Dinner was at David Burke in the Venetian last night (our fifth meal here).

The steak is advertised as a prime, dry-aged, New York Strip. It tastes like one should (although not as aged, mineral rich, beefy and funky as the best beef we’ve had at Keens, Palm, Gallagher’s, BLT Prime, BLT Steak, Wolfgang’s, Spark’s, Ben Benson’s and Peter Luger’s in the Big Apple). Still, it is one of the better dry-aged steaks in town. It cost $48.

The (small) iceberg wedge salad was sprinkled with nice, meaty bacon chunks and not enough thousand island dressing. It was made with lettuce that was at least two days past its prime. At $16, it’s a steal….from the diner.

Bread was never offered.

Rounding out the meal were two glasses of a Chapoutier Rhone grenache-syrah blend, at $13/per; and a half-order of cheese that wasn’t bad…but wasn’t that good either.

Total cost of the meal: $121, for one. Accompanying it was a constant blast of tunes ranging from The Verve to Bono to Johnny Cash and Bob Marley — along with lots and lots of Rolling Stones songs that ELV was tired of listening to in 1977.

And no, it wasn’t worth it.

DAVID BURKE

In The Venetian Hotel and Casino

3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South

Las Vegas, NV 89109

702.414.7111

www.davidburkelasvegas.net/