Brezza (702.676.6014) has already reset the standard for coastal Italian cuisine on the Strip at its refined and colorful Resorts World Las Vegas dining space. Now executive chef Nicole Brisson is adding to the offerings with a new Sunday brunch program featuring live performance by acclaimed Las Vegas singer Christina Amato, fantastic views from the olive tree-lined patio, and beautiful bites running the gamut from fresh seafood and house-baked pastry to pasta and classic mid-morning dishes. Start with the chef’s selection of salumi and Italian cheese with pickled vegetables and move on to the caviar gnocco fritto and Tuscan beef tartare. Salt-roasted potato gnocchi and spring pea agnolotti highlight the pasta selections, and a frittata with candied tomatoes and prosciutto or the zucchini crepes with fresh mozzarella will likely change the way you think about brunch and Italian cuisine.
Even if you missed this week’s special Mother’s Day menu at Matteo’s Ristorante Italiano (702.414.1222) at The Venetian, the northern Italian specialties that distinguish this spot from the many other fine eateries on the Strip are ready and waiting. Don’t miss starter dishes like sweet and spicy baby peppers filled with creamy cheese and arugula oil or prosciutto in lightly fried sage dough with straciatella; or signature mains like casonzei pork and veal ravioli in sage brown butter sauce or baked Faroe Island salmon with eggplant purée and braised fennel. These outstanding flavors can only be found at Matteo’s.
Out in the neighborhood, the talented and hard-working Las Vegas family behind legendary restaurant Nora’s Cuisine and the thriving Old School Pizzeria is also cooking up greatness at Monzú Italian Oven & Bar (702.749.5959), where craft cocktails and artisanal pizza and bread converge, plus a whole lot more. Sample bar snacks like truffle fries; ricotta-filled squash blossoms; or pork and beef meatballs while you work your way through a bottle of wine or the carefully curated menu of libations. Or gather friends for a robust supper of grilled artichokes with lemon and mint; and grilled swordfish with fennel, orange, and chickpea puree. Monzú can be your new favorite neighborhood restaurant, no matter what neighborhood you call home.
At Green Valley Ranch, Bottiglia Cucina & Enoteca (702.617.7191) is one of the valley’s brightest and most welcoming Italian dining rooms, perfect for weekend brunch or a special occasion dinner. Seafood specialties like seared octopus with Calabrian chili aioli, crispy calamari in garlic tomato sauce or king crab bucatini in Meyer lemon cream sauce immediately jump out from the menu, and you should feel confident in ordering with your instincts. But Bottiglia also serves hearty chicken marsala, filet mignon and eggplant parm, all of which are very complementary dishes if you’re planning to peruse the extensive Italian wine list. Make the most of the opportunity—you won’t regret any indulgence at this stylish destination, certainly not the tiramisu, chocolate coconut pudding or lemon poppyseed doughnuts for dessert.
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