Lagasse's Stadium; Palazzo, Las Vegas

The Day After, or We're Suffering From a French Food Hangover of Epic Proportions!

We were out very late the previous night eating everything but the place settings at The Mansion for the hubba's birthday celebration. Jay and I slept in and by the time we were ready to brave the cold and windy world outside, it was really too late for breakfast and we wanted something a little more substantial on our stomachs for the afternoon ahead of us. We wandered over to the Enrique Palazzo and were tantalized by the meaty aromas wafting from Carnevino, a Mario Batali steakhouse that some friends of ours had recommended. The restaurant was offering a great lunch special that included two drinks and a couple of different sandwich selections for $30 per person - in Vegas that's a steal and the hostess was talking it up and just as friendly as could be until we asked to be seated. And then she informed us that they didn't open until noon.

But we're hungreeeee now!

So we moved on, eventually finding ourselves at Lagasse's Stadium which is a mega sports bar and sports book that bears Emeril's name. Jay and I have always enjoyed Bam Bam's cuisine and we thought this would be the perfect way to bring us out of our waking food coma. This place is huge with more than 100 televisions scattered around the restaurant; the main area has a 9 foot by 16 foot television and the seating around it is designed to resemble plush stadium boxes. We were given a table right away, which made us very happy and we proceeded to order the first drinks of the day. Jason kept his simple and paid homage to the Most Interesting Man in the World by choosing a Dos Equis.

The Second Most Interesting Man in the World


I went with the Grand Slam: tequila, cointreau, lemon sour, and fresh lime. It was quite refreshing but I was definitely not prepared for the serving size, which was big enough for two people ... at least on this day it was!

This is a very big drink ... for a very thirsty girl!


Maybe we were both feeling sluggish due to all the food and drama from the previous evening - it seemed like we had a difficult time figuring out what to order, especially me. And I ended up being happiest with our appetizer selection: Cheesy Beer and Warm Soft Pretzels. Name me one food-drunk that doesn't come alive with a creamy, three-cheese dip spiked with beer and served with slightly salty, soft pretzels.

Yep; that's what I thought.

Delicious - that's what these were. I should have ordered another round for lunch.

Thank you sir, may I have another?


Jay was smart ... as he often is ... and ordered the Kobe / Angus Beef Burger and for good measure he asked them to add some Nueske's bacon to it. There's not much to say about this entry - it was tasty and it hit the spot and the man was happy ... 'nuff said.

Who doesn't enjoy eating two animals at once?


As for me ... looking back on it now I think my lunch choice was a special kind of stupid. The only reason I must have ordered what I did, rather than tomato soup and wee grilled cheese bamwiches, was that the gutworm was getting restless. He had not been happy the day before and he was unsettled and unpredictable for the remainder of the trip. And that's why I ordered a cheese pizza for lunch?

I know ... it makes about as much sense as a rubber crutch.

And it didn't taste much better, either.

Mozzarella, parmesan, & cheddar cheese pizza


To be frank, we should have waited for Carnevino to open and had lunch there instead. Having lunch at Emeril's version of a sports bar was a bad idea - our taste buds were still reeling from 16+ courses of food ala Robuchon and this just couldn't cut through that. Additionally the food just didn't live up to our expectations based on past Emeril experiences - it was pretty mediocre sports bar food designed to soak up lots of alcohol while patrons spin out the hours watching and betting on just about any sport you can think of, including dwarf tossing. Had Jay and I dropped in to watch a game I think we would have enjoyed it much more; as it was, Lagasse's Stadium was an overpriced disappointment. And that's not something I thought I'd ever say about an Emeril establishment.

Daniel Boulud; Wynn, Las Vegas

Mexican ... Japanese ... French ... I don't Care, Just Gimme a Cheese Plate!!!

Let me tell you all a story 'bout a chef named Boulud,
had a bistro at the Wynn serving really tasty food;
We stopped in for a drink just to scope out the place,
and the next thing we knew we were stuffin' our face!

With food that is - cheese plates and seafood platters ...

And now it is my sad duty to inform you that Daniel Boulud's restaurant at the Wynn is no more - they closed their doors the first week of July. So while I will gladly share the lounge-love with you that we unexpectedly discovered there one night, there will be no more Gingerly Sage, Basil Gimlet, Indochine, or Blueberry Lavender Lemonade to sip in the dim, comfortable bar with its deep cushioned leather seats and comfy pillows. There is no artisan cheese plate waiting to be ordered - three cheeses ... no, five ... wait, seven ... hold on; we are famished, precious, gives us all sixteen of them!! And there is no shellfish plateau left to ascend ... no hungry hordes to sweep the seas clean. Gone, gone, gone ... all of it gone.

Ahem.

