The Bootlegger Italian Bistro
Ciabatta and Whole Wheat Bread Basket
Italian French Toast – Ciabatta bread dipped in egg batter, crusted w/Captain Crunch
House Stack Cakes – Three homemade pancakes w/butter & maple syrup
Eggplant Benny – Breaded eggplant topped w/sliced tomatoes, poached eggs, basil & marinara sauce
Maria’s panetti breads & tomato basil dip
Meat Ravioli Fritti – lightly breaded & flash fried w/marinara sauce
House Specialty Maria’s classic baked lasagna w/meat sauce
Pizza Basilico with Artichokes, tomato, basil & mozzarella cheese
Cannoli – Crispy pastry shells filled with Maria’s orange scented cream filling and garnished with chocolate chips
Located at the south end of Las Vegas Boulevard with a heritage stretching back to an era long past and a location off-Strip, it was with three friends and a smiling youngster that breakfast bridging to lunch was enjoyed at Bootlegger Bistro, the 24/7 space celebrated for late night music and red sauce Italian proving far more sedate so early in the day.
Not particularly well staffed at our 10:30am arrival, one friend left in a lobby that the waitress admittedly “doesn’t really check” since most enter through the bar, it was with all soon accounted for that we were offered a cozy four-top alongside the windows overlooking the an outdoor patio, the rose lighting making for challenging pictures while music from the 50s played from speakers neither too soft nor too loud.
Admittedly timing the meal to coincide with the eleven o’clock transition from breakfast to lunch it was with both menus presented that eyebrows raised to bargain-basement prices, the pre-tip total of just over $80 a veritable bargain for such a table twice overflowing with food.
Starting off the day with breakfast, myself particularly famished after a late night and early morning run, it was in a trio of plates that opening bites were entrusted, a Pancake and French Toast pairing showing the former simple and fluffy while the latter was sweet with custard and cereal even before adding pure maple syrup from home, the Benny surprisingly excellent with crispy eggplant crowned in perfectly poached eggs and housemade red sauce.
Offering hot bread with each course, the first a basket of toasts from which ciabatta proved lovely for sopping up sauce, it was with a sizable basket of buttery garlic knots that the lunch portion of the morning kicked off, the fried ravioli stuffed with finely ground meat teaming with spices while the doughy pizza was only fair-to-middling compared to the restaurant’s ‘signature’ lasagna, the enormous wedge topped in meat sauce and mozzarella more than enough to share.
Doing a lot of the legwork during on the lasagna when it came for dessert I almost decided to opt out, but spotting cannolis made in the Italian tradition one couldn’t help but order a trio, the crispy tubes elegant with bittersweet chocolate chips playing off cream tinged in orange zest.
THREE AND A HALF STARS: Far better than many traditional ‘checkered tablecloth’ spots in town with favorable pricing considering the quality of the food, suffice it to say although I’m not sure I’d invest in the crowd and cost of dinner I’d strongly encourage anyone looking for breakfast or brunch in a Vegas Classic to give Bootlegger Bistro a look.
RECOMMENDED: Eggplant Benny, French Toast, Fried Ravioli, Cannoli.
AVOID: Pizzas are doughy and overpriced compared to many others in town.
TIP: Celebrated for their late night shows featuring live music and celebrity sightings The Bootlegger Bistro is also known to be an afterhours favorite of Strip performers who are often coaxed into an impromptu bit of showmanship for those fortunate enough to be in the crowd.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
http://bootleggerlasvegas.com
