Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/533211
photography courtesy of mgm resorts international The octopus at Lago, with squid ink "couscous" and bottarga. The Vegas Riviera Julian Serrano'S Lago tranSportS dinerS to a Sparkling SeaSide port by way of avant-garde early- 20th-century Milan. by andrea bennett It's basically a requirement of any new Vegas restau- rant that it transport diners to an exotic locale, and Lago in Bellagio does this better than virtually any restaurant today. Julian Serrano, acclaimed for his two-Michelin-starred Picasso in Bellagio and Julian Serrano in Aria, turns his attention from Spanish tapas and molecular gastronomy to Italian small plates, with captivating results. Consider the pristine crudo of ahi tuna and scallop with blood orange segments, the tang y branzino Livornese, and the beautifully tender slow-cooked short ribs. The cock- tail program includes tiny edible touches, such as a sphere of Prosecco, limoncello, lemon sorbet, and cocoa butter to pop in your mouth with the rein- vented Sg roppino. A nd while dishes like a rich red-wine risotto atop creamy Burrata will have you questioning every previous risotto to enter your life, it's the sparkling modern room that completes this picture. The sleek, light-filled design is a tribute to 20th-century Italian futurism. A glass mosaic—an aerial map of Milan—greets guests as they enter; an Emilio Pucci – inspired back bar is the focal point of the dining room; and the patio is a thoroughly mod- ern al fresco hideaway. You'll forget that the faint seaside humidity comes from dancing fountains in the desert. Bellagio, 877-259-7111; bellagio.com V vegasmagazine.com 111 The Guide