We did not have plans to dine at Boulud on this evening - we actually had a reservation for Dos Caminos, a Mexican place with a skull wall over at the Enrique Palazzo. But when the time came to leave, in a supreme gesture of laziness, Jay and I decided that we really didn't want to leave our hotel complex and brave the elements by going outside. We were jonesin for seafood and so decided that we would visit Okada, a Japanese / sushi place over at the Wynn. Turns out the staff at Okada didn't want to seat people who weren't hotel guests or who didn't have dinner reservations ... imagine their surprise when we flashed our room key. The look on the hostess's face was priceless: "they let people like you stay at Encore???"

I don't know if we stumbled into one of those Vegas places that requires their clientele to be young, hip, gorgeous and anorexic or if we encountered a hostess having a really bad night; either way it was their loss. We eat and drink well on vacation and tip generously for good food and service - Jay and I could have done some serious damage at an upscale sushi joint; instead we did serious damage and had a lot more fun at a French bistro operated by an award winning chef who just happens to have his own private label caviar. Who knew?

Boulud's was located on the Wynn's lower level just to the right of the Parasol Down bar. The cafe had both indoor and outdoor seating that overlooked the Waterfall, Lake of Dreams, and the giant frog. Yes, you read that correctly: giant frog. The hostess gave us our choice of seating locations and we opted for the lounge which was cozy and much less busy.

Some day we would like to install a bar like this in our house ...


We thought the cocktail menu had some really interesting drink options, and after a few moments of discussion with our server, Jay and I were ready to take an alcoholic plunge into the deep end of "I've never tried anything like that before." Jay started off with a Basil Gimlet, which was made with Fresh Basil, Right Gin, Lime, and Sweet and Sour.

Gimlet? Giblet? Just add Gin and we're fine!


I opted for a drink called the Gingerly Sage - Tru Organic Gin, Harvey's Orange Sherry, Yellow Chartreuse, Sweet & Sour, Sage, and Ginger Beer. This could have been a complete and utter mess, but their bartender was a magic-man and I thought this was the best mixed drink I had over the span of our week in Vegas. It was one of those "sneak attack" drinks that are so smooth and delicious you don't realize how much alcohol is in them until you order three more and enough food to feed a small family for days.

Gingerly Sage ... so so so good!


Do you know what I love the most about Frenchie restaurants? They always have cheese plates - with lots and lots of fromage to choose from. And Boulud was no exception. The thing that we really liked about their set-up was the number of options provided cheese-loving guests. We could create our own plate of 3, 5, or 7 cheeses or choose from a pre-selected offering of cheeses. Had we been more bold ... or more drunk ... we would have ordered Le Royale of Cheese: a sampling of every cheese offered at the restaurant for the bargain price of $85. Granted, that's a lot to pay for a cheese plate, but it included sixteen different types of bacterial joy! Knowing that the restaurant has since closed, I have a poignant sense of opportunity lost when I recall how close we came to ordering the Royale and getting drunk on cheese.

Considering that we'd inhaled a lot of fromage the previous night at Robuchon when his cheese trolley made an appearance at our table, I suppose we can be forgiven for creating our our own plate at Boulud with a mere seven cheeses. They were predominantly French and ran the gamut from soft and creamy to firm and crumbly - our accompaniments included fig bread, fresh fruit, dried fruit, compote, sunflower honey, and candied nuts. This was honestly the best cheese plate we tried all week - a nice mix of cow, sheep, and goat's milk cheeses with tasty sides that was large enough for two Stinktown piggies to share.

Best. Cheese. Plate. Of the week.


You'd think this was enough for two people who had already inhaled lunch and afternoon tea within the past eight hours, but Jay and I are remorseless eating machines while vacationing. We joked several times before leaving for Vegas that we would order a massive seafood platter similar to the one that Anthony Bourdain enjoyed while filming No Reservations in Brittany. It's just not possible to find huge, yummy crustacean platters like that in Stinktown - we're landlocked except for the rivers and I, for one, don't want a platter of mudbugs although they can be tasty if prepared correctly.

But I digress. There we were ... all heady with the fabulousity of our cheese plate, somehow still hungry, and with a pretty fine bar buzz, when we took a second look at the menu and spotted it ... The Shellfish Plateau: east and west coast oysters, lobster, shrimp, littleneck clams, peekytoe crab, mussels, tuna tartare, and ceviche.

It was amazing.

And delicious.

I wish we were all eating one right now.

This is all Tony Bourdain's fault ...


Look at these two pigs ...


We don't know the reason behind Boulud's closure - not enough traffic; a possible decline in food quality; too many Frenchies in Vegas - what we do know is that we received wonderful service from a personable, accommodating, and very generous staff. The food and the drinks were very good and our visit to Boulud ended up being one of our favorite evenings in Vegas - completely spontaneous and worth every penny we spent. This restaurant was on our short list and we're sad to know that it won't be an option on our next trip. So long Danny; we hardly knew ye.

