If you’ve been coveting a reservation at the-impossible-to-get-a-table-at Rao’s flagship in New York, you’ll be pleased to know that you’ll have no such problem in the restaurant’s Las Vegas outpost. Rao’s at Caesars Palace has enough seats for everyone, with two ten-table rooms, a large dining room and an outdoor patio with poolside seating. Reminiscent of its East Harlem counterpart, the restaurant features dark wood furnishings, handsome wood paneling and red accents that are carried in from the vibrant tomato-red facade. Between courses you can partake in a game of bocce and daydream about the Old Country.
The Menu: Featuring high-quality ingredients, the dishes at Rao’s are rustic, Southern Italian comfort food. Homemade roasted red peppers, freshly grated Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano and San Marzano plum tomatoes straight from Italy are just a few of the items that make Rao’s extensive family-style menu consistent with the one that’s been used in New York for more than 110 years. Start off with the bruschetta topped with fresh tomatoes and artichokes, or the antipasto platter featuring Parma prosciutto and Grana Padano cheese before moving on to the primi piatti of Linguine al Vongole Marechiera, a linguine pasta served with New Zealand Cockle Clams. Proceed to your secondi piatti, Costoletta alla Milanese, a veal chop topped with a lightly dressed combination of arugula, tomato and red onions. Be sure to leave room for the decadent Italian-style ricotta cheesecake.
The Must-Have: The le polpette, of course, are a must. These traditional meatballs, made with a mix of beef, veal and pork and served in marinara sauce, are sure to be amore at first bite. Along with the meatballs, order Uncle Vincent’s Famous Lemon Chicken, broiled chicken served in a mouthwatering lemon sauce, and the pennette alla vodka, penne and diced ham tossed in a vodka cream sauce. The food here is so authentically Italian you’ll wonder if nonna is in the kitchen, slaving away over a pot of sauce. Buon appetito!