Sue De Lapa

Colorful buildings on the strip.

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Objective: Explore Las Vegas to see if there are any quiet, quality hotels away from the clang of the casinos, and to scout out good restaurants off the Strip, places where locals love to eat.

But absolutely, positively no gambling, I told myself. No room in the budget — or time — for gaming. Most of the people I know who hit the casinos dump money into the slots and hope for a tap on the shoulder from Lady Luck.

On the Beat

Funny, after a foray at the casinos, they claim either that they won or that they “about broke even.” Somehow, they never seem to lose. I do have one well-traveled friend who plays only roulette, enjoying the musical click of the wheel of fortune, the suspense, and the cosmopolitan ambiance, perhaps imagining himself in Monte Carlo. Or thinking of Humphrey Bogart and Casablanca. He wins some, loses some and enjoys it.

Coming across a top-quality non-casino oasis of a hotel was as hard as hitting a thousand-dollar jackpot, because nearly everywhere I go in Las Vegas I must wend my way through a sea of slots and gambling tables while entering or leaving. Worse, I find myself dining within earshot of nerve-jangling gaming. But on a recent trip to Sin City my wife Sue and I managed to stay in two Strip hotels that fit the quiet, tasteful bill perfectly — and found two more 40 minutes away at a true oasis, Lake Las Vegas.

Sue De Lapa

The Luxor sphinx.

The luxury Four Seasons Las Vegas occupies the top five floors of the giant Mandalay Bay resort, at the south end of the Strip. But it’s entirely separate, from the valet greeting to the lobby registration. Our room offered a jaw-dropping night view of the pleasure palaces along Las Vegas Boulevard. The Four Seasons boasts its own pool and spa. But if you wish to join the hip crowd at the secluded Mandalay Bay pool, where women can go topless, the Four Seasons elevator will whisk you there. You may be surprised to learn that some Vegas resorts have separate pools where there are all sorts of lounging cabanas, and “European-style sunbathing,” meaning tops off, optionally. At Mirage Hotel’s Bare, for instance, there are upscale VIP daybeds for the fully clad or bare-breasted, bottle service, and all manner of pampering — perks for a price of course. Far more intriguing to Sue and me, however, was the Mirage’s sensational LOVE, the Cirque du Soleil show featuring not only the beloved music of the Fab Four but a mind-blowing display of fancifully costumed performers, odd VW Bugs, and Lucy in the Sky herself, swinging down from the heights. LOVE alone was worth the Vegas trek.

The Four Seasons boasts the excellent Charlie Palmer steak house, which tempted us, but we passed it by in favor of snacks at the nearby Verandah, a quiet restaurant and bar off the lobby. Just beyond the lobby door, at Mandalay Bay, we found plenty of action: a sprawling casino, buffet ($27 for dinner) and restaurants galore.

Up the street, the huge MGM Grand mother-hens another island of peace and quiet, The Signature’s three towers of ultra-modern rooms. The towers are set back from the Strip and include a bar offering exotic martinis, a deli, and a coffee shop. The massive MGM Grand is a short stroll away via a covered walkway. It’s fun just to saunter through the place, sizing up the beautiful but pricy restaurants, where you can dine behind glass and be seen by the passing crowds. (Unless, of course, you are with someone such that, as the saying goes, you prefer that what happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas.)

Sue  De Lapa

Lake Las Vegas, Ponte Vecchio bridge at Ritz-Carlton hotel.

For those desiring to get away from the Strip entirely, Lake Las Vegas, a man-made body of water featuring a replica Italian village, two golf courses, and a pair of swank hotels, is 17 miles away by freeway. MonteLago Village has winding lane and an excellent selection of outdoor cafes where you can sip a glass of wine, dine on well-prepared meals, and even try your luck at a casino. (We didn’t.) The excellent non-casino Ritz-Carlton overlooks the lake at the Village, which often has weekend concerts as well as events such as chili cookoffs. The resort extends out over the water with a copy of Florence’s Pontvecchio bridge. Suite 2514 on the bridge offers marvelous views but involves a bit of walking to get to the lobby. Loew’s resort is on the far side of the lake.