Mesa Grill; Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas

It's Time for a Throwdown Between the Gut Worm and the Godfather of Spice!

This was probably one of the most talked about and difficult dining decisions ever made in the anal annals of Jay and Bendy's digestive adventures. There were on-line reviews and pictures to dissect, menus to study, and friendie recommendations to consider ... all thanks to the gut worm who, while often unpredictable, can always be counted on to throw a temper tantrum when presented with overly spicy foods. Jay often defers to my dining preferences because he knows how ugly things can get when the worm is upset, but this was his birthday trip and I knew how much he would enjoy dining ala Flay. So I took it upon myself to have a private discussion with the gut worm in the hopes of working out a temporary truce.

Poke. Poke. Poke.

"Ouch!"

"Hey, worm! Wake up - we need to talk."

"Whut?"

"Jay's birthday is coming up and you know we have that gluttonous trip to Vegas planned - I want to take him to Mesa Grill for lunch but I need you to behave yourself."

"Don't eat anything and we shouldn't have a problem."

"I can't drink a margarita on an empty stomach - you know that!"

"True. Hmmmmmm .... alright, here's the deal: avoid the spices and peppers, eat something boring, and whatever you do, skip dessert. You shouldn't be eating a lot the day before you fly home, anyway."

"Thanks a lot, now you sound like my mother."

"One of us has to be responsible."

"Shut your world hole and go back to sleep - preferably forever."

"I'll be seeing you ... in all the old familiar places ...."

We'd reached a bargain, of sorts; but let me tell you ... it's downright chilling to have your gut worm croon Billie Holiday as a parting shot in a conversation about behaving while on vacation. Despite my nervousness, I went ahead and called the hotel to book a reservation. I was a little surprised that Mesa Grill required a credit card to hold the table and that they charge a $50 per person fee for no-shows because we haven't encountered that with many Las Vegas establishments. Nothing, however, was going to stop me from getting my lovey to Bobby Flay's joint for his birthday so I booked a table for lunch on the final day of our trip and crossed my fingers that you-know-who would behave.

Mesa Grill is one of the easier to find restaurants in Caesar's Palace - it's located directly off the casino floor not far from the entrance to the Forum Shops; if you know where the Colosseum is then you know where Mesa Grill is housed. The decor is open and comfortable with splashes of bright color to offset the more neutral Southwestern tones and textures. As an extra bonus, which had absolutely nothing to do with the decor, Bobby Flay's cookbooks were available for purchase; we made sure to nab a copy of Burgers, Fries, and Shakes before we left.

We arrived for our reservation just a wee bit early but that was not a problem and we were seated immediately; the place filled up very quickly, however, so I completely understood why they required a credit card to hold a table. There appeared to be a healthy mix of tourists and business people dining at Mesa Grill, which I took to be a good sign; if the locals were eating there while conducting business then odds were that the food would be tasty.

Before I get into the food, please take a moment to enjoy a few pictures of the restaurant:

Why do I suddenly want to search for the Letter People?


The very cool bar


Dining Room interior


The first order of business once we were seated and situated was to order a couple of drinks - Mesa Grill is famous for their delicious and very potent margaritas so it was, of course, a moral imperative that we try some for ourselves. Jason ordered a Partida Margarita, which was made with 100% agave nectar, tequila, and fresh lime juice - it was delicious and sweet and perfectly blended. In Jay's words, "A refreshing and surprisingly light drink with which to start off the day!"

Partida Margarita


I chose the Cactus Pear Margarita, which was made with tequila, cointreau, fresh lime juice, and cactus pear syrup. I thought it tasted great but was very surprised by the color when our server first presented it to me ... it was hot pink! And was it ever tasty - a wonderful blend of sweet and tart, I sucked it down before we were finished with our appetizers and had to order another ... how embarrassing.

Cactus Pear Margarita


Our server was really helpful and he pointed out some Mesa Grill specialties on the menu; Jay and I decided to share two appetizers that were a bit more indicative of Chef Flay's spicy flare, but before they showed up we were gifted with a yummy bread basket: blue cornmeal bread with peppers, corn muffins, and sourdough bread - all of it fresh and warm and delicious!

Bread bounty


Our appetizer selection included the Tiger Shrimp and Roasted Garlic Corn Tamale with Corn and Cilantro Sauce and the Blue Corn Pancake with Barbecued Duck, Habanero Chile, and Star Anise Sauce.

Both were very good but it will probably come as no surprise when I say that I much preferred the shrimp tamale to the duck-cake. The freshly made corn tamale was bursting with shrimpies while the light corn sauce provided a flavorful mix of garlic, cilantro, and chile. There was a little heat to this dish, but nothing that a wimp like me couldn't withstand.

