Coastal Italian Transcendence Under the Venetian Sky

What we have for you today is an Italian seafood restaurant…

… that’s really Floridian…

… and sits under the blue sky…

… inside a Las Vegas hotel.

To elaborate, with fewer ellipses: it’s Mercato della Pescheria, a Miami import conveying the total sensory overload of an Italian seafood market into an opulent Strip setting. It’s now open at the Venetian, and this slideshow demands observing.

Now you can picture yourself meandering along the casino’s ersatz Italian canal, gazing at the ersatz Italian sky, when very real, aged Italian hams lure you in from Mercato’s grand patio space.

Heading to your table, you’ll note that all the staples of an Italian marketplace are built right into the dining room. Then you’ll see this menu. And hopefully you brought friends, because…

There’s the pescheria, for fish—like bluefin tuna with foie gras butter—cooked on the spot.

There’s the macelleria, where juicy 10-ounce filets are placed in a special charcoal oven.

There’s the salumeria, crudo bar and formaggio, from which they’ll deliver you buttery cured meats, oysters and various cheeses, respectively.

There’s the pasta mista for handmade gnocchi.

And then there are the beer, wine and cocktail bars.

Let’s just assume you’re vaguely familiar with those.