Stripsteak, Las Vegas

Coming from a steak connoisseur, Michael Mina has successfully created the best "meat eating" experience of my 27 year life.

Some friends, my wife and I enjoyed this wonderful fine dining restaurant at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino during one of our recent trips to Las Vegas.

Soon after being seated and drink orders are taken, the chef provides a complimentary "duck fat fries" appetizer with a variety of different dipping sauces. The fries aren't much better than those from the "golden arches," but they aren't any hint of what the rest of Stripsteak's divine menu has to offer.

We started with the foie graus sliders which consited of the traditional duck dish tucked into some rolls with cheese, carmelized onions, and a peach compote for dipping. The rich flavor of the foie grau was accented beautifully by the peach flavor, and in most dining experiences, would have been the highlight of the menu.

Ruth's Chris

For a restaurant chain, Ruth's Chris serves anything but a warmed up piece of gristly bovine that you can get in any peanut shell covered steakhouse. At each one of their elegant locations, you can sink your teeth into their USDA Prime beef that comes out on sizzling plate of hot butter; and in my opinion, anything cooked in butter is fantastic.

To start, I recommend the barbecued shrimp that are served in a cajun style sauce which can be saved to soak Ruth's warm bread in after devouring the shrimp.

You can choose any one of their mouth watering cuts of beef, but my suggestion is the cowboy ribeye. It is similar to the original cut, except for the rib bone that adds additional flavor to the already flavorful cut.

Nothing accents the delicious carne more than the au gratin potatoes and creamed spinach.