Red White & Blue, Mandalay Bay

Breakfast and Lunch at Red, White & Blue (4/22/08)

This was our designated "relax and enjoy the pool" day. We wandered downstairs and found ourselves looking for something a little more substantial than Starbucks for breakfast. We stopped to consider the menu at Red, White & Blue in part because there wasn't much of a crowd when we arrived there and we figured we could be seated quickly. This is the perfect place for any guest who wants typical, filling, tasty American fare - there's not much on this menu that can be characterized as weird and scary. It struck us a great place to have a good breakfast before heading to the pool. As an FYI to anyone who's interested in eating here, they're open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and offer restaurant / cafe seating as well as options "to go."

First up to help combat the dessert hangover from the previous night was some strong, hot coffee. We always add milk to our coffee, along with raw sugar whenever it's available. This was a very good cuppa joe and after just a few sips I could feel the sugar spun cobwebs from the night before melting away.

Not quite a caffiend, but getting there!


I opted for an omelet for breakfast, which is not something I usually do. But for some reason an eggy ham and cheese affair sounded really, really good. It came with potatoes that were just delicious - hot and fluffy on the inside, crisp and brown on the outside, and lightly dusted with salt and pepper. Mmmmm, mmmmm, good! The omelet, by the way, must have been made with pterodactyl eggs - it was enormous! If I had realized just how large the omelet was going to be I probably would have suggested to Jay that we share it.

Delicious omelet made with enormous eggs ...


Jason ordered the smoked salmon eggs benedict, which also came with tasty breakfast potatoes. I must admit ... after trying his eggs benedict I almost wished I had ordered that for my breakfast - it was really good and the salmon was a nice change from the usual Canadian Bacon. And again, the portion was huge ... I guess we can't accuse any restaurants in Vegas of skimping on the on the serving sizes while jacking up menu prices.

Monstrous huge eggs ...


Along with vast quantities of water, we ordered a fruit bowl to share in a token effort to maintain a healthy diet. The water was an absolute necessity because it was so damn dry in Vegas we would wake up in the morning with parchment paper skin. As for the fruit, we both like having it with breakfast, but never expected such a generous serving of it to be delivered to the table.

Strawberries...raspberries...bluberries...wow!


We left the restaurant quite pleased with our choice and we were ready to spend some quality time at the pool. I don't want to take a lot of time here talking about the pool, but let me offer you fine people some advice ... get there early ... like when the pool opens ... think of it in Disney World terms: any popular ride runs out of Fast Passes within two hours of park opening and the 11-acre pool complex at Mandalay Bay runs out of public lounge chairs less than an hour after opening. We arrived at the pool, which has a "guarded" entrance with theme-park like turnstiles and a little slot for guests to insert their room keys just like park tickets, about 9:45 AM and it took us more than 15 minutes to find two open chairs. The place was packed - it was totally insane. We stuck it out for about two hours or so and then decided that it wasn't really very relaxing or enjoyable.

When it came time for lunch Jay and I agreed that we wanted something light - we had big, piggish plans for dinner later in the evening. We ended up back at Red, White & Blue which makes sandwiches to order. You can select from a variety of hot and cold sandwich options, various breads, and all kinds of toppings. I did a little happy dance because they offered tuna salad and I requested it on country white with tomato. It was delicious!!

Tuna salad with plain old chips and ice tea for Brenda


The hubba decided to go with chicken salad on a ciabatta roll with all kinds of stuff ... he likes stuff on his sandwiches. We placed the order to go and took everything back to the room to have a cool, cozy carpet picnic.

Chicken salad with spicy thai chips and ice tea for Jay.


All in all we were very pleased with both meals at Red, White & Blue - standard American fare but it was tasty and filling. I'd recommend this for a no frills kind of meal in Vegas if that's what you're looking for during your visit.

Payard Patisserie Caesars Palace

Payard Patisserie & Bistro, Dessert Tasting (4/21/08)

Sometimes it pays to be an anal retentive, restless, never-satisfied vacation planner. In my mania to find unique and delectable dining options in Las Vegas, I visited the website of every hotel I could think of that's located on the strip. And then I looked at every restaurant listed on each hotel's website, considered their menus, weighed the costs... I really did, please stop laughing... looked for reviews, and grew very, very hungry.

