Postrio
Venetian (last visit: October 2006).
American.
Las Vegas food critic John Curtas (KNPR) picked Postrio as restaurant of the year for 2004, and named one of Postrio's dishes the best entrée of 2005. A member of the Wolfgang Puck stable, Postrio says it serves contemporary American cuisine, such as steaks, seafood, and those most quintessential of American foods: Italian pastas and pizzas. Dinner is available in the informal café or the more formal dining room; lunch is available only in the café. I opted for lunch.
The Menu
The menu varies according to location (dining room or café) and meal (lunch or dinner). The lunch menu offers such choices as pork wienerschnitzel, Hungarian goulash, and a lobster club sandwich, as well as pizza and pasta.
The Atmosphere
Lunch is served in the "outdoor" cafe portion of the restaurant. It's open to the shopping area and trompe l'oeil sky. The background noise level is generally not bad, but it gets a bit much when nearby performers start singing.
The Meal
I ordered pork wienerschnitzel, Austrian potato salad, and whole grain mustard sauce. It was a thin but obscenely large piece of pork - about 7" by 10" - crisp and not greasy. A lemon provided needed acidity, and the mustard sauce was mild but had good flavor. All in all, a good combination. On the other hand, the potato salad was bland.
Summary
I was pleased with my lunch, but it wasn't anything spectacular. Perhaps I'll need to give it another try at dinner time.
The Bill
The meal was $28, plus drinks, tax and tip. Most lunches are somewhat cheaper.