We enjoy an off-strip Italian restaurant called Casa D'Amore. It's a mile or two east on Tropicana and from the outside it looks like a NY diner--concrete and not architecturally interesting. But inside it's a lot of fun. Lots of locals go and we've been there when they have gradation parties and other celebrations. It is within your price range, the food is good, and they have different singers that start earlier in the evening (7ish I think) than most other entertainment. Best of all, they will pick you up and transport you in their limo. Again, not glamorous, but good food, friendly service and lots of fun.

noun Slang. a person keenly interested in food, esp. in eating or cooking.

(She said "foodie", Patrick, not stuck-up snotty holier-than-thou foodie with attitude.)

Don't know if I'm a foodie, though DD and I enjoyed a good dinner at Mon Ami Gabi 3 years ago. She's more of a foodie than I. We had the real deal casual french bistro in NYC, at Montparnasse this past fall. It was better, though MAG is still a good choice.

I guess I'm not a foodie either, because Mon Ami Gabi is consistently one of our favorite Vegas restaurants.

They pretty much do everything right, from warm ambiance to well-trained waitstaff to killer views of the Bellagio fountains to, of course, the food.

And yes...we have been to some of the above-mentioned restaurants--although I really liked Olives, Mon Ami Gabi is still my overall favorite.

I guess some of us have different interpretations of "foodie" than others. I always think it is much more than just someone who likes food.
I googled and these were just the very first two definitions that came up:

"A person who takes pleasure in the preparation, presentation, and eating of food. The term is sometimes used in a pejorative sense to describe someone who is always searching for new, exotic taste sensations."

and

"a person having an avid interest in the latest food fads."

Those were the type definitions I was thinking of when I heard the word foodie and prompted my comment. If you thought of those definitions, you'd see where I was coming from.

And by no means was I trying to put down Nicci or Mon Ami Gabi -- in fact, quite the contrary!

Wow! Thanks for the support on the Foodie topic...including NeoPatrick. I haven't been on this site in a couple of days.
For me, the term Foodie is more of a lifestyle than just a dining experience. I love to cook and travel, so learning about new foods while walking through a foreign market or taking a cooking class in a local's home is part of the adventure for me. I have a passion in discovering unique ingredients and new ways to prepare the common ones. At home in Atlanta, I go to wine and cheese tastings regularly, shop at local farmers markets and specialty gourmet shops, focus on organic and sustainable practices and plenty of dining out in all types of restaurants. A couple of my favorite food memories are eating a wonderful bowl of noodles on a street corner in Bangkok for about a dollar(including a soda), parilla style steak in Salta, Argentina for five dollars and pumpkin soup while visiting a soup kitchen at a township in Cape Town, South Africa for 1/2 a penny. One the other hand, I had one of my most disappointing meals at a 3 star Michelin restaurant on the Amalfi coast in Italy.

This is a very interesting discussion my question has brought about! I often call myself a "foodie" but never really stopped to think about what it meant. I know it means that I would want to go to a French bistro like Mon Ami Gabi, while my non - foodie siblings would not...but anyway, thanks for all the help - I made a reservation at Canaletto, and I'll let you all know how it is when I get back!

i was first to bring up mon ami and i consider myself a foodie too!! but didn't realize i would start such a big discussion......
keep it in mind as a "just in case!" even non foodies will like it

Just returned from the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. Was surrounded by foodies, of all definitions. The most hysterical thing of the week was that I attended 3 awards ceremonies and every single one of them served me filet mignon. You would think the NRA could come up with something more gourmet than a filet mignon wedding menu dinner 3 nights in a row, at 3 different venues. Amazing. And these people were serving the top 'foodies' in the country - Danny Meyer, Drew Nieporent, Charlie Trotter, Michael Batterberry, etc.