Trattoria Del Lupo @ Mandalay Bay

07/07/08

Disappointing-would not go back

by mblairewolf at Citysearch

My husband and I ate here on July 5. We eat late, and have found that calling 60-90 min ahead is all that is fine to get a reservation for a later hour. We called at 9:30pm to request a table at 10:15pm , and were told no problem, and gave our name. We arrived 45 minutes later, and were told by the hostess that she had no record of our reservation, but that she could seat us anyway. We were perplexed--had the man my husband had spoken to 45 minutes before not written down our reservation or they had lost record of it in 45 minutes time? Regardless, it gave a poor first impression. If the hostess had been better trained, she could have simply said "right this way" & we'd have been none the wiser that they had screwed up our reservation. She asked where we'd like to sit, & we said "further back, away from the noise" as the fight had just gotten out & there were huge crowds walking thru the hotel ,people screaming and cheering, There were over 50 set and empty tables, plenty of staff working, and diners in the area we requested, However, the hostess took us up front, just inside the "outside" area, and seated us there- 6 feet from the crowds yelling and screaming. My husband nicely asked again if we could sit further back-and pointed to all the empty tables, but the hostess said "no-this is the best I can do", and walked away. The busboy appeared and my husband asked if he could send the manager to our table. The manager, Peter, came over, my husband explained our experience, the manager spoke to the hostess, came back apologizing & moved us to a table further back. Our waiter was fine, but the heirloom tomato salad appetizer while good, was very overpriced at $21, and the spinich lasagna and Pappardelle were ok but were nothing special. Our bill was $155 before tip & we're used to paying high prices in Vegas, but expect great service and great food at that price, and we were very disappointed with the whole experience at Trat. Del Lupo-We will not return.

• Cons: no record of reservation, non-accommodating hostess, loud and noisy, food just average, appetizers way overpriced.

04/03/07

Decent Italian Food

by traveltj at Citysearch

My husband and I were able to get in on a Saturday night without a reservation. We were seated immediately. But it was 9:30pm. They bring a basket of different breads with a head of roasted garlic and olive oil and vinegar for dipping. The bread is excellent. I usually try and stay away from eating bread before dinner but I couldn't stop myself and we had 2 baskets!

My husband ordered the chicken soup to start and lasagne for the entre'. He was crazy for the soup. He said the broth was very fresh and flavorful. The lasagne came in it baking dish and was what lasagne is supposed to be, HOT and cheesy and saucy but in good proportion. It is a large portion and my husband could not finish it.

I had the green salad. For a green salad I thought it was excellent. It was a spring mix with red onion but the dressing was delcious! It was a balsamic with feta cheese sprinkled in. I loved it! I ordered the pizza margherita and it was just ok. I am considered a pizza expert so I think I can explain it properly. The crust was a little dry. It was thin and crispy like it should be just tasted dry. Their was barely any sauce so maybe that is why it was so dry. The cheese was fine but NO basil!

All in all we had a good experience. The service is very good. I would eat here again.

• Pros: The bread
• Cons: The pizza could be better for a Wolfgang Puck pizza

10/09/06

Is Puck becoming the Chef Boy-ar-dee of Vegas?

by holidayjunkie at Citysearch

Puck now has a restaurant everywhere in Vegas, it seems, even at the airport! We went to Lupo before Rock Star karaoke and had an okay meal. It was good, not great, which seems to be the trend for the Puckster joints these days (we had a similar experience at Spago at the Forum Shops). The incredients taste fresh enough, but they're not imaginative enough. We had gnocchi and meatballs, a smallish portion. Salad of butter lettuce and radichio, okay. Goat cheese pizza that was okay, nothing special. The wine list is long and not descriptive, and our server couldn't answer any questions about it, so we ordered a so-so bottle. Overall, we paid more than $100 for a mediocre meal. You can do better in Vegas. We also think Puck can do better. The atmosphere here is nice, though. You can sit out in front of the restaurant and people watch.

• Pros: Good people watching atmosphere
• Cons: Average food, a little pricey for lack of imagination