Wednesday, July 30, 2003 | 8:13 a.m.
Our continuing sojourn through casino food courts has taken us to the new Cypress Street in Caesars, the MGM Grand and several other locations.
Now it is time to visit three more places: Green Valley Ranch Station Casino, New York-New York and The Venetian, where there are two food courts for the price of one.
The Venetian
Practically everyone who parks in the garage walks across the bridge and by the upstairs food court, so for those who cannot wait, this is the one people notice. A second food court downstairs shouldn't be missed, though, and both are filled with interesting choices.
The upstairs food court is bright and pleasant, and the air conditioner must be one of the most powerful in the city. The blast of cool air greeting you is a shock to the system, albeit a pleasant one. This is a big, noisy, diverse place where seven venues, including Krispy Kreme Donuts, Panda Express and a Haagen-Dazs surround a comfortable commons area.
Vico's Burritos is the place for Fresh-Mex dishes, including a nice grilled vegetable salad topped with cotija cheese for $6.95, which will feed two. There is a well-stocked condiment bar containing salsas and various other toppings. One of the specialties here is fish tacos for $6.95, made with snapper instead of the more usual pollock.
Steak and chicken fajitas are also $6.95, and made to order. All entrees come with rice, beans, sour cream, onions and cilantro. Next to it is Shake 'N Burger, where sourdough patty melts are $5.95, foot-long hot dogs the same price, and big shakes made with real ice cream are $2.95. Down the passage is L.A. Italian Kitchen. Meatball calzones are $4.29, stuffed pizza slices -- a whole meal -- are $4.29, and there are steam table favorites like a classic lasagna and chicken parmesan to go with addictive, crusty garlic parmesan breadsticks (two for $1.89 or five for $3.99).
Finally there is the Towers Delicatessen, where traditional deli favorites such as matzo ball soup for $2.95 and hot deli sandwiches for $6.95 and up are sold. Try a Twin Bill, which allows two deli meats from a list including brisket, corned beef, pastrami and tongue.
At the downstairs food court, meanwhile, you dine in splendor, at upholstered booths or on plush tapestry chairs. Pizzeria da Enzo is steam table Italian, where dishes like beef with potatoes for $7.95 and sausage and peppers for $6.99 dominate the steam table. Slices of pizza are $2.50 to $3.95, a calzone is $5.95 and delicious garlic knots -- pizza dough brushed with butter and garlic -- are 40 cents each.
San Gennaro Grill makes a nice Philadelphia cheese steak for $6.25, excellent, fresh-cut fries cooked in pure peanut oil ($2.46 for a small, $2.95 for a large), and a mammoth, half-pound Angus beef steakburger. At the adjacent Rialto Deli, All State corned beef, pastrami and brisket sandwiches are $7.50, and potato knishes, flown in from a Coney Island purveyor, sell for $2.50.
For dessert, head for Cocolini, one of the best gelato displays in town. The ice creams are by Italcreme, a local company, and contain no dairy products. The case holds 48 flavors, including sorbets like green apple and lychee, ice creams like chocolate hazelnut (gianduja), and eight sugar-free flavors to boot. One scoop is $4.50, two are $5.50 and three are $6.50. What better way to beat the heat?
New York-New York
By all accounts, this twisty food court is one of the city's most persistently appealing. It is themed like a Las Vegas version of a New York neighborhood, and there are sidewalk tables and faux cobblestones.
The variety is impressive. First, at Times Square To Go, there are real Sabrett hot dogs, just like on the hot dog carts in the Big Apple, and hot pretzels with cheese sauce for $2.95. A French dip sandwich is $6.50, and $1.95 buys a slice of double chocolate cake.
There are usually long lines at Sirrico's Pizza. New York-style thin-crust -- and thicker -- Sicilian crust pan pizzas are sold by the slice. The pizzas range in price from $2.95 for a four cheese to $3.50 for a one-topping Sicilian. The restaurant also sells a good Caesar salad for $3.95, and good lasagna for $6.75.
Greenberg's Deli has soups like chicken noodle and matzo ball for $2.75, and is one of the few places on the Strip where it is possible to order gefilte fish ($5.95). One of the best sandwiches is Vinnie's Deluxe: brisket, turkey, pastrami, cheese, mayo and mustard. Whew! Hot sandwiches start at $7.25.
In addition to these choices, there is juice bar Mango Hut, a coffee and pastry bar called Greenwich Village Coffee Co., Broadway Burger and Fulton Fish Market, where you can buy clam chowder, fried clams, and catfish with jalapeno hush puppies and fries. In all, this is quite a place.
Green Valley Ranch
This food court is in a state of transition. Stage Deli has been shuttered, and will be replaced by a Mexican fast food operator, Viva Salsa. Pizza Luna is also no more, and it will soon turn into Villa Pizza, a branch of a local pizza chain.
That doesn't mean that there aren't good things to eat and drink here. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is dependably excellent for espresso, pastries and specialty drinks. There is a Dreyer's Ice Cream stand in here as well, and the ubiquitous Panda Express chain, where a two-item combo, such as spicy chicken with peanuts and the new tangy shrimp with pineapple, is $4.99.
But the most popular eatery in this food court continues to be Fatburger, where there is a steady stream of customers, and usually a wait for a seat at the five-stool counter. The Fatburger, one-third of a pound, is $3.49, and a double is $4.49. Have an egg on top, like the regulars. Fat fries, hand-cut and cooked in peanut oil, are $1.69.
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