SushiSamba; The Palazzo, Las Vegas

We Walked All the Way Down Here from the MGM Grand ... Give us Fish!!!

SushiSamba was on the digestive radar last year but we ran out of time and stomach space. I was determined that we would try it on this visit, in part because it receives pretty good reviews and also because the idea of Japanese-Latin American fusion is just too weird and funky to pass up. But in the interests of full disclosure I must confess to you that SushiSamba was our second lunch choice on this day - we actually planned to stop at Carnevino and take advantage of their lunch special which included two tall, strong, alki-holic drinks with a big meaty burger of some kind. Much to our chagrin, after walking all the way down the strip to gorge on meat, meat, meatily-meat, we discovered that Mario Battali and crew had done away with their great mid-day deal.

Woe! Woe! Woe!

Woe to the lovers of meat; to the thirsty; the famished, and weary of feet!

And so we told Carnevino to cram it with walnuts and went in search of culinary delights at SushiSamba where the most dizzying selection of food and boozes was just waiting to be discovered. The menu is a blend of Brazilian, Peruvian, and Japanese influences; initially it seemed like a disaster waiting to happen but the restaurant has a talented, clever culinary staff and their food and beverage selections were bold and playful with terrific taste profiles. We had a fantastic lunch experience that was one of the highlights of our week in Vegas.

Follow the signs ...you know you want to!


The restaurant wasn't busy at all when Jay and I arrived and we were seated immediately. The decor was designed to evoke Carnaval but to be honest I thought it was just kind of confusing; it was certainly colorful and spacious and interesting, but the visual mix of Rio and Japan just didn't work for me. There were also large projections being shown on some of the walls but Jay and I couldn't make much sense of them and wished that a good Godzilla rampage would have been shown instead.

Restaurant interior


Ambiance ... that's what this is!


As always on a warm day in Vegas, one must begin the lunching hour with refreshment of an alcoholic nature. I ordered a Caipirinha (Leblon Cachaca, lime, and sugar with muddled fresh fruit) and Jason ordered a Chu-Cumber (Shochu, St. Germain, and cucumber). My drink was good - tart and refreshing - but it was so full of fruit that I really felt like I'd ended up with a glass of limes. The Caipirinha, by the way, is actually the national cocktail of Brazil while Cachaca is the country's most common distilled alcoholic beverage. I have to say, however, that Jay won round one in the drink wars - his drink had the better name and was chock full of boozie goodness. Wondering what the heck Shochu is? It's a smooth, white spirit from Japan that is often compared to vodka although its production is similar to that of sake.

This concludes today's booze lesson; go forth and find your own interesting and unpronounceable beverages to share with the world at large!

Chu-Cumber & Caipirinha


SushiSamba had a wide variety of appetizers and small plates to choose from that included items like edamame, sawagani (flash fried Japanese river crabs), seaweed salad, green bean tempura, salt and pepper squid, and much much more. Jason and I decided on the crispy taquitos and had one of each: Maine Lobster Taquito with lemongrass, frisee, and hearts of palm; and Yellowtail Ceviche Taquito with shiso, avocado, and roasted corn miso. These were both tasty but very sloppy to eat - I always assumed taquitos were rolled up in a neat cylinder yet this presentation was much more reminiscent of a taco. If we are fortunate enough to dine here again I think I'd like to order something along the lines of tuna tataki or berkshire pork goya, both of which sounded just as delicious as our taquitos.

East meets West via the taquito


For fish gorging Jay and I ordered two rolls - the Carnival Roll and the Bobo Brazil Roll - as well as a chef's sushi surprise called the Samba Sushi. The Carnival included shrimp, avocado, yellowtail tartare, and rice paper while the Bobo Brazil incorporated seared Kobe beef, avocado, kaiware, shiso, red onion, and chimichurri. The Samba Sushi included a mouth-watering selection of nigiri sushi and an amazing roll called the Green Envy which combined tuna, salmon, asparagus, wasabi-pea crust, and aji amarillo-key lime mayo.

Holy Mother of Fish Mongering! This was some of the best sushi we've had in a long time and we loved the creativity of the various roll selections. Some of them were a bit on the spicy side for me but they all had wonderful flavor and were so fresh! The Carnival was my favorite but the Bobo was right behind ... how can you go wrong with a Kobe beef sushi roll???

