Red Square, Mandalay Bay (Dinner)

We're Loaded ... with Calories!!! Dinner at Red Square (4/20/08)

There's a story to be told here ... isn't there always? It goes something like this:

Girl and boy go to different colleges ... and don't know why the hell they're there or what the hell they're supposed to do with the rest of their lives. Girl and boy leave their respective colleges and do other things for a few years before deciding to go back and complete their edumacation because that expensive piece of paper seems really important to other people and they know without it their lives will be a swirling torrent of pain and misery. Somehow girl and boy end up pursuing liberal arts degrees that have a foreign language requirement for graduation.

** Keeping score? Girl majors in History with a double minor in English and Creative Writing while boy has a double major in History and Philosophy with a minor in Political Science. Ah yes, it's a veritable think-tank at our house when we're not watching cartoons.**

Girl decides to take Russian for her foreign language requirement ... it fits into her crammed schedule which only allows for morning classes while she works for the soulless dominions of finance in the afternoons and on the weekends. Girl also thinks that taking Russian fits in nicely with the study of History ... she is an avid reader of European and Russian history, feels that the recent "fall" of the Soviet Union ensures that the FBI won't add her name to some "suspicious persons" list, and just wants to do something different from everyone else. Boy also decides to take Russian to meet his foreign language requirement - he thinks it's cool and likes the idea of doing something different. His decision is in no way influenced by his eerie and oft commented upon resemblance to Leon Trotsky.

X Marxist the spot!!!


Girl sees boy on the first day of class and is immediately smitten. Boy is oblivious. Girl thinks she is sending out obvious signals to boy ... only to learn eight months later that Boy's signal receptors don't work. With a little help from friends in the class, girl works up the courage to ask boy out on a date ... much to girl's surprise (and probably to boy's secret regret) he agrees. Five years later she puts on a fancy dress, he dons a spiffy tuxedo, and with a scribble here and a scrawl there the merger is complete.

What's the point of all this and what in gawd's name does it have to do with Red Square????

...

...

...

That's not a rhetorical question. I really can't remember where I was going with this ...

...

Oh, wait; I got it!! The first time Jay and I traveled to Vegas was early in 2000 - we went with my parents and stayed with Jay's aunt and uncle and had a fine old time checking out the strip and the totally unreal spectacle that is Las Vegas. And one of the places we eyeballed but never would have dared to dine at because Brenda was a culinary baby who didn't venture much past tuna fish and mac'n'cheese was Red Square. How could two dorks who took 13 hours of Russian classes over 18 months not eat at this restaurant? It was only a matter of time.

Lots of time ...

Like eight years worth of time.

Fast forward to almost now which was just last week ... after months of ogling their drink and dinner menus and reading up on their vodka vault, Jay and I were ready to do gastronomic battle with Red Square. And we were bringing Jay's aunt and uncle along for the ride!

One of the things that we liked best about Mandalay Bay was that all of their restaurants (with the exception of House of Blues) were located outside of the casino area. This really minimized the amount of noise and smoke we had to wade through in order to arrive at our dining destination. And speaking of destinations ... take a look at these pictures of the entrance to Red Square:

A very big facade ... the better to impress you, Comrades.


It's hard to tell, but at the very top of the facade the spotlights are shining on some Cyrillic letters ... Красная площадь ... which read like this when converted to English characters: Krasnaya ploshchad. You wanna know how that translates to English?

Brace yourselves ...

Red Square.

Brilliant and devious in its simplicity, isn't it?

Marxists to the left, please ... Stalinists up against the wall.


These doors were very heavy and had individual copper squares with various scenes in bas-relief. The detail was amazing and it looked to me as though many of those scenes were stylized representations of life in rural Russia.

The outside of the vodka vault ...


This is not a great picture, but it does show the outside of the glass enclosure that encases the restaurant's fabulous, exclusive, and ridiculously overpriced vodka vault. For the minimum purchase price of $200 for a bottle of vodka (and rising exponentially from there) guests may shrug themselves into cast-off Russian army coats or fur wraps and venture into the vault to partake of their alkie-hol. Jay and I were all over this idea until we saw the $300 pricetag for a bottle of Cirroc vodka. We can purchase Cirroc here in Stinktown for $28 per bottle ... and it makes a fine, fine martini ... but there's no way in hell that we're paying that kind of markup to drink booze in a vault. I worked in retail banking for five years ... I've been in a vault ... they're really not all that impressive.

Friends, Russians, Countrymen ... lend me your heads.


Your eyes do not deceive you ... that's a pigeon-poop spattered headless statue of Vlad Lenin welcoming patrons to the restaurant. Wondering where the hell his head has disappeared to? It's spending eternity encased in ice in the vodka vault.

