Vegas, the Food Experience. Who Knew?
We just got back from Vegas last night. I can't believe how big Caesar's has gotten. I think it covers a square mile now. It is so over the top there now. We stayed at Bally's. The room was nothing to write home about (though the upgrade in the new tower is much better, but we didn't do it this time). It's a great location, at the very least. I lost my allotted $200 at the blackjack tables with very little effort. But who cares about all that? The real reason to go there for us is for the food. There are a lot of cool places to eat there. Wendy knows who all the players are, and where to go for a good meal. I just go along for the ride. Not that I mind, of course.
Day 1 - We arrived early in the afternoon. After checking in, we go over to Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill for lunch. I'll never forget the dinner we had there two years ago. Lunch is a bit different, and I'm not in the mood for the whole production, so I order the burger. It was a good burger, but not omg wow. Fries were excellent, though. Wendy had a chile relleno. Anybody who knows anything about Bobby Flay knows that he can't possibly screw that one up. I tasted a little of it and the added ingredients were good. I'm not a big relleno fan otherwise.
That night we went out to Olives (Todd English's restaurant, the original being in Boston) at the Bellagio. That was an outstanding meal. The flatbread with prosciutto and figs is to die for. I had a pasta with a butternut squash filling that was also good. Next time, we will split a pasta dish there, becuase it was so heavy for just one person. Dessert was a tea infused creme brulee with lemon scones. That creation was so Iron Chef, with its interpretation of tea with scones. The wine we had was a Spanish one made from the mencia grape. It was a spicy wine, and went well with the dinner. I always keep an eye out for wines that aren't California standards, as those wines usually are not ones I like so much, or I am kind of tired of them if I liked them in the first place.
Day 2 - We start with a late breakfast at Le Bouchon at the Venetian. This restaurant is run by the same guy that runs French Laundry in Napa. Getting a breakfast here costs around the same as a breakfast at a crappy casino coffee shop. It makes me wonder why anybody would eat at the casino coffee shop. I had the signature french toast dish. Wow.
Dinner was at Mario Batali's Enoteca San Marco, also at the Venetian. I had a veal meatball, which was okay. The nectarine salad was excellent. The homemade gelato desert was outstanding. I think one of the flavors was called mocha porter. I had no idea that was a combo, but it worked. The wine was most interesting. It was from Slovenia, grown by the Italian border. The grape was ribolla gialla. The wine was made the same way the ancient Greeks and Romans would have made it. There was no filtering. The color was orange, which is not a color I see in wine very often.
Day 3 - Today we have a late breakfast buffet at Wynn's. The buffet had decent food, but nothing that made the wait worthwhile. I'm going to say this about Wynn's in general. It is overrated, overpriced, and so fucking hideous. I think they're trying to prove that some inverse relationship exists between money and taste.
Dinner was at Rao's, at Caesar's. This is the same restaurant in NYC that is the most impossible reservation. It is easier at Caesar's, to say the least. Appetizer was ravioli in a chicken broth, something I remember trying and liking long ago. I still like it, but I think we should have gotten the cheese sticks instead, as that was the appetizer that gets raved about the most. I had the veal parm for my entree. I paid up for it, but it was excellent. The waitress said she should have had the stopwatch out for that one. Wine was a barbera from the d'Alba region. It went perfectly with the marinara. Dessert was a chocolate/peanut butter creation, and it was excellent. Great meal, all told.
Day 4 - Back to Bouchon for a late breakfast. This time I had sourdough waffles with fresh strawberries and candied walnuts. It also came with a syrup that had something good in it, though we couldn't place it. This was the standout on the menu, from what I could tell. Wendy had the quiche, and commented on how they perfected the crust, and that most places don't do that part nearly as well.
We went to BLT Burger at the Mirage for dinner. The BLT stands for a renowned French chef's initials. The burger and fries were certainly good, and certainly better than the burger and fries one could get at the crappy casino coffee shop for around the same price. What set this place apart was the shakes. I had a berry shake, and it was out of this world.
Day 5 - The last day. We hurry over to Le Bouchon again, for one last breakfast before we have to get to the airport. I had the croque madame this time, with pomme frites. Another great dish. My wife had the waffles this time.
