Vegas Day 5

Day 5 was my Birthday. Woke up early like usual and went to Whole Foods to try and get a Breakfast sandwich which they changed for the worse, so ended up getting bagels from Einstein which is always reliable.

I went to Massage Envy for a massage which was so nice and relaxing and spent the rest of the day with the girls.

At 7:00 we went and tried a new restaurant which has a lot of Yelp 5 star reviews so had high hopes and of course was let down.

We started with a completely flavorless onion soup and a so-so spinach salad. Skipped the appetizers and I had the ‘signature’ bone in rib eye that again was completely flavorless. It was cooked a perfect medium but there was no flavor, no great tenderness, nothing that stood out. I had it topped Oscar style which was nice and added the only flair.

Jodie had the Sea Bass which was served over wild mushrooms and topped with Crab Victoria. The fish was perfect as were the mushrooms. The crab was seasoned with Thyme and Rosemary which was just awful and took away from the fish. She added the butter poached king crab which again was seasoned, this time with parsley which again took away from the clean flavor the the crab and while I have had butter poached lobster before, the crab did not taste like anything had been done other than boiling.

The only high point were the sides. We shared the Creamed corn and the bacon and Gruyère mashed potatoes. Both were perfect.

Service was very good as well but we will not be making a return trip.

We finished up the evening by seeing a Cirque Du Soleil showing of ‘O’ at the Bellagio which was amazing. There is so much going on, on stage that its almost impossible to catch everything but it was oh so good.

There are only 2 Cirque shows in Vegas we haven’t seen yet-Love which is themed to the Beatles and Believe which is a Chriss Angel show which I have NO interest in. There will be a new one called Viva Elvis opening next year at the City Center which I’ll wait to decide on.

It was a good day and a good birthday.

Vegas day 4

Today we made the trek to Pahrump. It’s a small unincorporated town of 24,000 just west of Las Vegas and it’s claim to fame is the closest brothels to Las Vegas, however the reason we went was to visit the Winery for lunch. It’s about an hour drive from Vegas and you go right through the Spring Mountains to get there.

Joe and Maureen found it somehow and kept raving about the lobster bisque so we had to go and try it. Everyone at the table had a bowl, and while it could have been a little hotter it was very flavorful and creamy with nice little pieces of Lobster throughout. To accompany it I had the Turkey Bacon Club and Jodie had the burger. Everything was decent but nothing was to rave about. Moxie enjoyed the trip and was the entertainment.




Since we were at a Winery I had to try some wine. I only tried three. The Symphony which was my favorite, the Desert Blush and the Burgandy.

In the afternoon Jodie and I went and saw ‘Taking Woodstock’ and ‘Extract’. Neither one was great but both were entertaining.

For dinner we went across the way from the Town Square Theater to the Cadillac Ranch and shared some appetizers. Nothing will make you feel older than going to a Bar and Grill with a bunch of 20somethings. Jodie and I are officially old.

After feeling so old we wanted to do something to feel better about ourselves so we went downtown to Mermaids Casino. In this seasons ‘Kathy Griffin:My life on the D-List’, Kathy took Bette Midler to Mermaids to have some Fried Twinkies and Oreos and Jodie and I had to go since we are going to miss the state fair this year. We choose the right place to feel better about ourselves, I have never seen such a group of people in my life, it was beyond words. We got our Twinkies and Oreos and got out of there, and they were worth the trip, they were delicious.

Tomorrow we don’t have much planned but are going to another nice dinner and going to see Cirque’s O at the Bellagio.

Vegas day 3

Thursday, I’m starting to relax a little more, at this rate by Tuesday I’ll be able to sleep in but can’t because I have to go back to work. Glad we are taking 2 1/2 weeks off in December. Hope I can relax then.

We went to Jodie’s Grandma’s to let Moxie spend some time with her Great Grandma and we took a Metro Pizza Stuffed Pizza. Came home Moxie and I got a little nap and Jodie went and got a Manicure and pedicure.

For Dinner we splurged and went to another Top Chef Restaurant. Fleur De Lys in Mandalay Bay. The Chef Owner is Hubert Keller who was also on Top Chef Masters and Jodie and I really enjoyed him and his cooking.

