…received two Michelin stars this year (and last). It deserves three.

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The billboard on I-215 (and this ‘zine ad for Simon Poolside at the Palms Hotel) says: “Food That Makes A Statement.” Which begs the question: About what?

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You’ve no doubt spent hours pouring over our written review of Yellowtail (posted last month), but now you can hear that review — delivered in the lilting, euphonious tones for which ELV is known — by clicking here.

Yeah, it was just another day and night at the office for ELV, as he traipsed his way across our unassuming village’s better addresses, seeking the best in food and drink. And this is what he came up with in one weekend:

A Fish:

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Postrio’s new design is a winner, and the re-designed menu (and smaller, less expensive, more eclectic wine list) should garner raves as well. Here was our modest loup de mer (”wolf of the sea”), grilled to a fare-the-well (by Chef Mark Sandoval) and filet’d tableside with the grace worthy of a Michelin 3-star.

A Steak:

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We’ve known Chef Sean Roe since the early 90’s….when he first showed us around Emeril’s Fish House in the MGM. He’s still hard at the stoves, and now does a wonderful job keeping Delmonico near the top of our steakhouse food chain. This beauty was a bone-in rib-eye, dry aged (although not nearly enough to suit ELV), and as full of beef flavor as a carnivore could want. It was the perfect amuse bouche for ELV before he ventured into the netherworld of the Venetian Convention Center — to spend an evening listening to political speeches (and pushing rubber chicken around his plate) whilst pretending to care who was going to win this pesky election thing (that has been distracting us from our food and wine habit for much too long).

And A Choucroute:

After premium fish and a prime steak, sometimes a little pork is called for. That’s when Eric Klein’s choucroute garni at Spago really fills the bill. Choucroute garni stands for the spiced sauerkraut underneath the sausages, bacon, pork belly, chops and potatoes that “garnish” the fermented vegetable. Leave it to the Alsatians to “decorate” their veggies with two pounds of pork products….but the result is just delicious if you ask us…and surprisingly light and digestible.

And you thought the Soup Nazi was bad? Read this article on how certain exclusive sushi restaurants (mainly in Southern California), operate on the principle that the customer is never right!

We’re not saying Vannessa Garcia is the best pastry chef in town (there’s a lot of stiff competition), but her deconstructed desserts at Restaurant Charlie blew us away as few have done lately. Some may not care for the scattered, haphazard construction, but they’re just indicative of the youth movement (and rebellion) against the strictures and formality that have hamstrung this genre for too long.

ELV thinks the depth of pastry talent in this town beats any city in America. Ask yourself: When’s the last time you had anything but a drop dead delicious dessert in any top-shelf Vegas restaurant?

Vannessa tells us she is self-taught — or at least on-the-job-taught — but no matter where her training comes from, she has a way with flavors and combinations that are both homey and avant-garde — not an easy trick to pull off.

In other food news: This is the time of year the staff at Eating Las Vegas pulls in its nominations for the restaurant awards it hands out on KNPR and KLAS in about six weeks. If you have any suggestions or nominations, now is the time to let us know.

And we’re not saying Vannessa is a lock for Pastry Chef of the Year, but she’s definitely the early favorite.

RESTAURANT AWARD CATEGORIES for 2008:

Restaurant of the Year

Chef of the Year

Pastry Chef of the Year

Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year

Ethnic Restaurant of the Year

Sommelier of the Year

Excellence in Management and Service

Cocktail Bar of the Year

(plus a few other catagories we make up as we go along….)

We’re long overdue to feature Paul Bartolotta’s as-fresh-as-it-can-be Italian seafood on KLAS TV’s Restaurant of the Week. Now that the segment has officially been re-named: Dishing and Dining, we thought we’d kick it off by featuring this Italian master and his craft.

Now that you’ve seen ELV espouse the virtues of this magnificent restaurant, go here to hear him praise its pisciform productions in the sonorous tones for which he is known.

FYI: Alan Richman loves to tell people the best (and most affordable) way to experience Paul B’s food is to go here an not order the whole fish. As tempting as that may be, unless you’re celebrating your inheritance (or someone else is picking up the tab), stick with the pastas and a la carte items and you’ll have an incredible meal for less than a house payment.

BARTOLOTTA RISTORANTE DI MARE

In the Wynn Hotel and Casino

3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South

Las Vegas, NV 89109

702.770.3305

Without further ado, here are the tasty snaps of Carlos Buscaglia and JBF Award Winner Fabio Trabocchi’s fabulous Italian food at Fiamma Friday night:

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As an intermezzo between commentaries on the JBF events, ELV thought we’d offer up some tasty snaps of Luciano Pellegrini’s menu from last Friday night’s special dinner. Since we didn’t make it to Valentino in the Venetian that night (as we were enjoying the immensely flavorful and creative stylings of Carlos Buscaglia and Fabio Trabocchi at Fiamma)…one must ask: How could ELV be in two places at once?

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In view of recent posted comments mentioning a “feud” between me and Andre (Would You Like To Buy My Restaurant?) Rochat, ELV thought a KNPR  commentary he did some years ago might be illuminating.

And for the record, we tasted every chef’s dish(es) at the Star Chefs Revue, and all were excellent. Some were simply a bit more excellent and finely tuned than others.