Samba Sushi Platter: Green Envy Roll & Nigiri


Bobo Brazil and Carnival Rolls


Jay and I were having such a good time at our leisurely lunch that we decided to order a second round of drinks - SushiSamba's cocktail menu is really fun and they also have a very extensive sake menu. I won the second round in drink wars with my selection: The Beijo which was Cruzan Rum, St. Germain, Canton Ginger Liqueur, muddled raspberries, and a Cava float. It was a beautiful, girly drink with a floating flower but don't let that fool you - this drink was seriously potent and not at all too sweet. Jason chose The Palmia for his second beverage which included Silver Tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and muddled mint. It was good but for all intents and purposes nothing more than a margarita with some mint leaves.

The Beijo


The Palmia


We didn't need dessert; I'm pretty sure we didn't even want dessert, but I'm a sucker for the dessert menu and that's how we ended up ordering Rosca, homemade doughnuts with chocolate-hazelnut dipping sauce. The presentation was charming and the doughnuts were phenomenal - similar in consistency to a cake donut but they were made with a cornmeal mixture and then covered with glaze. I actually preferred the doughnuts without the chocolate dipping sauce, which I thought made them overly sweet, but either way they were yummy in our tummies!

Rosca, is there anything they can't do?


We thoroughly enjoyed our extended lunch at SushiSamba and look forward to the day when we can once more sweep the seas clean in their dining room. The restaurant's menu is so extensive and tempting that it begs another visit for Full Belly Achieved!

Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina; CityCenter, Las Vegas

Mr. Puck, You Continues to Make the Food What Satisfies My Gutworm!

This may be the Puck's newest addition to his Vegas restaurant portfolio - it's located in Crystals, which is the uber-upscale shopping mall inside CityCenter. Aside from the lounge area, seating is primarily open to the mall so that patrons can eat and drink and people watch simultaneously. Maybe that's how it works in the evenings after the drunken club-hoppers crawl out of the woodwork, but at lunchtime there's not much to look at other than a bunch of stores that people like us can't afford to shop at even when there's a 50%-off sale.

That's OK, though; we'd rather food watch. And that's just what we did, ogling the selections of a couple seated next to us and then going so far as to ask their opinion of the pizzas they were having for lunch. We ended up ordering something similar to what they were sharing and they were spot on with their recommendation.

The drink menu had some interesting selections but I decided to play it safe because we had double dinner plans later in the day and I didn't want to upset the gutworm. I chose the house made sangria with red wine, brandy, and fresh fruit - it was lovely and refreshing! Jason, on the advice of our sever, ordered an Italian beer called Nuova Mattina. He told us that this was a Saison, or farmhouse ale, and that it was very hard to find. The beer had a gorgeous golden color and a clean, slightly spicy flavor with an herbal aroma - we both thought it was terrific. And that server of ours wasn't kidding - it's extremely hard to find, at least here in Stinktown where I have already exhausted every resource in trying to get my hands on some for Jay's upcoming birthday. Apparently no one around here has heard of it ... or they are lying and just don't want to share!

Sangria


Nuova Mattina - Italian Artisan Beer


We wants it ... we needs it!


For food we shared the Insalata Mista which included fresh greens, cherry tomatoes, and shaved parmesan cheese. It was fresh and tasty but they used a heavy hand with the vinaigrette which made the salad much more oily than I prefer. Jay and I also shared an Italian Meat Pizza which included pepperoni, salami, sopresatta, and sweet peppers. This was the perfect size for sharing and absolutely delicious! We've never tried any of Puck's pizza efforts but after eating this I understand why people like them so much - it was a great blend of flavors and the sweet peppers really finished it off well.

Insalata Mista


Italian Meat Pizza


For a quick, tasty lunch before heading back to the hotel and an afternoon at the pool, Puck's Pizzeria and Cucina was the perfect stop - portions large enough to share that also provided great taste. And we had the extra bonus of walking away with a new beer quest thanks to our server's suggestion to try the Nuova Mattina. Puck continues to be one of our vacation dining stand-bys ... his cuisine is tasty and reliable and always leaves the gutworm smiling!

