Francois Payard, Payard Patisserie & Bistro; Vegas Uncorked Master's Series

Afternoon Tea with Francois Payard? No, Not Really ... Vegas Uncorked Misrepresents and Overbooks and Underwhelms.

I was terribly excited when this event was listed on the 2010 Vegas Uncorked website - ever since Jason and I had the pleasure of visiting Payard's in April 2008 when we tried his three-course dessert tasting (long since eliminated because no one else was apparently booking it) we had been looking forward to visiting the patisserie again. And now here was the perfect opportunity! Afternoon tea ... maybe some champagne ... fabulous pastries and confections ... a cooking demonstration by the master himself ... and a glossy cookbook to help us re-create the impossible at home.

For those of you who have never been to Payard's in Las Vegas, the patisserie and bistro are tucked well into the smoky bowels of Sleazer's Palace. It's not easy to find, but well worth it once you finally reach your destination. The actual dining area is quite small and when Jay and I arrived and saw the line of people waiting to gain entrance to the establishment we suspected there might be a potential problem staring us all in the face.

There was not enough seating for the number of tickets that Uncorked had sold to the event. To make matters worse, rather than serving guests at their tables after they were seated, the staff had laid out a buffet of foods for people to serve themselves as soon as they entered the bistro - this created an even longer delay in getting people checked in for the event, admitted to the bistro, and then seated with their food.

Jay and I found a seat at one of the last available tables, and there had to have been at least 15-20 people in line behind us. We shared with one other couple and a group of ladies - there really wasn't enough room for all of us but there wasn't much that could be done. Many of us, and I include myself in this grouping, were visibly and vocally annoyed by the situation - after paying $125 per person to attend, guests should not have been standing around the bistro searching for a place to sit and enjoy their food. I will go further and say that I don't think for that price tag that we should have been serving ourselves. And then I will go even further and say for that price tag, not offering champagne or wine or sherry as a drink option was pretty much unforgivable - guests were offered iced tea, water, coffee, or hot tea (with a teabag). Are you following me so far? This was not an afternoon tea as anyone with even the foggiest notion of teatime would have expected or envisioned.

Personally, I was also disappointed in the food. I admit that I expected a traditional tea service and experience with some elegant French interpretations of the long-standing British custom. What we had were some savory appetizer selections, some of which were probably variations of standard tea sandwiches, and a selection of pastries and cookies from Payard's daily menu. I expected more than that based on our dessert tasting from 2008 - I thought that there would be far fewer dessert options but that they would be created by Payard and his staff for our immediate enjoyment during the event. We didn't have anything that afternoon that couldn't have been purchased from the refrigerated case over on the retail area of the patisserie and in fact, when supplies were running low, I saw staff members head over to the patisserie and bring back items for us that has been set out for purchase.

Not cool.

Interestingly enough, this was the second Uncorked event that we attended where the primary hostess from Bon Appetite, Barbara Fairchild, was also in attendance. I found it surprising and somewhat ungracious that she didn't mingle with the guests at either event ... maybe she doesn't like the unwashed masses or too many of us were chewing with our mouths open? The staff at Payard's were as helpful and kind as they could be under the circumstances and Payard himself was charming and friendly and a lot of fun during his cooking demonstration. We waited in line to have him sign our cookbooks and to get a couple of photographs and he was as gracious as could be. We told him how much we'd enjoyed his dessert tasting and how sad we were to find it was no longer offered - he talked with us about it for nearly ten minutes, telling us that the hotel management had forced him to get rid of the offering because it wasn't making money. Such a shame because it was really one of the coolest, most delectable experiences Jay and I have ever had in Vegas.

To sum it up, so that you can get to the pictures and move on with your lives, we do not hold Francois Payard responsible for the snaufus at this event - we place that blame squarely on the shoulders of the Uncorked event planners and his senior staff. Based on our experience, however, we can't recommend this for anyone should it be offered again unless it comes down in price or the event format is significantly altered. We found out later that we would have been much happier at the cocktail / appetizer event at the Wynn where guests ended up with tasty food and booze as well as a mixology cookbook and a cocktail set. Sometimes I just choose wrong! I do have to say, though, that we both really enjoyed meeting Francois Payard - his commitment to, and passion for, his craft are very evident and he really was a pleasure to watch and very friendly to two hungry dorks who know nothing about pastry or chocolate, other than that they taste great together!