Shrimp & Corn Tamale


As for the duck pancake, well, I'm not really a fan of duck unless someone is serving me its overly fattened seared liver on an exotic fruit. I did try it, but I just didn't care for the flavors; besides, anything with barbecue sauce is anathema to the gut worm so I saw no reason to push the envelope. Jay, however, enjoyed this selection just as much as the shrimpie tamale; he said the flavors were amazing and he really liked the kick provided by the habanero chilies.

BBQ Duck Pancake


For his real lunch, Jay ordered the New Mexican Spiced Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with Grilled Red Onion, Arugula, Ancho Chile Mayonnaise, and Southwestern Fries. The big surprise of this selection was that the sandwich was served cold. Interestingly enough Jay thought it worked better this way as the spices really took the spotlight, even though the pork was still very good and tender; the chile mayonnaise provided a nice afterburn that he also really enjoyed.

Pork, Bobby's Way!


Following the gut worm's directive, I ordered the Mesa Burger, which was supposed to come with Grilled Vidalia Onions and Horseradish Mustard. I had them hold the mustard and the onions and all was right with the world. This was the best burger I've had dining out since I ordered a Kobe Beef Burger at the Burger Bar two years earlier - cooked medium with a double helping of ooey-gooey cheddar cheese, it was a huge, juicy, tasty serving that I would order again in a heartbeat.

Mesa Burger - boring but safe!


We were both too full to order anything for dessert and besides, I'd been warned against that. But when I made the reservation I'd apparently mentioned that the hubba was celebrating his birthday so our server insisted that if Jason didn't want dessert on the house he should at least have a shot of tequila to commemorate the big 4-0!! Never one to turn down a free drink, Jay perused the menu for a few minutes and then made his selection ... an anjeo tequila the name of which escapes us both but which was smooth and warm and almost scotch-like in its color and taste. We both tremendously enjoyed this little treat from the Mesa Grill staff.

Birthday Tequila - Anjeo all the way!


So, what is there to say about Mesa Grill? The food and the margaritas absolutely lived up to the hype - everything we tried was very good, even those things that I personally don't like! The service was top notch, the atmosphere was relaxed and fun, and it was a truly enjoyable meal where I learned that spice doesn't always have to mean "set your mouth on fiyah and wait for your intestinal tract to explode." I do think that lunch at Mesa Grill is a better deal than dinner, but that's really a matter of personal preference. Jay and I definitely liked this restaurant - Bobby Flay can cook and so can his staff - do yourself a favor and make a reservation the next time you're in Vegas; you won't regret it!

Fleur de Lys; Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas

Ahhh, Hubert Keller .... You Had Me at Artisan Cheese Plate!

Jay and I were supposed to have dinner at Stripsteak this evening in a flagrant violation of our "no steakhouse" vacation dining policy, but once I determined that Michael Mina was too meaty to offer a cheese plate at his establishment I canceled that reservation faster than a cat can lick its butt.

On such silly and seemingly inconsequential details do our dining plans hinge.

At the suggestion of our dear friendies Chelsi and Jason, I took a second look at Fleur de Lys' menu and found myself growing very hungry. Chef Hubert Keller has created an interesting and tasty blend of French and American cuisine, he isn't afraid to offer foie gras for those guests who enjoy it, and, perhaps most importantly, his menu includes an assortment of artisan cheese! The cherry on top of this dining sundae: I was able to snag a $50 gift certificate for dinner through restaurant.com for only three dollars!

The restaurant was busy when we arrived, but thanks to a reservation made through Mandalay Bay's on-line system we were seated right away. Our table was near the rear of the dining room in a section along the fabric-covered stone walls that appeared to be reserved for parties of two. It was cozy and intimate and very comfortable. Fleur de Lys also has a private cellar master's table that overlooks the dining room as well as private cabanas along the outer perimeter of the dining room floor. The dining cabanas cost $200 to reserve - I checked just for the fun of it; if you and your guest really want to play with your food in relative privacy this might be just the ticket for you, but Jay and I would prefer private cabana dining out by the pool as the sun begins its evening descent behind the Spring Mountains to the west of Las Vegas.

Fleur de Lys offers several different dining options - guests can order ala carte, they can choose from a couple of pre-set dining room menus designed to showcase the best the restaurant has to offer, and early diners can choose from a special fixed price menu or a pre-theatre menu if they're headed to a show afterwards. Our server verified that we could use the gift certificate towards the price of Chef Keller's Elegance Menu, which was $89 per person for four courses, and this made us very happy since so many of the items we wanted to try were available in this format. We opted not to order the wine pairings with dinner this evening because it would have added another $60 per person to our final bill and we were "wined out" from our Puck luncheon earlier in the day. I did, however, order the tropical martini flight for some strange reason. Looking back on it now I'm sure price was a factor - the cost of one martini was $15 or I could get three small ones for $18 - since I was having a hard time reaching a drink decision, the sampler seemed like the way to go.