It was the best meal we have had in years. Beautiful dining room and excellent service.

To begin they served us complimentary Moscato D’Asti which is an Italian Dessert wine, and while we are not drinkers, it was so light and refreshing, Jodie had seconds.

They next brought the Amuse Bouche which was a beet served on a dollop of Goat Cheese.

I had the 7 course tasting menu and was pleasantly surprised by each and every course. Started with Ahi Tuna over a shredded fennel slaw.

Next was the silkiest creamy onion soup I have ever had with just a touch of black truffle.

Then to the veal ravioli, wasn’t bad but wasn’t a highlight like the next course:

Which was a poached hamachi fillet served with a ginger sauce and mushrooms. So delicate and just full of flavor.

That was followed up by the best lamb i have ever encountered, served over a couscous with a mango chutney.

The pre-dessert course was a mango gelato served on banana bread, swimming in a coconut soup containing strawberries, tapioca pearls, and fried plantains.

The final course was the low-light for me, a molten chocolate banana cake with a cup of espresso. I felt that the bitterness of the espresso really ruined all the beautiful flavors of everything else but i didn’t eat enough and didn’t allow it to affect my incredible meal.

My wife had the surf and turf which was a prime fillet with a butter poached lobster. It was served with a potato puree that is precisely what potatoes should taste like.

The entire meal was beyond words and lived up to my HIGH expectations.

The final Chef Offering were little lemon cookies served with a chocolate Ganache.

The Service was excellent and while expensive i felt it was worth the money. My only complaint is $5 for 8 oz. soda’s. I’m OK with being gouged on the food but not on the soda’s. All high end restaurants do it but I’m still not a fan of the practice.

To finish out the night we went to Town Square and walked around and watched People. It was a fabulous evening.

Tomorrow we are off to Pahrump. Stay tuned.

Vegas Day 2

Day 2 in Vegas and I still can’t relax. I find my self checking emails and getting up around 6. It’s not fun getting older.

We started the morning by running a couple errands and going to breakfast with Jodie’s Mom. We went to Shoe Lab to try to get my work suit case repaired, and that was a bust as they wanted to charge $30 for replacing a zipper pull and $45 to replace a screw. Luckily they sort of showed me how they were going to do it so that is on the agenda to do tomorrow.

Breakfast was at Green Valley Ranch Station at the Original Pancake House and was great as always. Moxie loves their bacon and Jodie and I love everything else.

Jodie and I got go out on a date and we went and saw ‘Hangover’ in the afterrnoon which was hilarious and then out to dinner.

View of the MGM/Mirage City Center from the parking Garage:

Dinner was at RM Seafood at Mandalay Place which is on the bridge between Mandalay Bay and the Luxor. It is owned by Rick Moonen who is a ‘celebrity chef’ who was featured on Top Chef Masters. He was actually in the restaurant which was really nice to see. That was one of the things we enjoyed when watching Top Chef Masters, how the Chefs were actually forced to cook and shop. Things they probably haven’t done in a long while.

Fresh and tasty Seafood. This was our second time to try RM Seafood and this time it was excellent. Our first time around left something to be desired, wasn’t bad but wasn’t memorable either. This time made me want to come back.

Jodie and I shared the steamed mussels served with garlic bread and the Garlic Tuna appetizers which were both as fresh as possible and bursting with flavor.

For our dinners we shared the seared scallops served with a scalloped corn and the fish and chips. the scallops were perfectly cooked and complimented by the corn so perfectly. They also had a touch of Lemon Verbena on top which added a nice flavor component. The fish and chips was crispy and so delicate, I didn’t want to stop eating.

The service was very attentive and kept our drinks full.

Chef Moonen was on site in the dining room which is always unusual to see and he even offered one table a tour of the kitchen. Just wish it had been us.

Rick Moonen

We will definitely go back.

Best Breakfast in Phoenix Metro

Amuse Bouche in Surprise has to have the absolutely best breakfast in the entire valley. It is actually brunch and only served on Sundays from 9-1.

It is a small menu but has all I ever need. Eggs Benedict and Beignets, the problem is I don’t know if I will ever try anything else.