Dining On and Off the Strip: When it comes to eating, Las Vegas is no longer where you dig into a $1.25 all-you-can-eat buffet then rush back to the slots. The Strip is wall-to-wall fine dining in stylish restaurants where you can expect to drop $100 or more for dinner with Mr. or Ms. Right — or Mr. or Ms. Right Now. Well, as they say, you can’t take it with you, and you certainly aren’t going to take it back to Santa Barbara with you and blow it at Denny’s, are you? But our plan was to leave the clamor and glamour of Las Vegas’ blazing-neon Strip behind and put on the feedbag at good restaurants where the locals eat, some places too new to make the guide books or old favorites little known to the surging crowds. You’ll need a car or taxi to get to these off-Strip gems (we drove from Santa Barbara). One of the quirks of Las Vegas dining is that some of its best culinary experiences can be found — sometimes with difficulty — in shopping centers. But don’t let that stop you. Lotus of Siam, for instance, hides in a seedy strip mall a few blocks east of the Strip and has little ambiance. But food magazines and other critics rate it one of the best Thai eateries in the nation, if not No. 1. Strip chefs eat here. The deep fried sea bass on “drunken noodles” was excellent. The tom kah kai coconut-flavored chicken soup is a local favorite. Beware of the hot-hot-hot spices. You can eat cheaply here, but a full meal for two runs about $70. The lunch buffet is a great deal at $10 but try to get there before noon. 953 E. Sahara Ave. Tel.: 702-735-3033. Dinner reservations a must.

Sue  De Lapa

Through the trees at Marche Bacchus restaurant.

Word of mouth led us to Ferraro, which is Mimmo and Gino Ferraro’s Italian restaurant, long a hangout for stars like Anthony Quinn. The signature dish is the $45 osso buco, so tender that the meat falls off the bone. The wine list is an inch thick. 5900 W. Flamingo Rd., 89103. Tel.: 702-364-5300. Perhaps most popular of the off-strip restaurants is Rosemary’s, where owners Michael and Wendy Jordan preside over a pleasant, high-ceilinged room and a menu with touches of their native New Orleans. Best of our tastings: grilled loch Duart salmon with roast potatoes in a brie cream sauce, and Creole-seasoned shrimp, with spicy andouille flavors and red bean sauce. The $28 prix-fixe lunch is a good deal. 8125 W. Sahara Ave. Tel.: 702-869-2251. Also on the far west side of Las Vegas and equally worth the drive is Marche Bacchus, in the Summerlin district, commanding a beautiful spot under the trees on a lake. It runs to French entrees as well as pan-roasted Idaho trout and pepper-seared ahi tuna. The traditional bread pudding ($10) was (almost) like mother’s. You can choose a bottle from the wine shop. (Corkage only $10.) Last outdoor table on the left yields the most privacy. 2620 Regatta Dr. Tel.: 702-804-8008.

Sue De Lapa

Statue of Liberty replica at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pamplemousse, French all the way and home of the 14-ounce veal chop, is an ornate restaurant dating to 1976 that reportedly fed Sinatra’s Rat Pack, Debbie Reynolds and other stars. 400 E. Sahara Ave. Tel.: 702-733-2066. Signature dishes include New Zealand rack of lamb in a pistachio crust and roast duck breast. Best dessert: Grand Marnier soufflé. Bring your credit card. Cafe Heidelberg, 40 years at the same location, wins awards for its friendly service and dishes like Bavarian potato soup and pork schnitzel but not for its rather plain interior. You might spot Strip entertainers here. 610 E. Sahara Ave. Tel.: 702-731-531. One of the hottest new off-Strip restaurants is Raku, serving Japanese dishes near Chinatown. It’s a cozy, pretty place, open until 3 a.m. and therefore favored by Strip restaurant staffers. Its charcoal grill turns out grilled foie gras ($12) and Kobe beef filets with wasabi ($9). Reservations a must. 5030 Spring Mountain Rd. Tel.: 702-367-3511. Firefly, a tapas spot just a few minutes off the Strip, is noisy and in a strip mall but that’s not stopping the young crowd. Specialties include chicken- and chorizo-stuffed mushrooms, garlic prawns, bacon-wrapped dates with red peppers, and lamb sausage. Tapas for two, washed down with sangria: About $70. Also popular with restaurant people. 3900 Paradise Rd. Tel.: 702-369-3971.

You can relax at an outdoor tables at Lake Las Vegas. Luna Rossa Ristorante Italiano offers a knockout spaghetti pesto Bolognese in Montelago Village. Tel.: 702-568-9921. At Sunset & Vines you can order an $8 cheese plate ($23 for a selection of three cheeses) add one of its 500 bottles of vino and gaze at the lake. Or dine on pesto shrimp scampi sautéed with white wine. Tel.: 702-382-7900. For more formal dining but with friendly service, the Ritz-Carlton, its gardens topping off the village, is the place. It’s is a classy getaway. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and ended the day at the bar experimenting with martinis. Then to bed and an easy rest, not having dropped a dime at the slots or gaming tables.

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