Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
■ Crab season is here, and several spots in the valley offer the crustaceans.
Boathouse
The Dungeness crab in this pan-Asian restaurant’s live seafood tank usually range from 1 1/2 pounds to a whopping 4 pounds. Once you’ve selected one, the chefs can prepare it three different ways: wok-tossed in salt and cracked peppercorn; glazed with sweet and sour tamarind sauce; or wok-fried in ginger and scallion sauce. Market price (currently $35 a pound). Palace Station, 702-367-2481, palacestation.sclv.com
Top of the World
This revolving restaurant’s new head chef, Pawan Pinisetti, offers a Maryland crabcake as an appetizer on his new menu. Made with large lumps of blue crab, it’s served with saffron aioli and garnished with wild rocket arugula. $19. Stratosphere, 702-380-7777, topoftheworldlv.com
Siegel’s 1941
With stone crab season kicking off this month, several places in the valley are flying in their claws fresh from Florida. Siegel’s maintains the El Cortez’s long-standing stone crab tradition every Friday and Saturday night (while supplies last) at a pretty good price. $45 a pound. El Cortez, 702-385-5200, elcortezhotelcasino.com
STK
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas’ steakhouse elevates king crab above the buffet level by using it as filling for the tortellini. The pasta comes with cherry tomatoes, pecorino crema and garlic. $26. Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, 702-698-7990, cosmopolitanlasvegas.com
SushiSamba
This is one of the few places in town where you can find the tiny, freshwater Japanese crabs known as sawagani. Chef John Um and his team import them live and flash-fry them for an appetizer that’s best enjoyed with a squirt of lemon or lime. $13. Palazzo, 702-607-0700, sushisamba.com/las-vegas
The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson. Las Vegas Sands operates Palazzo. — Al Mancini