My new beef: waiters who recommend the most expensive thing on the menu

**Rontele** · 01-04-2010, 09:41 AM

Ate some nice dinners with Frau Rontele in Vegas. Every single restaurant, the waiter recommended the most expensive thing on the menu. I am pretty sure he rec'd not because it was the best thing on the menu, but that he thought I was some fucking rube with a Pavlovic response which equates most expensive to best.

Vegas sucks, btw.

**Tippster** · 01-04-2010, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by Rontele

Vegas sucks, btw.

...and now you are an adult. Welcome.

**Rontele** · 01-04-2010, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by Tippster

...and now you are an adult. Welcome.

Holy shit, Tipp. What a festering pithole of humanity. Nothing original there. All of the "good" restaurants are transplants of elsewhere and even then, they are way overpriced and horribly underdelivered.

**Viva** · 01-04-2010, 10:04 AM

Just returned from visiting family in Vegas. God! I hate that place. Going to Mt. Charleston or Red rocks is a decent respite, however. And as far as food goes, it's all crap unless you dine at the very expensive places. I've yet to experience good, reasonably priced food there.

**plugboots** · 01-04-2010, 10:07 AM

And all the meat and veggies are locally supplied!

**Rontele** · 01-04-2010, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by Viva

Just returned from visiting family in Vegas. God! I hate that place. Going to Mt. Charleston or Red rocks is a decent respite, however. And as far as food goes, it's all crap unless you dine at the very expensive places. I've yet to experience good, reasonably priced food there.

Viva, we went to Nobu, Sushisamba and Il Mulino. Three very expensive restaurants, all highly rated, and all highly overrated and generally, meh.

**Tippster** · 01-04-2010, 10:14 AM

Vegas is good for gambling and people watching... and that's it. My favorites are the little old bluehairs chainsmoking and drinking cheap scotch while claiming any slot machine within 5 feet as "theirs."

The blackjack bimbos are fun too, especially when they're clearly employed by the casino to make idiots lose more money.

Any place that has Picassos hanging in a restaurant is the height of cheese. Everything about that town screams "Pinky Ring."

**dumpy** · 01-04-2010, 10:16 AM

So where do the locals eat?

**FJ62** · 01-04-2010, 10:21 AM

Best Vegas dining discovery I ever found: The Palace Station has an "oyster bar" smack dab in the middle of their tiny casino floor (right next to a subway) that is pretty damn awesome. Pan roasts and gumbos for the most part that they make 1' in front of you to your specs and spiciness.

That's a fairly locals-only casino, about a 10 dollar cab ride from the strip. Of course, 20 bucks in r/t cab fare plus a 12 buck gumbo gets you close to the cost of the fancier meals inside the big hotels.

**wandering, not lost** · 01-04-2010, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by dumpy

So where do the locals eat?

Lotus of Siam, best Thai food in North America according to both Frommer's and the now defunct Gourmet Magazine. Not a chain, and damn good food. They also have an extensive wine list of German Rieslings... go figure. It's on Sahara east of the strip in a sketchy strip mall next to a tranny wig store.

We also used to go to Hedary's. It's a ways from the strip, but a family owned chain (there's two more owned by his brothers or kids or something) of Lebanese restaurants. The kafta, falafil, and dolmas were incredible and so were the perfectly puffed up pitas.

**Tye 1on** · 01-04-2010, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by dumpy

So where do the locals eat?

Anywhere but the strip. Bootlegger bistro for Italian, Paymons for Med, Hugo's Celler downtown for old school gourmet, rose for the ladies, etc. There's a ton of good to great options in Vegas imho, but few are on the strip.

**guest** · 01-04-2010, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by Rontele

Vegas sucks, btw.

But you were a half hour from Bootleg!

