Culinary Jackpot

Sidle up to a different kind of table at these great Las Vegas restaurants.

1. Cut. 3325 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 702.607.6300; wolfgangpuck.com. Cut is the latest restaurant from Sin City’s original celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, the Vegas version of his celebrated Los Angeles steak house. While this branch may lack L.A.’s Richard Meier interiors, look for a similar meaty menu.
2. Rub BBQ. 3700 West Flamingo Road; 702.227.0779; rubbbq.net. Rub BBQ owner Paul Kirk is a master of meat, having won some 450 barbecue contests nationwide. Here in Vegas, he’s serving ribs, links, and slabs cured for up to 14 hours over wood-smoke pits.
3. Payard Patisserie & Bistro. 3570 Las Vegas Blvd South; 877.346.4642. Payard is where you go in Vegas when you need a dose of Left Bank glamour. Famed for his original Manhattan outpost, French chef Francis Payard offers everything from perfect croissants to a rich broccoli and goat cheese quiche.
4. Restaurant Charlie/Bar Charlie. 3325 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 702.607.6336; charlietrotters.com. Chicago chef Charlie Trotter has returned to Vegas with two separate hot spots inside the Italianate Palazzo Hotel — a fish-focused formal restaurant and a 16-seat sushi bar overseen by chef Hiro Nagana.
5. Stripsteak. 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 702.632.7414. Helmed by star San Francisco chef Michael Mina, Stripsteak has made a name for itself with its mesquite-grilled meats and fries cooked in duck fat, hearty fare to keep you going all night on the game floor.