Let's just start with this: I love Las Vegas. For the past seven years I've been doing my goofy little one-man comedy show at Harrah's on the Strip. Before that I was on the road 220 days a year performing in comedy clubs and for Fortune 500 companies. Without Las Vegas, I'd still be doing that. And while I sometimes miss spending the afternoons sitting in my hotel room in my underwear watching sports and ordering room service, I much prefer seeing my wife and daughter every day.

Also, because I'm not the only person who is acquainted with the charms Vegas has to offer, all of my friends come here, a lot. And when they visit, what we like to do is eat. In fact, the only job I've ever had besides magician was as a chef at a place called 610 Magnolia, which, at the time, was the nicest restaurant in my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

If I suddenly lost my right hand and couldn't be a magician any more, I'd go right back to being a chef. Actually, if I lost my hand I reckon I'd have a pretty hard time being a chef as well.

This is all just my way of saying that despite my appearance, I'm not as big a rube as I seem, and when I talk about food, I know at least a little bit of what I'm talking about. In the ten years that I've lived here the options for a fine meal have just exploded. So what follows is a small tour of my favorite places to eat here in Las Vegas.

My number one place to eat off the strip is Rosemary's, an amazing place run by husband and wife Michael and Wendy Jordan. I particularly like the Texas BBQ shrimp with maytag blue cheese slaw and the roasted sea scallops with fried parsnip strips. If you're from the South like me, you're probably gonna want to have the White Cheddar Grits as a side dish. And, even though I'm not a beer drinker, the fact that they have beer pairings for all their dishes just makes me happy.

As for my favorite places to eat on The Strip, there are so many that it makes the most sense to just start at the south end and work our way north.

The Veranda restaurant at The Four Seasons Hotel is far and away my favorite place to have breakfast. If it's not too hot and not too cold their patio is the most relaxing place in town to linger over eggs benedict and a cup of coffee. Plus, their Sunday brunch is my daughter's favorite.

Speaking of my daughter, a few times a year she and I get a room there at the Four Seasons to give my wife a couple of quiet days by herself. They are so kid-friendly. There are always chocolate chip cookies with her name spelled out in fancy chocolate writing around the rim of the plate. There are sponges spelling out her name in the bathtub. And the concierge has a great selection of kid's DVDs.

Moving north we hit the Bellagio. I love to go to Picasso. Not only is the food ultra spectacular, but if you arrive early and request one of the few outdoor tables, you get to watch the amazing Fountain Show from the absolute perfect vantage point. All that spraying water is going to make you want to go to the bathroom, which is a good thing, because you're going to want to take a leisurely stroll through the interior of the restaurant to see the spectacular paintings and ceramics that give this restaurant its name. On your way out of the hotel don't forget to walk through the stunning Botanical Garden.

A bit further up is Harrah's Casino and Hotel, home to the brand new Penazzi Italian restaurant. The warmth of the atmosphere here is only matched by the warmth of the host. Gabriele Penazzi has been in the Las Vegas restaurant business for many years. I first met him when I performed for a special function at a spot he ran at the MGM Grand. The food is wonderful, with real family recipes. The first time I ate here I thought that they were treating me special because I work at Harrah's, but after having been back many times I've realized that they're just really nice to everybody. And that's another thing that I love about Las Vegas. I truly like eating in swanky, fancy restaurants, but I sincerely hate snooty pretentious waiters and Maître D's. I've eaten in impressive places in New York, San Francisco, and Europe, but Las Vegas has far and away the most down-to-earth, helpful waiters in the world.

Practically next door is Emeril's Delmonico Steakhouse. This is my favorite spot to go for a big flavor-filled steak. And, as with every joint on this list, the service is always impressive. As soon as the waiter comes over, immediately order a serving of the truffle parmesan potato chips. They're the perfect thing to munch on while you're trying to decide what else to eat from this fabulous menu.

Just up the road inside the Wynn Las Vegas is the Daniel Boulud Brasserie. This is another fantastic place to sit outside. The covered patio overlooking the lake is just a superb place to spend a relaxed evening eating with your friends. I always start with the big cheese plate and the charcuterie with cured meats and homemade pickles. Make sure you stick around for the surreal vignettes that are staged out on the lake. I don't want to tell you too much, but my favorite is the gigantic singing frog.

I'll finish up my little tour with my favorite restaurant in all of Las Vegas. When Steve Wynn launched the Mirage he coaxed chef Alessandro Stratta into opening Renoir. For years this intimate spot was the most beautiful restaurant in Las Vegas. When Mr. Wynn opened his new place, he wooed Mr. Stratta over to open Alex. While this is much less intimate than Renoir, it is still the most beautiful dining room in town. If you eat here I'd just tell the waiter that you're hungry and you hope he'll fix you up. Trust me, they'll take great care of you. Actually this is pretty much my modus operandi whenever I go to a new place, and it almost never fails to make for an exceptional meal.

So I hope you'll get some use out of this little gastronomic tour. Please don't drink too much; I want you to be able to wake up in time to see my show in the afternoon at Harrah's (1PM and 3PM Tuesday through Saturday).

About the Author: Mac King is the star of the most critically acclaimed day-time show on the Strip and as Penn & Teller puts it, "Mac King is a god."Check out Mac King's Website for general woirship and fun stuff.

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