If you want decadence, you can find it on the Las Vegas Strip.
It's easy to drop $500 on a meal for two at countless restaurants inside Caesars Entertainment (CZR) and MGM Resorts International (MGM) properties -- and those companies cater mostly to mid-tier gamblers.
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A true high-roller can drop that on a meal for one at venues inside Wynn Resorts (WYNN), or at upscale properties like the Venetian and Bellagio.
Las Vegas has become a foodie city, where celebrity chefs operate everything from fast-food joints (like Bobby Flay's Burger Palace and Pizza Cake by Buddy V) to mid-tier sit-down restaurants (like the various Guy Fieri eateries) and top-notch dining experiences from big names including Flay, Gordon Ramsay, Giada De Laurentiis, and Wolfgang Puck (among many others).
Now, three of Las Vegas's biggest names -- each operates at least one Sin City restaurant -- have come together for a one-of-a-kind dinner.
Le Cirque Offers the Meal of a Lifetime
David Chang, Michael Mina, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten have teamed up with a French winery, Château Margaux, and Kentucky's Buffalo Trace Distillery to offer a once-in-a-lifetime dinner at Le Cirque in Bellagio.
The March 18 event will feature nine wines at dinner, six whiskies after, an invitation for a tour in France, and more.
“To unite culinary icons from around the globe for a culinary journey that is educational, fun, and interactive is in Bellagio’s DNA,” said Bellagio Vice President of Food & Beverage Josef Wagner.
“These talented chefs and beverage professionals are consistently recognized individually for their creativity, skill, and passion in all they do. Bringing them together for this very special night will ‘wow’ guests and deliver a series of unforgettable moments.”
The meal/experience will cost $5,000 per seat plus tax and gratuity. The paper laid out what the decadent affair would offer:
- The event will begin with a reception at Bellagio Terrazza with pours from a Methuselah (6 liters) of ’02 Cristal Champagne, passed Ko Burgers (foie gras, chickpea uni, tuna foie) created by chef Chang and a custom Bellagio fountains show.
- Guests will then be served a five-course dinner in Le Cirque featuring a seafood and caviar platter, ocean trout with foie gras, crispy duck rice with sliced breast and leg confit, Mishima Ranch wagyu prime rib, and strawberry rhubarb vacherin with elderflower cream. The courses will be presented by chefs Chang, Mina and Vongerichten."
Margaux wine will feature heavily in the meal. The first two courses will be paired with two of the winery's Margaux releases, the oldest being the ’82 Margaux accompanying the wagyu. The fifth course will be paired with ’09 Royal Tokaji Essencia, a small production vintage of this classic nectared Hungarian dessert wine (about $1,000 a bottle retail).
"At the conclusion of dessert, Buffalo Trace Master Blender Drew Mayville will guide guests through a high-end bourbon whiskey tasting, which includes O.F.C. vintages from 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996.
"Named after Buffalo Trace’s Kentucky distillery, which was originally christened the Old Fashioned Copper (O.F.C) in 1870, each release in the series showcases the oldest and best barrels of yesteryear and are highly coveted among collectors. In addition to O.F.C. tastings, two other one-of-a-kind whiskies will be presented during the experience," according to the news release.
In addition, all guests will be invited on a "personal tour of the Château Margaux winery and estate, followed by a tasting of select vintages from Margaux’s private collection," the paper added. That invitation does not include the cost of flying to France or any accommodations.
A Look at Las Vegas's Most-Expensive Meals
Expensive meals are served all over the Las Vegas Strip -- though few ever reach close to $5,000. Most involve a celebrity chef. Joël Robuchon, located in the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, offers one such meal, which will set you back about $500 before alcohol, taxes, and tip.
"Joel Robuchon offers a 16-course degustation featuring small plates of pure French decadence. A sampling of the tasting menu includes Le Caviar Imperial, L’Avocat, which is cannelloni and avocado with salmon and the most delicate cream, and La Crevette Rose, which is a dish of rose shrimp and bonito tuna with bright ginger and kombu seaweed broth," Vegas Food and Fun shared.
Caesars also jumps in with a tasting menu at Restaurant Guy Savoy at its namesake Las Vegas Strip hotel. That menu changes regularly but it also comes in around $500 per person.
"Offering such dishes as octopus terrine with caviar and saffron, artichoke and black truffle soup with toasted mushroom brioche, and “Sealand,” a surf and turf of Wagyu beef and lobster, each menu is different from the last and celebrates an event, ingredient or season important to Guy Savoy," OnTheStrip.com shared.
And, if you're looking for a simply massive tasting menu, $290 will get you a 20-plus course, ever-changing tasting menu at e by Jose Andres at MGM's Cosmopolitan.
"The brainchild of world-renowned humanitarian chef José Andrés, the restaurant offers two 'shows' each opening night," OnTheStrip reported. "Diners share an enormous steel chef’s table where dishes are often cooked or composed in front of them. Wine pairings range from about $150 to $300."
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