Modern Las Vegas culinary history started right here at Spago, which opened in the Forum Shops in 1992 and ushered in the celebrity chef and fine dining era in this shimmering city.

Now, with Wolfgang Puck's continuing vision and executive chef Eric Klein's guidance in the kitchen, Spago continues to make history. It's a true trendsetter in the Vegas dining world.

Spago's cuisine is based on the finest, freshest produce and prime cuts of meat. It is also created with an artistic flair that complements the dining room's hyper-modern, elegant design.

Spago is not a restaurant that intimidates. It follows Puck's philosophy that dining is all about the diner.

"I believe the most important thing about any restaurant anywhere is consistency, and positive word of mouth from customers. They serve as natural advertising which brings people back to the restaurant again and again. To me, the focus has to be great food, great service, in a beautiful environment," Puck said.

When you are escorted to your table and meet Spago's genuinely friendly staff such as the eminently knowledgeable and welcoming general manager Oded Talmor, you'll get a glimpse of Puck's vision.

When your server sets a stylishly shaped, gleaming white dish in front of you carrying Spago's roasted beet and goat cheese napoleon or an intricate yellowfin tuna trio, you'll actually taste beauty. Often, chef Klein will even visit diners' tables to ensure everything is perfect and enjoyable.

Spago's menu is a running list of highlights. Appetizers range from the Alsatian-influenced wood fired pizza with pancetta, onions and gruyere (chef Klein is from Alsace, France) to a delicate English pea soup with lobster, preserved lemons and marjoram cream.

A standout and completely unique pasta takes shape with Spago's hand-made agnolotti. These rustic yet light ravioli-like satchels hold savory sweet corn with aged pecorino Toscano. They are exquisite.

Among Spago's seafood selections, a must-do is the pan-roasted John Dory. This uncommon-in-America white fish is deliciously sweet and flaky when plated with a creamy cauliflower puree, golden raisins and pine nut-caper butter sauce. Other seafood dishes include a lovely seafood paella and a wood-grilled organic king salmon.

In meats, consider the tender red wine-braised short ribs with ricotta gnocchi, a filling pork wienerschnitzel with warm potato salad and baby mâche salad. In addition, an herb-fed spring rack of lamb is hearty with garlic haricot verts and a cherry tomato confit are on the list.

The restaurant's U.S.D.A. prime beef cuts are from the finest domestic producers. The cote de boeuf is Nebraska corn-fed, the tenderloin hails from Illinois and the veal porterhouse was milk-fed in Wisconsin. All are seared on cast iron, finished over mesquite charcoal and accompanied by confit fingerlings, creamed spinach and, in classic form, bordelaise sauce.
Desserts include fresh and piping hot chocolate cake with a spoon of rich espresso ice cream for dipping to vanilla bean profiteroles with chocolate sauce.

Spago specializes in wine pairings and has a specially picked yet extensive list of vintages -- try a glass of the house favorite: the fruity yet assertive Lucien Albrecht Cremant rose brut. It's Alsatian, too.

Beyond all the fantastic cuisine and service at Spago, there's the bonus of the art on the walls. Spago boasts a collection of striking and bright contemporary pieces by three of Vegas' up-and-coming artists, Tim Bavington, Angela Kallus and David Ryan. The works of art only add to the incredible Spago experience.