towering exhibits.
Are you interested in booking this Las Vegas Strip Food Tour? Visit The Tour Guy’s website and sign up today.
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