Just one word to cover an entire restaurant.
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| The 1st restaurant. The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV. |
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| The decadent interior |
In the beginning there was only The Cheesecake Factory. The first time I ate at one was in Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, NV. I thought the interior was colorful and the food was good.
BUT
In 1999 the founder of Cheesecake Factory opened a sister restaurant inside the Venetian Resort, Hotel, & Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Open 24 hours a day, patrons could have a good meal when they finally got tired of gambling (more likely went broke).
The first time I ate there, it totally knocked Cheesecake Factory down a few pegs for me. Even though they are owned and operated by the same people, this restaurant is superior.
First a history:
1999 open first restaurant inside the Venetian Resort, Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV
2001 open second restaurant in Los Angeles, California
2002 open third restaurant in Chicago, IL on Michigan Avenue. This location is propped up on the second floor of The Miracle Mile and offers a great view of the activity below.
Currently they have several operating restaurants in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Florida. Only the ones in Las Vegas are open 24 hours though.
The decor is luxurious and colorful, a bit reminiscent of a Venetian parade or carnival. Lots of reds, creams, oranges, and yellows. Beautiful marble floors and frescoes on the ceilings.
The price range is a little above average. If two people went and got drinks, an appetizer, entrees, and 2 desserts it would set you back about $65-95.00.
I've visited several Grand Luxes in several cities and am not usually disappointed by service. Sometimes, they get extremely busy but I've not waited too too long for food before.
So, on to the best part - the FOOD!
The menu is HUGE. If you can't find something you want to eat, you are not a foodie, or someone who enjoys eating. Also the portions are huge so if you're on a diet, you might want to skip eating for the day until you get there.
DRINKS -
I recommend the Citrus Flip for a non-alcoholic delicious drink. It comes in a very large glass and is yellow in color. It smells of oranges and limes and is served on the rocks mixed with Sprite. If all your friends are drinking and you want to blend in without getting drunk this is an excellent choice. It even comes with a little straw of strawberries and fruit on the edge.
I have tried the Berry Fizz which sounds good, (blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries with Sprite) but it just doesn't have the same refreshing lightness that the Citrus Flip has. This is very dark in color and a bit too heavy for a drink that isn't a milkshake.
The strawberry lemonade is ok. It's nothing to write home about. Good if you need a fix of it.
For cocktails I'd have to go with the
DeLux Peach Bellini.
I've honestly never met a peach bellini I didn't like.
Champagne, peaches, and peach liqueur.
APPETIZERS -
My favorite -
Double stuffed Potato Spring Rolls
Straight from the menu description,
"Creamy Mashed Potatoes with a Touch of Green Onion, Rolled in Crispy Asian Wrappers Topped with Melted Cheddar, Applewood Smoked Bacon and
Green Onion. Served with Sour Cream"
MMMMMMMMM Heavenly.
It's kinda' like eating a crispy french fried baked potato. The cheese and the bacon combine perfectly to make you stop what you're saying and just eat this stuff up. Comes on a long tray of 8.
ENTREES-
Pasta Telephono
To tell the truth this was ok, but not super great like most other things they have. It's simply pasta with a cream tomato sauce and mozzarella. A little bit boring for me.
Pasta Carbonara
Spaghettini with smoked bacon (the best bacon ever served in big hearty chunks of pork goodness), peas,
garlic, and Parmesan cream sauce. Again, it's not the best thing they have, but it was ok. If I could somehow just get that bacon, though........
Chicken Parmesan
This is 2 huge chicken breasts covered in crispy Parmesan bread crumbs and tomato sauce with a generous portion of mozzarella cheese. Served on top of a bed of spaghetti, it's way tooooo much for one person, but definitely one of my favorite meals there.
Madeira Chicken
Straight from the menu description,
"Sauteed Chicken Breast Topped with Asparagus, Mozzarella and
Our Fresh Mushroom-Madeira Sauce. Served with Mashed Potatoes"
So far, this is the one to beat for me. Everything filled me up without feeling stuffed up to my eyeballs uncomfortably with food. The asparagus was a buttery crisp masterpiece. The mashed potatoes were rich and creamy. The chicken was succulent and juicy with mozzarella cheese and the mushroom sauce, sheer heaven. I don't even like Mushrooms, but for this dish, I'll make an exception for my fungus friends.
Chicken Pot Pie
Oh my goodness! One of my top two favorite pot pies in the world right here.
"Chunks of Chicken Breast, Carrots, Peas, Pearl Onions and Mushrooms in a Creamy Sauce. With Our Housemade Crust"
The pot pie is served in a bowl and the only crust is on the very top, not within the bottom of the bowl, but it's plenty to be mixed in with the sauce and warm deliciousness that is their chicken pot pie. My favorite part of this dish is to be rewarded with pearl onions every so often in your bites. They are like little gems of rich tart flavor.
In addition to what I've mentioned, they serve things like pizza, steak, sandwiches, burgers, and salads of course. The menu is just too big to review all of it, and I still haven't tried 50% of their menu, but I'm working on it.
DESSERTS -
Molten Chocolate Cake
It is just as it sounds. Chocolate cake with a very hot melted chocolate center. Perfect for the chocoholic in you this is a very rich finish to your meal. I recommend cutting into it and letting it cool off for a few minutes before eating.
New Orleans Beignets
Not the ones I'm used to seeing out of New Orleans Cafes, but these are very good. They are like warm, moist, soft doughnuts on the inside encased in a flaky semi-shell dough. Eat them plain or with 3 dipping sauces that come with it - I recommend the chocolate sauce.
They only offer 5 of the Cheesecake Factories signature cheesecakes, but you should be able to find one you like if you're a true cheesecake fanatic:
Original
Strawberry
Dulce De Leche Caramel
Oreo
and White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle
My favorite here is the Oreo.
The beignets and chocolate molten cake take an extra 15 minutes to prepare so they recommend you order those as you get your entrees. I recommend it as well. They do take reservations for big parties in Las Vegas locations, and all size parties in the Chicago location, but for others, they do not. Call ahead to your local restaurant to find out for sure.
Before you leave they do have a full on bakery at every location with a huge display window showing all of their desserts, it's hard to miss. I just love dining there and I can't recommend them enough to people who have never visited it. It's not to be missed!
5 out of 5 forks for a general overall awesome dining experience.
grandluxcafe.com
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