That might have been worth the price of admission if we had been less hungry on this trip.

After checking in at the podium located just inside the giant doors, we were seated right away and given the dinner and specialty drink menus. And of course, when dining at Red Square one must try one of the tasty martinis for which they are famous. The martini list and vodka selections were lengthy, impressive, and pricey. Since Jay wasn't overly interested in a vodka sampler I decided to order a Red Dawn Martini which I believe was made with Cranberry Vodka, Cointreau, Grenadine, lime juice, and pineapple juice. It bore a strong resemblance to a Cosmo but wasn't nearly as sweet; this was a well-mixed, tasty drink that had been poured with a liberal hand.

Red Dawn: it's not just a cheesy 1980s propaganda film any more!


In keeping with the color scheme of the restaurant Jay ordered a glass of red wine which we decided not to photograph - when you've seen one glass of red wine you've pretty much seen 'em all. And then it was time to order ... and order ... and order.

Jay's uncle ordered a salad and was very kind about sharing it with the rest of us .. or I should say the rest of them because I wasn't about to tempt the intestinal gods on this trip by ingesting leafy, green vegetables. His choice was the Roasted Beet and Tomato Salad which included baby greens, crumbled feta, macerated onions, and red wine vinaigrette.

Roasted Beet and Tomato Salad


My three fabulous dining companions all agreed that this was an excellent salad - the greens were fresh and crisp and the red wine vinaigrette provided a light, tangy finish.

I was torn between two appetizers: the Smothered Blini which was described on the menu as a large Russian blini, creme fraiche, American sturgeon caviar or smoked salmon, and herbed beurre blanc; and the Seared Foie Gras, Baked Apples, and French Toast which was a baked granny smith apple, cinnamon french toast, apple butter, smoked bacon, and balsamic syrup.

In the end I opted for the smothered blini, feeling that when in pseudo-Russia one should go as far along with the charade as one can before the credit card spontaneously combusts. But that menu description still makes me wish I'd chosen the foie gras ... it sounds like it would have been unbelievably delicious and decadent.

Smothered Blini - X Marxist the spot, again!


Jay and I discovered on this trip just how sheltered a culinary life we really lead out here in the armpit of the Midwest. We were constantly being surprised by the inventiveness and imagination used in the preparation and presentation of many of the dishes we ordered ... the smothered blini being a case in point. Our waitress asked me if I wanted salmon or caviar with my blini and I chose caviar, expecting a small side dish of it so that I could build my own "smothered" blini. Imagine my surprise when the above dish was placed before me.

It's impossible to see, but there is one large, perfectly cooked buckwheat blini (pancake) buried under all of that caviar and it's resting in a creamy pool of beurre blanc. What the heck is that, you ask? It's a rich, hot butter sauce and it was so, so good. Notice that there was creme fraiche along the outer edges of the blini acting like a retaining wall to keep the caviar from fleeing, but there were also generous dollops of creme fraiche along the outer edges of the plate and these were crowned with salmon roe (I think that's what it's called). I like this type of caviar much better - it explodes in the mouth with a sudden, salty burst and then it's gone ... no gacky aftertaste or fish egg paste that coats your tongue for hours afterwards.

I shared this with Jay and his uncle and we all agreed that it was excellent. I thought the best taste experience was a combination of everything in one fork full ... not an easy feat but worth the effort because of the wonderful mix of textures and flavors that melded together all at once.

As for Jay, his choice for an appetizer was not the foie gras as I had secretly hoped, but the Siberian Nachos, which were wonton chips, smoked salmon, wasabi cream, chives, wasabi tobiko, and citron caviar.

Siberian Nachos


Crunchy wontons, tasty salmon, spicy cream, and salty caviar all together in one delicious bite-sized morsel. Yum-yum salmon bits! Jason really liked this appetizer selection and even I thought it was pretty good, although the Wasabi was a wee bit too spicy for my delicate tastebuds.

Fresh breads...


While we were enjoying our appetizers the serving team gave everyone at the table two bread selections. One was the standard sourdough roll and it was quite good - crisp on the outside and light and airy on the inside. The other bread selection was similar to a miniature flatbread and had a big honking olive and some feta cheese chunks embedded in it. Since BriarRosie was stuffing her face in Disneyland I had to give the evil olive to Jason, but the rest of this roll was really tasty .. warm, soft bread with gooey feta cheese is always a winner in my book!