The Beignets are better than New Orleans Cafe Du Monde. They are light and dusted with just the right amount of powdered sugar.

And the Benedict is served with the lightest Holandaise with just a hint of Lemon, and a side of home potatoes that complement it perfectly.

Jodie always gets the Yogurt parfait that is also always reliable.

Moxie enjoys the Bacon and an English Muffin.

The only downside is the price but it is worth every penny.

Last couple days in Birmingham, AL

Thursday we finished up the upgrade early, had lunch at Ruby Tuesday (It wasn’t my idea) and went back to the Hotel Early. A crazy Storm front came through and trapped me in the hotel for a couple hourse. Greg took the car to visit family so if I didn’t want room service (and I didn’t) I had to wait it out.

Two hours later I made it up the street to Ocean Restarant which was fabulous. I started with a sushi role which was great and fresh. Next came a greek salad and then for my meal I had the grilled 1lb lobster which was coated in herbs and butter. It was perfectly cooked and SO nice, served with mashed potatoes and sauteed mushrooms.

I finished the meal with a pineapple upside down cake that tasted like short bread you get in waikiki with a hint of pineapple. It was served with marscapone ice cream, and carmal sauce.Best meal I have had in a while.

In the morning catching a flight home to get back to the girls. Jodie took Moxie to swimming tonight for the first time so I have my fingers crossed.

Birmingham, AL-Day 3

Wednesday was a very busy day. We spend half the day troubleshooting and the other half fixing the system, and missed lunch.

Dinner was on the way to the airport at a little restaurant called the Rockhouse Restaurant. We sat out on the porch. From first appearance it looks like a quaint shabby chic vibe, but after being there for dinner, i think it is more run down and not at all chic.

I had the gumbo which was the best gumbo i have ever laid my taste buds on. Just sweet enough and just hot enough, so much flavor, I wished i had it for my entree. Speaking of the entree I had the more crab than cake crab cakes which was a misnomer as they weren’t. They were decent but too much filler and no lump crab. looking forward to my trip in September when I get to Maryland for the real thing. For dessert I had a piece of Key Lime pie which was completely different yet delicious. It wasn’t light at all. The texture was more like that of a thick fudge but was still creamy. The crust was excellent. I would go back just for the Gumbo and the Pie, but would have to take my own drink, the coke was completely flat and watered down. My associate tried to order a beer and they ONLY had bud light.

Birmingham, AL-Day 2

So this week I’m working in Birmingham, AL at a Bank. The upgrade went real well and we completed it on Wednesday afternoon.

Tuesday-We (I’m here with an associate from Wausau, WI this week) had a very busy day and went to a Mexican restaurant called Los Amigos that has a strange vision of Tex-Mex. I ordered a sampler plate that was supposed to be a taco, an enchilada and a burrito. The only difference between the enchilada and the burrito was the tortilla. The enchilada had a Corn tortilla and the burrito had a flour tortilla. Both had a beef concoction filling, were open ended, and had a red sauce and white cheese topping.

We didn’t get out till late so we went our own ways for dinner. I went to a little restaurant called The Fish Market Restaurant. It looked very promising. It had a great looking fish market with live lobsters,   and Rainbow trout.

You order from a counter and are given a pager, find a seat and then when it goes off, you pick up your order from a window in the back room. The menu is quite large and looks good. I initially ordered the soft shell crab but they were out. So i ended up ordering the Deviled crab and a cup of Lobster bisque. It was supposed to ‘come’ with 2 sides which you get charged for and a choice of salad that was not delivered.

The Bisque looked like the burnt the roux, however it was rich and thick and full of flavor, the only negative was that there was no lobster in the soup. There were some small shrimp near the bottom but they were the worst texture and burnt.

Next came the deviled crab. Only problem, which is a big one is there the shells contained no crab, just lots of stuffing. The fries were the standard frozen variety, nothing to talk about. Cole slaw was creamy and flavorful and the hush puppies were decent.

Amuse Bouche-Dinner

Last night we had a family date night out. We went to one of our local/favorite restaurants, Amuse Bouche. It is a tiny little restaurant that serves French Bistro Cuisine.

