Recommend a Vegas spot for a small wedding dinner?

April 30, 2008 4:35 PM

Can you recommend a restaurant to host a 15-person wedding dinner in Las Vegas?

I'll be getting married in Vegas between Monday, Oct 20 and Friday, Oct 24, and I'd like to take the whole gang to dinner after the ceremony. Facts which may facilitate your recommendation:

-There will be 10 attendees in their late 20's and two sets of parents in their 50's.
-Drinking will likely be moderate, maybe 2-3 glasses of wine or beers per person.
-I'd prefer attendees be able to choose their courses as at any restaurant, but a limited selection for the evening would be acceptable.
-I'd love to keep the total cost around $50/person, including dessert.
-There are few Wine Industry folk in the group, so they will appreciate a good wine list or corkage. This is not critical.
-I'd like my party to have privacy, to accommodate toasts and general rambunctiousness.
-Should be within an easy 30 minute's car trip of The Strip.
-Food should be "North American Normal". I personally would love to have a nice hamburger.
-As a group, my party would generally enjoy "fun" and "comfortable" over "really nice" or "fancy".
-I'd prefer to support a local, independent business.
-I'd LOVE to support a MeFite's business.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations or ideas. E-mail me if you'd like!

posted by chudmonkey to food & drink (7 comments total)

"North American Normal" characterizes Rosemary's pretty well; it's about 30 minutes off strip at Sahara and Tenaya, wine list is extensive, and locally owned. They run some promotions that might help you reach your target cost. It's great food, a nice space and fairly formal service without being stuffy or pretentious.
posted by zepheria at 5:36 PM on April 30, 2008

Sedona kicks ass as an affordable, tasty restaurant.

Casual but classy.
posted by tachikaze at 6:27 PM on April 30, 2008

The price range knocks out everything on the strip directly. It might knock Rosemary's out too, depending on how you're calculating $50. It'll get you an entree, an appetizer, and some beer or wine, but that's about it. I don't think you'll be able to get near the (excellent) tasting menu with wine and beer pairings.

That said, I'll talk a bit more about it because it's probably the most reasonably priced good restaurant I've found in Vegas. There's a lot of "OMG it is the BEST FOOD IN VEGAS" nonsense on yelp and chowhound. That's wrong. The best food in Vegas is on the strip and it costs a fucking fortune. Rosemary's provides very competent and tasty stuff that is impressive, but you won't mistake it for the French Laundry.

The service is almost comically good. Last time I went we had a very large (and very drunk) party, and they treated us as though we were respectable people anyway, still doing nice multi-waiter presentations, and even giving us the details of our beer pairings, despite the fact that we were obnoxiously mocking the frou-frou language used to describe the pairings.

So I mean, I recommend it, but beware that it's easy to go way over your stated budget. I believe we ended up in the $100-150/person neighborhood, by ordering tasting menus with paired drinks.
posted by Project F at 8:34 PM on April 30, 2008

Oh, and if you aren't local, you might want to consider getting a mega-limo. Depending on where you're coming from, the taxi rides could add up quick, and easily cost a decent fraction of a limo's price.
posted by Project F at 8:37 PM on April 30, 2008

I don't know if (a) they'd be able to accommodate you, or (b) if you'd be interested in it, but my SO and I absolutely *loved* our evening at Lucky Cheng's.

Yes, it's a drag show. But, they were hilariously rambunctious and casual, and if your guests were so inclined, might just fit the bill. They seemed particularly adept at adapting their show and presence for the audience, and what the audience could handle.

The restaurant is an intimate size (would probably accommodate 45 at max), and the food was very, very, excellent -- and incredibly reasonable for being moments off the strip.

I could imagine that it would be an amazingly-memorable place to have a post-wedding dinner, and would highly recommend it, if they would do something like that. IANY Wedding Planner, but wouldn't hesitate to go back in a minute for ANY event.
posted by liquado at 9:47 PM on April 30, 2008

It's not "North American Normal", but it is "North Americanized Italian". Battista's Hole in the Wall is a terrific place for parties of over a dozen. It's one of very few remaining old Vegas restaurants. The walls are covered with photos of rat packers and Vegas celebrities from the past fifty years or so hanging out with the owner. It's only a block away from the strip.

A couple things make it great for groups of people.

- There is no a la carte. All meals include soup/salad, pasta, bread and cappuccino. This greatly simplifies the ordering process. Prices cap out at about $35-$40.
- Though there is a full bar and wine list, all meals come with bottomless red and white house wine. All you can drink!
-A roaming accordion player will serenade you and take requests, or will get lost if you slip him a couple bucks.

I won't say it's the best food you can find, but it is good, and the restaurant is definitely a lot of fun and gives a hint of the old Vegas experience. Your guests will remember this for a long time.
posted by nedpwolf at 9:13 AM on May 1, 2008

I will second Battista's Hole In The Wall. Casual with great food, Family atmosphere ("family" as in "when you walk in, you are family" not horrifying animatronic mice singing Happy Birthday), all you can drink wine on your table, good old-Vegas vibe.

Every year on the night before CES (the Consumer Electronics Show) we go in with a group of 15-20 folks to relax and get ready for the long days ahead. From your description, it sounds like what you might be looking for.
posted by Overzealous at 10:30 AM on May 1, 2008