No discussion was even necessary when I saw that Payard's offered a Prix-Fixe Dessert Menu. It was a foregone conclusion that Jay and I would break out our vacation stomachs in earnest and stuff ourselves full of French desserts. For any of you dearies reading who want to indulge in six gourmet desserts like we did, take note: the dessert tasting is offered nightly from 9PM-11:30PM and reservations are required. The patisserie is located deep within the winding, hidden corridors of Caesars Palace ... you have to trek through the casino to find it, which is the only negative thing we can find to say. This is the only experience of its kind in Vegas, and diners create their own three-course tasting menu from an amazing array of themed categories: Cheese & Fruit, Coffee, Caramel & Nuts, Chocolate, and The Orchard.

This menu is another example of our complete and utter lack of culinary imagination. Jay and I read the menu descriptions and made assumptions about each course and in every single instance (all six of them) we were completely taken by surprise. This review is going to differ from the others in that I'm not really going to write very much ... for me. The pictures speak far more eloquently than I can in this case. So, fasten your drool cups securely to your chins and let's go!

First up, a picture of the outside of the Patisserie, which is where you can purchase chocolates and yummy little baked goods.

The supports look like chocolate!


Display windows alongside the Patisserie showcase some of Francois Payard's incredible pastry creations.

I would happily eat any or all of these ,,,


I kind of wish we were getting married again so we could have cake like this!


Our tasting was scheduled for 10PM, but we arrived a few minutes early. Imagine our surprise when we were seated immediately and discovered that we had the entire place to ourselves! Our hostess told us that for some reason the dessert tasting just hadn't caught on in Vegas and they were considering doing away with it, but Payard himself is reluctant to do so. Pastry is his bread and butter ... har har har ... it's what he's famous for and he doesn't want to give up on Vegas just yet.

Jay and I have pondered this (or as my boss likes to say: we've cogitated over it) and we think that the problem is the location of the patisserie coupled with a menu that many Vegas tourists might consider weird and scary. A friend of mine who is originally from Albania also told me that Payard is offering a very European concept and menu - in Europe she said people commonly go to cafes for coffee or dessert and spend hours there engaging in conversation and watching the world go by. I think we all know that most Americans (myself included) are in too much of a hurry to sit down and just have a leisurely dessert in a cafe with a good cup of coffee. Even that most quintessential of American desserts - ice cream - has to be eaten quickly or its creamy goodness will melt and disappear forever.

All I can say is I sure am glad we decided to slow down and taste the chocolate! These next couple of pictures are the bistro itself, which is lovely with dark wood tables, and plush, white leather upholstery. It's a very elegant and refined setting and there is wonderful French music playing in the background - our waiter broke into song every now and then. It was charming!

Ooh, la la!!


Why do these curtains remind me of a bordello?


Since it was getting late (at least for us) we decided to forgo booze with dessert and ordered some cappuccino. Our waiter made the cappies himself and they were excellent - the espresso was so good that I hardly used any sugar in mine at all!

Cappuccino ... no more booze for us tonight!


In many restaurants the chef will send out an Amuse Bouche to prime guests' mouths for the meal to come; at Payard's the Chef sent out a miniature dinner to prepare our tastebuds for the delights to come. How fun is that?

From left to right in the picture below: Sea Bass in Balsamic Vinegar; Duck Pate on Chocolate Polenta; and Beef Carpaccio.

If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding ...


The sea bass was very good, especially with the balsamic, and I really liked the beef carpaccio, too. This was the first time I'd ever had beef carpaccio, which is raw beef that's been pounded really thin and is usually served with parmesan cheese. I don't think this was served with cheese, but it did come with a thin, little crisp of bread and it was very flavorful and tender. The jury's still out on the duck pate / chocolate polenta combination. I'm not a fan of pate, although this wasn't as bad as it could have been since it was served at room temperature; no, the real disappointment was the polenta, which I thought was gritty and a tad on the dry side. I washed the entire thing down with a big mouthful of Perrier and gratefully moved on to something else.