Plate of stuff


Buffalo mozzarella & tomatoes


Weird Salad, Salmon & Cream Cheese Roll-Up, and Vanilla Sponge Cake

Mystery Tart, Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse, Lemon Tart, Chockie & Vanilla Cakes

Same choices, different view and a Chocolate Berry Cake!

Some kind of roll ...

Watermelon Salad

Salmon Roll-Ups

Shrimp Shooters

Cookies

More Cookies

Pucker-Up Lemon Tart!

The Red Cake everyone wanted ... with a pink macaroon!

All of these are for sale in the Patisserie

Francois Payard ... talking to us about making a salted caramel chocolate-peanut tart

Cookbook signing!

He's got that French charm going for sure!

I still think Jay is cuter!


For those of you who are interested in the dessert tasting Jay and I enjoyed at Payard's in April 2008 ... here's the link to my review: knock yourselves out!

http://oybolshoi-gastropodtravels.blogspot.com/2008/05/payard-patisserie-caesars-palace.html

Sage; Aria, Las Vegas

Third Hop's a Charm: Foie Gras Brulee and Booze on Fiyah = Culinary Jackpot!

Sage (per Merriam-Webster):

1) a wise, thorough reflection and experience;
2) proceeding from, or characterized by, wisdom, prudence, and good judgment;
3) one distinguished for wisdom;
4) a mature or venerable man of sound judgment;
5) a European perennial mint with grayish-green aromatic leaves used especially in the flavoring of meats;
6) a color - light grayish-green.

Sage (per Jay & Bendy):

1) fargin' unbelievable;
2) a bowl-licking, plate-tonguing culinary experience that must be repeated as soon as humanly possible;
3) fire, good!

None of us knew anything about Sage other than that the restaurant and lounge offered absinthe service, something we all agreed that we wanted to try in light of Uncle Sam's recent decision to re-legalize the green fairy. Some of us, and I'm not naming names, actually ordered absinthe from a Spanish retailer many years ago when it was still considered an illegal, liquid hallucinogen capable of causing people to slice off their ears in an artistic fit of unrequited love, and it cleared US Customs quicker than shat through a goose. Kind of makes you wonder what else passes through on a daily basis, doesn't it?

For those of you curious about the ins-and-outs of absinthe, you are in the wrong place. All I can tell you is that it is a strong, green liqueur flavored with wormwood and anise that was outlawed by many countries shortly after the turn of the 20th century because of its high alcohol content and supposed toxicity. There are many other theories behind its banning and it makes for fascinating reading, so if you're really interested go forth and search the interwebs at your leisure. As for the booze itself, it smells and tastes of black licorice ... or Nyquil ... take your pick. The traditional service dilutes the alcohol by dripping water over a sugar cube held by a slotted spoon secured above the glass - it changes the color of the absinthe from a shade of violent green to a cloudy, chartreuse color. I have not tried this method; I prefer my absinthe diluted by a well-made sazerac ... thank you New Orleans!!

Anyway, back to Sage. We were charmed the moment we wandered into the lounge which was large and comfortable. The ceilings were high, the lighting was intimate, the seating was plush (I'm a sucker for pillows), and there was an amazing floor-to-ceiling reproduction that seemed to change colors as the evening wore on. Elegant yet welcoming, that's the best way to describe both the atmosphere and the service.

The most interesting man in the world ponders his drink selection.


Now that's a bar!


The picture sets the tone...


Now keep in mind that we were not in the restaurant dining room, we were in the lounge. We hadn't even placed more than a drink order when our server, Kevin, who was simply fabulous, came back with a gift from the kitchen ... a happy mouth; amuse bouche; a moose bush! It was a shooter of beef consomme and it was rich and delicate and delicious!

You can make my mouth happy every day with this!


Our drinks were delivered shortly after our happy mouth, and I think it's safe to say that all three of us were quite pleased with the bartender's efforts. I selected a sazerac, which was made with rye whiskey, peychaud's bitters, and absinthe (specifically Marilyn Manson Absinthe, or Mansinthe .. haahaha!). I haven't had a sazerac this good since I was in New Orleans - it was perfect!

Sazerac!


Jason is nothing if not full of surprises, and he ended up ordering a drink called the Desert Shrub. It was made with reposado tequila, prosecco, pink grapefruit, and purple sage - this baby was gorgeous to look at and almost as good to drink, but it was really hard to photograph well due to the lighting. Regardless, it was a fabulous choice and I think I may have to try one on our next visit. Catherine ordered a Tea Rose - tea-infused vodka, st. germain liqueur, lemon, rose water, and pine nuts. I don't recall how this tasted and I didn't attempt a photograph, but she seemed to enjoy her drink as much as Jay and I enjoyed ours.

