Guest Pick:

Dominic Gentile, Attorney/Publisher Espressamente Illy At Palazzo

3325 Las Vegas Blvd. South

Simply put: Sip, Sip, Hooray!

So sums up Dominic Gentile.

“There’s two reasons,” the attorney and La Voce publisher explains about his Espressamente habit. “One is it serves illy, which is absolutely the premier espresso in the world, as far as the bean itself. And secondly, it is the only authentic, European espresso bar that I’ve encountered in all of Las Vegas. You feel like you’re in Italy.”

Beyond the ethnic tummy-pleasers — the espresso, the panini, the gelato made on-site — Gentile credits the cafe’s ambience. “It’s a refuge, a respite in the middle of the day, it gives me a chance to gather my thoughts before going back to work,” Gentile says, noting that Espressamente’s nearest equal is far away.

“As the publisher of La Voce, I’ve traveled to Italy many times, well over 15, and the only other espresso bar I’ve been in in the United States that has the same feel is in San Francisco,” he says. “They’ve done it in a way where if you know what it is, you feel great. And if you don’t know what it is, you feel like you’ve made a great discovery.”

Readers’ Pick:

Starbucks

Multiple locations

Wow, we are really surprised when readers pick Starbucks! Not. We can’t assign the chain’s perennial popularity in this category to the fact that there’s one on every corner anymore, since some have closed and now there’s only one on every other corner. So we’ll guess it’s because of the reliable coffee, quick service and ever-morphing menu of both food and drink. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf finishes second.

It’s A Grind Coffee House

Multiple locations

It’s a Grind is a little more difficult to spot in the valley — there are five, compared to about 1 million Starbucks — but the little extra drive is worth it for the great hot drinks such as the Nutty Cow, the great cold drinks such as the Iced Blended 50/50 with its orange juice and white chocolate (!) and especially the cafe au lait, which is about as classic coffeehouse as it gets.