And then it was time for the dessert parade to begin!!!

Brenda's first dessert: Red Wine Tart with Sangria-Prune Ice Cream.



I was hesitant to even eat this because I felt like I was going to destroy a precious work of art. The flavors all worked really well together and what I remember the most from this selection is a hint of spiciness that reminded me of fall ... a mix of spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice. Tremendous, that's how I'd describe this option.

Jason's first dessert: Poached Sickle Pear with Pomegranate, Cabrales Cheese, and Szechuan Pepper Ice Cream. For those of you, like me, who've never heard of cabrales cheese before now, it is apparently a celebrated blue cheese produced in the Asturias region of Northern Spain. It's an artisan cheese made in small batches and pairs well with fruit. You may find this hard to believe but I actually liked this dessert better than the one I ordered. The poached pear and the cheese were perfect together - the sweetness of the pear took the moldy bite right out of the cheese and the end result was a creamy bite of heaven that just melted in my mouth.



Who are these Gastropods?


Brenda's second dessert: Coffee Eclair, Milk Chocolate Mousse, and Flaky Sable. Holy Mother of God ... I think I had an epiphany while eating this. That or it was a wholly new phenomenon known as a dessert orgasm. The chocolate mousse was inside the eclair, which was topped with coffee-flavored icing. The sable was the chocolate cookie on which the eclair rested. And those milk chocolate garnishes ... fabulous!



Jason's second dessert: Peanut Butter Napoleon with Milk Chocolate and Rice Crispies. This dessert was just as good as mine - a wonderful blend of chocolate and peanut butter with rice crispies for texture and some peanut butter ice cream for good measure! An excellent choice and so much fun to eat.

Brenda's third dessert: Devil's Food Cake, Cardamom Pot de Creme, Chocolate Pudding, and Whipped Creme Fraiche. Did I mention the dessert orgasm? I think I had another one with this choice. From the bottom up you'll see the cake, then the creme, then the pudding, and it's topped off with the creme fraiche and some shiny, edible gold foil. It was served in a teeny little almond milk bath in which regular and chocolate rice crispies were swimming. Our waiter told me that this was his favorite dessert of all the ones he'd tried so far on the menu and after eating it I can understand why. This was an unbelievable mix of chocolate flavor and texture - I wish I was eating it again right now.





Jason's third dessert: Warm Banana Phyllo Tart with Passion Fruit Sauce. It looks like a pastry version of the sun! I am not a big fan of bananas so I didn't try this, but Jason said it was very banana-ey and he thought the passion fruit sauce / seeds added a nice tartness that cut some of the overall sweetness of this dessert.





At the conclusion of our sugar-fest our waiter brought us a shiny, yellow bag and told us that it contained two complimentary Payard chocolate truffles. There is a clock that's been installed in the bakery and it's filled with chocolate nibs and cocoa powder and gears and whirring, whingy things. Every fifteen minutes the clock spits out a single truffle. It's just like something Willy Wonka would use in his factory!

What's your bag, baby?


Tiny little truffle box...


Best chocolate truffle, evah!

We snapped a picture of the truffle clock just before we left for the evening and started the long walk back to our hotel.

The amazing chocolate truffle clock!

So, what else can I say about Payard's? It was unbelievable and we enjoyed it so much that we seriously considered trying to get back in on another night so that we could try more French delights. That didn't happen because we decided to be pigs elsewhere, but it really would have been worth another visit. If you like dessert in any way, shape, or form and you're not averse to trying something a little different I would suggest you pay this establishment a visit and send your blood sugar levels soaring. It was one of the most unique and enjoyable experiences we've ever had!

