coconutgoddess

Weng Lei or Blossom?

I know you are looking for high end... but Harbor Palace Seafood (dont let the name get you. They have everything) is EXCEPTIONAL. And in my opinion.. is better than both Weng Lei and Blossom hands down.

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Harbor Palace Seafood Restaurant
4275 Spring Mountain Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89102

on Nov 01, 2010

RM Seafood questions . . .

My last visit I used the restaurant.com coupon. (got mine for $1) We did not do the raw bar, but we used it on the regular menu. (not the tasting) And they were very gracious. My only mistake, was that I gave it with my payment. And I found out, that it takes a few moments for them to process it as they have to call it in to verify. So if you have dessert, that would be the time to give it to them. They run it, then give you the adjusted bill. For dinner, including apps and dessert but no booze we hit around $125 after the coupon.

They add 18% gratuity to the bill before the discount, which for me is a deal since I tend to tip a little higher. I would totally go for it. The way I looked at it, it was like I got my Foie for Free.

I did write a blog post on my blog about my experience if you would like to see.
http://explorationfood.com/2010/tasty-travels-rm-seafood-las-vegas/

on Nov 01, 2010

Buffet Suggestions

Just wondering when you last had the Bellagio buffet. I admit to being pretty easy to please, but I really loved the Bellagio buffet. I was there for dinner just a couple weeks ago on a Tuesday night I believe. I have also had the "gourmet" weekend buffet and really enjoyed it. It is buffet food, but I found it quite good.
Stay away from RIO. That is more a quantity than quality place. Somewhere I would take the kids just cause it is cheap.

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Bellagio
3600 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV

on Nov 01, 2010

What to eat with cottage cheese?

I am a savory cottage cheese eater. I like a little salt if needed, cracked pepper, and usually some sort of bread or cracker to scoop it up with. I even like it on bagels when cream cheese is gone.

on Nov 01, 2010

A la carte menus - love 'em or hate 'em?

For the most part I LOVE the a la carte menu. Althogh I am pretty easy to please, my dining companions are not. They are notorious food changers "not to spicy, this and that on the side...". I just like to mix things up, however, my pocket book usually is not as fond of the idea. I would love to see more mid priced restaunts give some side selections for the same lump price.

on Nov 01, 2010

Airport food

The Denver airport has some yummy fresh made caramel popcorn.

on May 11, 2010

dungeness vs. blue crab

Oh augustiner, picking between the two is like picking a favorite child! I will have to say I love my dungeness. LOVE IT. When it is at its peak, it is just so flavorfull. And a lot less work than the blue crabs to eat. I love how moist and sweet the middle meat is. And the crab butter is to die for. Personally, I love it just slopped over some fresh steamed rice.

coconutgoddess - explorationfood.com

on May 11, 2010

Downtown Salt Lake City - Save me from Convention Center food!

Bayleaf cafe is terribly over rated. The fried chicken is fine, but stay away from the chicken and grits and ANYTHING asian.

And if you are in a hurry, beware. The service is really hit or miss.

Vienna Bistro accross the street is awesome. Great service and a good price. Will let you linger or have it to you quick if you prefer. Awesome food. Dessert was ok, but the food was amazing.

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Vienna Bistro
132 S Main St, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

on May 11, 2010

coconutgoddess in Mountain States

Utah - looking for AWESOME breakfast

Thanks so much. I will have to try some of these places and let you all know!

on Apr 01, 2010

coconutgoddess in Mountain States

Open late near the MGM?

In Mandalay Burger Bar is open late most nights and on the weekend, I know they are open till 1am I believe. (had a midnight burger there a few weeks ago) And there was no wait for the bar even after a concert that night.

on Mar 09, 2010

Anyone had the roasted steak at Craftsteak?

I am not sure what the ROASTING process mean compared to not.. but I do know that I have never had a bad meal at Craft in NYC and Craftsteak in LV. I LOVE this restaurant. It is a bit overpriced, what isn't in LV?

But I really feel like you can't go wrong with Craftsteak. It is one of my favorite places in LV.

on Mar 09, 2010

Breakfast at Bouchon

Diners: Myself and my sister
As a little background, my sister and I are food enthusiasts. We have gone on the road to hit little mom and pop road stands, and eaten at famous chef restaurants in several major cities. We love good food, but are NOT food snobs.

