November 19, 2015 | Lifestyle
Score big on game day with front-row seats at some of the strip's best venues for sports-watching.
Lagasse’s Stadium is a game-viewing sure bet.
Aria Race & Sports Book
The Aria Race & Sports Book (866-359-7111) is one of the most opulent betting venues in a major Las Vegas resort, yet its focus on style doesn’t detract from the high-tech accessories. A floor-to-ceiling wall of 90 high-definition TVs, including two spectacular 220-inch screens, complements a jewel-tone main room and VIP areas, which may be smaller than those of most other sports books on the Strip but emphasize Aria’s commitment to comfortable luxury. Plus, if you get hungry, you’re only steps away from Shawn McClain’s Five50 Pizza Bar and menu of customizable, wood-fired pizzas.
Lagasse's Stadium
Vegas may be chock-full of sports bars, but Lagasse’s Stadium (702-607-2665), with its white-leather stadium seating and more than 100 high-definition TVs—one of which measures 16 feet across—is the most fully immersible dining, entertainment, and sports-viewing venue. There’s an Emeril-designed menu, plus private suites, betting stations, and outdoor pool tables. In the spirit of the season, the Palazzo hot spot is debuting a collection of limited-time menus—offered on Monday and Thursday nights—inspired by championship teams, like this fall’s football-centric selections (think Manhattan clam chowder for the New York Giants and Chicago-style hot dogs for the Bears).
Pub 1842
Leave it to Michael Mina to take the traditional pub setup and transform it into a sleek, sexy hangout like Pub 1842 (702-891-3922), MGM Grand’s wood-paneled trove of rare whiskeys, international craft beers, and elevated finger foods (think lobster fritters and pulled-pork sandwiches). A less crowded alternative to Tap, MGM Grand’s sports book-adjacent bar, Pub 1842 is rolling out several seasonal perks to attract fans on game day, including a build-your-own, bottomless Bloody Mary bar on Sunday mornings and Monday-night raffles that give entrants a shot at scoring limited-edition prizes, including authentic helmets, jerseys, and hats.
Lavo Casino Club
The Strip certainly isn’t a stranger to fusion concepts, but longtime Palazzo favorite Lavo is changing the game with a swank new addition: the Lavo Casino Club (702-791-1800). Combining Lavo’s full menu of signature Italian dishes with an elaborate tableside mixology program and blackjack tables (baccarat, craps, and roulette are soon to follow), the second-story retreat offers a more intimate viewing experience, with 18 strategically placed flat-screen TVs broadcasting the latest college football and NFL games. Though typically open only on Friday and Saturday nights, the space is hosting exclusive sporting events on Saturday and Sunday mornings for the remainder of the season.
Therapy
Downtown’s newest culinary sensation, Therapy (702-912-1622), has made a name for itself with quirky-cool dishes like oxtail empanadas and fire roasted street corn. For football sea- son, though, the two-story restaurant has launched an indulgent game-day menu, served on Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays, that gives diners tastes of treats like caramelized-honey chicken wings and fried alligator tails with pickles. The gastropub’s 32-foot bar is backed by a number of high-definition TVs, but if you’re craving a side of privacy with your small plates, consider booking the upstairs loft, which features plenty of lounge seating and even more screens
PHOTOGRAPHY cOuRTesY Of VeneTiAn And PAlAzzO (lAGAsse’s sTAdium); bY bRiAn mAnnAsmiTH (THeRAPY)