Isla Mexican Kitchen, Treasure Island

And We're Walking; We're Walking; We're Still Walking ... Isla Mexican Kitchen, Treasure Island - Dinner (4/21/08)

I'm not entirely sure how we ended up choosing this particular restaurant for dinner, but odds are that it was a combination of my wanting to pick someplace that would satisfy Jay's spicy crave and offer me the promise of as yet untasted alcoholic delights. We scheduled dinner for 6PM, which is earlier than we usually like to dine while on vacation, but we were trying to buy some digestive time since we'd scheduled a dessert tasting at Payard's for later in the evening. **You can read all about the dessert decadence in my next post ... all good things to those who wait.**

I read some really interesting things about Isla, which was a 2005 and 2007 Epicurean Award winner for Best Mexican. The two items that really got my attention were the custom-designed roving guacamole cart and the Tequila Goddess. The guacamole carts provide a sampling of Chef Richard Sandoval's fresh-made guacamoles, including classic Mexico City style, citrus tamarind with habañero and mint, chipotle adobo with spiced pumpkin seeds and lobster with achiote passion fruit and Serrano chilies ... or at least that's what the literature said. The Tequila Goddess was said to welcome guests to the bar and restaurant by personally offering them a selection of cocktails including tequilas, as well as margaritas, sangrias and other Mexican cocktail favorites. If a patron really wanted to splurge, he or she could order The Goddess Elixir, prepared table side by the Goddess herself with Herradura Seleccion Suprema, Grand Marnier 100 Year Anniversary, Cointreau, and Fresh Citrus Syrup. Just for fun, I priced this drink once we finally made it to Isla ... for the bargain price of $100 you can order this beverage the next time you're in Vegas. If you do order this, be sure to let us know what you think - Jay and I would both like to know what a $100 drink tastes like!

Before leaving the hotel on our 75-minute odyssey to Treasure Island we snapped the requisite self-portrait.

Festive Print-Shirt Boy and his flabby sidekick: Timid Tastebud Girl


No, you didn't read that sentence incorrectly. I said that it took us 75 minutes to get to Treasure Island from our hotel. See, we had a plan ... a well thought-out plan that would give us plenty of time to reach Treasure Island from Mandalay Bay. It entailed hopping the Las Vegas Monorail from the MGM Grand to the Harrah's station, which was listed as a jumping off point for easy access to about eight other hotels along the Vegas strip, including our destination.

It would have worked, too, if it hadn't been for Harrah's ... our newest nemesis ... that pee-pee soaked heck-hole ... the darkest, dankest circle of hell equipped with a mouse-maze offering black-lung and never-ending country music caterwauling as its reward upon completion. There were no signs pointing us towards the exit that would spit us out onto the strip, so we took the first set of doors we could find in a frantic dash for freedom and fresh air only to find ourselves in a labyrinth of back streets and parking garages.

I suppose if we'd been thinking properly we would have gone back into the hotel and asked someone for directions. But Jay was stubborn and I was frustrated to the point of tears so we just kept walking along a street lined with garages. We had no idea where we were, but assumed that we were parallel to the strip. We must have walked about three blocks out of our way before coming to a cross-street where we could turn left and head back towards "civilization."

You wanna know where we ended up?

The Las Vegas Convention Center.

Son-of-a-bitch!

We finally made it to the restaurant at 6:50PM ... luckily the hostess was really nice and she seated us right away even though other people were waiting for tables and had obviously not walked through the city's seamy underbelly in order to show up late for their dinner reservation.

Shortly after we were seated our waitress delivered a big bowl of chips and three different salsas. We took two pictures to provide a better view because of the unique presentation method. If I remember correctly there was a traditional salsa, a tomatillo salsa, and a set-yer-tongue-aflame salsa.

Complementary chips and salsas


An aerial view of salsas


Isla's menu is fairly extensive and while we were taking our time deciding exactly what we should order, Jay requested a margarita. And not just any margarita, but Isla's Signature Margarita which was made with lots of premium tequila and tasted ever so good. So good in fact, that I had no choice but to order one of my own after taking a sip of Jay's.

Isla's signature margarita - yeah, baby!