Strozapretti Stroganoff


Jay's aunt and uncle both ordered the Strozapretti Stroganoff, which the menu described as filet mignon strips with strozapretti pasta, ragout of mushrooms & peas, shoestring potatoes, and creme fraiche. Jason told me that he considered ordering this himself when he first looked at the menu but he didn't want to order the same thing as everyone else. However, he did taste this and commented that it was very good - a generous portion with tender chunks of meat. Fabulous aunt and uncle both really enjoyed this selection and raved about how good it was.

Jumbo crabmeat and arugula angel hair pasta


I opted for the jumbo crabmeat and arugula angel hair pasta, which included sauteed roma tomatoes, basil, garlic, and white wine. Mmmmmm, spaghetti with mega crab chunks ... it's not a Russian dish but who cares when it tastes this good? This was another huge portion; I kept eating and I swear the bowl magically refilled every time I looked away. I ended up sending it home with the aunt and uncle so that they could enjoy it the next day for their lunch. The crabmeat was sweet and tender and the sauce tasted like creamy tomato soup with just a hint of garlic.

Adzhika-spiced pork tenderloin


Jason ordered the Adzhika-spiced pork tenderloin with a Georgian pomegranate wine reduction, chrov basmati rice pilaf with apricots, pine nuts, & bing cherries, crispy leeks, radicchio & chervil salad. Look at that plate ... there was enough tenderloin there to feed the entire restaurant! This mighty pile of loin was juicy and tender with a wonderful flavor due to the pomegranate wine reduction sauce. The entire table munched on this plate of meaty goodness and we all agreed that it was outstanding!

This entree also came with a choice of side dishes and Jason chose steamed asparagus; look at the portion size they gave him:

Enough asparagus to feed a small village


By this point in the evening we were four very happy diners; Red Square had more than lived up to the hype with excellent food and service. There was only one thing left to do:

Order dessert!

There were many delicious and tempting dessert items to choose from, but the Liquid Dessert option seemed like the appropriate road for Jay and me to take. This was a selection of four dessert martini shooters served on ice...

Liquid Dessert!


Is that the coolest dessert shooter selection you've ever seen, or what? From the top right hand corner of the ice block, moving clockwise, there was a chocolate-raspberry-hazelnut shooter, a key lime pie shooter, an espresso shooter, and a chocolate shooter. The espresso and chocolate martini shooters were each covered with a white chocolate red square ... isn't that cute? We also thought the red square ice block was a really inspired and imaginative presentation method.

All four of these dessert drinks were good, but I thought that the hazelnut liqueur in the choco-rasp-nut drink overpowered everything else. As a result, Jay was allowed to keep that drink all to himself. The espresso and chocolate martinis were excellent but the surprise winner of the evening was the key lime pie martini. Notice the pie crust crumbs around the edge of the glass and sprinkled over the top of the drink? They were lightly sugared ... yum! And the drink itself was creamy and smooth with just a bit of tartness. I didn't expect to like this one very much but it was actually my favorite drink of the four.

So there we were, sipping our dessert shooters and enjoying some good conversation when the restaurant manager suddenly appeared at the table. He inquired about the meal and the service and then told us that he wanted to buy us dessert.

We must have looked confused because we were already enjoying dessert, but he went on to explain that he had a very large party coming in for dinner and he needed our table to complete their seating arrangements. He was going to move us to a "reserved" area and told us to choose another dessert from the menu and it would be "on the house."

Woohoo!! Free dessert vibes kick in again and this time I know there was no cleavage involved. Jay's aunt and uncle chose strawberries romanoff for the freebie and it was an excellent choice.

Strawberries Romanoff


It was almost too pretty to eat - fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and Grand Marnier sabayon served in a martini glass with a milk chocolate garnish and a swirlie cookie. This was a wonderful dessert - light and refreshing. The strawberries were tucked inside the sabayon, which we thought was a terrific twist on the traditional method of soaking the berries in Grand Marnier and serving them in their alcoholic juices over ice cream. We like this version much better than the "old" version we've made.

Before I wrap this up I'd like to share some pictures of Red Square's interior. It's a mix of Imperial Russia and Communist Russia - there are ornate light fixtures and photographs of Russian Tsars on the walls (we spotted Peter the Great and Nicholas II) mixed in with massive Communist party propaganda posters. Red Square's most interesting and just downright awesome feature is their bar, which has a sheet of ice running through its center so that patrons can keep their drinks icy cold while pondering their next drink selection. The overall atmosphere was relaxed, elegant, and comfortable and the bar did a brisk business all evening. We were absolutely pleased with our whole experience and would definitely return for dinner on a future visit.

Blown glass onion dome chandellier above our table

A portion of the bar area

Rear section of the restaurant ... so opulent!

One side of the bar...see the soviet poster on the wall?