RM Seafood; Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas

Fish, Fish, Fish, Fish, Fish and Ice Cream Combine for One Tasty Lunch Break

This was yet another one of those restaurants we decided to try thanks to free gift certificates from Restaurant.com. RM Seafood has received good reviews for both lunch and dinner, and Jason and I thought it might nice to take Jon to a fishy lunch after our Grand Canyon tour since he apparently doesn't get to satisfy his seafood crave very often. Grimace has decided she doesn't like seafood ... which development pretty much blows my mind because I could swear she used to like it just fine; and I'd think with her heart condition that it would be a tasty, healthier protein option than red meat or pork or chicken or turkey or tofu. Ah well, that's a conversation for a different day so let's just leave it at that.

The restaurant opened for lunch at 11:30AM, which was 90 minutes earlier than the reservation I booked thanks to my complete miscalculation of just how long our Grand Canyon tour was going to last. Luckily the staff was very accommodating - since we arrived just as the doors opened, seating us ridiculously early was no problem.

Open already - we are famished!


Lunch began with some drinks: the 3 Seas for me (Pearl Cucumber Vodka, Fresh Cucumber, Cilantro, and Lemon Juice) and the En Fuego for Jason (Jalapeno-infused Karma Silver Tequila, Cherry Herring, Blood Orange Juice, Agave, and Fresh Lime). My drink was light and refreshing; the perfect way to start the afternoon after sucking down bubbly at the bottom of that big crevice in Arizona. Jason said that his drink was really good, delivered a nice kick, and was an inventive spin on a traditional blood orange margarita.

En Fuego and 3 Seas


I was tempted to order some sushi for the three of us to share but I decided to hold off since Jason and I were planning to dine at Shibuya later that evening and would get our fill there. And then the hubba surprised me by ordering the RM Seafood Escabeche for everyone to share instead. The portion was huge - much larger than either of us expected - and it was bursting with Calamari, Mussels, Shrimp, and King Crab tossed in a spicy vinaigrette with peppers and cilantro and greens. It tasted quite good and was more than big enough for three people; the serving was so generous that it would have been adequate even for a table of four.

Seafood Escabeche, View I


Seafood Escabeche, View II


Jon chose the Catfish Sloppy Joe for his meal, which is one of RM Seafood's signature lunch items - it included pickles, peppers, onions, and chips. I thought it looked disgusting but he said it tasted great and bore no resemblance to the Manwich that Grimace provides him with on sloppy joe night back home. Jon is a big catfish lover, and while it's in plentiful supply in Stinktown, it is difficult to find someone who prepares it any way other than fried, so I'm sure the unique presentation was something that enhanced his enjoyment of this dish.

Catfish Sloppy Joe


Jason selected the Fish Tacos, something he's developed a fondness for since first trying them in San Diego last year. These were served with Pico de Gallo, Shredded Cabbage, and Chipotle Cream. We shared them between us and I thought they tasted really good, although there was so much Pico de Gallo sauce that they became sloppy pretty fast. We both liked that they were served inside a firm taco shell and then a soft one, most likely to reduce the Pico de Gallo soggy factor.

Fish Tacos


And after much indecision and many questions for our server, I finally decided on the Maine Lobster Rolls which featured half-a-pound of lobster prepared "New England Style." I don't know what that meant, exactly, but I also assumed that since I've never been to New England there was less chance of my being disappointed by the preparation method. Many of you no doubt recall that I am not a huge fan of lobster but I must go on record here as stating that these were the best lobster rolls I've ever had the chance to eat. There were big chunks of sweet lobster lightly mixed with mayonnaise, onions, and celery served on two slightly crisped, buttery buns - in a word: yummy! Jason and I also shared these and he liked them just as much as I did. They were a bit expensive for lunch but definitely worth the splurge.

Lobstah Rolls


We thought about skipping dessert, but there had been so much buzz about the Fat Elvis that Jay and I decided to give it a try. How could we possibly go wrong with warm chocolate-banana-bacon spring rolls? More ways than you would think, it turns out. The reviews and pictures I had seen of this dessert had no similarity to that which we received. The presentation was sparse ... it seemed to me as though it was missing something ... and the rolls were over-cooked and rather greasy. As for taste, the banana overpowered everything else and did not pair well with the bacon at all. In those rare instances where the chocolate and the bacon came through together our tastebuds sang, but otherwise this dessert was an over-hyped disappointment of the first order.

This Fat Elvis looks nothing like Lance Berkman


Thank goodness I'm an over-researched foodie planner. As we were placing the dessert order I happened to ask our server about the Ice Cream tasting game. I had read about it somewhere and it seemed like one of those Vegas-type things you do for the sake of doing them because you can't anywhere else - it's not normally offered at lunch but I asked nicely and they made an exception. The game is a tasting of 16 flavors of in-house prepared ice creams and sorbets served blind - if your table gets them all right the dessert is free!

