An Evening At Rao's

Dinner started with a nice bread basket. The loaves were soft with a chewy crust. They weren't served with butter but with a high quality Extra Virgin Olive oil (Felipo Berio). It had a very fruity flavor. 

 Here is our first appetizer. Mozzarella in Carrozza. It's a crispy fried fresh Mozzarella sandwich with marinara sauce. For a fried sandwich it was very light. A nice crispy crust and fresh tasting mozzarella is what I remember most about it. The marinara was also good.

 Our second appetizer was Rao's Famous Meatballs. They consist of ground Pork and Beef with Italian Breadcrumbs and seasonings in Marinara Sauce. If you go to Rao's you have to try the meatballs! They were about the size of baseballs, tender, moist and just the right amount of seasoning. Very good.

 Dawn ordered the Angel Hair alla Bolognese. The Bolognese was ground Veal, Beef and Pork slowly cooked with San Marzano Tomatoes and Herbs. The pasta was cooked just right and the Bolognese was slightly sweet, tangy from the tomatoes and very flavorful. 

Mom and Dad split the Veal Picatta. It's Veal Scaloppini with White Wine, Butter and Caper Berry Sauce served with Mashed Potatoes. This had somewhat mixed reviews. Mom said it was good but not quite what she was expecting. She thought the Veal needed more flavor or texture. Maybe a slight browning would have helped. My Dad, on the other hand, loved it, and would order it again. He liked the slight mustard flavor the sauce had. Both liked the mashed potatoes. I tried a small piece of the Veal and thought it was pretty tasty, but I can see Mom's point about the texture. 

 Next up is the Taglioline with Peas & Ham. It's fresh-made Taglioline Pasta, Prosciutto Cotto, Sweet Peas, Diced Shallots in a light cream sauce. This is another dish Mom and Dad split. I believe both liked it. Mom said the fresh made pasta was cooked just right and the sauce was light and flavorful. I wish I would have tried it.

 Here is my entree. Veal Parmesan. It's a pounded and breaded Veal Chop with Marinara Sauce, Parmesan and melted Mozzarella. This was quite good and huge! I shared it with everyone and still couldn't finish it. It was rich, cheesy and a little over the top. Even though it was good I don't think I would order it again. Its just too heavy....I think I would like something lighter next time. 

 The ladies enjoying dinner at Rao's

 Mom and Dad...boy we had a table full of food and drinks!

 Dessert!

Mom and Dad split the Profitteroles. They are, Pate a Choux Puffs filled with Vanilla Gelato with warm Chocolate Sauce. I tried a bite...very tasty.

 This is Rao's Cannoli. It consists of a fried Pastry Shell, fresh Ricotta Cream, Cointreau, Candied Orange and Chocolate Drops. The pastry shell was light and crispy while the filling was rich and sweet with an orange flavor from the Cointreau and candied orange. I thought it was good and would order it again. Dawn, on the other hand, didn't care for the orange flavor. 

We all enjoyed our evening at Rao's. As you walk in you see the bar decorated with Christmas decorations regardless of the time of year. It's dark, warm and inviting. Just a comfortable place to enjoy a meal. The wait staff couldn't have been better. Our head waitress, Tiffany, was polite, funny, and took the time to answer our many questions. The entrees my parents split were split up table side and served together. I would like to go back soon and try the Shells with Ricotta Sauce. Between the quality of the food, and the friendliness of the staff, we will be back. 

Rao's Las Vegas Menu