The wall nearest our table ,,,

J&B at the end of the evening ... barely buzzed!

House of Blues, Mandalay Bay (Lunch)

House of Blues (4/20/08)

Our first choice for lunch after finally arriving in Vegas and checking in at Mandalay Bay was the Burger Bar, but the wait for a table was nearly an hour. After being on an airplane for five hours with nothing more than a crappy little oatmeal-apple-raisin bar to hold the rumbly-tummies at bay, neither of us were in the mood to wait longer for food than absolutely necessary. And so we found ourselves at the House of Blues, which is located on the outer edge of Mandalay Bay's casino. Regardless of the city it's located in, Jay and I have always had good meals at House of Blues and this was no exception.

We don't usually order appetizers at lunch, but we were both in "feed me" mode. Our choice was something that we've had before and which we knew would be a tasty, satisfying start to the meal:

Pan Seared Voodoo Shrimp with Rosemary Cornbread and Dixie Beer Reduction


This was a very generous portion with six peppery shrimpies swimming in a spicy beer bath. The good thing about this dish, in my humble opinion, is that the spiciness wasn't overdone - it was just enough to set my taste buds a tinglin' without scorching my tongue. The cornbread was great for sopping up the excess sauce and it was just a little sweet, which I actually prefer in cornbread. The only thing we noticed was that it was a tad on the dry side - thank goodness for extra sauce!

Jay's lunch:

Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich with Jim Beam Barbecue Sauce, Cole Slaw, and French Fries


HoB sure doesn't skimp on the portions, do they? According to Jay this was a tasty selection with plenty of tender pork and well-seasoned fries. His only negative comment was that the BBQ sauce was too sweet and I have to agree with his assessment - I had a taste of saucy pork and it was too sugary. Jay is something of a sauce connoisseur; around here we like to call him Marinade Man because he can whip up a delicious marinade off the top of his head in no time at all, and they're never too sweet.

My lunch:

All Beef "Blues Burger" with American Cheese, served on a Toasted Sesame Seed Bun with French Fries


Boring and predictable this may be, but it sure hit the spot! I requested that they cook the burger medium and it was just right, with a nice pink tinge through the middle. The fries were delicious and salty and tasted even better when dipped in cheap yellow mustard.

Aside from several glasses of water, we washed down our lunch with a shared alcoholic beverage: A Category 5, which must be HoB's version of a hurricane. This drink was made with a couple of different rums, cointreau, and fruit juices and it was very, very good. It could only have been better if it had been served in the appropriate goofy souvenir mug as pictured on the drink menu. First the Adventurer's Club stops offering the Yakoose Moose and Monkey's Head mugs and now House of Blues sells out of molded plastic funny-face mugs on a Sunday ... what do two silly DINKs have to do to get their hands on an over-priced drink in a novelty cup???

First drink of the trip, but certainly not the last!


The wacky novelty cup that our drink wasn't served in thanks to a bunch of corporate schmoes who bought them all during Gospel Brunch earlier in the day.


Well, despite the lack of a squashed blue-man mug for our drink, the meal was excellent and we left House of Blues pleased with our choices. The restaurant has been a reliable choice for good food and service over the last several years and we will continue to visit them when we can. You should too!

Yes Virginia, There is Fine Dining in Stinktown

Saturday, April 12, 2008 ... Tony's Restaurant in Downtown St. Louis

Tony's is the only restaurant in the state of Missouri to ever receive a AAA 5-diamond award. Sadly, it lost one of those diamonds or stars or whatever they're called a few years back but it remains a tradition in St. Louis ... one of the places to go when you have something to celebrate or you just feel like splurging. The food is incredible and the service is just right: attentive without being intrusive.

We had various reasons for dining here: my step-father turned 70 on April 13th, he and my mother were celebrating their 24th wedding anniversary on April 14th, my nephew just graduated from college a few months ago, and he and his fiance are getting married in June. Since my family is so small ... what you see here is it ... Jay and I decided that a special dinner was in order so that we could all celebrate these milestones together. So we invited the others to join us in a gluttonous booze-fest at Tony's.

Come with us now as we re-live the food love...

Jay and I arranged to meet the nephie and his fiance at the restaurant about 30 minutes before our dinner reservation so that we could have a drink together prior to the arrival of the parental unit. Tony's has a small bar area - they actually call it their living room - and the walls are plastered with signed photographs of famous people who've stuffed their faces at the restaurant during its long history.

I started the evening out with a Kir Royale while Jay had a Pinot Grigio and the nephie opted for a Cabernet. His fiance doesn't drink; she has ulcerative colitis, and alcohol really bothers her - heh, between the two of us we have the entire digestive tract covered with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. All I can say is it was a lucky day for me when I found out that nuts and seeds and leafy green vegetables will twist my guts into a nasty knot, but booze and chocolate still love me!

