Bob & Brenda Geocaching

Our Observations

This was the second restaurant in Las Vegas that was supplied with one of the winners of Hell's Kitchen. Even though the winner, "Rock" Harper had already departed, we still wanted to check it out. It's a twin of Terra Rossa at Red Rock Resort-pretty much the same overpriced menu which shouldn't be surprising since both Executive Chefs were born in Milan and worked some of the same places through their careers.

We had no problems getting in without a reservation even though it was about 7:00 on a Friday night. The atmosphere and décor of the restaurant were very nice and gave it a romantic feel, but the lights were so dim we had to use our cell phone flashlights to read the menu. The romantic feel was dispelled by our wait staff. Although prompt and courteous, they were a bit stuffy, almost to the point of being snobbish. Green Valley isn't the upscale, trendy neighborhood it once thought it was so they need to adjust to their clientele.

While you're waiting for your food, you get the standard bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar along with a plate that has a selection of cheeses, olives, peppers and zucchini chips. If you like the harder cheeses like parmesan and Romano (we do), you'll enjoy this while you wait for your food. We skipped the starters and went straight for the main course. Our waiter gave us that "cheapskates" look. We may have needed flashlights to read the menu, but the look on his face was plain as day. If you think we're cheap now, wait until you see your tip! Don't be a putz. There are plenty of Italian restaurants in town to visit.

I ordered the wild mushroom risotto and Brenda had the veal parmesan. The risotto was tasty and seasoned, but somehow I was expecting something a bit more. The portion size was ok, but certainly didn't fill me up. I think a smaller portion served as a starter would be better than the undersized dinner portion that cost $30. Brenda's veal also had good flavor and although the portion size was correct for dinner, it was a bit on the tough side.

Being underwhelmed by dinner, we skipped dessert and headed over to Starbucks for a couple of lattes. Although the food was good, it just wasn't good enough to justify the price--especially for a local's casino. It might be good to check out, but there are plenty of other Italian restaurants in Vegas whose food is just as good but at a better price.