I have read about the Italian eatery called Eataly for a few years now. I was excited when I went to Las Vegas and got to visit their 37th location. It is located in front of the new Park MGM hotel and casino (formerly the Monte Carlo).
It smelled so good as soon as I walked through the door. It was so overwhelming I did not know where to start. I decided the best way to start was to just walk around and get the lay of the land.
Gran Caffe Milano
I started off here so I could get a glass of wine. I tried the Lambrusco. It is a sparkling spumante that looked a little like grape juice. It was sweet but not overpowering.
Il Fritto
I strolled over to Il Fritto because they were serving up a variety of arancini. I have never seen so many different kinds of rice balls. I ordered two different varieties.
They also gave me some fresh made Italian bread. Cutting open the crispy crust revealed the soft center. They had an olive oil station where I was able to mix fresh extra virgin olive oil with cracked pepper and Parmesan cheese. This was the perfect blend to dip my bread in.
Arancini Di Funghi – This was a mushroom rice ball. It was full of earthy flavor that was also creamy from the cheese they included.
Arancini Ragu alla Bolognese – The rice was mixed with a Ragu sauce that had pieces of tender meat throughout.
Pizza Alla Pala
I could not leave Eataly without getting a pizza. I got eggplant, basil, and mozzarella cheese on my pizza. They hand tossed the dough in the air. It was fun watching them do that. Then they placed the pizza in one of their wood burning brick ovens.
The pizza came out looking perfect. The crust was puffy with a slight char from the oven. The taste of the dough was amazing; it was light and sweet. It was great with the fresh mozzarella. The fresh basil added intense flavor that was fresh and inviting.
Il Gelato
Even with all the wonderful things I had eaten, I needed to finish off my Eataly experience with some homemade gelato. They make fresh gelato and sorbetto every day. There were so many wonderful flavors to choose from.
I did a double scoop so that I could at least try two different flavors:
- Pistachio – this had full size pieces of pistachios that were directly from Italy.
- Mint Chocolate Chip – this had big chunks of creamy dark chocolate pieces.
Both gelatos were super creamy. The natural flavor was really intense.
There was one last thing I had to do before I left Eataly. There is a mosaic tile bull on the floor near the exit to the casino. This lucky bull is a replica of one that is in Milano. Legend has it if you spin three times on top of it you will have good fortune. So, since I was in Vegas I figured I would give it a shot.
If you are visiting Vegas there is plenty to do. I recommend you put Eataly on your list. Check them out at www.eataly.com
Enjoy!
T