**El Chupacabra** · 01-04-2010, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by Tye 1on

Anywhere but the strip. Bootlegger bistro for Italian, Paymons for Med, Hugo's Celler downtown for old school gourmet, rose for the ladies, etc. There's a ton of good to great options in Vegas imho, but few are on the strip.

^^^ X2.

Plenty of good and affordable restaurants in Las Vegas (one of the few redeeming qualities of that place) -- none are on the strip.

**Steven S. Dallas** · 01-04-2010, 11:31 AM

We had a really good dinner at Fleur de Lys in December, but although the food was excellent the service was poor- not inattentive, just unrefined. It might seem kind of nitpicky but when you're spending $150 a head you shouldn't be thinking about why the entrees weren't ready at the same time.

**Parvo** · 01-04-2010, 11:32 AM

Must be in the training. Our ski shop monkeys were always trained to first show the most expensive item, 'splain its features and benefits, then move on to the next most spendy item if the custy isn't interested in the most spensive.

Maybe the same philosophy with food service. At our restaurants we would pay our waitstaff comish on drinks and desserts. So our staff would always recommend saving room for the creme brulee and top shelf sherry.

In Vegas, I always hit Z Tejas. Prolly a chain but damn good off-strip fare.

**Rontele** · 01-04-2010, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by Parvo

Must be in the training. Our ski shop monkeys were always trained to first show the most expensive item, 'splain its features and benefits, then move on to the next most spendy item if the custy isn't interested in the most spensive.

Maybe the same philosophy with food service. At our restaurants we would pay our waitstaff comish on drinks and desserts. So our staff would always recommend saving room for the creme brulee and top shelf sherry.

In Vegas, I always hit Z Tejas. Prolly a chain but damn good off-strip fare.

Offering me a $42 lobster thermador for lunch?

**Tippster** · 01-04-2010, 11:38 AM

Well, stop acting like a Russian mafioso.

**Hutch** · 01-04-2010, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by Rontele

Offering me a $42 lobster thermador for lunch?

**Tye 1on** · 01-04-2010, 11:48 AM

One exception. If someone else was buying I'd love to try Andre's at the Monte Carlo. Anybody been? Andre had simply the finest French restaurant downtown for 30 years or so, I bet the one at the MC rocks.
(although hugo's celler downtown is higher on my list)

**Rontele** · 01-04-2010, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by Hutch

Of course this was the first thing I thought of...

I mentioned to the Mrs. that it was unfortunate I couldn't put it on the Underhill's tab.

**Rontele** · 01-04-2010, 12:07 PM

WAITER
Would you be caring for something to
eat or drink, sir?

FLETCH
I would, actually.

WAITER
Charged to the Underhills, sir?

FLETCH
Right. Tell you what -- have you
caviar?

WAITER
Yes, sir. Beluga. But it is eighty
dollars the portion.

FLETCH
(whistles)
I'd better only get two. How about
the lobster thermidor?

WAITER
I recommend it.

FLETCH
Fine. And a couple of bottles of Dom
Perignon. To cabana one.

........

Hugh Conway · 01-04-2010, 12:09 PM

You went to the places rubes go and you were surprised you got treated like a rube?

**Hutch** · 01-04-2010, 12:10 PM

I should have gone into investigative journalism.

**Rontele** · 01-04-2010, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by Hugh Conway

You went to the places rubes go and you were surprised you got treated like a rube?

I figured fine dining in Vegas wouldnt be rubeville...

**stupendous man** · 01-04-2010, 12:21 PM

I'll have the steak sandwich and a steak sandwich.

What about the steakhouse owned by Tom Colichio - Craft?

As far as the menu, as a former waiter I can tell you that your tip is usually based on the bill amount - so you upsell pretty much all the time. You don't recommend a low-priced item because it doesn't get you anywhere. the most expensive item on the menu is usually a nice fish or steak. Thus, customer is usually happy with the product. Savvy customers and foodies are the minority, and if I could ID you as that I'd recommend to you my favorite -which was usually second most expensive.