Chowhound: My experience at FiAMMA at MGM Grand Las Vegas

FiAMMA at MGM Grand fancies itself as a traditional Italian restaurant with a sleek, modern design.  One out of two isn't bad. For a traditional restaurant FiAMMA’s design is very modern with clean lines and very dim lighting. The clean design is aesthetically pleasing, which is a good start. However, the food isn't so traditional as it mirrors the modern aesthetic. Just by looking at it one does not get the feeling that FiAMMA is anything but a modern Italian restaurant. After dining at FiAMMA, that's about right and there's nothing wrong with that.

My dining experience at FiAMMA got off on the wrong foot as my friend and I were seated in the front of the restaurant, which does not have a solid wall to separate it from the MGM Grand shops. We could see and hear everyone walking by. My friend and I were distracted more than a few times by passersby, which we did not enjoy. When making a reservation at FiAMMA, make sure you request to be somewhere in the back of the restaurant.

The bright spot of the evening was the sommelier. He brought our bottle of American wine, but only let us sample after he tested the bottle first to make sure the wine was good for us to try. He does this for every table, which is quite impressive since I didn't notice him spitting out the wine every tasting. I'd like to see how he gets home after sampling wine all night. But, that's another story.

Dinner started with some mixed greens in a very bland, aged balsamic vinegar dressing. Not the best foot forward, but I was looking forward to the main course anyway so this wasn't too big of a deal. When trying a new Italian restaurant, I'll often try a dish they recommend so I opted for one of FiAMMA's three signature dishes – Brasato, Braised Beef Short Rib which was placed on top of a parmesan risotto. The dish was good, but it wasn't great. My friend tried the Scallops and Shrimp Risotto and was less than impressed.

Overall, FiAMMA is a nice Italian option when dining at MGM Grand, but there was nothing amazing about the overall experience.  I went on the laurels of being highly recommended, so perhaps this was just a chance taste of mediocrity but I doubt it. Perhaps another time I will venture back to give FiAMMA a second shot and when that time comes, I'll make sure I'm seated in the rear of the restaurant.