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!

Gut Check 2011 ... There's a Rumbly in our Tumblies!

Eating Las Vegas ... Again

Looks like we're headed back to Sin City sooner than expected. Originally Grimace wanted us to take a family vacation cruise but once we explained what cruising really involves and once she admitted that she wasn't actually interested in new and colorful island nations, everyone agreed that the gambling mecca of the Western World was probably the next best option. After all, if you can't lose your dearest family members in Vegas, where can you lose them?

Jay and I are booked at the MGM Signature this time and my parents are staying at Harrahs. I don't want to know just how much gambling my mother had to do in order to get comped there for part of her stay. We have a pretty tasty line-up of old favorites and new droolies, so I thought I'd share them with you. There will be no Joel Robuchon visits on this trip, so don't look for any four-hour meals that cost more than our monthly mortgage payment. Once was enough for a long time ... or until we win the lottery!

Without further ado, here's the official food lineup:

American Fish
Tacos & Tequila
Todd English PUB
Carnevino
Red Square (there will be a visit to the vodka vault this time!)
MIX
RM Seafood
Shibuya (omakase menu with sake pairings? don't mind if we do!)
Isla Mexican Kitchen
Sage
Mon Ami Gabi (chocolate bacon waffles ... we're not made of stone)
Mesa Grill

We also plan on a fair number of lounge hopping visits again on this trip to take advantage of early and late night happy hour specials. Odds are we won't make all the places we'd like to get to, but Nobhill Tavern, Diego, CUT, Sushisamba, Stripsteak, and Social House are on the list.

Stay hungry, my friends!

Cheesy Does It; Las Vegas, May 2010

The Dance of the Seven Cheese Plates ...

It started innocently enough some years ago when Jason and I decided to share a cheese sampler while having dinner at one of Disney's signature restaurants. The experience was a coagulated, milk-based food product revelation. Goodbye sweet tooth; hello bottomless cheese pit.

Which is why, while planning our trip to Vegas for Jason's 40th birthday, I found myself formulating a sub-adventure - a cheese lovers challenge I dubbed The Dance of the Seven Cheese Plates: eat one cheese plate for each day of vacation.

I even made up a wee little anthem based on the Hollies song Stop Stop Stop.

See the server, cheese on a platter
Entering through the door
Lights are shining ... only four pieces?
You've got to give me more!
Utensils on the platter clink-clink-clink
Slicing up that cheese
Now I'm chewing, flavor so delicious
Tastebuds on the brink.
Stop, stop, stop all the cheese mongering
Give me time to eat
Stop, stop, stop all the cheese mongering
Or I'll have to order meat.

Ahem.

A poet I am not.

But a lover of cheese I am, so allow me now to share with you the cheesy goodness we enjoyed while in Vegas, rated below from best to worst.

1) Joel Robuchon; The Mansion (MGM)

It almost seems unfair to include this in a list with other cheese plates because it's so far above and beyond anything that can be found in most restaurants. They wheeled a trolley loaded with more than twenty types of beautiful, delectable French cheeses to our table and said, "Parlez vous fromage?"

Cheese trolley


Cheese plate #1


Cheese plate #2


2) Daniel Boulud; The Wynn

An unexpected thing of beauty at the now defunct Daniel Boulud in Las Vegas, this cheese plate included seven selections that we choose from a list of fifteen. There were also a generous number of accompaniments that included fresh fruit, bread, honey, dried fruit, and compote. We are still sad to know that we can't return here for more cheese on future Vegas visits.

Boulud's cheese platter - YUM!


3) Hubert Keller; Fleur de Lys (Mandalay Bay)

A solid offering provided by the restaurant staff and further enhanced by the gift of free dessert wine. Honestly, if we hadn't stumbled into Boulud later in our trip, this would have been the second entry on our list because it was really good. By the way, Fleur dy Lys no longer operates in Vegas; it's been replaced with Keller's version of a tapas bar. Hey, celebrity chefs ... a word of advice from some Midwestern Hicks Stuck in the Mud: not everyone who travels to Vegas wants to eat tapas-sized portions, so stop trying to be trendy and bring us an entree!

A solid offering!


4) Mario Batali; Enoteca San Marco (The Venetian)

This was our first cheese plate of the entire trip, and as such holds a fond place in our bleary cheese memories. We were able to choose seven Italian cheeses from a list of about twenty. Unfortunately, some actually weren't available that day and this created some disappointment on our part. Further, the presentation was lacking and there weren't any accompaniments to sample in conjunction with the cheese. I was also a little grossed out to find one cheese had the consistency and taste of caulk. Overall, this was good but not great. No need for a do-over on this one.

Don't eat the cheese paper ... it's not really cheese.


5) Emeril Lagasse; Double Helix Wine Bar (Table 10 - The Palazzo)

We ordered this one afternoon while we were enjoying a shared wine flight at the Double Helix Wine Bar. It's the same cheese plate that Emeril offers at Table 10; three cheeses buried under a mound of crispy toasts and strawberries. Nothing spectacular but it paired well with the wine and served as a good afternoon snack to soak up some alcohol. Final verdict - don't go out of your way.

I know there's cheese here somewhere!


6) Julian Serrano; Aria

It could have been a contender. It could have been something, instead of a bust. Unfortunately, despite some great Spanish cheese offerings, this entry from Julian Serrano was weak on presentation and included what appeared to be a quince slug that really put me off my food for a while. Thank gawd I had both red and white sangria to distract me from the horror.

Is this a mistake?


7) Stratta (The Wynn)

This was the final cheese plate of our vacation ... talk about ending with a whimper. We were in an Italian restaurant with an owner / chef who's supposed to be some sort of demi-god and this was the best he could do? At last check I don't think there was a single cheese that could trace its origin to Italy. And who the hell pairs three hard cheeses with cranberry bread and chunky apple sauce? I've had better cheese assortments from Hickory Farms.

Epic Fail


And thus concludes our Las Vegas cheese tour - we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Stay tuned for Vegas 2011, which will include a whole new batch of restaurants and culinary delights!