Desert Shrub.


For snacking Catherine ordered Oysters, which I do not like but which she and Jason said were truly fabulous. Jason ordered the Wagyu Beef Tartare with crushed caper aioli, slow poached egg, pickled mustard seeds, and crispy chocolate with garlic toast on the side. This was very good and all three of us liked it just fine, but there was no way it could compare with my appetizer selection for the evening. What, you may ask, could possibly outshine Wagyu beef? Read on, my hungry friends; read on!

Wagyu Beef Tartare.


Due to the lack of substantial food at our Payard Uncorked event (still not posted ... just hold your horses) I did not order foie gras while we were at Red Square. Once I spotted it on the menu at Sage, the decision making process was over before it even began. But you have to understand, this was no ordinary seared foie gras. Oh, no ... this was Foie Gras Custard Brulee with blood orange and toasted cocoa nibs served with salted brioche; the single most expensive item on the appetizer menu at $25 per serving and worth every decadent penny, plus interest.

As I recall, the foie gras goes on a voyage of discovery in a food processor until it turns into a light, creamy meat custard. It is then dished into a serving bowl and given the butane torch treatment until it literally looks like creme brulee. It's garnished with some cocoa nibs and more foie gras, along with two warm, salty brioche and I swear to you it's the most amazing, toe curling taste treat I have ever had in my entire life. It was rich; it was creamy beyond belief; the caramelized crust provided wonderful texture; and the brioche, with its slight saltiness, was the perfect foil to the sweet undertones lent the foie gras by the cocoa and the blood orange. If you enjoy foie gras, it does not get any better than this. In a word: scrumdiddily-umscious!!

Foie Gras Custard Brulee ... next time just shoot it into my veins!


Sometimes, you really do need to lick the bowl clean!


As if all this weren't enough, we decided to go ahead with the official absinthe service offered by Sage. Like most restaurants on the Strip serving absinthe, Sage provides the traditional French service I mentioned earlier in this post, but they also offer a Russian absinthe service called Sochi. Sochi service sets the absinthe on fiyah, baybee! It's blended with either orange juice or root beer, and when the flames are extinguished the fumes are trapped in the glass by the server and guests are invited to suck the fumes through a straw and hold them in their lungs for a few moments so as to "enhance" the experience. Hence our decision to call it the absinthe bong.

There were numerous absinthes to choose from, all with different alcohol contents and flavor profiles; Catherine chose St. George Absinthe and elected to have hers mixed with orange juice. Jason and I selected Marilyn Mansinthe and had it combined with root beer. I thought the root beer did a better job of mixing with the herbiness of the liqueur while still adding some sweetness; the orange juice method still tasted very bitter to me. Either way, it was one of the coolest things we've ever experienced - the entire process takes place table side and does it ever catch the attention of everyone else in the room! According to our server we were the only people who had requested the service that evening; but once we were done the poor guy got repeated requests to stop at other tables and explain the process. We did see at least one other group go ahead and order the Sochi service and they seemed to enjoy it as much as we did. Who doesn't like booze on fiyah?

The following pictures were the best we could do under the circumstances - they aren't the greatest, but will at least provide you with an idea of what it was like. As for the after-effects, let me just tell you that we all had one hell of a buzz on by the time we left Sage. And that weird garden display at the Bellagio with all those giant bugs and flora and fauna ... well, it was surreal and much funnier than I suspect the artist intended.

Absinthe cart ...


I would chose this one!


What's that? You want us to drink you?


Catherine's drink, getting ready to flame!


Wait for it ...


Fiyah!


Our absinthe-root beer delight ...


Time to set the night on fiyah!


Who's got the marshmallows?


Sniffing the last bit of the fumes ...


Friends, all I can tell you is this was one of the happiest surprises of our entire trip. Flaming booze aside, the food and the service at Sage were among some of the best we had all week. The professional reviewers who supposedly know better than the rest of us all agree that Sage is one of the Strip's brightest gems. Jay and I plan to dine there in earnest come this April and I have a sneaking suspicion that we'll splurge on the absinthe service again - we do like culinary pyrotechnics, after all!

