Margherita pizza
Photo by:
Courtesy of Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining
If you’re a longtime visitor to Las Vegas, you’ll notice that restaurants and resorts periodically redecorate, refresh and revive themselves. In some cases, such as with Wolfgang Puck’s Lupo at Mandalay Bay, something entirely new appears. The space now houses Caramá, where a vintage photo of Puck and his mother, Maria, in the garden acted as inspiration.
“My mother was a chef, and living so close to the Italian border, she was influenced by the culture and food of Northern Italy. Our meals were always simple and fresh, right from the garden,” said Puck when Caramá opened in 2024.
The space is completely different, with everything from entrance to bar location changing. The 49-foot-long bar on the entrance’s left is sure to draw your attention, with an overhead arch backed by mirrors and an intricate floral wallpaper; and in the center is a salumeria, inspired by a historical Italian shop. If you’re waiting for your table, either one is great for a quick drink. Around the restaurant, you’ll notice very Italian accents of tile, marble, brass and wood with custom-designed brass chandeliers.
Once seated, indulge in a cocktail like the Barmotto, a lovely take on a pisco sour with BarSol pisco, Italicus Rosolio di bergamotto, simple syrup, lime juice and egg white. If you’d like, a tableside trolley service with high-end whiskies can concoct an Old-Fashioned for you. There’s also an amazing wine and liquor section, and an in-house sommelier.
Accompany that with the bread board, featuring fluffy rosemary focaccia, house-made grissini, whole grain sourdough, balsamic and olive oil. For a savory bite, the prosciutto e burrata features prosciutto di Parma. Seasonal antipasti like farmer’s market grilled peaches are accompanied by whipped ricotta, spicy Calabrian chili honey and focaccina, a fragrant, puffy bread straight from the pizza oven. Being seasonal, this is subject to change, as are several other dishes. The pizza oven issues forth margheritas and others with toppings of pepperoni, mushrooms, guanciale, fontina, sun-dried tomatoes and Italian sausage, perfect for sharing.
All the pasta at Caramá is made in-house, including the tagliatelle accented with black truffle; the lobster tagliatelle with Maine lobster and roasted tomatoes; and the spaghetti chitarra fra diavolo, a traditional form created with the chitarra, which results in pasta with a square-shaped form, which is more pronounced if the “strings” are more widely spread. Ricotta ravioli are pillows stuffed with delicately flavored cheese and a cream sauce accented with English peas and king trumpet mushrooms.
Prosciutto e burrata
Photo by:
Courtesy of Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining
Excellent entrées include a sea scallop risotto with roasted tomato and basil oil; spicy Jidori chicken, which is very juicy (the Calabrian chili marinade definitely keeps the heat high); and the 48-day dry-aged ribeye, accompanied by deliciously crisp, yet tender, Tuscan potatoes.
Desserts include tiramisu, of course, because are you an Italian restaurant if you don’t have wonderful tiramisu? The gelati and sorbetti selections include chocolate, pistachio and seasonal varieties like strawberry, watermelon and lemon.
Truff Talk
Truffles are a subject both Caramá general manager Gianni Toffanello and executive chef Brent Stanford are passionate about. On the menu, you may notice Australian winter black truffles in several preparations; they are delicious. The team at Caramá selects fresh truffles several times a week from a truffle merchant who comes to the restaurant, guaranteeing you have an amazing experience. Later in the year, you’ll find Spanish winter black truffles; they are exactly the same type of truffle, with slight differences depending on which continent they are sourced from. For tagliatelle pasta, you will generally get approximately 5 to 9 grams raining down upon your dish. Oh, please, do shave more on!
Mandalay Bay, 702.740.5522. mandalaybay.mgmresorts.com
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