This is the third of my series of round-the-world restaurant cuisine. For this cultural trip, I decided to go for Italy – Kassi Beach House, which is located a block off the Las Vegas Strip, in the Virgin Las Vegas Hotel.
Check out the first in the series – Cantonese / Kosher Cuisine, and the second – French Cuisine at Le Petit Prince.
I have wanted to try this restaurant for a while, ever since I noticed it when I went to a concert in the same hotel. So, I was excited to give it a try for this report. Kassi Beach House features Italian coastal cuisine, which of course includes Italian / Mediterranean dishes. I visited on February 28th for dinner with my friends.
Style of service
This restaurant felt a bit more formal than the first two I visited for the first two restaurant visits. The decorations were more elegant at this place, reflective of the upscale resort atmosphere in the Virgin Hotel. Also, the servers were dressed nicely. Finally, the lighting was rather dim inside the restaurant, giving it an elegant evening-like vibe. I really liked the vibes in the restaurant.
Specialty food/beverage items on the menu
There are many authentic Italian dishes on the menu. Examples of some of them are:
Salt & Pepper Calamari, Aperol Spritz, Branzino, pastas – such as Spaghetti Alla Vongole, and Soppresata pizza. There also was a selection of Italian wines, like Prosecco and Pinot Grigio.
What we tried
We tried a lot of different dishes and drinks on our visit. We tried the Maze Platter, Vodka Pasta, Mushroom Carbonara, Bolognese pasta, Aperol Spritz, and Crimson Colada. All the food was super good.
Kassi Beach House Review
The Mezze Platter appetizer actually was my favorite. It was a fluffy piece of bread with three different dips: Whipped eggplant, White Bean Dip with Salsa Rosa, and Whipped Ricotta with Honey. Here is a photo of that dish:
Of the dips that came with this dish, my favorite was the White Bean Dip.
For my main course I tried the vodka pasta because, well, I have never had vodka pasta before – and I was excited to try it. It was flavorful and spicy. One of my friends got the mushroom carbonara. She asked for it without pork to comply with her vegetarian diet. I did not get to try it, but she liked it a lot. My other friend got Bolognese pasta. She liked hers a lot as well. For drinks both of my friends got Crimson Coladas. It was a Piña colada with Passionfruit. It was super sweet, and my friends liked it a lot. I tried it also and liked it. However, this of course is not an Italian dish, so the restaurant featured a lot of items that Las Vegas travelers like. Personally, I got an Aperol Spritz. It was a bit too strong for my liking. I will order a different drink next time.
The ambiance at the restaurant was nice. It was dark so it gave off a fancier vibe. Also, the entrance to go in was lit up really pretty. It was my favorite ambiance of the restaurants I have been to for this project.
The service was also amazing. We got our food supper quickly and our server was super nice.
From your personal experience and/or what you have learned in class, did the restaurant seem culturally representative or not?
I do think that this restaurant is culturally representative, although it also makes a few nods to the tastes of travelers, and includes some non-Italian dishes on its menu. The first reason I think this is that they had the Aperol Spritz. I learned in class that it is a traditional drink in Italy. Another reason I think that this restaurant is authentic is because I know from personal experience that pasta is popular in Italy. The last reason I think that this is an authentic restaurant is that there is pizza on the menu. Although pizza has become so popular in the United States, many Americans think of it as American, from personal experience I know that pizza is popular in Italy, and they have many pizza restaurants.
What about the Culture?
The first thing that I learned is that there is coastal Italian cuisine. I want to try more coastal Italian restaurants. Another thing I learned is that the Amalfi coast has different food then the rest of Italy. The last thing I learned is how popular spritz are in Italy.
Would you return to the restaurant in the future? Why or why not?
I would come back to this restaurant. The first reason I would come back is for the ambiance. Another reason I would come back is for the appetizers. The last reason I would come back would be for incredible service.
Kassi Beach House
4455 Paradise Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89169
