B & B Restaurant at the Venetian

Just The Facts, Please.

Location

Venetian

Dining Hours

Daily
5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Chef

Mario Batali
Joe Bastianich
Zack Allen (actually works in the Kitchen as Executive Chef)

Cuisine

Italian

Price Range

PASTA TASTING MENU
$99 per person, with Wine Pairing $70 per person – As listed below

Fazzoletti with "Paula's" Herbs and Luigi Guffanti Butter
Librandi, Ciro Bianco 2008

Spaghetti alla Chitarra with Saffron Poached Mussels and Zucchini
Bastianich, Rosato 2008

Black Pepper Strichetti with Charred Corn and Castelmagno
Bastianich, "Vespa Bianco" 2008

Bavette with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes and Bottarga
La Mozza, "I Perazzi" Morellino di Scansano 2007

Ricotta Cavatelli with Early Girl Tomatoes, Romano Beans and Ham Hock
La Mozza, "Aragone" 2006

Poached Peach with Pistachio Shortbread
Maculan, "Dindarello" 2007

Caramelized Honey Panna Cotta with Grilled Figs
Jacopo Poli, "Miele"

Suggested Attire

Dressy Casual, with emphasis on casual.

Notes

Dress code is very lax.

Sample Menu Items

Roasted San Marzano Tomatoes with Preserved Tuna, Scarlet Runner Beans and Agresto$18

Beef Cheek Ravioli with Black Truffles and Crushed Duck Liver $26

Lamb's Brain "Francoboli" with Lemon and Sage $24

Grilled Lamb Chops 'Scottadita' with Romano Beans, Pearl Onions and Lemon Yogurt $37

Veal Chop with Roasted Cippolini, Pancetta and Spinach $55

Grilled Quail with Fagioli, Purslane and Pickled Shallots $38

 

 

Mavens Overview: B & B

B & B at the Venetian, where the B's stand for owners Batali and Bastianich, Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich. Mario Batali is well known to viewers of the various foodie television shows, in which he wears his trademark shorts and orange clogs.

The restaurant is very proud of the review from the L. A. Times, so much so that they reproduced the complete review on their web site. A short excerpt is below.

Prosciutto di San Daniele, a sumptuous riserva that's aged a little longer than the norm, is perfectly cut not too thick, not too thin so that you get every nuance of flavor. In a departure from tradition, it's served with black pepper fettunta, 2inchthick slices of crusty, grilled bread doused with olive oil and seasoned with lots of freshly ground black pepper. Normally, prosciutto is about the least interesting item on an Italian menu, but here the combination of the high quality of this ham, the way it's cut and the black pepper toast make it memorable. LA Times

The Internet Buzz is mixed, perhaps due to high expectations, perhaps due to high prices. While B &B does garner its share of rave reviews, particularly for the wait staff, many feel the price/value ratio, as is the case for many Vegas restaurants, is disappointing.

 

Internet Buzz: B & B

  • Mario did not disappoint ! My wife and I are true 'foodies' who love to go out and explore the amazing dining scene here in Las Vegas. After watching Mario on the Food Network for years we finally decided to dine at B&B and we sure are glad we did. Everything from the cozy ambiance of the restaurant to the food was outstanding
  • I have had some of the best food ever at B&B. I loved the wild boar papardelle. The lamb's brain ravioli was surprisingly delicious and the branzino was great.
  • Unfortunately, being located in a high-traffic area of the Venetian, near the connector to the Palazzo, means they get a lot of walk-ins. Those walk-ins usually mean drunk, yard-glass consuming tourists in shorts and t-shirts, not the typical clientele of fine-dining restaurants seen in other cities.
  • As with other Mario Batali restaurants in Las Vegas no expense was spared to make B&B look like an elegant fine dining establishment. There is plenty of dark wood, dim lighting, and wine racks full of some of the finest wine on the strip.
  • You can definitely do better than B&B. After dining here, I felt that Batali tagged his name on a restaurant that simply doesn't live up to his reputation. The food and service were both sub par. My halibut was fairly overdone. Overcooking fish is an amateur's mistake that I find inexcusable when I'm spending $60 on a meal.
  • The pasta dishes were good, although not quite solid. My beef cheek ravioli with black truffles and crushed duck liver was exactly what the doctor ordered! (not THAT doctor, I'm talking about the doctor for the soul! ha!)
  • Anything with fresh produce or herbs was a hit. They've got an exclusive herb grower, Paula Pudwell, who provides them with all the main herbs as well as some lesser known types, like mint lovage. Apparently they grow well in the arid Vegas soil. We had no complaints, especially when the mint straciatelli gelato hit the table. They've also got an exclusive forager, Kerry Clasby, who travels throughout California to track down their produce. They say that its driven out each night to arrive fresh each morning.
  • the standout for me was the lamb brain dish. It was unlike anything I had ever tasted, I really have nothing to compare it to. I loved it. I ate every single savory bite of every single dish
  • Really enjoyed the experience to dine at B&B. We didn't try the tasting menus but if you are an adventure foodie, you can find intestines and brains here. Not quite ready for that. I ordered the duck w fagioli and the rest of the party had linguine w clams, beef cheek ravioli, grilled lamb chops and the alaskan halibut. I've tried a little bit of everything and everything was very satisfying.

 

 

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