Spago, which opened in Bellagio last year after cloˆsing in its original Vegas location, offers relaxed fine dining, showcasing Wolfgang Puck’s cuisine. But for a fabulous way to experience the restaurant, weekend brunch can’t be beat.
The restaurant, which began the A Taste of Spago Brunch this summer, loosens up on Saturday and Sunday starting at 11:30 a.m., with a DJ providing beats and the Fountains of Bellagio offering a show beginning at noon. You can sit inside or on the patio, with the best fountain views outside (of course), but tables alongside the floor-to-ceiling windows offer great views as well, as the plumes of water will fill your angle of view. If there are football fans in your group, several screens in the dining room will let them keep tabs on the game.
The brunch menu keeps it casual as well, offering classic breakfast and lunch dishes, plus several varieties of Puck’s celebrated pizzas. I recommend starting with a mimosa (available in a mix-and-match bottomless format), avocado toast and a pastry basket; although each seems so simple, they deliver huge amounts of flavor. Even the butter is special, cultured and sourced from a Vermont farm for spreading on house-made bread. The toast is built on that bread, with copious amounts of avocado, herbs, thinly sliced radish and chilis.
If you are in the mood for caprese, nibbling on the brunch version with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and basil is a beautiful thing. Seafood lovers can indulge in bigeye tuna tartare, with avocado, yuzo ponzu, cucumber and a nori rice crisp; or the poached Gulf shrimp cocktail, which comes with a salsa verde aioli, cocktail sauce and horseradish.
There are plenty of classic breakfast items, like the brioche French toast with mixed berry compote and Chantilly cream. A rolled French omelet, with king crab, cherry tomatoes and herbs, will satisfy that egg craving.
And oh-so-welcome are the pizzas, including the bacon and egg pizza with fresh mozzarella, leeks and Fresno chilis, a Wolfgang Puck specialty that you might not find on the dinner menu. Get the mushroom variety and you’ll be wowed by the incredible earthy flavor and fragrance, the crunchy crust and the bubbling cheese. And the smoked salmon pizza, although available at dinner, seems tailor-made for brunch, with dill cream, red onion and salmon pearls.
For larger appetites, try ordering the hangar steak tartine, piled on more of that delightful bread, with sautéed mushrooms, shallots and béarnaise sauce. The lobster fra diavolo comes with a spicy pomodoro, handmade linguine, king crag and Thai basil, plus calabrian breadcrumbs. How decadent!
Bellagio, 702.693.8181
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