D.O.C.G. Brings Rustic Italian To The Cosmopolitan

Located in the hip Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Scott Conant's D.O.C.G. is a casual rustic alternative to the chef's other restaurant and next door neighbor Scarpetta.

The marble tables, exposed wood beams, hardwood floors and brick walls provide a cozy comforting ambiance.

D.O.C.G. stands for the Denominazione di Origine Controliata e Garantita, the highest wine classification in Italy. It also denotes the restaurant's dedication to offering plenty of exceptional wines. Scarpetta and D.O.C.G. share a 3,000 bottle wine cellar with over 500 selections.

The food is just as varied and satisfying as the wine and a lot less expensive then dining at Scarpetta. The only problem is the menu offers so much variety it's hard to choose between the many pizzas, pastas, salads, antipastas, grilled items and main courses.

Appetizer standouts include the grilled filone. A duck egg surrounded by fonduta cheese sauce that when broken and mixed results in an exceptionally creamy and rich place to deep huge perfectly grilled pieces of bread. The arancini with calabiran chile aioli is soft and warm inside with a crunchy outside coating.

Every pasta is hand made daily. All are outstanding, especially the pici, a short thick pasta with braised duck sauce and black truffles and the Scialatielli with lobster and shrimp.

Pizzas are cooked in a large wood fired oven. Diners can choose from traditional, a lovely simple Margherita with fresh mozzarella and basil to the extravagant, the D.O.C.G. pizza with fonduta, egg and truffle.

There are also plenty of items from the grill including steaks, veal and pork chops and lamb as well as traditional main courses such as roast chicken and braised short ribs.  Desserts are also delicious, especially the caramel budino, a sweet and salty concoction with caramel, vanilla cream, toffee and whipped cream.

D.O.C.G. is a perfect casual alternative for dinner with a casual ambiance and rustic exceptional Italian fare.