Julian Serrano; Aria, Las Vegas

Still Eating and Drinking - Vegas Lounge Hop, Part II

No offense to the James Beard Award winning chef Julian Serrano, but our visit to his new Vegas restaurant was really designed to be nothing more than a pit stop before the serious lounging began elsewhere. But we had some good eats and drinks while we were there and the menu was interesting enough that Jason and I would definitely consider a return visit. The cuisine is classic Spanish and features a wide array of tapas, paella, and seafood - it seems like a really great place to come with a large party and share plates of delicious food all night long. The great thing about this restaurant is that it's open for lunch as well as dinner, so you and your friends could conceivably show up at 11AM when the kitchen opens and keep the food-n-booze train chugging along for a twelve hour tour. Now that's our kind of chew-chew-chew!!

Serrano is located right smack in the middle of the Aria, and by that I mean that it's actually open on three sides to the hotel's restaurant row. If you are looking for a quiet, romantic spot for dinner this might not be the best place but if you want a casual environment with lots of energy then you've probably found a home.

You will never forget where you are ...


We arrived during peak dining hours and headed straight for the bar, which was quite large and comfortable. I really liked the decor which was bright and playful - I'm a sucker for glass apothecary jars filled with bright, pretty, colorful items that can be eaten or added to a beverage or both!

Pretty jars all in a row ...

For our beverages at this location Jason and I ordered red sangria and white sangria - both were quite good but I still prefer the red.

Red and White Sangria

Catherine ordered Tuna-Raspberry Skewers for her snack: Ahi Tuna, Molecular Raspberry, Wasabi, and Sesame Seed. She wins the award for coolest presentation in a tapas selection. Rumor has it that these tasted pretty damn good, too.

Tuna-Raspberry Skewers


Continuing my insatiable vacation fromage quest, I ordered Serrano's cheese platter (their words, not mine). While the cheeses themselves were fine, and actually quite tasty, the presentation was ... lacking. Actually as I look at the picture today I wonder if I might have been the first customer to ever order their cheese plate - that might explain why it showed up looking like the bartender's five-year old assembled it in the side kitchen. And added a quince slug for good measure.

Cheese Platter? More like Cheese Splatter!


The cheeses above in no particular, sloppy order were: Cana de Cabra (goat); Manchego (sheep); Cabrales (cow); and La Serena (sheep). As I previously mentioned, this wasn't going to win any awards for presentation but the cheeses were good and were at least products of Spain, which is more than I can say for that tragic cheese offering at Stratta.

For his snackaroo Jason selected the Mixed Seafood Ceviche: Shrimp, White Fish, Octopus, Cilantro, and Lime Juice. As is often his wont with these types of dishes he asked for, and received, extra tentacles. I didn't try this but have been told by reliable sources that the ceviche was "fargin awesome."

Mixed Seafood Ceviche


Pardon me, but your octopus is staring

So there you have it - short and sweet but a definite treat. Serrano is absolutely worth a repeat visit and the menu really deserves more time than we were able, or willing, to give it that night. Whaddya say we get a big 'ol group together and stop in a for a round of drinks and tapas in April?

Red Square; Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas

Let the Eating and Drinking Begin; Vegas Lounge Hop, Part I

Once our final Vegas Uncorked event was finished ... Afternoon Tea at Payard's which I've not yet posted ... Jay and I hoofed it down to Mandalay Bay and Red Square to meet our friend Catherine for a night of lounge hopping. This is something that we have always wanted to try but have never managed due to the perpetual food coma we eat ourselves into while visiting Vegas.

Catherine was waiting for us at Red Square's icebar, which is a unique design featuring a solid block of ice down the center of the bar that keeps drinks nice and cold. I started the night off with a Bolshevik Bellini, which was made with champagne and a choice of peach or raspberry vodka. You can tell from the picture which vodka I chose - it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows me well! This was a lovely drink - a vodka variation of a Kir Royale, which is one of my all-time favorite cocktails.

Bolshevik Bellini


Jay took Catherine's advice and ordered Red Square's version of a Bloody Mary, which was made with Red Square's infused pepper vodka, homemade spicy mary mix, and fresh lime juice garnished with lemon, lime, celery, and bleu cheese stuffed olives. He said this was one of the best bloody marys he's ever had and he really liked the heat from the pepper vodka.

