Gold Standard burger from Holsteins
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| STK’s Cowboy rib steak |
During the past decade, Vegas has maneuvered its way to the top of the food charts. Today, Sin City’s restaurants go well beyond the all-you-can-eat buffet: at China Poblano, there are Chinese dumplings alongside Mexican street food, while Estiatorio Milos flies in loup de mer (sea bass) daily from NYC and Montreal, and Lotus of Siam serves the country’s most authentic Thai. Still, this is a city built for high rollers, and there’s nothing—not caviar or foie gras—that pairs with success like a good, old-fashioned steak.
The newest addition to Vegas’ list of steak-and-spud establishments is STK, where Stephen Hopcraft takes a Goldilocks approach to his meat: Filets, tenderloins and the like come in three sizes, so diners can find one that is just right. As far as ambience goes, STK takes its cues from N9NE Steakhouse—it’s more disco than demure, especially as the night progresses. Still, even if you prefer your T-bone without a side of Jay-Z, it’s worth braving the noise for creative riffs on steakhouse staples such as shrimp “Rice Krispies” that snap, crackle and pop.
Next door at Aria Resort & Casino, Jean Georges Steakhouse is dark, romantic and decidedly modern. Steaks are perfectly seared on a wood-burning grill and served with threepepper marmalade, soy-miso butter or a textbook béarnaise. Farther afield, Wolfgang Puck’s CUT attracts everyone from business execs to the cast of The Hills with its top-shelf red meat. Try “A Tasting of New York Sirloin,” a trio of Snake River Farms American Kobe; 35-day, dry-aged USDA Prime Nebraska sirloin; and New Zealand Wagyu. Finally, though it’s not technically a steakhouse, Holsteins is a must for beef of a different ilk. Burgers are divided into tiny buns and big buns, and range from The Classic to the Gold Standard—
a dry-aged sirloin patty with smoked bacon, goat cheddar,
tomato confit and garlic-chive aioli.