The presentation was terrific - colorful and playful - but two of the three drinks were just too sweet for my personal taste. In the bright, harsh light of a non-vacation day I don't think I would ever have ordered this but in the cool, dim, seductive atmosphere of fine dining in not-Stinktown, reason fled in the face of spendy-fun. From left to right in the picture below there is a Fleur-tini, the restaurant's signature cocktail which is similar to a cosmopolitan but somehow fruitier and more rich in flavor; an Apple-tini, which was way too sweet for this old Crohn; and a Peach-tini, which grew on me as the evening progressed but was still very sweet and a little thick and syrupy.

Pretty!


Bread service showed up next and we had our choice of fresh pretzel bread, sourdough rolls, garlic-herb bread, and a mystery bread that I'm sure had nuts and seeds and other deadly intestinal items baked into it. I kept it simple and chose the pretzel and sourdough breads while Jay selected the more interesting options. All of it was warm and fresh and oh-so-flavorful ... we had to be careful not to take refills when the serving team came back a second time to tempt us with more.

Pretzel roll and sourdough lump


Herb bread and danger disc


Shortly thereafter we were presented with an amuse from the kitchen: chilled salted codfish over potato salad with chili cream sauce. I wasn't sure what to make of this - at first it seemed too salty and too fishy, but once I managed to get a little bit of everything on my fork simultaneously the flavors and textures really meshed and I decided that I liked it after all. I do have to say, however, that I wouldn't go out of my way to eat this again!

Something seems fishy here ...


It was at this point in the evening that I think we may have given our server a moment of horrified delight by ordering the cheese plate on top of the four-course tasting menu. I explained that we were on a vacation mission to partake of seven different cheese plates over the course of our week-long Vegas visit; in order to truly enjoy Chef Keller's cheese selections we requested they be served before dinner rather than after. I also happened to mention somewhat stupidly that if we waited until after the entrees were served I would be too tempted to order port with the cheese and was, for lack of a better phrase, trying to behave myself at this juncture in our travels.

Below is the bread they brought out with our cheese plate. Is that crazy or what? Aside from the fact that none of the cheese selections were remotely spreadable, that is a massively generous serving of bread to accompany a cheese course and included two varieties: farmhouse sourdough and cranberry-wheat.

Yes, Virginia, it is possible to have too much bread!


And then there was the cheese - glorious, exalted, delectable cheese which caused a little, irreverent voice in my head to sing. "Gloria, in excelsis caseus deo, yum!"

From left to right in the picture below there were the following cheeses:

Tete de Moine: a firm, milky Swiss cow's milk cheese with a nutty flavor. Most restaurants that serve this cheese use a fun little tool called a girolle which creates those cool cheese florets that almost look too pretty to eat. We eat them despite their delicate appearance; we eat them right up.

Ossau Iraty: a classic firm sheep's milk cheese from the French Pyrenees with a sweet, buttery flavor. This is one of our personal favorites!

Majorero Pimenton: a firm, unpasteurized goat's milk cheese from the Majorera breed of goats on the Canary Island closest to Northern Africa. It's coated in Pimenton, a type of pepper that is used in Spanish cuisine - originally the pepper was used to protect the rind from developing unwanted mold and bacteria. Today it lends the cheese a unique appearance and also gives it a slightly smokey, spicy flavor.

Morbier: a mild, semi-firm French cow's milk cheese with a dark vein of vegetable ash streaking through the middle. Contrary to its smell, which is reminiscent of funky toes, the taste is mild and creamy.

Stilton: the King of Cheeses is a cow's milk cheese from Great Britain. It's blue. It's stinky. It's got a flavor that will burn the hair right out of your nose. And surprisingly enough, I didn't hate it!

There were also three accompaniments to the cheese: fresh honey-comb, quince paste, and grape-onion relish. Two outta three ain't bad, I suppose; the honey and the quince were lovely but what were they thinking by combining grapes and onion and vinegar? Bleh and double-bleh ... even Jason didn't like it.

Cheese me!!!


Perhaps the best part of the cheese plate, aside from the cheese itself, was our wonderful server. He was quite personable, and really opened up when we mentioned that we were in town for Vegas Uncorked. The big tasting event of the weekend was scheduled for that evening and I believe he was headed over there once his shift at the restaurant was complete. Aside from being so engaging he was also a good listener and about half-way through our cheese course he showed up with two port glasses and a bottle of something decidedly dark and luscious that was no doubt pining for fromage. He proceeded to pour two glasses and said that it was his favorite French "port" and he wanted us to try it since we'd mentioned earlier that we liked to drink port with our cheese.

