LAS VEGAS (April 24, 2017) – Everyone wants to live the VIP life in Las Vegas, and for foodies, ordering a secret “off menu” item can make any diner feel like a high roller. Several restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip offer secret dishes that guests have to be "in the know" to order. Unlike the secret menus at chain restaurants, these items are carefully thought out, delicious masterpieces.

With everyone looking for that insider’s edge to Las Vegas, I thought your readers would enjoy learning about the secret menu items by the best chefs in the city, including:    

• Aureole – Five Onion Soup: In addition to experiencing the reimagined Aureole, guests can pay homage to its original concept by indulging in the exclusive Five Onion Soup. The rich dish features foie gras, black truffle, brioche croutons and raclette fondue. While this item cannot be found on their new sharable menu, it can be ordered by “in the know” diners every evening.
• Libertine Social – Truffles and Smoke: Guests dining at Libertine Social can enhance their steak selection by ordering their cut of choice “with truffles and smoke.” Guests will delight in a juicy steak served under a glass dome filled with truffles, mushrooms and smoke from the restaurant’s wood-burning grill, the inspiration for the dish. The smoke elevates the senses while the truffles and mushrooms deliver an exquisite earthiness to the dining experience. Executive Chef Jamaal Taherzadeh wanted guests to experience the flavors and ambiance the grill exudes no matter where they sit in the dining room.
• Della’s Kitchen – Crispy Pata: Delano’s "historic farmhouse meets urban kitchen" serves a traditional Filipino dish not often found on The Strip. Della’s off-menu Crispy Pata features a hearty pork shank which is braised, then fried. This exclusive dish can only be served to six guests per week.
• LVB Burgers & Bar – BBQ Bacon Burger and Cookies and Cream Shake: Chef Michael LaPlaca’s fast-casual concept inside The Mirage boasts a menu full of creative burgers and shakes so it is no surprise that the menu items under wraps are just as innovative. The BBQ Bacon Burger is a twist on the classic bacon cheeseburger with a blend of smoked pork shoulder and barbeque sauce, cheddar cheese, pickles and barbeque seasoned fried onions. Add on a Cookies and Cream Shake, non-alcoholic or spiked, to complete the meal.  
• Le Cirque – The "Ultimate" Surf and Turf: Almost as a dare, Executive Chef Wilfried Bergerhausen made an over-the-top dish utilizing every ingredient they carry. The centerpiece of the dish is a Japanese wagyu steak covered in perigourdine sauce made from truffles and topped with foie gras and finished with a layer of shaved truffles. The steak is paired with a 2-lb. butter-poached Maine lobster tail bathed in lobster sauce and topped with lobster caviar and an edible 24-carot gold leaf. Finally, the dish is completed with a deep fried potato fondant balanced atop a beef bone containing marrow.
• Blossom – Ma Lat a.k.a. the legendary "Spicy Water Fish": The high-end Chinese restaurant at ARIA offers a rare and legendary dish that is loosely translated to "Spicy Water Fish." The immensely hot Szechuan specialty is not listed on the menu because the authentic recipe of the sea bass requires an extremely high level of heat and the chef refuses to alter the recipe in order to pay proper tribute to the mythically spicy dish.
• Parlor Lounge – Cocktail 23: Available at The Mirage’s new cocktail lounge, this hidden libation combines exotic flavors to create a refreshing beverage limited to those "in the know." It blends Cabeza Blanco Tequila with Fruitations tangerine syrup, guava puree, jalapeno syrup, lemon juice, and lavender spritz.
• Beerhaus – Rarities and Unusuals: As part of its mission to be a beer mecca on the Las Vegas Strip, Beerhaus has devoted six of its taps to a constantly rotating selection of rare craft beers. Whether it is an extremely limited release from a local Las Vegas brewery or the only barrel of foreign ale they were able to bring to Las Vegas, the beers on the Rarities & Unusuals menu change every day and are only available for an extremely limited time.
• Carbone – Mario’s Meatballs: Mario Carbone’s famous meatballs began as his mother’s meatball recipe, which he perfected to serve at his restaurant in ARIA. The meatballs are made with ground beef, pork sausage, and veal. They’re then mixed with sautéed onions, garlic, parsley, parmesan cheese, and panade. While never officially listed on the menu, it is up to Carbone’s iconic Captains to inform guests of this tasty dish.
• Portofino – Lobster Milanese: Loyalists of Chef Michael LaPlaca have fallen in love with this off-menu favorite at The Mirage. A full-pound New England lobster tail is flattened out, lightly poached in butter, covered in savory breadcrumbs and fried until crispy. The lobster is finished with a white wine lemon butter sauce and served with sautéed garlic spinach.
• Jean Georges Steakhouse – Angus 300 Tomahawk Chop: Savvy ARIA guests will venture straight for the amazing Angus 300 Tomahawk Chop. The colossal steak is cooked over a wood burning grill and served over a bed of smoking coals that not only keep the meat warm, but also perfume the table. This monster steak will channel anyone’s inner Fred Flintstone.
• Tom Colicchio’s Heritage Steak – Marinated Grilled Eggplant: Vegans also can order off a secret menu at The Mirage. A large cut of eggplant is first marinated to infuse rich flavors, and is then grilled to create a lovely char. It is then topped with house made chimichurri sauce and served with a unique popcorn and roasted cashew glaze.
• Camelot Steakhouse – Creamed Summer Corn: Guests may elevate a meal with an off-the-menu side dish of Creamed Summer Corn with crispy applewood smoked bacon from this Excalibur steakhouse. The sweet, summery dish draws smoky flavor from the bacon and is complemented with bright notes from the corn.

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