I don’t often write a restaurant review. However, tonight Brett and I ventured to Battista’s Hole in the Wall for dinner. It’s an off-strip Italian restaurant behind the Flamingo Hilton. We had heard that it is a fantastic place. We put it on our list every trip, but it just never got visited. After tonight, I must say that it lives up to the hype.

Most Vegas restaurants are very pretentious. Almost all famous chefs and food celebrities have restaurants in Vegas. A typical meal seems to hover between $30-$40 today. Battista’s definitely breaks the Vegas model. It’s a homey place, somewhat like Luigi’s in Akron. The price of meals is surprisingly low, $20 – $30. What’s even more surprising is that each meal comes with unlimited Italian table wine, soup or salad, garlic ciabatta bread and a cappuccino to top of the meal.

I ordered the gnocchi. It was tender and a very generous portion. Brett had the cheese ravioli which was likewise as yummy. The red sauce was to die for. I can say it’s the best I have ever had. Portions are huge at Battista’s. It is a not-to-be-missed destination on your next Vegas get-away.

The walk back to the hotel was beautiful. It was pretty warm. The Bellagio fountains were back in operation after being shut down due to wind over the past few days. The pirate battle was on at TI and the volcano erupting at the Mirage. Where else but in Vegas…