Aren't they cute?

Remorseless eating machines ...

Once the parents arrived we were taken to our table. Tony's decor is what I have decided to call understated contemporary - muted shades of gold and brown are highlighted by colorful artwork on the walls. The overall lighting is dim, but each table has its own small light fixture hanging from the ceiling that provides a warmer circle of illumination by which patrons can read their menu and ogle their food.

Let the yeasting, I mean feasting, begin!

Our serving team brought us two bowls of bread which included fresh sourdough, white rolls, and some crunchy, buttery crostini. We were each also given a hefty hunk-a-butter with which to slather said breads. For once in my life I actually laid off the grains ... I had more tasty caloric treats on my mind! But I did nibble on some of the crostini and it was excellent - perfectly crisped and lightly brushed with olive oil and garlic butter.

It was about this time that the sommelier showed up ... Jay had the wine bible and ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir. But then I reminded him that some of us prefer white and so the sommelier paid us a second visit to recommend a Pinot Grigio for all of us to share as well. Please don't ask me the names of either of these two wines - I haven't the fainest idea, but I can tell you both were very, very good. We're no experts, as I've said many times before, but we know what we like. And these two wines were excellent - the Pinot Noir was a little lighter and fruitier than some we've tried and that made it especially good in my book; the Pinot Grigio was light and smooth and clean.

I need another table for my drinks...

Once the alcohol was taken care of ... for the moment ... it was time to order some appetizers. Five of us took the plunge while Grimace opted out ... I was nice and shared some of my food with her, but not much!

Brenda's first choice: Smoked Salmon with Mascarpone Cheese, Onions, and Capers

I adore smoked salmon with mascarpone cheese filling and this was exceptional ... lightly smoked salmon with just a hint of salt and a smooth, almost satiny consistency stuffed with light, delicate Italian cream cheese. Our server offered to drizzle some fresh lemon juice over the top and I agreed - the acidity of the juice combined well with the sweetness of the cheese and the saltiness of the salmon yielding just a hint of lemon with each bite.

Jay's first choice: Seared Scallops with Black Truffle Sauce

First you see the naked scallops and then you see them after being baptized with black truffle sauce. One of the things that I think is really cool about dining at Tony's is that they finish preparing many of their dishes table side and then plate and serve them to patrons. In this case, our serving team seared Jay's scallops right there at the table and while one young man plated the yummies another was putting the finishing touches on the truffle sauce. The scallops were wonderful - lightly seared on the outside with a firm, silky consistency on the inside. As you've probably guessed, I managed to snag a bit of scallop without the truffle sauce, but Jay said it was creamy and and tasty and way better than Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup.

Dylan & Jen's first choice: Risotto with Pancetta, English Peas, and Onions

This was a selection that I seriously considered ordering, but the siren call of cheesy salmon was too seductive for me to resist. The nephie was kind enough to let both Jay and me take a taste of this and all I can say is: wow! Rich and creamy and so tender that the rice was confused for pasta by some, this tasted wonderful. While I cannot comment on the peas or onions, which I try never to eat if at all possible, the pancetta added good contrasting texture and a little spiciness. The freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top of this dish was a delightful touch.

Jon's first choice: Pheasant Consomme with a Crepe (resemblance to Dead Sea Scroll entirely unintentional)

Hmmmm, what to say...what to say. Well, it must have been good because Jon licked the bowl clean, but there was no sharing of this dish. In his defense it's not easy to pass a bowl of consomme around the table, especially with a klutz like me in attendance, but I would have formed a line to his left in the dining room for just a wee taste. And don't you guys think that crepe looks like a scroll? Or maybe it was a treasure map and Jon ate it by mistake? Actually I thought there was some savory treat tucked into the crepe but Jay says it was stuffed with herbs and such to add flavor to the consomme and was not designed for eating.

Brenda's second choice: Penne Pasta with Lobster and Shrimp

Ahhhh, you have to love exceptional service. And by that I mean, this item was not on the standard menu. Tony's also offers a two person Chef's Tasting menu and this was the pasta listed on that menu. I asked our head server if it was possible for me to order this pasta because it sounded so good and of course he said yes! Let this be a lesson for you ... ask, ask, ask, because the worst that can happen is someone says "no." And as an aside, Jay and I have had the tasting menu at Tony's before so we didn't want to do it again, especially because we would have both been served the same items for each course. We wanted to try all new things on this visit.