I tried the Rack of Lamb with beet salad. First time i have ever had lamb outside of a Gyro. It was interesting, had a nice cream sauce that quickly turned burgundy from the beets. It’s a hard taste to describe, slightly gamy, but not unappetizing. Jodie says it tastes just like it smells when she used to cut it in her meat department. My mom’s description of Lamb is ‘Tastes like a wet sweater’. Not really accurate but not completely off base either. It wasn’t something i will crave but I am glad I tried it.

Jodie had the Scallops which were great, but served with artichokes which again we aren’t big fans of. It’s fine if you want to put them in our dip but the big petals of the artichoke have an odd flavor.

Dessert was excellent. I had the Blueberry Bread pudding and i asked them to put a scoop of ice cream on it which they seemed to not understand but it made it. Jodie had this French cake which I’m told was great.

Moxie had the French Fries which were also great, and she used the bathroom 3 times, only going once.

Botero-Restaurant Review

I was going to name this post “You Ate what?” but that wasn’t descriptive enough. More about that later.

So, for our anniversary dinner we had dinner at Botero. It is a steakhouse at Encore Las Vegas with Mark LoRusso at the helm.

Initially we made reservations for 7:00pm but after we had a late lunch due to the long check in process we had it changed but the only option was at 10:30 which is generally way past my bed time but we went crazy and made it anyway.

We showed up for dinner at 10:00 and were seated shortly there after. The dining room has a low ceiling with beautiful artwork and a large sculpture by the restaurant’s name sake on display. The Dining room looks out on the pools and gardens. The space is round and has a circular fountain in the center with the sculpture at the center.

I started with the Crudo tasting; which is a raw fish dish dressed with olive oil, sea salt, and citrus juice such as lemon juice and sometimes vinegar. It included Salmon with Meyer Lemon, Hamachi with Tangerine, halibut with spicy tomato and Tuna with avocado and soy. The tuna was the stand out, very flavorful and made me want more. The others all were just so so and I wouldn’t try it again.

Jodie ordered the Kobe Short Rib with a side of King Crab and a side of potatoes. The short rib was extremely fatty which you would expect with it being Kobe but it was still so flavorful and they place the King Crab on top which was delicious and a nice accompaniment, the potatoes were also very nice and weren’t messed up with some crazy spice as some restaurants are apt to do these days.

I had the Dayboat Scallops in a lobster broth, with… wait for it . . . Roasted Bone Marrow on the side. Yes that is right i said roasted Bone Marrow

I did some research before I went because I have heard about it and it is a delicacy in some circles, but not mine. The procedure is to dig the marrow out of the center of the bones and spread it on toast points and salt it, you also have the option of using the onion jam. The texture is much like one would suspect, fatty viscus and translucent. I dug it out and spread it on the burnt toast they provided and salted it. It was ok and had a strong meat essence, but even as a meat eater it wasn’t something that I would bother ordering again. The texture alone turned me off. 

Now for the high point. Dessert. We had the Botero Ice Cream Cupcakes and the special which was Strawberry shortcake. 

The Botero Ice Cream Cupcakes are incredible. They are on the dessert menu and have a sub title of ‘childhood favorite flavors. It is 5 miniature cupcakes of different flavors, all except the chocolate mint were incredible. The topping of each is like a frozen creamy icing. The flavors were strawberry, banana, lemon, yellow cake and the chocolate. 

Next was the Strawberry shortcake. It had lemon shortcake with pieces of strawberry, nuts, and strawberry and vanilla gelato. The flavor was so intense it was incredible. 

I told them about our anniversary when I made the reservation so they gave us another dessert plate with a chocolate covered strawberry and a chocolate fudge cake.

The service again was a problem. They were very hands off, the meal took quite a while and it took them 15-20 minutes to get me a refill on my coke at one point and i had even asked twice for a refill. Towards the end of the meal we got a new server who actually told us what was going on and apologized several times. Turns out the computers went down a couple of times and they were having troubles recovering. In the end they gave us our deserts for free which ended up being the highlight of the meal and his hands on service at the end was the only thing that saved the service from being a total failure. 

We will go back, but probably just for dessert.