This next picture is something of a joke ... although I suppose you could say that about almost any picture that includes me (ha ha!). Many years ago when Jay and I were driving to Florida for a week-long vacation, we were blowing through Southern Georgia at about 80 miles-per-hour when a black and white billboard caught my eye. A furtive looking man was reading a magazine, his face visible from the nose up, and his shifty eyes were wide with something like shamed surprise. Underneath the man, in huge print, was the following:

ADDICTED TO PORNOGRAPHY??? CALL 1-800-GET-HELP

Considering that we were in the heart of the Bible Belt, Jay and I found this billboard absolutely hysterical, especially because the advertisement immediately following was a full-color, soft-porn add for the "gentleman's" club called We Bare All.

We've never forgotten either of those signs ... I guess advertising really does work!

Addicted to alcohol?


The answer must be yes ... we are addicted to alcohol. And to prove it we ordered a tequila tasting. We know nothing about tequila ... except that it tastes like burning. There were five different tequila flights to choose from and we picked a more affordable option called Isla's Finest Reposado ($33), which included Corralejo Triple Distilled, Casa Noble Reposado, and Penca Azul Reposado. There was a fourth little tasting sample that our waitress told us was spicy tomato juice - she advised that it would help bring out the different flavors in the tequilas when sipped immediately afterwards.

Did you say Tequila tasting?


How cool is that presentation?

Since we're tequila novices, I'm just going to list the menu descriptions of each sample here for your edification.

Corralejo Triple Distilled: Made with 100% Blue Weber Agave; soft yet rich agave taste with with a hint of pickling spice and a peppered finish; distilled three times for maximum smoothness.

Casa Noble Reposado: Made with 100% Blue Weber Agave; fresh and vibrant bouquet leads to rich flavors of ripe agave intertwined with a delicate white oak accent.

Penca Azul Reposado: Made with 100% Blue Weber Agave; a bit of smoke on the nose with a crisp lemon flavored palate and a smooth finish.

Jay and I actually enjoyed all of these - each one had a distinct aroma and flavor and tasted really good with food. I don't think either of us would go out of our way to drink tequila on a regular basis, but it was fun to try it as a tasting and these three selections were surprisingly good and only tasted a teeny bit like burning.

We officially kicked off the evening's feeding frenzy with an appetizer - Queso Fundido. I liked the word fundido ... it made me think that no matter what food the waitress smacked down before us we were going to have a good time. The appetizer was a mixture of Mexican cheeses and chorizo, served with a plate of warm tortillas in which to wrap it all up snug as a bug.

Looks can be deceiving...

Nekkid Tortillas!!!

The finished product ... yum yum yum!

This was very good - a blend of three different cheeses all melted and gooey with spicy chorizo sausage mixed in for good measure. This kind of selection is always a good compromise - the cheese is safe and bland enough to keep me and my tummy happy while the chorizo adds just enough spice to please Jay's palate.

For my entree I ordered the Cheese Enchiladas:

More cheesy goodness with extra stuff ...


There were two big honking enchiladas on the plate, covered in a mild tomato sauce and then sprinkled with more cheese - they were good and very filling. I could only finish one of them. My sides included rice and black beans; I especially liked the beans, which were very soft and smooth. Jay was the happy recipient of my sour cream and guacamole.

Speaking of Jay, he ordered fajitas for his dinner - he loves him some fajitas!

It looks like a mess but tastes like a dream!

Jason had to create his own fajitas from this bowl of stuff, but he likes doing that. And when I asked him to give his opinion of this dish he said the tastiness of the food made the overland hike to reach the restaurant more than worth the effort.

After all this delicious bounty there really wasn't room for dessert. And an initial review of the dessert menu didn't inspire us to great heights of gluttony, especially since we knew what was waiting for us at Payard's. But then Jay left me alone with the menu and I had a sudden, sweet-tooth change of heart. By the time he returned I'd ordered us some Crepes with Cinnamon Ice Cream and Dulce de Leche Sauce.

First Dessert ... a good ending and a good beginning!


Three warm crepes drizzled with sauce surrounding a blob of cinnamon ice cream ... once I disposed of those nasty pecans all was right with the dessert world. I highly recommend this as an end to your meal should you dine at Isla. It was light and refreshing with a nice balance of sweet and spice.