Turns out it was Clos de Pauliles, a fortified French dessert wine that smelled of toffee and raisins, tasted of deep, red fruits, and was absolutely scrumptious! Now, I know there are those among you who are saying, "There goes Bendy, flashing for freebies again." But I wasn't wearing a dress that allowed my minimalist cleaves to inspire the serving staff to overwhelm us with free booze. I prefer to think we just had a great server who was tickled to find himself with a couple of food-n-booze seeking geeks and wanted to share the love. That, or he was so stunned to see a woman in the restaurant actually eating food that he went straight off his head. Either way it was a fabulous, generous treat and we adored it!

We hadn't even partaken of our "real" meal at this point and we were already in love with the restaurant and its staff. And then the first course was delivered ... I should explain that aside from the second course and dessert there were only two options to choose from, so in this way Jay and I were able to sample a lot more of Fleur de Lys' offerings. There were also a couple of up-charge items that were offered and I will get to those at the appropriate time.

Jay's first course: Truffled Onion Soup with Braised Duck Crepe, Red Wine Onion Puree, and Black Truffle.

This was not something that I would ever want to order. Onions and truffles? Thank you, no; I'd rather starve. But Jason took one bite, made an inarticulate sound of approval in the back of this throat, and then offered me his spoon. "Try it - you'll like it."

I hesitated but then decided to take the plunge - the hubba doesn't usually set me up for taste-test failure, especially in public. Friendies, I can't believe I'm going to type this but the soup was simply amazing - a smooth, silky texture with subtle creamy flavor. There was no way to distinguish the onion from the truffle from the wine from the duck - it was simply an incredible fusion of ingredients that, as a self-professed hater of onions and 'shrooms, left me stunned. Jay said the duck crepe waiting at the bottom of the bowl was like an extra special gift from the chef because the meat was so tender and had soaked up all the flavors from the soup.

Looks like someone dropped an eyeball in your soup.


Brenda's first course: Ahi Tuna Tartare with Shaved Fennel Slaw, Ginger Pnzu, and Fennel Seed Tuile.

To be quite honest, the only thing I really wanted with this course was the tuna; but somehow I didn't think the chef would be willing to substitute tuna for all the other ingredients so I didn't even bother to ask. The tuna was wonderful - tender and juicy and mild - but the fennel slaw really made me feel as if I were eating bamboo and I didn't care for it. The ginger pnzu, which was the sauce in which the tuna on a bamboo shoot-cake was floating, was actually quite tasty and reminded me a little of watered-down balsamic vinegar. It had a tart flavor that paired really well with the tuna's mild sweetness.

Here, fishy fishy!


Jay's second course: Chorizo Wrapped Suzuki Sea Bass with Barley Risotto, Pipperade, and Tomato Broth.

This was the one item on the entire restaurant menu that I knew Jason was going to want - he loves him some chorizo! And the dish did not disappoint; it was spicy and flavorful and Jay enjoyed every bite of it. I think it's fair to say that this was his favorite course of the whole evening.

Mmmmm, fish wrapped in spicy sausage swimming in spicy broth!


Brenda's second course: Braised Veal and Yukon Gold Potato Ravioli with Sunchokes and English Peas.

This was a bit of a stretch for me because veal isn't something that I always enjoy, but I thought that in this type of presentation I might like it more and I was correct! It was the perfect blend of tender meat and 'taters with slightly salty beef broth and I pretty much licked the plate clean.

Yum - no other word will suffice!


There was a third option included with the second course that we obviously decided to skip, and that was this: Roasted Skate Salad with Celery, Pineapple, and Brown Butter. Aside from the skate, there wasn't much that appealed to Jay or me with this selection and so we left it to languish for some other guest.

Jay's entree: Stout Braised Beef Short Ribs with Melted Leeks, Potato Puree, and House Made Mustard.

What is there to say? You can't go wrong with beef short ribs braised in beer, no sir. And potato puree only makes short ribs better, especially when plated as a lucky horseshoe or a beef-attracting magnet (take your pick). This was terrific, there is no other word for it.

Magnetic potatoes always attract boozy beef!

Brenda's entree: Prime Filet Mignon with Baby Spinach, Hen of the Wood Mushrooms, and Red Wine Reduction. Hold the Cackling 'Shrooms and substitute some Meat Butter, OK?

Yes, you read that correctly; I said "hold the 'shrooms and gimme some meat butter!"

