NM Café

Lunch at a mall typically calls to mind herds of shoppers toting bags through the lines at assorted fast-food counters followed by a mad dash to find a clean table amid the chaos of white sales and strollers.

It's an experience with all the style of a junior high cafeteria.

Fashion Show mall, however, is not your typical mall, and NM Café is a long way from a food court.

The café, tucked away on the second level of the venerable Neiman Marcus department store, offers a calm setting with a first-rate view of the Las Vegas Strip. With spacious, modern decor and pleasant jazz music playing in the background, the restaurant has become a lunchtime haven for executives from nearby casinos. It also draws a good crowd from the nearby Las Vegas Convention Center and local office buildings.

Patrons have plenty of dishes from which to choose. A popular item is the meze sampler, a plate offering a taste of eight items including hummus, marinated olives and lamb kabobs.

The turkey club wrap also is a favorite. Another sampler features soup, half a sandwich and a Greek salad. A few of the other menu items include a chicken Caesar salad, a black angus burger and a calamari salad.

The restaurant also prides itself on desserts. The after-lunch fare includes chocolate cake, cheesecake and crème brûlée. There's also the famous Neiman Marcus cookies.