In days gone by, the buffet represented an all-you-can-eat extravaganza where the majority of the food was prepared out of sight. In a visionary move that marries dining and design, The Mirage’s Cravings offers a new concept in buffets. At Cravings, guests see their food prepared and enjoy its aroma, as it’s served in an environment replete with energy, color and animation.
Sure to revolutionize the perception of all-you-can-eat dining, Cravings invites guests to take part in a culinary experience that moves beyond the buffets of the past. Each unique kitchen area resembles a freestanding “restaurant” where chefs prepare international specialties. The sights, sounds and aromas of a professional kitchen are evident through viewing windows, and the chef’s specialties are presented in a manner reminiscent of banquets of long ago – appealing, abundant and fresh from the kitchen. A creative visual display of ingredients and products from each culinary region transports diners from one cuisine to the next.
“The buffet is an integral part of the Las Vegas dining scene, offering guests a variety of cuisines and the opportunity to create their own menu. As the Las Vegas experience continues to evolve, it made sense for us to reevaluate the one aspect of Las Vegas dining yet to be modernized,” said Bart Mahoney, vice president of food & beverage at The Mirage.
“Cravings continues to offer a wide array of menu items for one price. Only now, the experience is more like those found in contemporary, full-service restaurants,” he continued.
At Cravings, as with any gourmet restaurant, menu items are innovative, prepared using the highest quality ingredients and beautifully presented. Cravings not only raises the bar on buffet dining, it changes the definition of the word. One trip around the Cravings dining room and the word “buffet” will be eliminated from the vocabulary forever.
Cravings is not the only new restaurant pushing the MGM Mirage Group to the forefront of the dining revolution. With Isla Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar, a fiesta of fun pairs modern Mexican cuisine with the most impressive tequila collection in town, Fix, at Bellagio, features simply prepared, classic American fare, while Todd English’s Olives is a premium pick for Mediterranean cuisine, any taste bud can be satisfied.
Experience the MGM Mirage Group dining revolution. Cravings, at The Mirage, is open Monday through Friday, 7am to 10pm; Sunday and Saturday, 8am to 3pm. Visit Isla, inside TI (Treasure Island), seven days a week from 11am to 2am. At Bellagio, dine at Fix, open Sunday through Thursday, 5pm to midnight; Friday and Saturday, 5pm to 2am or Todd English’s Olives, open daily from 11am to 3pm for lunch and 5:30pm to 10:30pm for dinner.
This article was originally published Fall 2004 in 24/7 Magazine.
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