I had the opportunity to go out with a few friends to Craftsteak at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV last night. The dining experience was nothing short of exquisite and the atmosphere was subdued and easy going but the food was anything but.

Dining at Las Vegas in general is a great experience and though I’ve only been to a handful of neat places there like Smith and Wollensky on The Strip, Fiamma at MGM, Vic and Anthony’s at the Golden Nugget, and some really good sushi place that I can’t for the life of me remember the name of, I have to say that I was especially impressed with the menu and selection at Craftsteak.

Menu

The appetizers included simple veggie dishes, Kobe tartare, foie gras, and seafood. The main courses were standard steak cuts served a la carte, bison, Maine Lobster, fresh fish, and three types of Wagyu beef from America, Austrailia, and of course, Japan. They also had a few Kobe beef tasting menus and a Kobe Surf and Turf. The sides included all the classic steakhouse veggies like creamed spinach, asparagus, and potatoes. They had an interesting mushroom selection: shitake, hon shimeji, and hen of the woods. I wish I saw the desserts but honestly, I had ate too much by the time it got to that point.

My Meal

I started with a cut of foie gras (fattened duck liver) that was nicely seared and garnished with caramelized Mandarin orange slices. The portion was fairly large (looked slightly less than 1/2″) but even as good as it was, I don’t think I could have eaten anymore, foie gras is incredibly rich but insanely flavorful. The main event was an American Wagyu Ribeye. This 12oz piece of meat was the best steak I have ever had the privilege of eating. The softness and flavor of the beef was incredible and served very minimalistically on an iron dish and garnished with what looked to be a really large pearl onion. I also ordered a side of white hon shimeji mushrooms. These go great with steak and have a slight earthy flavor.

I feel like I’m rushing through the description of the foods and I really am. I could write a longer post on the steak alone and my first experience with foie gras but to tell you the truth, Craftsteak is one of those places that you owe yourself to go to if you have the time and money to experience some of the finest food on the planet. The main courses aren’t tiny and the menu is fresh and rotated daily. Darn good food and well worth the dough spent.