Russian Mary


For snacking we decided to try the Beef Pelmeni - beef dumplings in fennel consomme with dill sour cream - and Salt and Pepper Fried Calamari - squid dusted with a five-spice blend and served with sweet and sour sauce. Jay and I have had pelmeni previously thanks to our college Russian professor - the ones from Red Square were just as good as the ones we tried at our professor's house many years ago. These tender dough pockets filled with well-seasoned meat (think ravioli for comparison) were floating in delicate meat bathwater and topped off with a dollop of sour cream lightly flavored with dill - what's not to like?

Actually, we didn't like that the serving portion only included five dumplings because they were so good we could have eaten many, many more!

As for the calamari, it's my sad duty to inform you that I don't like it and so I have no opinion to offer. Jason and Catherine, however, like squid just fine and said this was really very good - properly cooked and well-seasoned.

Pelmeni ... and a fluorescent pig???


Squid platter with extra tentacles

Before pulling up stakes to head for our next snack-n-slurp stop, we had to order some liquid dessert. On a previous visit to Red Square Jay and I ordered this for our actual dessert and we loved it so much that we convinced Catherine to give it a try with us this time. It's a really cool presentation: four two-ounce shot glasses each filled with the restaurant's liquid desserts (alcohol included, of course) and served in a Red Square ice block to keep them extra cold!

Our dessert shooters included the following, starting with the upper left-hand corner and moving clockwise: Key Lime Pie (smirnoff vanilla, keke beach liqueur, pineapple juice, and lime juice); Russkie (zone banana vodka, creme de cacao, creme de banana, and half & half); Espresso Martini (espresso, smirnoff vanilla twist, bailey's, kahlua, and creme de cacao); and Anastasia's Dream (van gogh double espresso vodka, frangelico, chambord, and half & half).

While I don't care for banana flavored much of anything (other than an actual banana) all of our shooters were tasty and well-made; they also packed quite a punch! My personal favorites were the Key Lime Pie and Espresso Martini.

You can shoot me with this any time!

This was our second visit to Red Square and it remains one of our Vegas favorites thanks to tasty and inventive food and drink options. And it has some of the most interesting and unique decor of any Sin City restaurant, featuring a mix of imperial Russian and Soviet photographs and posters. We enjoy it so much we're going back again for dinner in April 2011 ... here's hoping for continued deliciousness!

As an aside, should you like to read about our 2008 dinner experience at Red Square, just follow this link to my blog review from that trip:

http://oybolshoi-gastropodtravels.blogspot.com/2008/04/red-square-mandalay-bay-dinner.html

Table 10; The Palazzo, Las Vegas

The Last Vacation Dinner ... Again.

Jay and I have had such great experiences at Emeril's restaurants in Orlando and New Orleans that it seemed like a no-brainer for us to finally dine at one of his Vegas establishments. Table 10, located in the Palazzo, offers a menu with a wide variety of American classics with the standard Emeril / New Orleans twist that we've come to love. Couple that with strong recommendations from friends and drool-worthy pictures from Yelp, and we decided that this was a restaurant worth visiting on the final night of our trip with two of our favorite peoples in the whole wide world: Frank & Fran!

I do, however, have to qualify this review with the following: the gutworm and I were in a constant battle during this trip and he really made himself known during our last day and evening in Vegas. I pushed the envelope at Table 10, regardless, and ended up paying for it in ways that you do not want to know about; I think it's fair to say that played a definite part in my overall attitude towards the restaurant and our experience there and just wanted to be honest with everyone about it.

Don't worry, there's more than one table


Two of our favorite peoples!


While we were trying to figure out what we were going to order for eating, we were presented with a taste treat from the chef: one single nacho with lovely salsa and jalapeno cream sauce. In a word: delicious!

Nacho Happy Mouth


I agonized over the drink menu for some reason that I can't explain; most likely because my gut was telling me to back off while my brain was simultaneously giving the gut a two-fingered salute. I asked our server for a recommendation and gawd help me, he's ruined it for every server I will ever have for the rest of my booze-infused life, of this I am sure. Based on his glowing endorsement of a cocktail that supposedly won an award from people without taste buds, I ordered something so bitter and vile that I'm still not sure it wasn't tinged with poison.

A specialty drink so bad that I've forgotten its name


Now let us never speak of this "drink" again; instead let's talk appetizers, of which we ordered three! I selected the Certified Black Angus Beef Tartare with Dijon Emulsion, Crostini, and traditional garnishes. This is the first time I've ever tried beef tartare and I did enjoy it, but given a choice I think I prefer beef carpaccio.

Steak Tartare ...


