HEIDI’S PICKS

Heidi's Picks is a weekly selection of restaurant suggestions from Review-Journal critic Heidi Knapp Rinella. Her reviews are done anonymously at Review-Journal expense.

Price symbols are based on the cost of an average entree: $ = entrees less than $10; $$ = entrees between $10 and $20; $$$ = entrees between $20 and $30; and $$$$ = entrees more than $30.

GINA'S BISTRO

4226 Durango Drive; 341-1800

Gina's Bistro evoked lots of memories of restaurants in Italy. It's much more shiny-new than most of those we remember, but the smell of garlic and the charming Italian-accented staff and proprietress brought it all back. So did skillfully prepared dishes such as carpaccio Toscano, mozzarella caprese, garlic bread, chicken parmigiana and Brava Gina Bis Pasta, which twinned farfalle (and mushrooms) in a creamy sauce and raggedy-edged strozzapreti (plus bits of sausage and shards of black truffle) in a light tomato sauce. (11/21/08)

Overall: A- $$

LE BURGER BRASSERIE

Paris Las Vegas, 3655 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 946-7000

OK, so maybe this isn't really the most original idea, but heck, the Strip always can use another spot with good burgers like Le Paris, with brie, caramelized onions and bacon. Also worthy of note: Le Ferme, a grilled-chicken burger, potato skins, clam chowder and Le Beignets for dessert -- not classic beignets, but tasty nonetheless. (12/21/07)

Overall: B+ $$

MORELS FRENCH STEAKHOUSE & BISTRO

Palazzo, 3325 Las Vegas Blvd. South; 607-6333

Asking us if we'd like filtered tap water instead of bottled charmed us right off the bat, but Morels easily stayed in our good graces with a combination of good service, a pleasant interior (and a patio) and top-notch food that included an amuse-bouche of a prosciutto-wrapped fig with a cherry-ginger reduction, mushroom bisque, a summer heirloom tomato salad, the daily fish (Loch Duart salmon), a Kansas City steak and Truffled Creamed Summer Corn. We even loved the good yeast rolls -- and the tapenade and butter rolled in sea salt that were served with them. (7/4/08)

Overall: A $$$$