Do you want to talk old school? Then let’s talk old school, because there just might not be a more complete throwback to the past than Canal Street. And, as you’ll discover when dining here, that is a very good thing.

The vision that most of us have of a steakhouse comes true here, where a mural depicting a bucolic scene stretches along one wall, while on the opposite side of the restaurant a large fireplace with softly flickering flames lends a relaxed ambience. Named for a famous New Orleans roadway, it’s a favorite with Las Vegas locals and regular visitors alike—the kind of place where you might find a young pair wanting a romantic atmosphere, or a married couple celebrating their 48th anniversary.

Deep, plush booths let you sink right in, perusing the menu while sampling the offerings in the bread basket. Escargot is a nearly unbeatable starter, with the bites drowning in garlic butter until you affect a rescue, straight from the plate to your mouth. The salads cover all the classics, from Caesar and wedge to baby spinach with hot bacon dressing. Even the house salad piques your appetite, accented with a delectable pomegranate vinaigrette, light yet exceedingly flavorful.

A carefully selected wine list means you’ll find the perfect selection for your meal (Canal Street won a Wine Spectator award of excellence in 2014). Chicken rustica scaloppini tops off angel hair pasta studded with artichoke, plump mushrooms, savory sun-dried tomatoes and prosciutto in a tangy lemon-butter sauce.

There’s a good array of other traditional entreés, from lobster tail and lamb chops to osso buco. The veal nearly falls off the bone in a perfect presentation, almost too pretty to eat. But that is manageable, one tender, succulent forkful at a time. If you’re up for a steak like the ribeye chop, you can customize it with one of four sauces—béarnaise, peppercorn, bordelaise or horseradish or add a shrimp skewer, crab, whatever you wish.

Side dishes here could nearly serve as the meal. You’ll find potatoes in many forms, including fries, baked and even sweet potato. Scalloped potatoes with a blue cheese sauce come piping hot from the oven, crispy on the top and tender through many, many layers. If you must skip the added carbs, a balsamic glaze gives slightly charred asparagus zesty appeal.

You may think that dessert is unnecessary after the previous bounty, but you would be wrong. Order a coffee and linger over a layered tiramisu, moist and yet not overwhelmed with espresso, as some tiramisus are. Ricotta cheesecake offers a welcome change from some overly sweet versions of the classic. Although not as sharp as a sour cream version, this iteration still has a slight piquancy.

You really will find couples on their anniversaries, too. That pair celebrating their 48th anniversary? It might have been 46th or 47th, too—they come every year, and sit at the same table. It’s tradition.

The Orleans, 5-10 p.m. Wed.-Thurs. & Sun., 5-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 702.365.7550