What: Chef Michael Mina’s American Fish honors just that — America and fish. Expect contemporary cuisine that spotlights the unique ingredients found in and along our nation’s great waterways (e.g., cornmeal-crusted Idaho rainbow trout and shrimp and grits made with jalapeños, aged white cheddar and ham). The menu’s list of main dishes is categorized by cooking method — baked in sea salt, wood-grilled, griddled in cast iron and poached in ocean water — so you can pick the preparation that pleases your palate.
Where: American Fish is tucked inside a glossy (and surprisingly quiet) corner of the sprawling ARIA Resort & Casino, not too far from the theater that hosts Cirque du Soleil’s new show Zarkana.
When: Although you won’t be able to catch breakfast or lunch at this Vegas favorite, you can stop in for the $49 prix fixe early evening menu with a $24 wine pairing between 5 and 7 p.m. any day of the week. Or go ahead and dig into the regular dinner menu, which is stocked with all the fresh seafood dishes and regional American sides your heart desires (don’t miss the malt-vinegar french fries with tartar sauce).
Why: You’ll love the attentive service and cozy-but-glimmering décor of American Fish. We couldn’t take our eyes off of the wall of glassed-in trees behind the bar. And it’s nice to see what happens when you combine America’s backwoods foods and cooking methods with a chic Las Vegas environment. Plus, American Fish makes for a super-convenient spot to take in a meal before you head to a Cirque showing.
Photos Courtesy of City Center Land LLC
