The New New Vegas | Travel + Leisure
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The New New Vegas

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Las Vegas has gone from rinky-dink frontier town to swinging Rat Pack mecca; from Sin City in the seventies to family playland in the nineties; from all-you-can-eat buffets at Binion's Horseshoe to all-you-can-spend dinners at Bellagio. Now the city has upped the ante once again, reaching out to a more urbane crowd with a cool new breed of hotels, restaurants, and clubs. Welcome to Las Vegas version 8.0.

RESTAURANTS

Craftsteak At Tom Colicchio's place at the MGM Grand, meat is the headliner—try the braised veal shank and the grass-fed strip steak. But where the kitchen really shines is in the side dishes: roasted hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, squash blossoms, Jerusalem artichokes. dinner for two $120 3799 Las Vegas blvd. s. 702/891-7318

Nobhill San Francisco chef Michael Mina, of Aqua fame, moves beyond fish at his polished new room in the MGM Grand, with fresh, hearty American dishes (roast rack of pork, lobster pot pie, seared foie gras) and amazing bread. Nominated for Best New Restaurant in America last year by the James Beard Foundation (it lost, oddly enough, to Craft in New York). dinner for two $115 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. s. 702/891-7337

Alizé André Rochat, creator of André's (the doyenne of French restaurants in Vegas), took to the Palms resort last November for his newest shrine to French cuisine, perched atop the hotel and offering the best views in town. The two-story wine cellar contains 1,500 labels. dinner for two $125 Palms casino resort & Hotel, 4321 W. Flamingo Rd. 702/951-7000

HOTELS

Palms Casino Resort & Hotel The theme is there is no theme: the Palms is simply a stylish, retro resort a mile off the Strip with a great casino and a sexy pool lounge; both have been packed with young hipsters since the opening last November. After dark, check out Little Buddha, an offshoot of Paris's notorious Buddha Bar, or the sultry Ghostbar, 55 stories up. doubles from $99 4321 W. Flamingo Rd. 866/942-7777 or 702/942-7777 www.thepalmslasvegas.com

Green Valley Ranch Resort This plush, vaguely Mediterranean resort opened in December in nearby Henderson, about 20 minutes off the Strip. The trek doesn't discourage trendy locals and out-of-towners from flocking to the hotel's Whiskey Sky club (see below) or the sumptuous pool complex, on a hillside with great views of the Vegas skyline. doubles from $200 2300 Paseo Verde Pkwy., Henderson 866/782-9487 or 702/617-9487 www.greenvalleyranchresort.com

BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS

Whiskey Sky The first Vegas outpost from nightlife impresario Rande Gerber (a.k.a. Mr. Cindy Crawford) is certainly among his grandest: a sprawling playground that combines a dance club, a quieter bar, and an eight-acre pool area (Whiskey Beach) with actual sand, private cabanas, and live entertainment. Green Valley Ranch Resort 702/617-7777

V Bar Can you believe it? Inside the over-the-top Venetian Resort lurks a chic, minimalist lounge that could have been airlifted from SoHo or West Hollywood. (In a sense, it was: the owners also opened Lotus in New York and the Sunset Room in L.A.) Acid jazz, neo-soul, and edgy scenesters complete the vibe. Venetian Resort, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. s. 702/414-3200

Light A wildly successful branch of the popular New York club, Light may be as sophisticated as Vegas nightlife gets. Candles, scarlet drapes, and sleek mod furnishings make the moderately sized space seem worlds away from the Strip. Well-heeled couples and the occasional celeb (recent sightings: Anthony Kiedis, Sting, Leonardo DiCaprio) only confirm the beyond-the-velvet-rope feeling. Bellagio Hotel & Casino, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S. 702/693-8300

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