To open a restaurant takes real courage. To keep one open and operating successfully for nearly 25 years takes true skill and total devotion. Plus a dash of luck. Spago in Las Vegas is one example of a top notch restaurant that has dazzled for over two decades without a hiccup in quality. It continues year after year to please its discriminating clientele with excellence in food and service. And Vegas is not an easy place to keep one and all satisfied, yet alone overjoyed with a restaurant. There are shiny new ones with mega-star chefs opening all the time. But give us Spago any time over any of the newcomers. First of all there is the Wolfgang Puck pedigree. Wolf practically invented California cuisine. His dynamic personality and culinary brilliance bridged tradition and invention and has always attracted the rich and famous. Then there is top flight management orchestrated by the peripatetic Tom Kaplan, a man who defines the words gentleman and professional. Tom hires the best and it shows with the crackerjack service at Spago. Tom’s dynamic warm and hospitable personality perfectly mirror Wolf’s highest objectives. Spago is generally acknowledged as the spark that ignited the Las Vegas culinary phenomenon, Spago is the preeminent trendsetter in cuisine, service and style — synonymous with fine food and a high octane clientele. Executive Chef Eric Klein’s menu features seasonal American cuisine with influences from around the world and trademark Wolfgang Puck touches. The menu is enhanced by an uncompromising international wine list and specialty cocktails from Spago’s bar, a prime venue for celebrity spotting. We started with a signature dish—tasty smoked salmon pizza, then dove into cold oysters on the half shell, tuna tartare, tender Maryland crab cakes, juicy prime beef sliders, crunchy chicken salad, then tried a wood-fired lamb chorizo pizza. Main courses were rigatoni Bolognese, Kurobuta Pork Wienerschnitzel, braised short ribs and pan roasted Pacific cobia. Cooking at a Wolfgang Puck restaurant is like playing the cello for Yo Yo Ma and Chef Eric does not miss a beat. His dishes are delicately flavored and done to perfection. Spago is located in The Forum Shops at Caesars just steps away from the casino and Colosseum Theatre. In addition to Spago’s main dining room, the restaurant also features a casual, front cafe with a lighter menu of Puck’s signature wood-oven pizzas, appetizers, pastas and a selection of entrees. The patio-style cafe extends out into The Forum Shops, creating an ideal vantage point for people-watching. Walk-ins are welcome as reservations are not accepted for the cafe area. Spago is generally acknowledged as the spark that ignited the Las Vegas culinary phenomenon, and is still the preeminent trendsetter in cuisine, service and style, synonymous with excellence in cuisine and people watching. Spago Las Vegas, The Forum Shops at Caesars, (702) 369-6300, http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/9044.