Despite eating all that food, I think I did lose a few pounds because we walked so damn much there. I think we logged about 5 miles a day on foot. Plus, we swam each afternoon. Makes me appreciate eating like that even more.
Day 1 - We arrived early in the afternoon. After checking in, we go over to Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill for lunch. I'll never forget the dinner we had there two years ago. Lunch is a bit different, and I'm not in the mood for the whole production, so I order the burger. It was a good burger, but not omg wow. Fries were excellent, though. Wendy had a chile relleno. Anybody who knows anything about Bobby Flay knows that he can't possibly screw that one up. I tasted a little of it and the added ingredients were good. I'm not a big relleno fan otherwise.
That night we went out to Olives (Todd English's restaurant, the original being in Boston) at the Bellagio. That was an outstanding meal. The flatbread with prosciutto and figs is to die for. I had a pasta with a butternut squash filling that was also good. Next time, we will split a pasta dish there, becuase it was so heavy for just one person. Dessert was a tea infused creme brulee with lemon scones. That creation was so Iron Chef, with its interpretation of tea with scones. The wine we had was a Spanish one made from the mencia grape. It was a spicy wine, and went well with the dinner. I always keep an eye out for wines that aren't California standards, as those wines usually are not ones I like so much, or I am kind of tired of them if I liked them in the first place.
Day 2 - We start with a late breakfast at Le Bouchon at the Venetian. This restaurant is run by the same guy that runs French Laundry in Napa. Getting a breakfast here costs around the same as a breakfast at a crappy casino coffee shop. It makes me wonder why anybody would eat at the casino coffee shop. I had the signature french toast dish. Wow.
Dinner was at Mario Batali's Enoteca San Marco, also at the Venetian. I had a veal meatball, which was okay. The nectarine salad was excellent. The homemade gelato desert was outstanding. I think one of the flavors was called mocha porter. I had no idea that was a combo, but it worked. The wine was most interesting. It was from Slovenia, grown by the Italian border. The grape was ribolla gialla. The wine was made the same way the ancient Greeks and Romans would have made it. There was no filtering. The color was orange, which is not a color I see in wine very often.
Day 3 - Today we have a late breakfast buffet at Wynn's. The buffet had decent food, but nothing that made the wait worthwhile. I'm going to say this about Wynn's in general. It is overrated, overpriced, and so fucking hideous. I think they're trying to prove that some inverse relationship exists between money and taste.
Dinner was at Rao's, at Caesar's. This is the same restaurant in NYC that is the most impossible reservation. It is easier at Caesar's, to say the least. Appetizer was ravioli in a chicken broth, something I remember trying and liking long ago. I still like it, but I think we should have gotten the cheese sticks instead, as that was the appetizer that gets raved about the most. I had the veal parm for my entree. I paid up for it, but it was excellent. The waitress said she should have had the stopwatch out for that one. Wine was a barbera from the d'Alba region. It went perfectly with the marinara. Dessert was a chocolate/peanut butter creation, and it was excellent. Great meal, all told.
Day 4 - Back to Bouchon for a late breakfast. This time I had sourdough waffles with fresh strawberries and candied walnuts. It also came with a syrup that had something good in it, though we couldn't place it. This was the standout on the menu, from what I could tell. Wendy had the quiche, and commented on how they perfected the crust, and that most places don't do that part nearly as well.
We went to BLT Burger at the Mirage for dinner. The BLT stands for a renowned French chef's initials. The burger and fries were certainly good, and certainly better than the burger and fries one could get at the crappy casino coffee shop for around the same price. What set this place apart was the shakes. I had a berry shake, and it was out of this world.
Day 5 - The last day. We hurry over to Le Bouchon again, for one last breakfast before we have to get to the airport. I had the croque madame this time, with pomme frites. Another great dish. My wife had the waffles this time.
Despite eating all that food, I think I did lose a few pounds because we walked so damn much there. I think we logged about 5 miles a day on foot. Plus, we swam each afternoon. Makes me appreciate eating like that even more.