Gelato, Las Vegas

Gelato is one of my favorite desserts and indulgences. I can never pass up the opportunity to savor a scoop of creamy goodness. Gelato is made from more milk and eggs than cream and air in ice cream, leaving a denser, thicker, more intensely flavored, and sometimes sweeter product. Las Vegas is perhaps one of the best places to sample gelato (aside from Italy, of course), since almost every major hotel on the strip has a shop backed by a famous dessert / pastry chef.

Let's see our candidates.

From Paris, Le Cafe du Parc

Shameful! I'm surprised they can even call this gelato. It was not dense nor was it creamy. There were chunks of frozen strawberries, but this might as well have been your local grocery store ice cream. Skip!

From Aria: Sweet Chill 

From Aria, Sweet Chill

Beautifully decorated, the variety of flavors is overwhelming. Unfortunately, Sweet Chill is poorly situated in the maze of what is known as Aria. Finding this shop, although rather large and brightly lit with pastel and neon colors, is not an easy feat. Due to the infrequency of foot traffic, the gelato's freshness is questionable. Nonetheless, it was decent.

From Bellagio: Palio Pronto!

Now this is a place that gets a lot of foot traffic. See how much the gelato has already been scooped? This little stop is across from Bally's, diagonal from Flamingo, and next to Caesar's. This is meant for quick stops as they don't even have chairs for you to rest from your gelato hunting. The gelato is the creamiest and best tasting, but the variety is lacking. As I mentioned, it's a small store front, limiting them to serve only a dozen of their most popular favorites.

From Bellagio: Cafe Gelato

From Bellagio: Cafe Gelato

Banana toffee gelato, Cafe Gelato

I always save the best for last. Hands down, Cafe Gelato takes the cake...in this case, the gelato! Nothing beats their gelato's textures, intensity of flavors, and extraordinary variety. This is truly gelato heaven. On top of it all, there is cafe seating. If you ever find yourself on the Vegas strip, pining for a scoop, take my advice. Cafe Gelato in Bellagio is the best.

Spago

On both counts of quality and quantity, Wolfgang Puck delivers. (Well, not Wolfgang himself, but his executive chefs)

You can almost anticipate the outcome of your meal from the bread basket alone. Parmesan crisps, onion focaccia, and raisin bread, all wonderfully fragrant and fresh. When paired with the rosemary infused extra virgin olive oil, the flavors collide and explode.

The special soup of the day was green garlic soup. Surprise chunks of portabello mushrooms and tender spears of asparagus heads lay hidden in the velvety rich soup. The garlic was not overpowering, but perfectly spicy. A ring of creme fraiche and some toasted mini croutons round out a perfectly hearty and generous portion.

The calamari fritti with garlic aioli and Asian sweet and sour sauce, plus a side of asian cucumber salad. I must say, it was probably the best calamari I've had to date. Crispy lightly battered and tender, the calamari went extraordinarily well with the smooth garlic aioli. The sweet and sour sauce and the cucumber salad added the Asian flare with a kick.

The pasta special was seafood and angel hair cooked in a white wine sauce. The seafood was extremely fresh and the pasta cooked al dente. The sauce was light and appetizing.

Hand cut fettucini with mushrooms, fresh arugula, and English peas in a cream sauce. Buttery noodles gently caressed in a delicate cream, accentuated with savory mushrooms, peppery arugula, and sweet peas. If it was not hazardous to my health, I wouldn't mind having a large plate of these noodles every night.

Max Brenner

Max Brenner is a great place for brunch on the Vegas strip. Situated conveniently in the Caesars Forum Shops, the cute and dark little shop is home to delicious chocolates and chocolatey drink concoctions.

The banana split latte, priced at a whopping $7.50, was a thick, creamy chocolate milkshake with bananas. It was frothy and came in the most interesting yet practical cup, equipped with metal straw to keep the beverage cold until the moment it hits your lips.

The illegal chocolate chocolate chocolate pancakes were amazing. Soft, pillowy, fluffy disks of dough, topped with toffee'd bananas and toasted pecans. As if that wasn't decadent enough, a generous drizzle of chocolate syrup and honey. For those chocoholics, an extra beaker of chocolate sauce sits on the side for additional dousing to your heart's content.

The skillet scramble was surprisingly delicious, coming from a chocolate shop. Eggs were velvety, the sausage  was savory, the peppers and onions nicely grilled, and the spinach and mushrooms nicely seasoned. Served with a crunchy and crusty roll and a side of chocolate sauce and butter. Chocolate and eggs? Yes, questionable. Weird at first but due to the quality of the chocolate, it sort of works.

Chocoholics rejoice!