As for the pasta, it was quite tasty. The red sauce was light and a little spicy and the shrimp and lobster were flavorful and well cooked. The portion size was extremely generous - after sharing it around the table with everyone else Jay and I took turns munching on this until it was all gone.

Jay's second choice: Agnollotti with Prosciutto


Here's another one of those dishes that I seriously considered ordering...after asking the head server exactly what agnollotti was in the first place! In this case he said that it was little spinach and beef stuffed raviolis served with a prosciutto and cream-based sauce. This was so surprisingly good that I kind of wished I had ordered it. And that's an amazing statement on my part for anyone who knows me well, because I don't usually care for cream-based (white) pasta sauce. These tender, beefy little pasta pockets were just a tad on the salty side, but the cream sauce seemed to neutralize that and the end result was a fabulous combination of spin-eef-shutto-ey goodness. Jay and I enjoyed this choice as well as the penne pasta that I ordered - they were both excellent dishes!

Dylan's second choice: Asparagus & Belgian Endive


That's a generous portion of asparagus all for the bargain price of $10, and apparently it tasted pretty darn good, too. Dylan offered me some but I passed since I was so busy eating two different forms of pasta.

Jen's second choice: Bibb Lettuce, Artichokes, & Hearts of Palm


It looks very green, doesn't it? It's probably just me but when I do take the plunge and order a salad I like it to have some color variation ... carrots, tomatoes, maybe some cheese. But this salad wasn't about me, it was about Jen, and she liked it just fine.

Jon's second choice: Tony's Salad


At least this salad has some color! That's about all I can say since I didn't eat this, either, but Jon really enjoyed it. It looks pretty good, too, with those radish slices, pieces of pepperoni, tomatoes and cheese. My only suggestion, which is completely unwarranted since I didn't eat any of this, would be to toss the salad a little more thoroughly because it looks like some pieces of lettuce are coated with dressing while others are dry.

Grimmie's first choice: Tomato with Anchovies & Red Onion


My mom finally joined the food fun and look at what she ordered on her first try! The thing that surprised me the most about this choice was the anchovies ... I had no idea that she liked flat, spiny, salty fishes. But she does! She liked this very much and recently confided that she only burped anchovies for three days afterwards.

Grimmie's dinner: Roasted Salmon & Roasted Vegetables


That's a nice sized portion of salmon...actually, now that I look more closely at the picture I see that there are two salmon fillets along with a colorful assortment of peppers, squash, and cauliflower. Grimace said it was all very good, but she thought the salmon was especially well cooked and had a nice flavor without being too "fishie." That statement cracked me up considering that it was made by a woman who had just inhaled a bunch of anchovies. And don't you just love scales on the plate? I'm pretty sure I've seen these dishes at Flying Fish at WDW.

Brenda's dinner: Tenderloin of Beef, Foie Gras, & Port Wine Demi Glaze


Oh. my. gawd. I blame Victoria and Albert's ... I really do. Before dining there I would never have considered ordering foie gras ... ewwwwwwww, liver! But then I discovered the buttery, sinful joy that is seared foie gras. While it's not something that I'd order all the time (it's too expensive), on a special occasion in Stinktown how on earth could I ignore the liver?

The tenderloin was prepared medium and was just perfect - tender and slightly pink on the edges growing ever darker in hue as I ate my way towards the middle. The port wine sauce seemed just a bit too salty - I would have preferred a slightly sweeter version in this instance, but it was still good and prepared very well, slightly thick with some yummy bits of pan leavings added in for good measure. Lemme tell you, my sauces never turn out this well!

As for the foie gras, it was divine paired with the tenderloin, providing a wonderful contrast in texture and consistency. Every bite was a mix of buttery smoothness and tender meat with a dash of salty port sauce to add some extra flavor. I shared a bit with Jon and Jason and then proceeded to demolish the rest. Yes, that's right ... I ate all of it!!!

Jen also ordered this for her entree but did not care for the foie gras, especially after I made the mistake of telling her what it was! But I have to give her full credit for even ordering it in the first place - when I was her age I would have run screaming from the dining room if someone had smacked seared foie gras down on top of my entree. I do know that Dylan tried some of it with a bite of the tenderloin and agreed that it was quite good - a pretty surprising verdict from someone who'd never before tried foie gras.

Jay's dinner: A Trio of Veals


To clear up any potential confusion, this was not three different cuts of veal nor was it veal prepared three different ways - it was three veal cutlets served with three individual sauces. To the best of his memory recall abilities, Jay said that the sauces were: garlic-butter, some sort of lemon, and mushroom-marsala. The flavors were all strong without being overpowering and Jay said he thought they were all good - the veal was well prepared and very tender. I did try just a bite of the veal and garlic sauce and thought it was pretty darn tasty - I'm not a huge fan of veal so that was a bit of stretch for me, but I did enjoy the bit that I tried.

