I just renewed my acquaintance with this place after an absence of over two decades, and I found myself wondering what the hell I'd been staying away for.
It's very old style Vegas and proud of it, with none of the faux hauteur of the Strip joints, and better food than most of them too. Founded in 1958, this was a hangout of the Rat Pack and other members of the famous and infamous society and visitors to the city. Fully embracing it's history, the menu lists Tony "The Ant" Spilotro right beside the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Dean Martin as regular customers. (Only a true cynic would observe that the difference between the gangsters and the celebrities was sometimes a matter of perspective.)
I took my son there this past weekend and we got treated like we owned the joint, with waiters bantering cheerfully and telling stories, lies and jokes about the place. It was more like going to visit friends you hadn't seen in a long time than going to a restaurant.
The food was great, steaks done to perfection, and side dishes of asparagus and potatoes lyonnaise that were subtle and complimented the meat superbly. Their version of Oysters Rockefeller is good but slightly short of great, and their cocktails and post dinner brandy selection was excellent.
Post dinner we got a brief tour of the place by our sardonically witty waiter, which was almost as entertaining as the meal itself.
Cost? Well it's far from cheap but it is slightly less expensive than the chain steakhouses on the strip or the uber-pretentious ones in the big resort hotels, and it's way more fun.