Some things seem a natural fit in Las Vegas: Long odds, high heat and spontaneous matrimony. And let's not forget steak, the nearest thing to manna in this desert. Steak is ubiquitous in Vegas ($4.95 prime rib!), but all beef is not created equal. An influx of top chefs has tossed some new cuts on the grill.

The key players in luxury steak on the Strip are Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Prime at Bellagio, Emeril Lagasse's Delmonico Steakhouse at the Venetian, Charlie Palmer Steak at the Four Seasons and Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak at MGM Grand. None of these restaurants' chefs made his reputation with steak, but all are betting that they can add some sizzle to this Vegas staple.

Jean-Georges Vongerichten is the chef-owner of Jean Georges and JoJo in New York. He's had so much success with Prime in Vegas that this spring he's opening another steak house, in the new Time Warner building in New York. Star chef Emeril Lagasse brings a touch of New Orleans to his restaurant Delmonico, while Charlie Palmer adds his namesake steak house to an impressive list of restaurants that includes Aureole, in New York and Vegas. Tom Colicchio, who made his name at New York's Gramercy Tavern, has translated his popular Craft restaurant to Las Vegas with Craftsteak.

Del Frisco's is a few blocks off the Strip, but merits inclusion here for its style, quality and deep wine list. Smith & Wollensky is a traditional steak house, with an all-American wine list. Other steak houses worth trying include Morton's, Ruth's Chris and the Palm. For even more options, check out the list of restaurants that have earned Wine Spectator awards for their wine lists (page 94); it includes plenty of fine steak houses.

Vegas, it almost goes without saying, is all about celebration, and few meals evoke good times like a big steak. There's also a "guy" element to it; Las Vegas is the quintessential guy town and steak is traditionally guy food. Dee Lincoln of Del Frisco's-whose company also owns restaurants in New York, Dallas, Denver, and Fort Worth, Texas-says Las Vegas steak houses have to rise to the occasion. "In Vegas, expectations are so much higher because of all the glitz and glitter."

As for the notion that steaks are popular because they're easy, Charlie Palmer takes exception. "The idea that you don't need talent in the kitchen to do steak, that's B.S.," Palmer says.

Consider the decor and ambience at Prime. Created by designer Michael de Santis, the restaurant feels like a Hollywood stage set of an opulent 1930s boudoir. It's situated lakeside at the Bellagio, where the dancing fountain delights diners nightly.

Prime uses aged USDA prime beef, as do all the top steak houses in town. Most age their own beef (aging tenderizes and intensifies the flavor of the meat) using either a dry or a wet aging-technique. The high quality of the cut and the aging process are the main reasons that a great steak costs $30 or $40 in Vegas. And that price doesn't include a potato or vegetables.

What may be surprising about these steak houses is how much seafood and poultry they also sell. At Charlie Palmer Steak, for example, fish and fowl account for 50 percent of summer sales.

As steak houses have gone increasingly upscale, so have the wine lists. Most have sommeliers on staff and Delmonico has a master sommelier in Kevin Vogt.

All of our top recommendations have extensive lists that range from blue-chip Bordeaux and Burgundy bottlings to the latest wave of California cult reds. They also offer a broad selection from around the world, particularly Italy and Australia. Four of the steak house wine lists are Best of Award of Excellence winners.

"I feel like we're not just in the steak business," Lincoln says. "We're in the wine business, too."

With the preponderance of steak houses it might seem that Vegas is on the verge of a steak glut, but Palmer doesn't buy it. "The competition is fierce," Palmer says of steak houses, and of Vegas restaurants in general. "People keep saying 'Vegas is saturated! It's saturated!' I don't think so, because there are just so many bad restaurants in Vegas."

From the crowds we witnessed at these steak houses, there's no glut in sight. In fact, the wide selection of steak houses in town means there's a version for just about every mood and personality. Here are our favorites, all highly recommended; read on and discover your own.