Overall we really enjoyed our dinner at Isla, and while we never spotted a roving guacamole cart or a Tequila Goddess, we thought that the restaurant had good service and tasty food with a menu that featured nice variety. And they have an extensive tequila selection - some restaurants have a wine list, Isla has a tequila bible. If you like Mexican inspired cuisine and you're going to be visiting Vegas, consider stopping at Isla for a meal. It's affordably priced for Vegas and the food is filling and satisfying.

Quarks, The Star Trek Experience

Quarks Bar and Restaurant, Las Vegas Hilton - Lunch (4/21/08)

Dorks, dweebs, nerds, spazes, poindexters, eggheads, geeks ... all applicable synonyms for Jay and me, but we're comfortable with that. Our motto: embrace your inner dork and proudly fly your freak flag!!!

I must be honest ... I'm a latecomer to the whole Star Trek thing, having never even watched it before Jay and I started dating. There we'd be, sitting on the couch in either his or my parents' living room and suddenly the clock would strike 11PM, and all conversation would cease while the theme music to Deep Space Nine filled the room. At first when this happened I would find a book or magazine to read ... I was a history geek, not a sci-fi dork. But soon something insidious happened and I started watching, and then asking questions, and then seeking back-story ... Captain Cisco was cool, the whole Emissary storyline was just baffling enough to be interesting, little Eddie Munster had a starring role as the premier Vorta serving the Dominion, the Ferengi were simultaneously greedy and funny, and... well, you get the point.

There was no denying fact - I was hooked and it wasn't a big leap to suddenly find myself watching Next Generation (Captain Picard was sexy and that Q guy was an incredible bastard) and from there somehow we ended up watching Voyager ... eh, Voyager sucked - it was like watching Star Trek Stereotype. It was so bad that I started to make fun of the characters: Captain WrongWay; Commander Chicory; that spotted freaky chef / jack-of-all-trades Bootlick. Ugh ... the show went from bad to worse, but I digress.

I can't remember exactly how I found about the Star Trek Experience while researching for our Vegas trip ... did I stumble across it and then seek advice from my DISfriends or did my DISfriends set my feet on the path to dorkie good times? Either way, thank you Cass and Heather - I knew you wouldn't steer us wrong!!

So, let me share with those of you who want to know (and those of you don't) a few details about the Star Trek Experience. As I stated earlier, the attraction is located within the Las Vegas Hilton and it's an interactive experience. There are two rides: The Klingon Encounter and the Borg Invasion 4D. In the Klingon Encounter you try to evade the Klingons on a 24th century shuttlecraft with Enterprise crew members - the ride / show lasts 18 minutes. The Borg Invasion combines live actors and special effects to make the entire experience seem very realistic. You tour a futuristic research facility and then flee as the Borg attack and try to capture / assimilate you into their collective. This ride / show also lasts 18 minutes.

Both rides are a lot of fun but I think I liked the Klingon Encounter just a little better. I don't want to spoil the surprises for anyone so I'm not going to divulge any more information here, but if you're a Trek fan and haven't made it to this attraction in Vegas yet, get yourself over to the Hilton and revel in the geekfest!!

They also have a ton of memorabilia from all the different Star Trek shows and movies and the entire venue has been designed with a tremendous eye for detail. It's really quite an impressive and immersive experience.

Models of the Enterprise and Voyager


The Enterprise's sordid underbelly


There were also actors roaming around who portrayed various characters from the Star Trek series. We found this Klingon and Vulcan outside the front entrance as we were making our way inside to check out the Borg Invasion. They were both very convincing and never broke character; the Klingon was especially good - surly, confrontational, and downright insulting ... he cracked us up every time he opened his mouth.

I hope this Klingon isn't going to kill me...


Jay may be part Klingon ...


After completing our exciting Trekkie adventures we needed some food. There was no question as to where we were going: Quarks Restaurant and Bar. Quark is a Ferengi and he owns and operates a bar on Deep Space Nine's promenade. The Star Trek Experience has a small promenade area modeled after the one on Deep Space Nine with several stores where guests can purchase all kinds of Trekkie collectibles; at the entrance to the shopping area you will find Quarks. We were a little disappointed not to see Quark himself, but received prompt service despite the proprietor's absence.

