Fish Food

Remember when downtown Las Vegas seafood seemed limited to 99-cent shrimp cocktails? No more. These days the city’s historic center is more about macadamia-crusted mahi-mahi, lobster Françese and spicy yellowfin ahi.

As part of its no-holds-barred campaign to create a true luxury experience downtown, the Golden Nugget last month opened a Chart House restaurant in its swanky Rush Tower. Now, just steps from the iconic neon cowboy, you can sit down in an elegant virtual oceanscape amid floor-to-ceiling views of 1,000 brilliantly colored fish and dine on lobster and shrimp spring rolls and tomahawk lamb chops while sipping perfectly paired vintage wines.

The Chart House name already resonates with diners throughout the country. Known for serving the highest-quality seafood and steaks in extraordinarily appealing settings, Chart House locations have all but dominated OpenTable’s list of the top 50 restaurants with the “Most Scenic Views in the United States.” Ten of those 50 restaurants are Chart Houses.

“Most Chart House restaurants are located on the ocean,” said Tilman Fertitta, chairman, president and CEO of Landry’s Restaurants, which owns the Golden Nugget and Chart House. “The Rush Tower restaurant offers ‘oceanfront dining’ from a new perspective, and its stunning under-the-sea setting is sure to rival locations across the country.”

The Rush Tower incarnation, designed with modern furnishings and rich colors inspired by the sea, seats about 200 guests around the 75,000-gallon showpiece tropical aquarium. Diners can start with the crab, avocado and mango stack, bruschetta sliders or Asian chicken salad before moving on to a mouth-watering entrée such as the Mediterranean grilled shrimp or slow-roasted prime rib. The custom-tailored menu is designed to complement local cuisine while introducing a hint of the exotic.

Chart House will also feature an extensive collection of fine wines, as well as signature desserts like the sinfully delicious chocolate lava cake and the light and fluffy Chart House soufflé. The restaurant is just one of a number of upscale eateries at the resort.

“We have created an exciting array of dining experiences at the Golden Nugget, offering many different places for visitors to eat and have a good time,” Fertitta said. The Rush Tower is the latest expansion project at the Golden Nugget. The $150-million development, part of the dynamic Fremont Street Experience, opened in November 2009, enhancing the legendary property’s already unparalleled hotel, gaming and dining options and positioning the Golden Nugget as a true rival to the Strip’s top properties.

Sure, you can still find a 99-cent shrimp cocktail downtown. But, with an elegant world-class seafood restaurant just steps away, why would you want to?

—Charlie Carlos, Custom Publishing Writer

Golden Nugget
129 E. Fremont Street
Reservations: 800.634.3454
www.goldennugget.com