Overall:
Bouchon claims to be the best breakfast in Las Vegas, and I have to say, I believe this to be true. This is my third time eating here, and I am a fan. It is a MUST visit each time I find myself in sin city. It was an expensive breakfast. Our bill was $100 for two, but I think worth every cent. (and we did have a box of pastries to go)
The server starts by taking or drink order. I had a hot chocolate and my sister had a virgin Bloody Mary. Both were excellent. The chocolate was thick, rich, and not overly sweet. The Bloody Mary was, well… Bloody good. A nice kick of spice and rimmed with a delicious flavored salt.
Another server drops a loaf of bread directly on the table along with a nice pot of European butter. I could have eaten that whole pot of butter myself. It was so very creamy, sweet, and just a perfect hint of salt.

Though we usually would not order a started for brunch/breakfast we had to have the beignets of the day. Unlike the ones you find in New Orleans, these are fried and have a more cake like texture. They were very tasty served with the Jam selection of the day and Nutella.

I ordered the Corned Beef Hash – House made corned beef hand chopped and blended with just a little potato and onion confit. Served with eggs (over medium for me) and toasted brioche. This is hands down my favorite thing to eat here. Sounds simple I know, but the corned beef is just so perfectly seasoned and eggs so fresh. In previous trips I have had their version of Chicken and Waffles, and that too was very good. But I do find myself craving the corned beef.

My sister ordered the special - Steak Eggs Benedict. WOW. I had a bite, and WOW. Of course the egg was perfectly poached. Served atop sliced steak on a fresh made English muffin and topped with an herbed Hollandaise sauce.

We both had to restrain ourselves from licking our plates.

We ordered some fresh squeezed orange juice. It was exactly that. It tasted like it had been on the tree just moments ago. We took along some pastries for the road. The Pain Chocolate and Chocolate Almond Croissants were flaky, sweet, and satisfying. If you don’t have the time or budget to experience Bouchon be sure to grab some baked goods from the Bouchon Bakery that is found at shop level.

Service was exceptional and the food was everything and more. It is exactly what you would expect from Thomas Keller.

Bill for 2 -$100 Each of our breakfast entrees were in the $28 range.

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Bouchon at The Venetian
3355 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV 89109

on Mar 06, 2010

Review of CUT - Wolfgang Puck

Overall:
Cut is a good steak house. Nothing about our meal was bad. Everything was very well prepared. However, with a few exceptions noted below, this was not the most mind blowing meal. If you want a really delicious, high quality steak house experience CUT is a great option. If you want to be surprised and delighted... awe inspired, you may want to look elsewhere.
Our meal started with a yummy amuse. A little puff of savory cheesy goodness.
One of the servers presented us with a basket of various baked goodies. I got the Bavarian Pretzel and Onion foccacia. Both were tasty, but that pretzel was fantastic. I ended up asking for three more before the night was over. The bread was served with a butter that had its own impressive presentation, though I can’t remember the details.
Appetizers
Bone Marrow Flan, Mushroom Marmalade, Parsley Salad
AMAZING. Delicious and inspiring. Rich and so satisfying. The perfect start to the meal. We both LOVED this dish.
Maple Glazed Pork Belly, Asian Spices, Sesame–Orange Dressing, French Butter Pear & Quince Compote
I liked this very much. It has a nice pan asian flavor. It was not as imaginative as the bone marrow flan, but still very good. My sister was not as fond of it as she is not a big fan of fivespice.

Steaks and sides
My sister had the almost $200 True Japanese 100% Wagyu Beef From Saga Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan - Rib Eye Steak

I had a 35 day aged Corn fed Nebraska Prime Rib eye. $85

Both steaks were cooked perfectly. Just the way I asked, which was in the manner that the server suggested. The steaks come coated with a seasoning rub that creates a nice crust. I enjoyed this cooking method. I do however think that it was a little heavy handed for the Japanese steak.

The wagyu beef was like no other. It literally melted in your mouth. It has a rich beef flavor. We are big eaters and could not eat the 8oz portion due to its richness. The 35 Day dry aged Nebraska was perfection. It had a very deep and complex beef flavor. Highly concentrated. It was tender, but still had a nice BITE to the meat. I would order this one again for certain.

For our sides we ordered the soft Polenta and a Mushroom and Japanese mushroom dish. Both were good, but the polenta was too rich for our higher fat steaks. The mushrooms and peppers were tasty. Good fresh ingredients cooked well.

For dessert we shared CUT’s version of a banana cream pie. Served napoleon style, it was very good. When the check was presented it came with a small selection of chocolates. A sweet way to end the night.

No wine for us, but we did enjoy the very refreshing non-alcoholic specials served that evening.

All in all, CUT is a great steak house. The servers were attentive and nice. At times it seemed a little much to have everything down to the butter presented like a fine wine, but it was a nice dinner. The atmosphere is less formal than other higher end joints in Vegas. The music was loud, fine for me, but I can see my father being annoyed. And not sure that it’s the place for intimate conversation.

The bill before tip was about $340 for two.