The three of us probably spent a good 30 minutes carefully tasting each sample and debating the flavor profiles before writing our guesses down on the sheet provided by the restaurant. It was a ton of fun and I can tell you right now that it's practically impossible for anyone to get this 100% correct. For example, we were sure that one ice cream was Habanero; turns out it was Sriracha. There was a sorbet that we pegged as Tangerine that ended up being Mai Tai. So while we were on the right track in terms of flavor, we rarely named the samples correctly. We did nail some of the "easier" ones like Chocolate Malt, Peanut Butter, and Banana but it's obviously designed to stump guests while providing an interactive and fun end to the meal.

Ice Cream Sampler Game


Choose Wisely and Pay Nothing!


So what did we think? Overall RM Seafood provided a great, relaxing lunch with good service and delicious food (Fat Elvis excepted). We were really pleased with our visit and would dine there again - maybe next time we will try RM for dinner and see if they can wow us for a different meal. And maybe we'll give that ice cream game another whirl, too!

Seablue; MGM Grand, Las Vegas

I Blame Michael Mina ... We Smelt It; It Had to be Eaten!

This was the first stop on a night that included four lounge hops. We walked past Seablue at least twice daily on our way back and forth between the Signature and the MGM Grand and each time we stopped to gawk at their large happy hour signage. From 5:30pm - 7:00pm Sunday through Friday, Seablue offers $1 oysters and $1 shrimps (available by the half-dozen) as well as calamari and smelt fries.

Jay loves oysters and rarely gets an opportunity to partake of them, especially in Stinktown, so I knew this was a place he'd like to visit. What I did not know, however, was that he was actually jonesin for the smelt fries.

Now I don't know about you, but when I see the word smelt I think of iron ore ... or very bad grammar as used by certain cracker elements of my family. I do not think of delectable wee fishies that are often used as bait for larger, even more delectable fishies. Thank goodness Michael Mina has a Mediterranean-inspired seafood restaurant that makes up for my short-sightedness.

Jay and I managed to find a cozy booth in the bar and set about sweeping the seas clean ... but first we had to get some beverages with which to wash down the sea's bounty. I chose a Rustic Blossom - Krome, St. Germain, and Prosecco. Krome, by the way, is a premium US vodka made from corn and distilled five times to give it a smooth, sweet corn-vodka flavor. I mention this because vodka was not the first thing that came to mind when I read the drink menu - in fact, I asked the server what it was because the last thing I wanted was a cocktail garnished with a bumper fragment from a 1957 Buick.

My chrome-free drink was actually quite good - smooth and flavorful with a slight floral overtone thanks to the St. Germain but well balanced and not too sweet. A definite winner! And before I forget, for my friendies with gluten issues, Krome is gluten free since it's made from corn. So go out and buy a bottle and re-join the drinking world!

Jason ordered a Dark and Stormy, which turned out to be entirely too appropriate considering the nasty weather that was pummeling our dear Stinktown that night. It was made with Lustau Rare Cream, Ginger Beer, and fresh lime. It was really tasty and we both liked it a lot. Had we stayed for more than snacks I know I would have ordered one of these for myself.

Dark & Stormy and Rustic Blossom


As for snackables, we ordered the smelt fries along with a half-dozen oysters for Jason and a half-dozen shrimpies for me. The oysters were good according to the man and the shrimp were large and tender and delicious, but the real story of the night was those fries. I was leery of them at first, wondering if there might be something that could set off the goblin, but Jason told me they tasted fine. With a deep breath I plunged into the fish pile, stopping to dip in the remoulade sauce before taking a hesitant bite.

To my surprise they weren't bad; a little greasier than I prefer but the taste was reminiscent of frozen fish fillets and it was enhanced by the spicy remoulade sauce. The portion was generous, too; more than enough for two people to share especially with more seafood on the way.

Smelt Fries


Smelt ... up close and personal ... I think it mooned me!


Oysters and Shrimps and Sauces


Overall we really enjoyed our Seablue visit - the price was right for the snacks which were nicely portioned and quite tasty, and the drinks were fabulous. From what we understand Michael Mina is known for having some damn fine cocktail menus and in this respect Jay and I were not disappointed. Although we had better overall lounge experiences during the trip, this was a good start to the evening and I'm glad we smelt those fries!