There was no way that we could avoid ordering a drink here ... how can a Star Trek dork who likes booze not order one of the many cleverly named beverages on the drink menu? Jay and I decided to go for broke with one of Quarks signature drinks:

Mini Warp Core Breach


The warp core breach has ten ounces of alcohol and it includes five different flavored Rums, Razzmatazz, and fruit juices. Quark's also offers a smaller version called the mini warp core breach which only contains five ounces of booze. We decided to play it safe by ordering the small version, but as you can see even the small version is pretty damn big!

I think I could dunk my entire head in this drink!


I'll share, but only because I have to.


Sometimes with gimmicky drinks it's all show and not much else; such was not the case with this drink. It was chock full of alcohol but tasted like raspberry punch - drinking it through a super long straw that I had to half-rise from my chair in order to use was fun but highly inadvisable. Life lesson # 17 - never drink alcoholic beverages through a straw.

This, I think, is where all of our budgetary vacation good intentions flew out the window. We almost never order an appetizer at lunch, but for some reason ... knowing full well that we had dinner reservations and then a dessert tasting scheduled for later in the evening, we went ahead and ordered an appetizer anyway. Bye-bye budget, hello food-related spending spree!!!

Famous Ferengi Flatbread


This was our appetizer choice: grilled foccacia bread topped with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese. We were given the option of adding Mozzarella cheese as well for an extra $1.00, and who can say no to that? This was hot and tasty - like eating cheesy pizza bread - and it really hit the spot. It also helped soak up some of the alcohol from our drink.

While we were enjoying our appetizer the Klingon we'd had our pictures taken with out front wandered through the restaurant, stopping occasionally to insult or challenge various patrons. There was a couple sitting at a table near us who were also enjoying a "fishbowl" drink and the Klingon stopped and said, "Are you sharing that drink?"

The man of the table answered in the affirmative.

The Klingon rolled his eyes and said in a ringing voice, "Cowards!"

Jay and I laughed ourselves silly at this but sobered up quickly when we found the Klingon glaring down at us. He didn't comment on our drink but did ask if we had ever tried Klingon food. Jay told him in his opinion that it was tough to find high quality Klingon food and asked in turn if Quarks "qagh" (Klingon serpent worms) were worth ordering.

Klingon: Eh, it's a little lethargic.

Jay: There's nothing worse than half-dead qagh; I've always found it's best enjoyed when live and energetic.

Brenda: How's the blood wine here?

Klingon: It's a bit thick and coagulated, actually.

We cracked up again and he decided to move on in search of fresh patrons to terrorize. The timing couldn't have been better because our sandwiches arrived just after our Klingon acquaintance left us. Up first, Jay's lunch selection:

Photon Torpedo


This is a baked submarine sandwich with Italian meats and cheeses, topped with lettuce, tomato, red onion, roasted pepper relish, and red wine vinaigrette. When pressed for an opinion Jay said, "This eye-talian sub sandwedge is meaty and tasty."

I ordered a turkey wrap, a bit of a stretch for me because I am not a huge fan of turkey - it's usually dry and tasteless. I wonder how the turkey sandwich of the future will taste ...

Talaxian Turkey Wrap


My wrap came with sliced turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise in a cheddar cheese tortilla. It was surprisingly good and the turkey was moist - it's a miracle! The cheese tortilla used for the wrap was really tasty and flavorful - I think this was what really sold me on the entire sandwich.

By the end of lunch we were more than satisfied - Quarks provided good, comforting food in a playful, fun environment. There were plenty of dorks like us occupying other tables and drinking silly alcoholic beverages with goofy grins on their faces. Quarks is a safe haven for Trek geeks everywhere!

Wondering if we managed to drain our fishbowl?

How could you doubt us?


Silly readers, of course we finished our tasty drink! And later in a promenade store we saw this fishbowl and stand selling for $70. I can't believe they served us such a potent drink in such an expensive prop, but I guess the straws are designed to discourage people from picking the bowl up ... like we did.

One last picture on our way out ... Quarks bar with no patrons. They must all be on some exciting mission in the wormhole.

Quarks actual bar...where's Morn???