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| - After scouring the various options before going out to Vegas, my fiancee and I decided to settle on Picasso after looking online at the menu. What is not necessarily apparent right off is that you have to request sitting outside on the patio if the weather is nice enough for it. You get a perfect view of the Bellagio fountains - but from the other side of the tourists - which give it an even better backdrop with the replica Eiffel Tower, the 'Paris' balloon, and the modernist Cosmopolitan/Aria buildings. I was shocked that the restaurant was pretty empty when we came for our 6:30 PM reservation on Friday evening (and it wasn't appreciably more crowded when we left)...but the setting is in a class by itself when you are outside. Maybe you don't appreciate having your conversations stopped every 15 minutes, but it was a fantastic setting for dinner. Our servers were prompt with service, pouring water and serving the dishes in a well-timed fashion.
One of my concerns when looking at the menu was that there weren't many options to choose from for dinner. I went with the prix fixe as a result, as I felt that afforded me more options (as my fiancee did the Degustation). Starting out with poached oysters was a great choice - it's four oysters, in the half-shell, presented with generous amounts of caviar and vermouth-infused broth. I'm not sure it's quite the equivalent of how Per Se treats oysters and caviar as a pairing, but it was so delicious - the sumptuousness of the oyster paired with the rich broth and the bursts of saltiness from the caviar - and the presentation in the half-shell was very unique. My fiancee's lobster salad was also very good. It's presented much more as a tartare with a light dash of flavoring, really allowing you to take in the deliciousness of the lobster, which tasted as fresh as if it had been caught that morning in the ocean. We both had delicious foie gras, albeit presented in different ways. The torchon was really well-done, presented with a toasted piece of brioche (although thinner than I would have thought) with caramalized pineapples and a dash of fruit (I want to say it was cherry) sauce. I really like the intensity of fruit with the torchon, so I wish there was more of the cherry, but the pineapples worked as a nice contrast to the richness of the foie as well. My fiancee's foie came out in seared fashion - it really does look like a steak, given how much is served - with an intense rhubard that really worked well with the bursts of juiciness that come with each bite. Her other appetizer (the scallops) were also delicious with regards to preparation. For the entree, we both went with red meats - I with the milk-fed veal chop, she with the lamb loin. Both were cooked to perfection; I really liked the veal served with au jus, which magnified the succulent flavors of the meat.
To be honest, I forget the desserts offhand (my memory ain't what it used to be, but they were both delicious), and the chocolate chip mini-muffins given as a bite for the next morning were so freakin' good. I'd come back here in a heartbeat - not only for the view, but the food here is really good. Given that I'm sure most of the food is sourced from somewhere other than Las Vegas (I can't imagine there are many farms in the desert), I can understand the relative consistency of the menu. But everything is so well-executed that I wouldn't mind coming back and having virtually the same meal again. For the price ($115-125, depending on which menu you eat), it is a relative bargain compared to some spots in NYC, and their cocktails and wine selection hold up to snuff as well. I would've been surprised ahead of time to hear that they have 2 Michelin Stars, but after eating here, I fully understand why.
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