Vegas is a world class food city. Two key factors work in its favor: First, there’s the constantly refreshed audience of diners eager to eat well; second, the city is a magnet for international chefs, who import their distinctive techniques and flavors. The result? Las Vegas is now one of the world’s great incubators of culinary talent. “Chefs—such as Dave [Chang, Momofuku’s founder]—bringing their empires here to Vegas? The kitchen culture and the food scene really benefit from that,” Bailey tells SAVEUR. “The end result is definitely a lot of strong cooks and chefs who can work at a super high volume.” 

Momofuku perfected the art of feeding large groups of hungry guests long ago with concepts such as the ever-popular bo ssam, and Bailey reiterates that some of the group’s most iconic large-format hits are perfectly suited to keeping big parties satisfied on big nights out. But in Bailey’s all-day hotel kitchen, on the second level of the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on the Strip, he also plays around with smaller-scale creations in the form of brunch specials—his Korean-inspired “chicken and waffles” made with kimchi pancakes are already a cult favorite.  

But cooking is only part of why Bailey loves living in Las Vegas—the vibrant and varied dining scene also keeps him inspired and satisfied. To that end, here’s how the chef would craft an optimal day of eating around town, from morning to night.  

This coffee shop takes full advantage of its expansive Arts District location by making nearly everything from scratch. Bailey is most impressed by their in-house pastries, which start with dough that’s sheeted every morning. Spring for a shatteringly flaky croissant and a coffee (made with beans roasted in-house), or if you’re craving something savory, consider the black bean sandwich, which Bailey is partial to for its crunch and richness.

If you’re after wacky flavor combinations, keep it moving. For everyone else, Bailey highlighted this unapologetically old-school breakfast and brunch standby downtown. When he says the food—think breakfast burritos, biscuits and gravy, and prime rib hash—are “classic and solid,” he really means it. 

This is a Momofuku spot, also in the Cosmopolitan, so yes, Bailey’s biased. But when the chef rhapsodizes about swinging by this sleek counter service spot for a bun topped with crispy cheese or a potato and egg wrap—“honestly, insane”—you’re inclined to believe him. 

At this bustling Japanese izakaya-inspired standby, Bailey says it’s all about the tuna and salmon tartares. And the yakitori, of course. Perhaps a martini. The opulent dining room is just upstairs from him in the Cosmopolitan, and if you’re looking for proof that Las Vegas chefs live differently than you or me, here you go: “If you’ve just clocked off and you’re starving,” he says, “you gotta go get something to eat sort of vibe? This is usually the first spot.”

Bailey used to cook at this red-sauce extravaganza, and you get the sense he’s treated like a VIP when he and his cooks drop in. On one recent night, they put away beef carpaccio, a beet salad, a couple of pastas (including the “not overrated” spicy rigatoni with vodka sauce amped up with calabrian chiles), meatballs, and some veal parmesan for good measure.  

As much as he enjoys the food, it’s the Little Italy vibe and theatrical service that feels the most special. “It transports you,” he says. “If you have a chance to sit at the bar or in that dining room with all the red velvet booths, it transports you.” 

In the mood for a more chilled-out feel than what you’ll find on the Strip? Here’s Bailey’s top spot for dressed-down Italian. The breads and fresh pastas are made on the premises, and Bailey enjoys the beet conserva, a housemade condiment prepared with roasted red beets, capers, and red wine vinegar. Pasta-wise, he extols their classic pomodoro. And the meatballs “rival Carbone’s,” he says.

You’d think a wine bar opened by a sommelier whose last boss was Thomas Keller would be stuffy, but you’d be wrong. “Wine definitely has a culture around it, and sometimes people can feel excluded,” Bailey says. But that doesn’t happen at Garagiste, whether you’re dropping by for a glass of white or walking out with a trophy burgundy: “These guys make [wine] really approachable and non-pretentious.” The open, airy room is the ideal location to put back an informative flight of small pours or a bottle of Jura trousseau. 

Bailey loves the deceptively simple food at this neighbor in the Cosmopolitan, but the vodka-based tomato martini, or Tomatini, is what keeps him coming back. “It’s not too savory. It’s really light. They finish it with just a little black pepper and crushed tomato,” he explains. “I don’t think I’ve ever really had a good bloody mary. But the Tomatini thing? It’s bonkers.”