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A Southwest Tour


jcc

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The wife and I are embarking on a trip after Memorial Day including stops in Las Vegas, Sedona, Scottsdale and Santa Fe. I've been doing some research and have some ideas but would like some further guidance from like-minded individuals:

Vegas:

We're here for two nights, one of which I would like a fine dining ($400) range experience and the other just a decent meal at a reasonable price. I'm also open to recommendations for lunch (good cocktails are a plus). I'd like to keep on the strip as it's my wife's first time in Vegas. For the nice meal I think I have it narrowed down to Picasso or Alex - which wins on atmosphere?

Sedona:

Coming back from a Pink Jeep tour at sunset and staying at The Matterhorn, we'd like a good place for a meal and a few drinks that's open pretty late - close to the hotel.

Scottsdale:

We will be staying at the Phoenician for one night. I'd prefer to venture out into Scottsdale for a meal and am leaning towards the Roaring Fork. Any thoughts?

Santa Fe:

Two nights here staying on the Plaza. Am thinking about the Anasazi Restaurant and the Coyote Cantina. Any other thougts?

We're not opposed to wandering off the beaten path for hidden gems - however since so much of our trip will be composed of traveling from one destination to another we would like to keep travel time once we've arrived at a minimum.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

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In Santa Fe, I always like La Choza. It's not too far from the Plaza and is open until 9 pm (which has been a big plus when I've arrived in a bit late and been looking for a non-chain place to eat). The food is good, authentic, and reasonably priced - everything is under $10. The adovado is excellent and the sopapillas are yummy. They also have a nice patio if the weather is good - perfect for a late lunch.

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The more formal Robuchon is now considered by most to be Vegas' best restaurant but, believe it or not, it may be double your budget.

It is - I read through the eGullet posts on Mansion/L'Atelier and they've certainly caught my attention. My question would be about L'Atelier:

Can my wife and I enjoy a special meal here with some semblance of privacy? Does everyone just sit along a counter? Whereas typically I would try this place just on the merits of the food, I am really looking for a balance of food and atmosphere for this particular meal.

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I have not been to the L'atalier in Vegas but I have been to the original in Paris several times. For a single person it is an excellent dinner while travelling. But this was NOT a great restaurant, even with Robuchon in the kitchen as he was on two of my visits. I liked it but I did not love it. I have been to Robuchon's restaurant in the late '90's before he "retired." THAT was an incredible experience. My guess is that the Mansion (which I have not been to) is a sincere effort to recreate this as best as possible in the middle of the desert. Would I expect it to be on par with what he had in Paris almost a decade ago? No. But in general this is a statement of my opinion of Vegas' restaurants. On another thread I reported on a visit to Alex in the Wynn. Very, very good. For service, for style it approached a European three star. For taste, for food it fell far short of, say, Citronelle, Maestro or Laboratorio although the overall experience was in the class of Maestro. With lesser food. Perhaps much lesser. Unlike some others on here I am not a huge fan of Vegas' best restaurants which I believe fall short of D. C., NY, Chicago and SF's best. Yet, almost across the board, they are MORE expensive.

Don't overlook Lotus of Siam. Or In 'n Out Burger in Henderson. Serious recommendations for both.

Edited by Joe H
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Santa Fe -- I'll also vouch for Coyote Cafe for dinner and Pasqual's for breakfast. At Pasqual's, as is typical in New Mexico, note that chili peppers come on almost everything. It's up to you to specify red, green, or a mixture of both, which locals call "Christmas".

Scottsdale -- For a more casual meal, Pizzeria Bianco is worth the drive into Phoenix if you have a Neapolitan style craving.

Vegas -- I thought Mix in the Mandalay was good, though it certainly isn't on the same scale as the Mansion in terms of quality or price.

Burgers -- As Joe H noted, you should seriously consider trying In-N-Out if you haven't already. Order a "double-double, animal style"; it won't disappoint. In addition to Henderson, you can find In-N-Out in Vegas proper, as well as the Scottsdale/Phoenix area. And if you want to take the west coast version of the "Pepsi challenge", both NV and AZ also have outlets of Fatburger, which is In-N-Out's main rival.

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Burgers -- As Joe H noted, you should seriously consider trying In-N-Out if you haven't already. Order a "double-double, animal style"; it won't disappoint. In addition to Henderson, you can find In-N-Out in Vegas proper, as well as the Scottsdale/Phoenix area. And if you want to take the west coast version of the "Pepsi challenge", both NV and AZ also have outlets of Fatburger, which is In-N-Out's main rival.
Welcome to the board aklewis78!

As long as we're talking about burgers in the Southwest...you might as well stop by Blake's Lotaburger for a green chile cheeseburger. It's a New Mexico chain started in 1952 (I think it's owned by a multinational now) so something you'd only get out there. Maybe not the best burgers around, but not bad, and probably not anything even close to the type of suggestion you were looking for jcc :) !

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