Visited for dinner on 5/16/2022
Giada’s is located in the Cromwell hotel in Las Vegas. My friend and I were in-town and had heard great things, so we opted to check it out! Let’s just say we weren’t disappointed.
To get to the restaurant, when you’re in the Cromwell, you will go up a large escalator, which the restaurant reception is right at the top of (you’ll be greeted by the sign above). Because it is up and out of the casino, you don’t even notice it is located in a casino while you’re eating! Which is delightful.
Otherwise, the interior (and details) of Giada’s exude relaxed luxury. From the thick branded paper towels in the restroom to the lighting, to the number and attention of the wait staff, it all is on-point. People visiting are in solid business casual outfits and you’re pleasantly greeted whenever walking around. There is a good ‘buzz’ / energy in the air.
Also, since the Cromwell is right on the strip and Giada’s has a long stretch of windows overlooking the strip, if you’re lucky enough to get a space by the window you’ll have so much to look at while you dine! Definitely a super special moment.
To start, we ordered the mozzarella crostini ($15.99). They were extremely crunchy – almost like little croutons. In terms of dishes, this one was not our favorite as it was just lacking something. The pine nuts, pesto and sun dried tomatoes were a nice touch, but didin’t give us enough to make us craving more with the crouton toast.
As our second starter, we ordered the Arugula salad, which came with candied lemon, crispy pancetta (held on mine) & Parmigiano-Reggiano ($17.99).
We did request if we could split the salad, which the waiter did without question. He brought them out on separate plates, with our own large pieces of cheese, and one with and another without the pancetta, which was excellent! This way there was no fighting over pieces or the awkward dishing of salad to friends or who will eat the last bite. If you just want a small bit of salad, this is the way to go here.
Giada’s Signature Bread Board ($9.99) was also a delight. Three different types of bread (sourdough loaf, onion loaf, bun) with a variety of dippings, sprinklings, or mixings. Each were perfectly baked, nice crispy edge on the sourdough (my favorite) and soft and springy (roll). No hints of dryness, definitely were just freshly baked! We actually liked all of the toppings (pesto, butter, salt, olive oil & balsamic, chili flakes), but also appreciated the ability to be able to soak up the delicious remains of our dinner entrees with the bread!
For the main entrees, I ordered the Rigatoni vegetable Bolognese ($32.99), which was hands down the best vegetarian Bolognese I’ve ever had. I’m often let down by vegetarian options that are well hyped by the wait staff and my expectations actually were truly exceeded! Now, I am a bit of a ‘premadonna’ and don’t particularly care for round tube-like rigatoni pasta (or penne for that matter), so I did request to swap for the longer bucatini noodles and was accommodated without question. When it came out, it didn’t disappoint! I asked the server about how they created the Bolognese and he mentioned it was. Reduction of eggplant and other vegetables until they were tiny and delicious. I was astounded at the flavor and also the waitstaff’s knowledge of the dishes!
My friend ordered the ‘Salmon with basil orzotto, artichoke-tomato broth, and lemon gremolata’ ($40.99). He described the salmon as perfectly cooked and a joy to eat. It was packed with flavor and was both crispy and buttery.
For dessert we ordered the Apple Pie Bake ($12.99). The Apple pie bake was so yummy! The bake comes in a cute saucer cup, that you then break with your spoon. Once you’ve made an inlet, you pour this caramel sauce in the middle and go to town! It is apple pie deliciousness. Delightful cinnamon, delicately crisp top, and caramel buttery sweetness. So good.
Overall: Walking into Giada’s is walking into relaxed luxury, you don’t feel lavish or out of sorts, but its casual and upscale all at the same time. All details are thought through, from attentive service to nice restroom towels. As for the food, while the crostini were not a hit, literally everything else was. The Salmon was perfectly cooked, and the vegetable Bolognese blew me away. Hands down the best Bolognese I have ever had. I’m often let down by vegetarian options and this didn’t disappoint. For what we got, the food wasn’t too pricey (keep your price expectations low, this is Vegas). Overall, definitely recommend!
5 Stars
~WFD
