On the Road Again: Las Vegas - Olives at The Bellagio

The Bellagio Fountains: View from "the Eiffel Tower"

By Lauren Rosalanko

Once again, a Las Vegas restaurant shined, with fantastic food and dessert. I am originally from the Boston-area and became a fan of Todd English's restaurants thanks to my parents. Figs and Olives were great, but unfortunately the Olives Restaurant near Boston closed. Therefore, I was excited that I could go to Olives at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

Olives is located in the Bellagio with a direct view of the Bellagio fountains and also features outdoor seating. The view is great and the atmosphere is perfect for a nice meal in Las Vegas. The Mediterranean-style restaurant has a focus on flatbreads, pasta dishes, and a variety of meat and fish for main course options. The menu also denotes the Chef's Selections, which ultimately led me to my decision to order the Fig & Prosciutto flatbread. The flatbread is large enough for your main course. It features a rosemary crust, a sweet & sour fig jam, gorgonzola cheese and prosciutto di parma. The flatbread came out piping hot with a crust that was the perfect balance of soft and doughy with a light crunch. The fig jam with many real fig pieces offers a sweet taste to complement the sharpness of the gorgonzola cheese. Finally, the prosciutto adds the perfect bland of saltiness to top of the dish. I have also heard great things about Butternet Squash Tortelli and Sea Scallops dishes, which I would have to try next time I head back to Las Vegas. Sommeliers are knowledgable and able to help with any wine pairing for your main course.

The Chef's Selection: Fig & Prosciutto Flatbread

The dessert menu features classic desserts and adds flair to desserts like Tiramisu by adding a banana component. I love anything and everything chocolate so I had to try the Chocolate Peanut Cake. Typically, molten chocolate cakes feature chocolate sauce or raspberry sauce, but this had a light peanut butter flavor. I normally find peanut butter to be too rich in desserts, but this was just the right amount in the form of a creme anglaise-like sauce. The cake had small pieces of peanut in the cake to offer a light crunch. For the perfect presentation, the cake was topped with a dark chocolate disc with Bellagio written in gold script.

Chocolate Peanut Cake

While Olives was busy, our server was attentive and friendly. The atmosphere was great and it was also matched by fine food for dinner and dessert. I would highly recommend Olives, even if you just stop by for a quick bite and wine at the bar, or if you are looking for a convenient fine dining option on the Strip.