Jason ordered Emeril's Grilled Jalapeno & Corn Hush Puppies with Tomato Currant Chutney - bless his heart he's a sucker for anything with jalapenos and he said these were really good with a great spicy after-burn.

Spicy Puppies


And one final appetizer for good measure: Summer Sweet Corn Popovers with Orange, Onion, and Petite Arugula with Basil Cream. I was surprised at how good these were - very light pastry with a wonderful blend of flavors that seemed to scream SPRINGTIME!!!

Popovers


In a last ditch effort to to try one more "something different" I ordered the Free Raised California Buffalo with Red Wine Marinade, Gruyere Cheese Potato Gratin, and Red Wine Demi Glace. This was the other big disappointment of the evening - it was tasteless and drowning in sauce, no doubt because the buffalo was so over-cooked as to resemble shoe leather. As for the cheesy potato gratin ... it was thick and congealed and gacktackular. This dish was an epic failure on the part of the kitchen which is not something we are accustomed to experiencing at an Emeril restaurant.

Buffalo, are you there?


Jason chose the Salt & Pepper Crusted Texas Farm Raised Striped Bass - it was a skin-on whole fishie stuffed with lemons and herbs and served with Gremolata sauce. Pardon the expression but this really was the catch of the night! The preparation, the presentation, and the taste were spot on and Jason relished every bite.

Now that's a plate of fish!


Fran selected the other item on the menu that I seriously considered ordering and in retrospect I wish I had. She went with the Seared Maine Scallops with Jumbo Lump Crab, Lima Bean and Tomato Succotash, Creole Tomato Glaze, and Parmesan Cheese. The plate looks a little messy to me, but apparently this was a tasty, tasty entree. And really, with scallops and crab how could it not be good? The kitchen would have had to have been dedicated to failure to screw this one up!

Scallops


Last entree of the evening; Frank ordered the Slow Roasted Prime Pork Tenderloin with Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Green Chili Mole, and a Rum Brown Sugar Glaze. Again, I think the presentation was lacking ... it actually looks a bit disgusting ... but from all accounts this tasted very good and as I've said before, that's the most important thing!

Pork


We decided not to order dessert but because we were celebrating a birthday (which I must have mentioned when I made the reservation months in advance) they brought out a little something special for the hubba: White Chocolate Malassadas Rolled in Cinnamon Sugar with Vanilla Bean Cream Anglaise.

Malassadas is a fancy name for donut holes.

Enjoy; Tuck in; and Eat it already! are Jay and Bendy terms that, loosely translated, mean: watch your fingers because we are remorseless eating machines when it comes to dessert donuts! These were amazing, deep fried, warm little balls of dough dusted with sugar and they sang a beautiful song when dipped in that creamy vanilla bean sauce. They would have been spectacular with some boozy coffee but unfortunately that wasn't on the agenda this evening thanks to the worm. Still, this was a terrific dessert option that was great for sharing and one we would love to have again!

Donuts!


Once we were finished with our meal, Frank and Fran walked back over to the Encore with us to say goodnight. What happened as we rode the escalators down to Las Vegas Boulevard is a powerful reminder as to why mom always said don't speak to strangers ...

There was a dude dressed like a pirate headed up the escalator with a parrot riding his shoulder. I thought he was part of the show over at Treasure Island and was on his way to work for the night; Fran saw him and being the friendly sort, greeted him with the universal pirate salutation, "Arrrrrr!"

That was all it took. He reached the top of the pedestrian bridge linking the Wynn and Palazzo and immediately turned and rode the escalator back down, catching up with us so quickly it made my head spin. Before we knew what had happened he and his parrot were posing for pictures with all of us.

Note that everyone had to wear a special hat: Fran got the pirate hat; I got the court jester hat because I couldn't stop laughing; Frank looks to have been given a soft, stovepipe hat, and Jason received the captain's hat. You will also note that the parrot, whose name was actually Polly, really seemed to like Jason and she gave him a kiss in one picture. She also seemed to like my laugh because she kept repeating it, which just made me laugh even more ... a truly vicious cycle!











It was a fun and unexpected way to end our evening and it's really the kind of thing that doesn't happen in many places outside of Vegas. Trust me when I tell you this certainly doesn't occur in Stinktown - wahahaaa! As for Table 10, I seem to be the only one of our group who wasn't all that impressed, so I'm going to give this a "try at your own discretion" rating. My hope is that you will have a better overall experience there than I did ... and whatever you do, don't ask for a drink recommendation from the wait staff!!!