Vic & Anthony’s I’ve been writing about and drooling over Las Vegas food for over 17 years now. All the guides have rave reviews, and it is currently ranked as one of the top steakhouses in the valley. So when my husband suggested we go out to a romantic dinner at this restaurant, I happily accepted the invitation.
The interior of the space is impressive. Dark warm cozy tables, wood accents, and big comfy chairs tempt your taste buds the moment you walk into the joint. Cases of wine are displayed in glass display cabinets, illuminating the impressive wine collection that Vic and Anthony’s have. We got a great table and started perusing the menu of high-end food.
We started with a dozen oysters. The briny beauties that they brought to the table were a colossal disappointment. They tasted fresh but were riddled with sand and tiny rocks. We both ordered a cup of their lobster bisque, which was a rich velvety and very satisfying hug in your mouth. Next up, we tried their pear and saga blue cheese salad. It was candied pecan and teardrop tomatoes in a creamy vinaigrette. Unfortunately, when it came to the table, it was covered in red onions, which we are not fans of and wouldn’t have ordered if the menu said it. The waiter quickly remade our salad without them. Then we decided to split the Sea Bass (because my husband cooks a mean steak at home); the fish is served with sauteed asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, with a preserved lemon-caper sauce. It was flat-out terrible. The fish was raw in the middle and turned our stomachs immediately. We didn’t have the heart to tell our waiter, who was so attentive that night. We also ordered a side of macaroni and cheese which was maybe only a step above the blue box—all in all, a big failure. I wouldn’t go back.
Mastrioni’s We were treated to a meal at Mastrioni’s a few weeks later. If you are into cooking, I highly recommend that you sit at the counter to watch the chefs cook the different dishes right in front of you, giving you dinner and a show. They have a lot of other romantic spots around the space if that’s not your bag. We were dining as a large group, so we opted to sit at one of their tables. We were seated right away and ordered some of their appetizer selections.
We started with a bowl of their take on Pasta Fagioli, and it was pure perfection. Then we shared some Caesar salad and their antipasto with deli meat, artichoke hearts, olives, and fresh mozzarella cheese.
Then in the hopes that they would make up for our previous Sea Bass experience, we ordered the Sea Bass Piccata. Priced at $36 compared to the $51 we paid at Vic & Anthony’s. The fish came out perfectly cooked with loads of excellent piccata sauce covered with tons of tasty, tangy capers. The portion was twice the size of the piece at Vic & Anthony’s. They give you the option of a side of pasta, sauteed spinach, and or roasted vegetables. We loved their sauteed spinach in olive oil, a little bit of garlic, finished off by a squeeze of lemon juice. We capped off this fantastic meal with various desserts tiramisu, cannoli, and a lovely cappuccino. If this was a round of Chopped Mastrioni’s won hands down. Now go eat something!