A Room for All Seasons

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas restaurant celebrates Mediterranean cuisine

This is a diet I can get behind. Although the traditional Mediterranean diet is rich in veggies, beans, nuts, seeds and seafood, the Mediterranean diet at Todd English’s Olives at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas also has a few additions to enliven your night. Situated off the main corridor into Virgin, the entry into Olives leads past a bar area where a good luck chicken greets guests on one side, while lovely fragrances emanate from the kitchen opposite. The airy dining room is backed by a wall of windows looking onto the patio beyond. Cushy booths nestle on that wall, and modern tables, chairs and murals fill in the rest.

Cocktails range from barrel-aged Manhattans and Old-Fashioneds to sweet things like the Olives espresso martini vanilla vodka and Kahlua. Start with a lovely opener, tapenades and hummus served with tender focaccia. Although everyone will have their favorites, both Kalamata and green olive versions are amazing—savory and salty, with a smooth texture that retains small chunks of olive. Beet salad has a fair few of those components, with the roasted root vegetable placed atop a scrumptious carrot purée accented with frisée, pistachio and sesame seeds.

There are numerous seafood options on the menu, fitting in well with that diet idea, but the pasta options are where that idea begins to deviate. Seasonal mushroom potato ravioli is served with caramelized onions, crispy potatoes and black truffle. Butternut squash tortelli is fragant with browned butter. The classic chicken Milanese comes with arugula, Parmesan cream and tomato, with lemon vinaigrette atop. The eggplant Parmesan is exceptional as well, with a rich, roasted tomato marinara and melty burrata. For dessert, the Nonna’s Cookie Plate features your Italian favorites, while mascarpone panna cotta with macerated strawberries and a lemon olive cake is smooth and delightful.

Olives is also one of the restaurants featured in the Savor & Soar experience from Maverick Helicopters and Finger Licking Foodie Tours (Wednesday through Sundays, flymaverick.com). –Nina King