Jon's dinner: Prime rack of Lamb

I asked Jon several times during this part of the meal if he was happy with his choice ... his response can pretty well be summed up as: "Can't talk - eating." Jon apparently loves rack of lamb and is not often presented with the opportunity to indulge his taste buds. Judging by the rapidity with which his food disappeared I'd say this dish was a winner.

Dylan's dinner: Fillet Mignon of Swordfish


This was another one of those moments where I embarrassed my mother by asking our head server what a fillet mignon of swordfish was supposed to be. I'd never heard of this before (not that that means anything) and wanted to know more about it ... I tried to explain to Grimmie that it's acceptable to ask questions while dining but she doesn't like displaying her ignorance. I, on the other hand, wave my foodie ignormaus flag every chance I get. The explanation, by the way, was that the cut of this filet was the most tender and "meaty" piece available from the fishie and that is why it is called filet mignon of swordfish. Dylan said it was exceptional.

Jay's side dish: Steamed Spinach


Jay really surprised me by adopting his Popeye personna and ordering spinach. I'm sure he chose it in part for its health benefits, but bleccccch! I like a spinach salad now and then, but hot, wilted spinach leaves don't sound appetizing to me at all.

Dylan's side dish: Potato Ball Stuffed with Meaty Goodness


I actually thought this option sounded pretty good: a rice and potato ball stuffed with spicy meat. But I didn't order it because having a side order of meat with my beef tenderloin seemed a little too Beef Council of America for me. I did try a taste of this, however, and thought it was very good. Think meatball wrapped in a rice potato and you'll have this little puppy down cold!

Brenda & Jen's side dish: Steamed Vegetable Melody

I tried to offset the pure decadence of my foie gras with a healthy vegetable melody, but the truth of the matter is that Jay ate most of these. I nibbled on the carrots and a little bit of the broccoli, but that was enough for me. Why take up valuable stomach space with vegetables when dessert must still be consumed?

Anniversary & Birthday freebie for the parental unit


I had mentioned to our server that we were celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings to be, and he brought Grimmie and Jon a piece of cake to share. I assume they shared with each other because I sure as hell know that they didn't share any with the rest of us!! I was kind of sad that Dylan and Jen didn't get a piece, too, but I guess Tony's draws the line at pre-nuptial cake. I should have called ahead and ordered something but I dropped the ball (and the phone).

Friandese


Luckily while Grimace and Jon were eating cake, the serving team showed up with a silver serving platter of chocolates and cookies. The chocolates were especially tasty and were filled with a silky cherry cream that was just the right amount of sweet. I didn't want to share, but I did. I even made Grimace eat one (just to see if she really would explode because she said she was stuffed to capacity) and in return I received a yummy sound of approval.

Jay & Brenda's after-dinner scotch: Glenfiddich 10-year

We had noticed Tony's single malt scotch selection earlier in the evening when we were ordering cocktails, but decided to wait until after dinner to indulge. Now that I think back on it, I probably should have ordered the Macallan 12-year - Jay and I both seem to prefer that one just a little more than the Glenfiddich, but this was still a very good choice and one that we have at home among our rapidly growing scotch collection. Every dessert we tried, even the friandese, tasted great with the Glenfiddich. It lends itself particulary well to chocolate, in my humble opinion.

Grimace needs port ... need I say more?

Perhaps if I hadn't been buzzing so loudly at this point in the meal I might not have ordered this port. I very specifically asked for a tawny port but if I'd paid more attention when they brought this back to the table I would have realized that this port wasn't even ten years old and therefore was nowehere near the tawny that I wanted or expected. However, having said that, this was not a bad choice, and Grimace certainly enjoyed it so I suppose that's all that really matters. It was a younger, red port with a lot of fruity overtones - much more sweet than I typically like in a port. That didn't stop me from drinking mine or Jen's ... someone had to finish it for her. ;-)

And now for dessert, which entailed some little discussion at our table. We wanted to be sure that everyone tried something different so that we could all taste as much variety as possible. So to begin with, I ordered Tony's version of bananas foster which they flambeed table side ... I just wish I'd paid more attention while they were doing so because it's not something you get to see every day. But I think I was too busy drinking at this point to do full justice to the flaming naners.

Brenda's dessert: Bananas Flambe

More Pseudo-Bananas Foster


This was a huge serving and don't you love the silver dish it was presented in? That sucker was really heavy - I felt like I got an extra arm workout just lifting it and passing it to the right. I believe my original intention was for Jay and me to share this, but somewhere along the way I just started eating and didn't stop. Poor Jay ... I'll have to pay better attention to his dessert needs while we're in Vegas.

