Craftsteak
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, 3799 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas
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When Tom Colicchio unveiled Craftsteak in 2002, Las Vegas had never seen anything like it. It was simple, artisanal and restrained: three things Sin City ain't. Thanks to his host's deep pockets, Colicchio was able to meticulously source ingredients from boutique producers and small-family farms -- and five years later, the other steakhouses on the Strip are still trying to catch up. A succinct menu reveals almost nothing, so you have no way of knowing that an eight-ounce Kobe platinum New York strip may well be the red meat pinnacle (though the $184 price tag would be your first hint). Knee-jerk carnivores may be put off by the lack of largesse, but there's no denying the impossibly tender braised beef short ribs from grass-fed cattle and remarkably simple sides such as roasted Jerusalem artichokes. In essence, the kitchen coaxes every last ounce of flavor out of ingredients by doing very little to ruin their natural essence. The gold-toned environs mark a significant step up from The Brown Derby, the space's previous tenant, but the expense-account wine tome is astounding in its sheer opulence; somehow eye-poppers like a 1982 Château Cheval Blanc ($7,480) don't seem out of place.

Photo courtesy of Craftsteak