Every town has its confidence schemes. Back in the day, three card monte held sway in cities across the country; in Vegas it was 25-cent prime rib, or its later incarnation, the buffet. The cheap food was all part of a greater economic hustle: give a man a meal, ply the hapless sap with alcohol, then lead him to the green felt tables and let him buy his dinner two, five, or even ten times over. Worked like a charm back then, and it still does today.

But high rollers like you know there's no free lunch. From the early days, off-Strip places like Andre's and Chicago Joe's served great food at realistic prices to locals and knowing visitors alike. As Vegas boomed, so did the demand for food to keep pace with an increasingly hedonistic Strip. When Spago opened in Caesar's Forum Shops, the race was on. What followed was a heady game of one-upmanship where quality trumps quantity and prices, well, if you have to ask . . .

Today, Vegas is a city where angels bring you wine (Aureole), and decorations include original paintings by Picasso and Renoir. But the most celebrated artists are the chefs. Wolfgang Puck, Charlie Trotter, John-Georges Vongerichten, and Emeril Lagasse have all hitched a ride to the desert, bringing the famed restaurants of Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco and Chicago to the Strip. And it works; the joints are packed and reservations are a precious commodity.

But despite this influx of culinary big-leaguers, the buffet mentality is still alive and well. Most hotels offer a smorgasbord ranging from the ultra-luxe Bellagio to the down and dirty Circus Circus. There are heaping plates of grub for every palate and price range in Vegas. If too many choices make you uncomfortable, there's always a Krispy Kreme donut or 99-cent Shrimp Cocktail.

Of course, food leads to drink, and many of Vegas's restaurants save their best for later. While Red Square, Voodoo Café and Drai's all serve perfectly tasty meals, they don't show their true colors until deep into the night, when the night crawlers pass over edibles in favor of Vegas's second best dining option: the cocktail.

Like everything else in Vegas, it's not a question of whether you can get it or not, but where and for how much. But at least when you're eating, laying fifty bones on a table ensures you'll get something in return.