Buddy V's Ristorante

Doing the trifecta of Buddy Valastro's restaurants, we hit up Buddy V's in the Venetian for their buffet Sunday Brunch.  We all know that buffets are still the thing in Vegas despite a bunch of them closing up shop in recent years.  Unlike the main hotel buffets, the one found at Buddy V's is in a proper sit-down restaurant and features an American Italian menu.  The selection is more focused and hence, in theory, the food should be composed and delicious.  I guess we were about to find out as we went in with hungry appetites.

As mentioned, Buddy V's is an actual full-service restaurant, so the buffet is only available during Sunday brunch.  We found several stations throughout the restaurant including a selection of Antipasto.  There was a delicious Tomato Soup with croutons and cheese.  It was smooth, tangy and sweet.  Also found nearby was a large platter of Smoked Salmon, Meats, Cheeses, Salads, Crudites and Cocktail Shrimp.  Loved the selection of meats and cheeses as they were a cut above the standard stuff.

Onto some hot food including typical Breakfast items including Scrambled Eggs, Roasted Potato Hash and Applewood Bacon.  Beyond that, we found Italian Sausage, Frittata, Sausage & Broccolini Orecchiette and Roasted Mushroom & Truffle Pizza (the last 2 are in the picture 2 below).   I really enjoyed the frittata as it was fluffy, cheesy and well-seasoned with a slightly crispy top.  The orecchiette was excellent being al dente and full of impact from the meaty sausage.  Pizza was on point too with a thin crispy crust while exhibiting the umaminess of mushroom and truffle.

The next section of hot food included Hot Food with Chicken Parmesan, Mac 'n Cheese Carbonara, Meatballs and Hoboken Wings.  Once again, the eats were solid as the chicken parm featured a breaded tender and moist chicken breast with a tangy tomato sauce and plenty of cheese on top.  The mac 'n cheese was definitely cheesy and moist while the tubes of penne were still fairly firm.   Of course Buddy's bacon didn't hurt the dish either.  Meatballs were also solid being meaty yet still airy and not dense.  Tomato sauce was tangy with a balancing amount of sweetness.  Just like the Hoboken wings at Jersey Eats, these were tangy and a bit spicy.

There was also a Carving Station featuring Roasted Maple-glazed Ham and Grilled Peppercorn-crusted steak with all the condiments including chimichurri, horseradish crema and whole grain mustard.  Ham was good being tender with a good amount of sweetness from the glaze to counteract the saltiness.  As for the steak, it was cooked to medium to medium-rare.  I could pick which piece I wanted based on my preference.  The steak was super tender and well-seasoned.

In addition to the buffet stations, there was also made-to-order Omelettes.  We had 4 choices including the Jersey Boy, The Lisa, My Cuz Vinny and Fredo's Kiss.  First off, the eggs were still fluffy and a bit runny on the inside despite the sear on the outside.  My favorite of the bunch was the Jersey Boy due to being meat focused with ham, sausage, peperonata, cheddar and mozzarella.  A close sedon was Fredo's Kiss with ham, mozzarella, parm and truffle Alfredo.  This was aromatic and creamy.

Also, we had fresh off the griddle Ciabatta French Toast and Lemon-Blueberry Pancakes.  Being made-to-order, these were at their optimal state and I enjoyed these greatly.  Properly soaked with egg, the French toast was moist and fluffy while sporting a well-seared exterior.  As for the pancakes, they were surprisingly crispy on the outside while fluffy on the inside.  These, including the omelettes, were limited to one order a per person.

The selection of Desserts was quite substantial.  For one, the Croissants and Pain au Chocolate were good having a crispy exterior that shattered.  They had a St. Patrick's Day-themed Donut that was pretty sweet.  I scooped up a portion of fruit salad to stay somewhat healthy.  Onto the real desserts, the Cannolis were familiar (since we had the one from PizzaCake), but these had chocolate chips and pistachio on each end.  Loved the Lemon Tart as it featured a crispy shell with tangy lemon curd inside.  The Tiramisu was semi-sweet with hits of chocolate and espresso.  The small piece of Banana Bread (or cake) was moist and aromatic.

The last batch of sweets consisted of Donut Holes, Cookies, Chocolate-Covered Strawberries, Cheesecake and a selection of packaged candy.   Of course these were sweet, but I did enjoy the creamy cheesecake that was not too heavy.  I really liked the packaged candy as we took some to go.  Overall, the Sunday brunch at Buddy V's was solid with composed dishes, even though they were served as a buffet.  It really helped that the omelettes and pancakes/French toast were made to order as they were delicious and served in their optimal state.  Buffet wasn't cheap per se, but the quality was there and since it was an actual restaurant, the food selection was good while the crowds were minimal.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:

- Well-prepared food

- Focused theme of American-Italian

- Made-to-order items

The Bad:

- Maybe lacking in seafood options for the price