Tacos & Tequila; The Luxor, Las Vegas

Decent Food and Strong Drinks are Finally Available at The Luxor; Who'd a Thunk It?

Ah, the things I discover when surfing the internets in an effort to avoid work of any kind! Under normal circumstances it would never have occurred to me to consider Luxor for food and beverage delights; The Luxor is a kind of purgatory between the celestial joy of Mandalay Bay and the sulfuric pit that is The Excalibur. But somewhere along the way they opened a high-octane tequila bar that also serves a nice blend of traditional and modern Mexican food; they even offer a mariachi brunch on the weekends. What's not to like? Especially when Restaurant.com was selling discounted gift certificates that a certain hungry scribe left in the hotel room in her unseemly haste to eat and drink to excess.

Jason and I found Tacos & Tequila on the hotel's second level - it's an open air establishment that hangs out a bit over the staircase that leads up to the shopping area and food court from the registration area. We arrived early on a Sunday afternoon to find a sizable crowd enjoying the food and drinks and roving mariachi band.

Yes.

Roving Mariachi Band.

Tacos & Tequila offers brunch on the weekends and it features this awesome trio of musicians who wander the dining room and bar singing just about any song you can think of. They were a terrific addition to the overall atmosphere of the place and later during our meal they paid us a special visit and we all warbled together.

Come on in!


Open me and devour the bounty inside ...


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


First things being first, we had to order some drinks. I selected the Spiced Apple Margarita: Anjeo tequila, apple cider, fresh lime juice, and rum flavored with almonds, cloves, and ginger; Jason chose the Pineapple Chipotle Margarita: Silver Tequila and Orange Curacao with fresh lime and pineapple juices, pineapple chipotle syrup, and tobasco chipotle hot sauce.

Move over Tequila Ditch, we have a new winner! These drinks were delicious and creative and poured with a generous boozie hand. And notice the dried chipotle pepper that was used to garnish Jay's drink - we thought that was a fun touch.

Spiced Apple & Chipotle Pineapple Margaritas


We kept our food selections pretty light because we were meeting the parents and the aunt and uncle for dinner later in the day. I ordered the Tostada Combo which featured a Chicken, Crab, and Tuna Tostada. They were all very tasty but I preferred the chicken simply because it was easiest to eat and had the best mix of flavors which included shredded chicken tinga, crema fresca, cotija cheese, black beans, and shredded lettuce. The crab meat was very good on the second tostada but there was so much other stuff blended in (corn, peppers, pico de gallo, cabbage, avocado, chipotle aioli and Oaxaca chili sauce) that it got lost much of the time. And the tuna tostada could have been the best of them all but the fish wasn't sliced very well and there were too many sauces which made for difficult eating.

Tostada Combo


Jason ordered a 3-taco platter that included rice and refried black beans. His taco meat selection was shredded pork seasoned with grilled pineapple, onion, and cilantro. These soft tacos were outstanding - well cooked and bursting with flavor and spiciness without overpowering heat. I found myself wanting to eat Jay's tacos as much as I wanted to eat my tostadas!

Pork Tacos


We didn't really need dessert but since when has that ever stopped us? We selected a Mexican Chocolate Brownie with Cinnamon Ice Cream and Caramel and Chocolate sauces drizzled over the top. The brownie was rich and soft and gooey, just the way I like 'em! And the ice cream was light and delicate - the cinnamon could have been overwhelming but this was very subtle and very enjoyable.

Dessert in the desert!


As we were enjoying dessert the roving mariachis arrived at our table. We enjoyed their performance throughout our meal as they stopped to chat and sing with patrons in the dining room and in the bar. They asked us what type of music we liked best and when Jay and I told them we were classic rock fans we were serenaded with their version of Riders on the Storm. They sounded great and the harp was a wonderful addition to the song, which we all ended up singing because that's what happens when you drink too much tequila.











I have to admit that I was somewhat wary of trying Tacos & Tequila and if it hadn't been for the gift certificate that I left behind in our room we might never have paid this place a visit, which would have been a digestive tragedy. The food and drinks were well prepared and generous and pretty inexpensive by Vegas standards. Jason and I enjoyed the entire experience and would definitely go back for more tasty treats and refreshing drinks. Stop in on your next Vegas trip, and if you see the mariachi guys ask them to play Stairway to Heaven!