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CUT at The Palazzo Las Vegas
3339 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109

on Mar 06, 2010

Utah - looking for AWESOME breakfast

Anyone know of a REALLY GOOD breakfast place? I am a HUGE fan of Waffle house and places like it...

I want good diner breakfast.. eggs, maybe some hash or other meats, hashbrowns, waffles etc. Please no Dennys, I HOP type places! I live in UTAH county BUT WILL TRAVEL!

on Apr 13, 2009

coconutgoddess in Mountain States

Looking for Dives in Salt Lake City

I second Cotton Bottom, the Garlic Burger is YUMMY!!! ( 21 and up only keep in mind)

I love Moochies cheese steak but I always ask for light onions. (I love onions, but love steak more and as is, they are a little overkill)

A MUST is RED IGUANA, but go early, like RIGHT when they open it is always busy. The best mexican hands down. (my fave is the Shrimp Sonora or something like that)

Down in Utah County is a place called Marlys - Gourmet Sliders. I was a little skeptical, but they have not let me down. I love the signature slider with their homemade buffalo sauce, blue cheese, and bacon.. all on a homemade honey burger bun. They serve shoestring potatoes. (getting hungry thinking about it!) It is located inside the Harley Davidson in Lindon.

There is a great mediterranean place called Cafe Med in south SLC or maybe that is taylorsville? But just south of SLC. Really good food, and definitely a dive. lol.

on Apr 13, 2009

another visit..another request.

I had a wonderful tasting experience at Social House. There is not a "tasting" on the menu, I just asked the waiter to have the chef put one together. IT was AMAZING. And be sure to have a dessert tasting as well!

on Apr 13, 2009

best steak restaraunt in manhattan

I wish I could say I have tasted them all... but.. I really enjoyed my bone in ribeye, complete with a marrow bone at CRAFT.

And the Wagyu (sorry if I botched the spelling) NY at Morimoto was also fabulous. They pour some sort of magic onion elixer on top that was to die for. I wanted to lick the sizzling cast iron clean.

on Oct 14, 2008

coconutgoddess in Manhattan

Looking for great Blue Crab place in Baltimore/ DC area

Going to be on a road trip at the end of the month in this area. I REALLY want to eat some blue crabs... by the bucketful! Nothing fancy, not crab cakes, just some yummy steamed MD Blue Crab! Any recommendations please?
Thanks!

on Sep 10, 2008

coconutgoddess in Washington DC & Baltimore Area

Wasabi Revolving Sushi Bar in SLC

Has anyone been to there? Thoughts?

on Jan 17, 2008

Help me hounds! Holiday Brunch ideas?

TOMORROW I am hosting a holiday brunch, informal for mostly adults, but there will be a few children. Does anyone have any menu ideas? I entertain a lot, but have to admit, this is my first brunch.

Thanks in advance!

on Dec 14, 2007

Acme Burger- SLC

yeah, i am going there again next week for lunch (friday) so I wll report on what my next meal is like. i think i will try the lamb burger this next time i go.

on Nov 02, 2007

Acme Burger- SLC

Acme burger is SLC did not disappoint. In fact, it was downright yummy.

I took my mother to lunch there on a Monday. We started our meal with the artichoke and goat cheese fondue served with garlic toasts. Very yummy, more of a dip… but much better than the totally played out Artichoke dips usually found in the restaurant world.

For our main dish… I ordered the Breath Enhancer. A beef burger with bits of garlic, on a garlic English muffin with garlic aioli and shoestring potatoes. My daughter had the "mini" [basically a slider] and mom had the Salmon burger, served on Rye. For her side, she had the creamed spinach with Pernod.
Both of our burgers were delish. The flavors were spot on. The ONLY complaint I have is that the burgers were not cooked to order, and the "mini" was WAY over done. Luckily my little one is not that picky.

I loved that you could still taste the flavor of the meat, even through the garlic. It was "garlicky" with out being over powering. Mom's salmon burger was delish as well. It was a burger in that the salmon was chopped and pattied. The salmon was really fresh… (I admit I was surprised!) The spinach was rich and flavorful. The small side was more than enough for both of us.

We were stuffed… so we didn’t have dessert.. though the menu looks good, I will be sure to try it next time I go.

Service. Ok, everyone was really nice. No doubt about that. We were there early, around 11:45. At first our server was very attentive, but as the place got busier, service went down hill. I had to ask for refills, wait quite a while, and when it was time to pay.. we waited again. It was not the worst service I have had, but I would not go there if you are in a particular hurry.

Yummy food.. I highly recommend.

coconutgoddess
www.coconutgoddess.typepad.com/foiedevie

on Oct 29, 2007