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| - There is a LOT of gushing going on about this new place. I luckily snagged a reservation 4 weeks in advance, but a quick search shows that the restaurant is sold out until August unless you want really inconvenient times.
Front of the house was a little awkward. We got there a few minutes early, and they told us they were running on schedule but we'd have to wait until our reservation time. No biggie, I thought. I then watched 4-5 couples walk in after us and get seated before us. Again, no biggie. 15 minutes after our scheduled time the hostess asks if we'd like to sit in the lounge while we wait for our table. Now I'm getting annoyed. What happened to running on time? Luckily we didn't sit too long as they seated us after 10 minutes in the lounge.
I watched as they offered a tour of the place to their guests before they sat down. Were we offered a tour? I'll let you take a wild guess. NOPE - I had to ask for one, and yes, we did receive a tour.
The space itself is gorgeous, with a great view of the strip. There is a classic, traditional look with big, beautiful windows overlooking the Strip. I loved the wood staircase going up to the restaurant. Servers are in white jackets, with plating done tableside. It is pretty elegant with kind of a homely feel.
I guess if you're gonna run episodes of Everyday Italian and Giada at Home on an endless loop on flatscreens above the bar, it better be Giada's place. I mean, why the hell wouldn't she do that? As we ate I was able to watch an easy-to-make peas and prosciutto dish. So I got food and education!
The menu has phonetic pronunciations of all the pastas. In case you're an idiot, they're right there for you. Thanks, Giada. Also, there are self-portraits of her all over the walls. Not the endearing South Park portraits, however.
Our dishes were excellent. Bread service was great, as the butter I thought I was spreading was actually mascarpone cheese. The scallop and crab risotto was our favorite dish of the meal. Bacon wrapped dates with spicy sausage and gorgonzola crema were also a big hit. The cocktail program is well thought out and executed.
Giada stopped and chatted with us and took a pic after we finished our meal. Very nice lady, and nice to see her buzzing around the place. The tourists will come here in droves.
So food is good, decor and ambience even better, but something was just off with a few things. I still think it was surprisingly a good experience. As much as I thought I would dislike it, I enjoyed my meal there (despite a few hiccups). And the food is quite noteworthy. Giada is definitely off to a good start.
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