This was one of the up-charge options listed on the menu, although I'm sure I gave the kitchen fits with the pickiness of my request! The menu actually listed the following as the supplemental charge for this course: surf and turf, rossini, or fleur burger - $25 supplement. The surf and turf is pretty self-explanatory: it included butter poached lobster along with the filet. The fleur burger option would have substituted kobe beef for the prime filet and would have also included black truffles and meat butter (foie gras), while the the rossini option added black truffles and meat butter to the standard prime filet.

In this case I simply asked that any and all mushrooms in the kitchen be kept as far away from my filet as possible while it was crowned with a decadent, buttery slab of seared foie gras. I think the pricing may have thrown them since I didn't want the truffles, but we worked it all out in the end and I was left with a dining joygasm because I finally had some decent meat butter to share with my lovey!

This was really a wonderful entree as far as I was concerned - tender, flavorful filet mignon in a red wine bath topped with a good-sized portion of perfectly seared, melt-in-yer-mouth meat butter. The pureed mashed potatoes added another layer of delight because they were so silky and light.

Meat and meat butter ... what more could I ask for?


Flying sperm whale potatoes!


One thing happened at this point in the evening that struck us as odd - our serving team disappeared and was replaced by a completely new and far less satisfactory one. It wasn't that the new group was awful but they just weren't as good as the folks we'd started the evening with and it made for a very awkward conclusion to the meal. I'm sure it was probably just as weird for them as it was for us, but we never got to properly thank our original server for being so kind and that made us feel rather schmucky.

Jay's dessert: Grand Marnier Souffle with Elderflower Ice Cream.

This was another one of those supplemental menu choices. Ordering the Grand Marnier or Chocolate Souffle for dessert was a $6 up-charge, but well worth the cost because Fleur de Lys is famous for their amazing dessert souffles. It was delicious! We've tried them at other restaurants and this was by far the best - light and airy with just a hint of orange - and the ice cream was a nice accompaniment without being too perfumey, which had concerned us both.

Grand Marnier souffle and a tear-drop of ice cream


Brenda's dessert: Warm Chocolate Fondant Cake with Fleur de Sel Caramel Center, Popcorn Ice Cream, and Peanut Butter Milkshake.

I had been reading good things about the peanut butter milkshake and figured I couldn't go wrong with warm chocolate-caramel cake - besides, when you get more than one dessert for the price, what's not to like ... other than popcorn ice cream, that is?

The milkshake was just as good as everyone said it would be - it was like drinking a liquid version of a peanut butter cookie with some cream added for good measure. I know how much Jay likes peanut butter, so I did share with him, but it wasn't easy! The chocolate cake was tasty but not anything special and it didn't spew caramel like I expected it to based on the menu description. As for the popcorn ice cream ... let's just say that there are some things in this world that are not made better by being frozen.

It's a dessert three-fer!


I don't see any caramel in the cake guts!

There was one other standard dessert choice on the menu: Spiced Carrot Cake & Cream Cheese Ice Cream Sandwich with Pineapple Carrot Ice Cream. Other than the cream cheese ice cream there was nothing about this dessert that appealed to either of us, so you can no doubt understand why Jay was forced to order a souffle to end his meal.

Unlike Bradley Ogden, Fleur de Lys did bring us a lovely little plate of friandise which we were too full to eat; we asked our new serving team if they could package the wee goodies up for us and they did so, but I dare say they need to work on their de-bigulator usage and / or packing skills. They put the poor little treats in a massive box and this is what happened to our yummies by the time we made it back to our hotel ...

It could have been a contender!


Aside from the friandise packaging snafu and the serving team switch, which were both pretty minor items, Jay and I could not have been more pleased with our decision to dine at Fleur de Lys. The food was just as wonderful as we'd been led to expect, and for the most part we received exemplary service. This ranks among the best dinner experiences we had on the entire trip and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend Fleur de Lys to anyone. However, I did hear a rumor that a decision has been made to change the restaurant format over to something that closer resembles an all tapas-style experience, so if you want a more traditional dinner like Jay and I had you'd better get there soon. Of course, your other option would be to visit Fleur de Lys in San Francisco and that doesn't sound like such a bad alternative to me!

Petrossian Lounge; Bellagio, Las Vegas

Jay and Bendy Join the Tea Party Movement on the Vegas Strip!

I'm a sucker for afternoon tea, especially in the best American imitation of the British tradition. While planning this trip I went back and forth between the tea offered at the Four Seasons and at the Bellagio. Convenience and location tipped the balance in favor of the Bellagio, which was much closer to our base of operations at Encore than the Four Seasons. Once I'd made my decision, I approached the hubba and asked if he would mind very much my booking tea at Bellagio's Petrossian Lounge since we hadn't partaken of significant mid-afternoon sugar-laden gluttony since our October 2008 visit to the Gardenview Lounge at the Grand Floridian.

