If critics wrote restaurant obituaries, a long line of Las Vegas writers would have written emotional odes of regret for not eating more often at Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare in Wynn Las Vegas. This is how the mind works when a chef we truly appreciate is snatched from us in an instant.
But here’s the news: Chef Paul Bartolotta has never been in the kitchen that long. He was there so little, in fact, that he left this seafood gem a long time ago.
That’s why it’s easy to welcome Mark LoRusso as the new chef, who renamed the Costa di Mare space, chased away the ghosts of Bartolotta, and launched a seafood menu that embraces the past and features all of his own. He’s in the kitchen every day, setting the course, trimming the sails, and watching the whales.
When Bartolotta Ristorante opened, the culinary community was beside themselves that someone on the Las Vegas Strip had finally embraced the concept of sourcing impeccably fresh fish from the Mediterranean. Although Bartollota is gone, LoRusso adheres to the same commitment. The same quality of vendors, the same focus on seafood, the same commitment to serving customers the best food. With LoRusso in charge, Costa di Mare has put Costa di Mare on a delicious course.
Costa Di Mare at Wynn Las Vegas
Wynn las vegas
3131 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Phone: (702) 770-3305
Cuisine: Seafood Fine Food
Price range: expensive
Clothing:
Informal Business Hours : All
nights from 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm
What to expect at Costa Di Mare
The setting is elegant. Customer service is attentive but not annoying. The atmosphere is romantic, luxurious and relaxing. Imagine Jackie O on a sailboat. Imagine that in your head and turn that class into a restaurant. Costa Di Mare just feels good.
The food in Costa Di Mare
The elephant in the room is that former chef Paul Bartolotta is no longer in the kitchen. That’s true, but you should know that the staff at this gem of a restaurant is practically the same. As in, they kept the people who had made it a true favorite for many after the chef left. The menu is relatively the same as they have tried to accommodate the loyalty that the Wynn brand commands by sticking to a few favorite and popular dishes. So expect spaghetti with lobster, charcoal-grilled crustaceans, linguine and clams, seafood risotto, whole oven-roasted fish, but get ready for some new favorites.
Make room on your palate for Chitarra Pasta with Sea Urchin and Crab, Cuttlefish Ink Noodles with Shrimp, Sundried Tomato and Spinach, Scallops with Fennel Puree and Blood Orange Segments because the kitchen is about to make it. The quality of the ingredients remains the same. That bar was not lowered. Presentation and execution could have taken a bit more of a modern route, but maybe that’s what was necessary.
What you must try in Costa Di Mare
- Spaghetti and Lobster. This is a dish that makes you cry with happiness as the tomato sauce practically makes the lobster dance on your tongue. It is a classic and a must if you are trying Costa for the first time.
- Pasta with sea urchin. The world is a better place because of the sea urchin. Yes, I know it hurts kelp forests, but when you open that shell and scoop up that lovely, salty, text-challenged mass of bliss, it can alter your taste sensations. This pasta explodes with flavor as the hedgehog caresses each little flavor for his own personal satisfaction.
- Rombo Chiodato (turbot) Once the whole fish arrives at your table, you will know that it will be happy. It’s hand-carved right in front of you and then packs so much flavor that every bite is almost sensual. As if it were a signal, the fish crumbles in your mouth and envelops you. For me, it takes me to a morning on the ocean.
I should point out that in the last few weeks I spoke to many food professionals about Costa Di Mare, writers, chefs and waiters who loved the old restaurant run by Paul Bartolotta. The loyal friends of the chef and the restaurant had reservations about what they would find in the new incarnation. Some couldn’t get past the name change, while others were embarrassed to say that much of the old charm was not only there, but had been enhanced. What I did find is that much of what made this restaurant great has been withheld and the hard work done by today’s staff will eventually win back those loyalists.
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