Fix Makes Expensive Food Worth It

Expensive restaurants are usually not my cup of chamomile.

I'm perfectly happy with a hamburger and fries. My idea of an expensive entree is anything not handed to you through a window.

When I do splurge, I expect a lot. If I'm going to pay $25 or $30 or $40 for an entree, it better be perfectly prepared, served with style and flair in a unique environment, and make me sit up and recognize this is not the same old thing I can get for half the price elsewhere.

I got all of that and more at Fix, the casually upscale restaurant at Bellagio.

Done by the same folks who do Light, the trendy (but not so trendy it hurts) nightclub at Bellagio, Fix is the antidote to the stuffy atmosphere of some of the other eateries at this particular hotel. Open to the casino and done in a sleek but warm ultra-lounge style, the restaurant buzzes with conversation, music and energy. If you prefer a sedate environment where you can quietly relate the latest scandalous gossip about Trish and Bill down at the country club to your tablemates, go somewhere else.

A swoopy wood ceiling and a slightly terraced layout make the space feel like a clam opening up toward the casino. It's fun to look at and enormously comfortable, whether you are just coming for drinks at the bar or for the full meal.

Although not strictly a modern diner menu, there are certainly touches of classic Americana among the choices -- many done with whimsy (we'll get to that in a minute).

Starters include a New England-style lobster chowder and a delicately tangy French onion soup, the latter offering a substantial heartiness often missing elsewhere. A few salads, a "jumbo lump" crab cake, an elegant shrimp cocktail and several sushi choices round out this section.

If you're there with a group of any size, look at the "shared for the table" section. The ultimate shell selection contains Maine lobster, tiger prawns, seasonal crab, oysters and clams, and comes in a small, large, and "what the heck is that?" size. Seriously, a nearby table ordered the "XL" version, and it was a towering construction of seafood that could have fed a conquering horde.

Also fun in this section are the "forks" -- smoked-salmon-and-caviar appetizers skewered on the tines of traditional dining forks, which were then mounted on a plate with the tines up in the air. A great presentation.

A variety of handmade pastas are available, but I'd be remiss if I didn't direct you to the main course section and more notably the "grill" section of the menu.

In the main course area you'll find lots of worthwhile dishes, including chicken, lobster, and a unique twist on "surf and turf" (short ribs and lobster). But take a look at the seafood here for the really notable items.

The sea bass is served over risotto with baby shrimp and a lobster broth. While it definitely had a hint of "fishiness," it was still devoured. It's hard to find good fish in this town but they did a great job on this one.

There's also the scallops, done "Benedict" style -- stacked with a crust of potatoes and smoked applewood bacon underneath. This is definitely not my area of expertise, but my tablemate declared them delicious, and they promptly disappeared.

My area of expertise lies over at the grill section of the menu. Several different cuts are available, from a 10-ounce wet-aged filet to a 20-ounce dry-aged rib eye, all cooked on an open flame grill using cherry wood.

That last part is important. Remember how I said at the beginning of this that if I'm paying a lot of money I want something more than the same old thing? One bite of one of these cuts of meat and you'll realize you've found it. The cherry wood gave my filet a deliciously smoky flavor, with just a hint of fruity sweetness. I was actually surprised when I took my first bite and then as I settled into it found myself wondering why everyone doesn't do steaks this way. Add in the standard red wine shallot or peppercorn sauces and you've got yourself a tremendously successful slab of beef.

Everything is a la carte but you can get several family-sized portions of veggies on the side (spinach, mushrooms, etc.) including smoked mashed potatoes dish that I can't recommend highly enough. It's not listed in the actual side dishes section, but if you ask really nicely they'll probably do it for you.

After all that food, who has room for dessert? But with a selection like this it was impossible to resist. Seasonal cobblers (plum in my case) served warm with a dollop of vanilla-bean ice cream, an espresso malt shake and warm brownie under the heading "shake and cake," a peanut butter and jelly crème brulee (yes, you read that right and it was terrific), and my particular favorite: warm, sugared banana donuts with both a chocolate and peanut butter dipping sauce.

The staff knew I was there to review the restaurant, so they were being very, very attentive and nice, but when that's the case I go out of my way to watch how they interact with the other customers. I saw everyone being treated with warm, professional, friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable service from the front door to the table and back again.

Okay, so we get to the prices. It's Bellagio so you know it ain't gonna be cheap. Starters and table sharers started around $8 and went all the way up to $120 for that massive tower of seafood, but most were under $20. Main courses were in the $25 to $40 range, while grill items were mostly over $30. Desserts all under $10, but not by much.

What that means is with a drink, tax and tip two of you will have a hard time getting out of there for less than $100. Many people don't blink at those kinds of prices, but I do, unless it's something really special.

Fix is special. If you can afford it, go get your "fix" on your next trip to Vegas.

Fix
3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 693-8400
Sunday-Thursday, 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.; Friday-Saturday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.

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