Jay, being the wonderful and tolerant hubba that is, agreed with no fuss or muss. I wasn't really surprised that he gave me the go-ahead; short of my suggesting we attend a specialty dinner comprised solely of popcorn and watermelon, Jay is nearly always willing to sample potentially good eats and is "comfortable enough with his masculinity to have tea with the wife."

And for the record ... I would never, ever, book a multi-course watermelon-popcorn dinner because I dislike those foods as much, if not more, than Jay. Learning of his aversion to watercorn and popmelon was the final bit of knowledge I needed while we were dating to be sure that he was the man for me ...

1) Likes cartoons in general and The Simpsons in particular? Check

2) Enjoys sitting around doing nothing and considers it time well spent? Affirmative

3) Loathes popcorn and watermelon and won't have them in the house? We Have A Winner!

Ahem.

Where was I?

Ah, that's right ... afternoon tea at the Bellagio. Had this been our first visit to the Petrossian Lounge we might have overdressed for the occasion because the hotel is supposed to be all fancy-schmancy. However, a few short years ago we met friends for drinks one night at the Petrossian and like many places in Vegas it's as dressy or casual as you choose to make it. They offer some fine drinks and a great selection of caviar, but we would like Petrossian much more if it weren't located just off the hotel lobby on the casino floor. It's difficult to fully enjoy or appreciate the ambiance they've tried to create when the noise and smoke from the casino intrude on all sides.

The front of the lounge looks out to the Bellagio's lobby and the main casino entrance - it features the bar and a beautiful Steinway grand piano which remains silent until about 6PM. There is additional seating, including cozy sofas and chairs and tables, along the outer perimeter of the casino and this is where the tea tables are set up. Seating is limited to about three or four tables, so if you're interested in a tea party call early and book your spot!

Extended seating area looking towards the lobby


Arched ceilings, stenciled vines, and Jay's head ...


Table for three ...


Our cozy table for two ...


The Petrossian Lounge only offers one afternoon tea service to choose from but guests are allowed to select four sandwiches, each, from a list of approximately eight, and they also select their own tea; guests also receive two scones and three yummy pastries to round out the meal. For a small ... large ... supplemental charge you may add champagne and / or caviar service to your tea. Had we not dropped the equivalent of two months mortgage payments at Joel Robuchon's the night before I might have been tempted to get some fish eggs and bubbly, but even I know when enough is enough.

The tea sandwich menu included the following options:

Finger Sandwiches: Smoked Chicken Waldorf Salad on Whole Wheat Bread; Smoked Turkey, Brie, and and Black Grapes on Cranberry Bread; Bayonne Ham and Gruyere Cheese with Dijon Butter on Rye Bread; and Chickpea Panelle, Roasted Red Pepper, and Green Olive Mayo on Spiced Bread.

Open-Faced Sandwiches: Classic Egg Salad topped with Quail Egg on White Bread; Alaskan King Crab Salad and Avocado on Brioche; Smoked Salmon topped with Caviar on Pumpernickel Bread; and Watercress, Mint Mousse, and Cucumber on White Bread.

As I previously mentioned, each guest also receives two freshly baked scones with a selection of clotted cream, lemon curd, and plain old boring butter. The tea concludes with three French pastries per person rather than trifle or strawberries and cream as we have been conditioned to expect by the chef and staff at the Grand Floridan. I loved Petrossian's tea presentation - all three segments of the meal were delivered at once on a triple-tiered serving stand. This made for a relaxing, slow-paced meal that we really enjoyed and we didn't have to finish all of one course before the next one was served. The staff was even gracious enough to box up those items that we just didn't have space for in our tummies and they provided a tasty breakfast the next morning.

I always feel like somebody's watching me ...


Coolest tea sandwiches ever!


Smoked Salmon, Smoked Turkey, Ham & Cheese, and Egg Salad


Why not three bowls of clotted cream?!?!


Scones ... biscuits ... damn they were good!


Dessert .... it's almost too pretty to eat.


The food was surprisingly good - we didn't really know what to expect from Petrossian when we arrived but everything was fresh, had good flavor, and was presented in a visually appealing manner. We also received very good service that wasn't at all intrusive - they left us alone at our little table to enjoy the offerings as long as we wanted and were attentive enough to refill our water glasses as well as our tea pots without our ever needing to ask.

While I don't think we would do this again on our next visit to Vegas, I'm glad that Jay was willing to give it a try with me. It was a relaxing break in the middle of a very cool, windy day and provided enough food that we didn't need to eat again for at least five hours ... unbelievable though that may be! Afternoon tea is offered from 2PM - 5PM and costs $35 per person - if you're interested in booking call the Bellagio and ask to speak with someone at the Petrossian Lounge. This is the best version of Afternoon Tea that Jay and I have had the chance to try so far - no one else has given us a deviled quail egg and caviar garnish with our tea sandwiches!