We were out very late the previous night eating everything but the place settings at The Mansion for the hubba's birthday celebration. Jay and I slept in and by the time we were ready to brave the cold and windy world outside, it was really too late for breakfast and we wanted something a little more substantial on our stomachs for the afternoon ahead of us. We wandered over to the Enrique Palazzo and were tantalized by the meaty aromas wafting from Carnevino, a Mario Batali steakhouse that some friends of ours had recommended. The restaurant was offering a great lunch special that included two drinks and a couple of different sandwich selections for $30 per person - in Vegas that's a steal and the hostess was talking it up and just as friendly as could be until we asked to be seated. And then she informed us that they didn't open until noon.
But we're hungreeeee now!
So we moved on, eventually finding ourselves at Lagasse's Stadium which is a mega sports bar and sports book that bears Emeril's name. Jay and I have always enjoyed Bam Bam's cuisine and we thought this would be the perfect way to bring us out of our waking food coma. This place is huge with more than 100 televisions scattered around the restaurant; the main area has a 9 foot by 16 foot television and the seating around it is designed to resemble plush stadium boxes. We were given a table right away, which made us very happy and we proceeded to order the first drinks of the day. Jason kept his simple and paid homage to the Most Interesting Man in the World by choosing a Dos Equis.
The Second Most Interesting Man in the World
I went with the Grand Slam: tequila, cointreau, lemon sour, and fresh lime. It was quite refreshing but I was definitely not prepared for the serving size, which was big enough for two people ... at least on this day it was!
This is a very big drink ... for a very thirsty girl!
Maybe we were both feeling sluggish due to all the food and drama from the previous evening - it seemed like we had a difficult time figuring out what to order, especially me. And I ended up being happiest with our appetizer selection: Cheesy Beer and Warm Soft Pretzels. Name me one food-drunk that doesn't come alive with a creamy, three-cheese dip spiked with beer and served with slightly salty, soft pretzels.
Yep; that's what I thought.
Delicious - that's what these were. I should have ordered another round for lunch.
Thank you sir, may I have another?
Jay was smart ... as he often is ... and ordered the Kobe / Angus Beef Burger and for good measure he asked them to add some Nueske's bacon to it. There's not much to say about this entry - it was tasty and it hit the spot and the man was happy ... 'nuff said.
Who doesn't enjoy eating two animals at once?
As for me ... looking back on it now I think my lunch choice was a special kind of stupid. The only reason I must have ordered what I did, rather than tomato soup and wee grilled cheese bamwiches, was that the gutworm was getting restless. He had not been happy the day before and he was unsettled and unpredictable for the remainder of the trip. And that's why I ordered a cheese pizza for lunch?
I know ... it makes about as much sense as a rubber crutch.
And it didn't taste much better, either.
Mozzarella, parmesan, & cheddar cheese pizza
To be frank, we should have waited for Carnevino to open and had lunch there instead. Having lunch at Emeril's version of a sports bar was a bad idea - our taste buds were still reeling from 16+ courses of food ala Robuchon and this just couldn't cut through that. Additionally the food just didn't live up to our expectations based on past Emeril experiences - it was pretty mediocre sports bar food designed to soak up lots of alcohol while patrons spin out the hours watching and betting on just about any sport you can think of, including dwarf tossing. Had Jay and I dropped in to watch a game I think we would have enjoyed it much more; as it was, Lagasse's Stadium was an overpriced disappointment. And that's not something I thought I'd ever say about an Emeril establishment.
1 comment:
Sad sad lunch...although I will agree, the pretzel and beer cheese looked yummy! ;)
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