Restaurant Review

I was in Las Vegas last week with the family. Our good friends Brendan and Stacy recommended we try out Battista’s…an Italian restaurant one block off The Strip. Great call!

Rate each category on a 1-5 star rating.

Atmosphere: (5) Stars
Brief Take: What an atmosphere! I think the Rat Pack use to kick-it at this place. Definitely looks the part. Extremely dim lighting (takes several minutes to adjust). The walls are decorated with celebrity, old-school pictures. The décor had a lot going on, but I honestly couldn’t see much. When I finally could, my focus was on the food. Expect to enjoy a nice, quiet dinner at Battista’s. The lighting definiely mellows the patrons.

Taste: (4.5) Stars
Brief Take: The food played the part as well. Battista’s menu is interesting…it’s limited to about 20 dishes. I ordered the veal parm. Sara got the lasagna. Each main entrée came with a side salad, side of pasta, unlimited house wine (red or white), garlic bread and a cappuccino. Let’s start with the salad. It consisted of a light olive oil vinaigrette, with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, a thin slice of salami, and hunks of fresh mozzarella. I can’t imagine a better salad at any restaurant. I don’t usually make a big deal about bread, but this was some of the best I’ve had. Crispy outside, soft inside..lathered with butter and pieces of roasted garlic. The house red wine was simple but offered a perfect compliment to the meal. It was served slightly chilled in a juice glass. I tried Sara’s lasagna and the freshness of the pasta is what stood out for me. It was also super cheesy. So was my veal parm. The only slight disappointment came with the veal..it was a bit tougher than I like, but still tasted excellent. Nat and I split the strawberry cheesecake. That’s one of those items that’s never bad, but the consumption gave me a one-way ticket to Discomfortville.

Service: (5) Stars
Brief Take: The service was impeccable. They really treated the kids like royalty. The waiter brought Nat a side of pasta and didn’t charge me for it. They even made it look fancy for her. Syd fell in love with our waiter. We didn’t have to wait long on our food, and they kept the wine flowing. Only complaint...the four-foot tall, 80-year-old accordion player making his rounds passed up our table. I had a $5er pulled out and couldn't wait to hear his stories about how he played for Sinatra. Oh well, maybe next time.

Pricing: (5) Stars
Brief Take: Dishes range from $22 (basic pastas) to $37 (steaks). When I first scanned the menu, I thought this was outrageous. But as you can see from above, when you take into account what comes with the meal…there may not be a better deal in Vegas.

Overall Opinion: (4.5) Stars
Summary: Battista’s has it all…charm, affordability, great atmosphere, awesome food and excellent service. There’s really not more you can ask from a restaurant. I honestly would not change one thing about the place. Next time, I’ll try to limit my cheese intake. The pound that I consumed that night sent me back to Embassy Suites breathing like a woman with contractions three minutes apart.

http://www.battistaslasvegas.com/