Vegas’ Stratosphere hopes to hit new heights with a new chef and a revamped menu
You know the old saw about restaurants: Good views mean mediocre food. The restaurant at the Stratosphere in Las Vegas is aiming to change that.
For decades, a meal at Top of the World, the revolving steakhouse on Level 106 of the Stratosphere, was memorable for what you saw, not what you ate.
But now there are new owners and a new executive chef.
“They relied on the venue to do the talking,” said Pawan Pinisetti, the new executive chef. “That [view] definitely works to our advantage, but that’s not what we’re relying on. Food and beverage are also a focal point now.”
He and corporate executive chef Johnny Church of Golden Entertainment intend to compete with “any other world-class destination,” Pinisetti said.
The menu will change according to what’s in season. The winter menu, for example, features Beets & Burrata, an $18 appetizer that Pinisetti said is getting “quite a bit of attention on social media.”
It’s pretty, but that’s not the point. “The beets are in season,” he said. “The burrata is super creamy. And the pumpernickel tuile [a baked wafer] works really well and plays along with the seasonality.”
Pinisetti still obtains meat from Australia and Japan but relies primarily on Creekstone Farms, a Kansas beef producer.
The steak choices include a center cut rib-eye ($59) and bone-in New York strip ($69).
“The latest addition is our 42-ounce, dry-aged prime porterhouse [$159], again from Creekstone Farms,” Pinisetti said. “It’s going to be a big old dinner for two.”
Those who have eaten at Top of the World also will notice a change in décor, unveiled last month.
Gone are the customary white tablecloths, replaced with tabletops reflecting the colors of the sky. Candle holders are reminiscent of the street lights more than 800 feet below.
“We’re keeping the classic aspects of being a steakhouse, but it’s very clean and modern,” Pinisetti said. “It makes the room a little more open and gives it a very elegant touch.”
Top of the World is open 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and 4-11 p.m. daily.
Info: Top of the World, (702) 380-7711, then press 3.
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