Open a little more than one month, Giada De Laurentiis’ groundbreaking restaurant, Giada at The Cromwell has certainly made an imprint in the Las Vegas restaurant scene. With tables booked out weeks in advance, the bubbly Food Network star and admitted perfectionist has been working hard to ensure everything runs flawlessly. She relentlessly tastes dishes, visits tables, engages with guests and asks their opinions. In doing so, De Laurentiis has swiftly separated herself from the entire pack of A-Z list chefs and restaurateurs in town. Everything is impeccable.
She trains staff her way, and it’s clear in their immaculate delivery and consistency. Dining at Giada is a full on experience and will probably double in demand once lunch service begins on July 16. Waiters not only recite menu highlights, but can relay in detail the “Giada”-style thought processes behind the dishes, as well as little-known food factoids and suggestions on ordering flow.
On a recent visit, my team and I banded together for dinner at Giada; this group of misfits featured none other than a pescatarian, a pregnant vegan, a carnivore and a vegetarian. It’s not surprising that despite our high maintenance dietary restrictions, we still ordered upwards of 20 dishes (many of them from the antipasti menu), and devoured them all, leaving us Thanksgiving-style stuffed. I chose to pair cocktails with my dinner while the two other shared a bottle of Willamette Valley pinot noir that brought out many of the flavors sprinkled in each succulent bite.
The left side of the menu is all antipasti and pizzettes—with the idea being that you first order a few of these small bites for the whole table. It gels with De Laurentiis’ famous “I eat a little bit of everything, but not a lot of anything” motto. Antipastis are broken down by genre, including vegetable, meat, seafood, cheese, salumi and crostini. The tiny, precious pizzettes, cooked in her prized pizza oven, are sliced in fours and give you a bite of Italian style pizza without filling you up. The right side of the menu features soups, salads, pastas, entrees and sides, with most meant to be shared.
Many dishes can be altered or made to correlate with diets, (yes, even gluten-free options abound) so here’s a breakdown on what to expect and what to order no matter what kind of diner you are.
CARNIVORE
Start off with the bacon wrapped dates, which will only leaving you wanting more. Dig into a few of the salumi options, which are mostly pork, such as the Cacciatore tartufo with aromas of truffle. As Giada always emphasizes eating a small portion of pasta right before entrees, try the Bucatini. While this must-try dish is meatless, it’s so flavorful that you won’t even miss the meat, and it provides a nice break between courses. For the main, everyone raves about the Sicilian roasted lamb and 28 oz. bone-in Tuscan Rib-Eye. If in the mood for more sharing, order the roasted Chicken Cacciatore. Meant for two, it’s presented tableside before being whisked away to be cut. Pair it with sides: the heavenly smashed potatoes with a hint of lemon and sweet corn with spicy Italian sausage.
PESCATARIAN
De Laurentiis is known for being one of the few that keeps her Italian dishes light. Instead of heavy sauces, creams and huge portions, she favors adding California cuisine twists and lots of citrus infusions. This makes her food ideal for pescatarians, who are basically vegetarians who eat some seafood. Don’t leave without ordering the mind-blowing risotto topped with crab and scallops. The spaghetti with lemon, shrimp and basil is one of her most famed dishes, so order that unless you’re feeling slightly more adventurous: the lobster ravioli is ultra-light, with bites contained in airy pasta pockets and drizzled in a light sauce. The seared salmon or branzino options are excellent main courses to try.
VEGETARIAN
The baby artichokes are beyond divine, and served in two ways on the plate: crispy and marinated. Topped with a slab of cheese, the wood roasted mushrooms are heaven, as is the crostini with feta, tomato, and a strawberry jam so fresh, you’ll hope they sell it by the jar. Many vegetarians are known for their love of cheese, especially high-quality cheese. Giada’s dreamy selection hits all the right notes. Chunks of 18-month aged Parmesan come with wild-sage honey and the creamy burrata needs nothing but its topping of balsamic salt. There are several cheeses to try—I suggest a minimum of three. After you’ve downed these and the frequent favorite, the kale/Gorgonzola dolce/wood roasted mushrooms pizzette, dive into either the creamy artichoke soup or the farroto, which boasts a generous truffle essence among fava beans and pecorino tartufo.
VEGAN
The vegetable section of the antipasti menu is a vegan goldmine. Many of the items are vegan, including the herb and citrus marinated olives imported from Italy, grilled broccoli rabe and cipollini. The pasta e Fagioli soup can be made vegan, and any dairy, pancetta or prosciutto can be left off salads. Make your main course the pea pesto tortellini (did we mention all the pasta is made in house?), which has a vegan option. The wood grilled asparagus side is also a big winner. It comes with lemon ricotta for dipping but you can either have that left off or give it to another cheese-loving diner in your party.
Sweet finish De Laurentiis is a self-proclaimed dessert fiend and advises diners at her restaurant to save room. Trust me, it’s worth it. You’ll see a stunning rose gold dessert cart rolling throughout the whole night, and will make mental notes about treats such as cakes, pie, eclairs and her famous lemon ricotta cookies. Choices rotate every night, but there’s always the dessert staple, house made gelato, or sorbetti for a vegan choice.
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