Jay's dessert: Cheese Plate & Fruit!


The cheeses offered this evening were Big Ed's (Wisconsin), Bartlett Blue (Vermont), Urgelia (Northern Spain), and Montasio (Veneto, Italy). I know that I tried these and I remember them being very good but that's about it, so I'm pulling some information from the creamy cheese palaces where these babies were made. Big Ed's is made by Saxon Homestead Creamery in Wisconsin - this is a young cow's milk cheese with a mild, buttery flavor. Great for people who are still growing their cheese legs, if you know what I mean. The Bartlett Blue is produced at the Jasper Hill Dairy in Vermont. This is an Ayreshire Cow's milk cheese and it is sweet and creamy with a natural rind. Urgelia is a creamy Spanish cheese with a washed rind (I think that means it's stinky) but it has a mild, almost subtle taste. Montasio, from Italy, is also a cow's milk cheese and it's actually made from two milkings and is partially skimmed. It's soft and smooth and a little sweet.

Jen's dessert: Creme Brulee Suffocated by Fresh Fruit


I have never in all my life seen creme brulee presented in such a modest fashion. I like my fruit served on the side, especially when it's so bountiful. Once my spoon wrrrrrrrriggled through the fruit and found the good stuff I was very pleased indeed. This was an excellent creme brulee with a light, sugary crust and a sweet, creamy body. And althought it's hard to tell from this picture, the serving portion was very generous - I think it could have easily served as a shared dessert between two people ... other than Jay and me.

Jon's dessert: Triple Chocolate Torte

What is there to say about any dessert that bills itself as triple chocolate? If it's done right it's an ovary cramping delight that leaves you wanting more. And so it was with this little gem which was rich and moist and dark. That little dollop of fresh whipped cream was too small, in my opinion, but it still tasted really good with the torte.

Dylan's dessert: Brandy Ice

This was the other dessert item that really caught my eye, but when Dylan said he was going to order it I demanded only that he let me take a slurp or three. This was very good although I'm not sure if it was supposed to be more of an ice cream or a milkshake - it seemed a little undecided. Dylan seemed to enjoy it and when he'd had enough he was gracious enough to let me finish it off for him! How's that for a deal?

For those of you who are wondering, no single dessert item was more than $12.50 and most of the dessert options ranged between $6.50 - $9.50.

Perhaps one of the most amusing events of the evening happened while we were finishing our desserts. The gentleman who started Tony's some years back always makes an appearance in the dining room during the course of the night and he often stops to chat with patrons to ensure that everything is to their liking. He stopped at our table and was very charming and then happened to look down at my silver presentation bowl and said, "You need more ice cream. Yours is all melted ... let me go back and get you some more."

Not more than five minutes later he reappeared with a small silver bowl and some serving tongs and he proceeded to plop another scoop of french vanilla ice cream into my dish. Now for those of you who've followed our dining adventures on the DIS, this will seem especially funny because many of our dining freebies (which have centered around alcohol or dessert) seem to be linked to unintentional cleavage flashed by yours truly (or so the joke runs). I didn't really have any cleavage to show with the dress I was wearing, but I realized later that he was standing behind my chair and probably had a clear view down the front of my dress!

And so the bounty of unintentional dessert cleaves continues!

Brenda's free sccop of ice cream!!!


This picture is obvioulsy a set-up ... I never drink that much


By this point my family was staring at me in slack-jawed amazement as I continued to eat and drink. Grimace actually asked me if I have a tapeworm. Silly Grimace ... she knows about the parasitic twin that's embedded in my belly.

The happy couple?


We finally got a picture of Grimace and Jon .... he just looks confused and she looks like Grimace. Actually, upon closer inspection, I think she looks like she has gas. **note to self - never show this review to Grimace.**

And then shortly before leaving our wait staff offered to take a picture of the six of us together huddled around the remnants of the dinner table. I think we look pretty good for having spent four hours there stuffing our respective faces, don't you?

Replete to the point of satiety ... the family still manages to smile!

And so we went our separate ways ... replete ... content ... pleasantly squiffed. All in all it was a terrific evening with superb food, wonderful service, and good company. Tony's remains our Stinktown special occasion venue of choice - it's a restaurant that we visit rarely due to the expense but the infrequency of our visits only guarantees that it will never lose its charm or appeal. We highly recommend Tony's, especially to you foodies out there who haven't had a chance to try it yet. While their dishes may be lacking somewhat in overall presentation, the quality of the food is top notch and the service is just right. Give Tony's a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed.