zippyh's Profile
24 hours in Vegas: build my food itinerary!
How about brunch at the Border Grill or the Verandah in the 4S rather than Mon Ami Gabi?
What to order at Cut without breaking the bank?
My wife and I usually split a steak when we go to Cut but that's so we can order more starters and sides. Plus, although my wife likes steak, she just doesn't eat a lot of it.
I remember the brussel sprouts with bacon as being pretty good.
Fries are good; would pass on the onion rings.
I also remember an exceptional sweet corn side dish but I think it was a seasonal special.
We've enjoyed every starter we've had there except for the asparagus with egg and that was more due it it just being kind of boring.
If by $100 you mean $100 for food before tax and tip, you might be able to do it.
Twist or big daddy Joel Robuchon
The first time we went to Robuchon we ordered the 6-course. We were stuffed by the time the cheese course rolled around (so to speak). And that's after making an effort to not eat too much from the bread cart (very difficult to do). I find the thought of the degustation daunting.
Le Cirque, Scarpetta, Jaleo, Sage report may 6-
Le Cirque
Had the tasting menu.
Wife and I chose the same courses except for dessert.
White Asparagus, Scottish Smoked Salmon, New Potatoes Crusted Farm Egg,
Osetra Caviar, Sorrel Purée, Ravigote Vinaigrette. Enjoyed this a lot.
The egg yolk made for a nice sauce.
Sautéed Sonoma Foie Gras, White Chocolate & Raisin Brioche,
Roasted Rhubarb, Cardamom Streusel, Ibiscus & Champagne Gastrique. Enjoyed
this even though I'm not a fan of rhubarb. Foie is always good.
Chilean Sea Bass, Purple Artichoke, Grenaille Potatoes,
Chanterelles, Tomato Confit, Verbena Sauce. It was okay. Fish was perfectly
cooked but not a real memorable dish.
Honey Glazed Barbary Duck Magret, Daikon Duck Confit,
Spiced Sweet Potato, Bing Cherry au Foie Gras, Ruby Port Sauce. The sliced
duck was good but the pureed potatoes with pieces of duck confit was
awesome. The cherry injected with foie and then deep fried was pretty
good too.
There was a choice of a cheese course or sorbet. I had been thinking of
getting the cheese but our waiter suggested the sorbet since the tasting
menu is a lot of food. Glad I went with his suggestion. I think it was a
lemony sorbet served in an egg shell.
For dessert, wife had souffle. I had the chocolate sphere. It was kinda
cool the way it's presented as a sphere of chocolate and then a warm sauce
is poured on it to reveal the insides of ice cream and some crunchy stuff.
Also was served a plate of petite fours and some chocolates in a little box.
Service was exceptional. Attentive and friendly without being chummy.
Room is great with a view of the fountains. Plus there are monkey murals.
Jaleo for late dinner. Seated under the bull head.
Jamon - Just slices of jamon. Kind of expensive but tasty.
Bikini sandwich - Little pressed sandwich with ham, manchengo cheese and truffle.
Favorite dish. Would order again. Probably multiple.
Gazpacho - Okay. Good but not great.
Patatas bravas - Basically potato chips with sauce. Okay. Would not order again.
Squid with ink sauce, artichokes, and onions. - Would order again.
Carne asada with piquillo pepper - Good. Would definitely order again.
Don't remember what we had for dessert other than it had olive oil ice cream.
I remember some one saying the food from here was over salted.
I thought it was almost under salted the night we were there. The Carne asada
could have used a little salt.
Mon Ami Gabi for breakfast.
Food was meh but sitting on the patio on a perfect day made up for it.
Scarpetta
Had the tasting menu.
When the waiter brought the bread basket, he warned us not to eat too much of it.
Good warning although I did nibble on a couple of the breads. The stromboli was good.
Duo of yellowtail and tuna. Was okay. They also brought out a little plate
of frito misto. Good but nothing to write home about.
Roasted sea scallop with cauliflower. Scallop was big and perfectly cooked. They
also brought out the polenta with mushrooms. This was outstanding. I would order
this again.
Spaghetti tomato basil & short rib agnolotti. The spaghetti was good but not life
changing. Nice thick homemade noodles. The agnolotti was good but over the top rich.
I can't imagine eating a full serving of this.
Black cod, caramelized fennel and concentrated tomatoes. It was okay. The sauce
kind of overpowered the fish. Plus we were getting pretty full by now.
Spiced duck with endive, preserved orange and cippollini. Duck was good but I didn't
like the cooked endive. And I was very full.
Chocolate cake with almond gelato. Good. Managed to choke most of it down
despite being stuffed.
Was surprised at how much we enjoyed Scarpetta. Nice bustling room with a
view of the fountains. Service was good.
Late night slice of sausage pizza from the no name pizza place several hours
later after gambling and drinking. In retrospect, that slice was probably not
needed after that Scarpetta meal but I've been wanting to try it. Plus drinking
may have influenced the decision. It was okay. I can imagine ordering a fresh
pie would be better but
The Henry for breakfast. Was okay. Huevos Rancheros here is really more like
and enchilada with eggs and ranchero sauce.
Sage
Probably the weakest dinner we had but it was still enjoyable.
We shared the poached egg and the baby octopus to start. We've had both
these dishes before. Probably should have each ordered the eggs. It's a
poached egg in thick hot potato soup with buttered brioche. Love this dish.
The baby octopus was okay. It didn't have the nice char flavor from the
last time we had it.
Next we shared the beet salad and the shaved artichoke salad. Meh. Nothing
really wrong with them but not sure I'd order either again. The granola on
the beet salad seemed like a fairly random ingredient.
My wife had the herb crusted lamb with cauliflower puree, fava beans, sugar snap
peas, and confit lamb shoulder. She liked it well enough.
I had the pork loin with spaetzle, mortadella and pickled apple.
The pork was wrapped with bacon but still seemed a bit dry. The mortadella was
a big folded up slice and seemed like a totally random ingredient.
I would not order this again.
Can't recall what we had for dessert.
Late lunch at Spago cafe before our flight home. They have pretty good pasta dishes.
Also saw Wolfgang Puck arrive while we were eating. Within the span of about an hour, we saw
Dick Butkus, Pete Rose, and Wolfgang Puck. If that's not a celebrity trifecta I don't know what is.
All in all, we had four good to great dinners. I think I'd rather go to Le Cirque
again than Robuchon although cost does influence that decision.
I'll definitely return to Scarpetta.
Would probably return to Jaleo if we're staying at the Cosmo or Bellagio.
Vegas May 21-24, trying to decide between restaurants in Mandalay Bay and MGM Grand
Just a note about those restuarant.com certs. There is *always* a code out there for at least 50% off. I don't think I've ever paid more than $6 for one of those Aureole certs.
Since you're seeing the 10pm Ka show, I wouldn't limit myself to just the MGM Grand since you should have plenty of time. I do think Nob Hill would be a good choice though. I've enjoyed Fiamma the two times we've been there but that was a few years ago.
I wouldn't waste time/stomach with a buffet, even the Bellagio one.
We just got back from a stay at the Cosmo. We ate at Le Cirque one night and it's really not too bad of a walk between the Cosmo and Bellagio. My wife even mentioned that it wasn't a bad walk with heels. The Bellagio has a moving sidewalk from the strip to the lobby. Don't be tempted to take the tram if you're at the Cosmo. It's a much longer walk since you have to make your way through Crystals.
At the Cosmo, we ate at Scarpetta and Jaleo, both of which we give the thumbs up to.
Le Cirque was fab. Sage was good but I think we were suffering from food overload.
Le Cirque Dress Code?
We ate at Le Cirque last Sunday.
There were two large tables there that night. One seemed to be a table of 8 or so 40 to late 50 year old sales rep type guys who appeared to be attending the EDS convention in the Cosmo. Most were in khaki pants and long sleeve button down shirts with company logos. They were a bit on the loud side but not obnoxiously so. The only weird thing is that they appeared to all order different desserts and proceeded to pass them to their neighbor after one bite. Not disturbing, just a bit odd behavior.
Towards the end of our meal, a table of 6 late 20 somethings was seated. There was one guy who was a bit older and was dressed a bit rock star-ish all in black. The rest were in khakis or jeans with fairly casual shirts. Rock-star dressed guy was clearly the alpha and was there to enjoy the tasting menu. The rest of them looked fairly uncomfortable.
We had the tasting menu and both got the white asparagus, foie gras, sea bass, and duck.
Wifey had a souffle and I had the chocolate sphere.
We enjoyed all the courses and were pleasantly full but not stuffed.
This was our first visit to Le Cirque after traveling to Vegas several time a year for a long time.
I now regret that we waited this long to try it.
FWIW, I was wearing a jacket and tie. Oh, and pants and shirt too.
Menu Dégustation v Menu Decouverte at L'Atelier
I'd say the items from the Degustation menu aren't quite twice the size as from the tasting menu.
For example I think there are 5 oysters vs 3 for the tasting.
I think 8 items would be a lot of food.
Sage or L'Atelier de Joel Robouchon?
Looks like there are prices on the menus.
http://www.mgmgrand.com/pdf/atelier_carte_menu.pdf
http://www.mgmgrand.com/pdf/atelier_degustation_menu.pdf
$200 for food for two might be tough but do-able.
Food itinerary - thoughts
If you want macarons, stop by the Bouchon Bakery counter in the Venetian.
Fiamma, Valentino, Onda or Spago?
I thought il mulino was terrible but that experience was a few years ago.
We ate at Valentino last November and thought the food was very good. Just that the room itself was terrible. It was very dark (not in a good way) and although it seemed in decent shape, looked like it hadn't been updated since the place opened.
The Valentino cafe out front is a much more pleasant space.
Fiamma, Valentino, Onda or Spago?
Spago has two areas. There's the casual cafe part open to the mall plus a more secluded full restaurant. Ambiance is okay at the full restaurant.
Valentino is similar but the main back dining room is really in dire need of a remodel.
Some tables at Fiamma are also right on the wall to the mall. It's an open grill sort of wall which is kind of off putting.
We often have an early dinner at the Spago cafe on our last day since we often take an 8ish flight home.
Lunch in/near Bellagio Hotel
I seem to recall the Milos lunch special being Monday-Friday.
This was last year though.
The current menu implies it's every day.
http://www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/pdf/menu/EstiatorioMilos0312.pdf
Restaurants Around Mandalay Bay & MGM Grand (Review Our List)
The Michelin star was in its previous incarnation as Fleur de Lys in 2006.
Aureole is one of my favorite places in Las Vegas. They're on restaurant.com too.
I like Stripsteak except for the location. I don't like that big window onto the walkway.
Fiamma was good too but it was about two years ago that we last ate there.
I don't like the tables on the walkway there either.
Old-Fashioned NYC-Style "Cantonese" Chinese-American Food in Seattle?
Perry Ko's tastes exactly the same as it did when it was on Beacon Hill.
They're in a kind of weird hard to find part of Bellevue now.
Eating good overnight in Vegas
The Wicket Spoon is the Cosmopolitan buffet and closes at 9pm or 10pm depending upon the day. The Henry is the Cosmopolitan 24 hour restaurant.
First Food inside the Palazzo by Barney's is open until 2am. It's not bad but I'd probably just go to the Peppermill.
Blue Fin Tuna / Expensive Dining
Only been to Blue Ribbon once but thought their sushi was massively overpriced for mid level quality. The rice was terrible as well. Very pebbley.
On the other hand, their fried chicken and the oxtail fried rice were both very good.
Finishing touches needed
Been to Bouchon many times around 9:15-9:30 on Sunday and it's not bad crowd-wise. Never had to wait for a table. It does get pretty busy by the time we're leaving though.
Been To Vegas Several Times - ISO New High-End But Not Crazy Pricey Dinner?
First isn't anything like the others on your list. It's not bad but I would save it for when you're looking for a late night eats place that's not a coffee shop.
Solo lunch -- enjoy bar seating, good wine
Had lunch at Comme Ca last summer. It was good but not great. Of course we just had a charcuterie plate, a frisee salad, and some kind of toasted sandwich. Never thought I'd be saying this, but the head cheese was very good.
I can imagine going back there if it was convenient but I wouldn't go out of my way for lunch.
Girls Trip - Need Upscale Dinner Recs, Casual Lunches
I think Swan Court with drinks is going to be pushing your $100pp limit.
Depending upon your definition of "girls night out", I'm not sure it really fits what you're looking for either. It's a calmer, quieter type of place; not that the main Aureole room is loud at all.
Under $100 for two on the strip...best picks??
Canaletto is part of the Il Fornaio chain.
Questions about L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon cost and seating options
When we ate there a couple weeks ago, the discovery menu was $155 but the choice of mains were the quail or a beef, not the veinison as listed.
The price for the club menu was $95 but the choices of mains were different from what's listed now.
The other courses were what's listed on the MGM website.
Bar Masa is going to be really expensive. Easily more than B&B.
Questions about L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon cost and seating options
Funny, they seem to have replaced the Cut of the Week with a Michael Jackson menu for December (whatever the heck that is).
http://www.charliepalmer.com/Properties/CPSteak/LasVegas/Menu/?MenuId=289
CP Steak atmosphere isn't real steakhousey and it's fairly nice but yeah, it's still a steakhouse.
Questions about L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon cost and seating options
Wife and I usually go to Las Vegas about 3 or 4 times per year. We went 3 times this year and hit L'Atelier two of the trips. We really enjoy L'Atelier and yes, we're using our own money to eat there.
If you're looking for a nice place around $50, consider the Cut of the Week at Charlie Palmer Steak in the Four Seasons/Mandalay Bay. That's 3 course including wine.
They're closed Sunday/Monday I think. There's a different menu every week. Check the CP website.
Questions about L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon cost and seating options
Menus with prices are here http://www.joel-robuchon.net/
Questions about L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon cost and seating options
Menus are on the MGM Grand website. No prices though.
They're very flexible. Anyone can order pretty much whatever they want.
We ate there a few weeks ago. The club menu and the discovery menus that night were similar but not identical to what's listed on MGM Grand site.
BTW, I think dinner all in for $50 at Bouchon or B&B is going to be very difficult.
Questions about L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon cost and seating options
1. There is table seating too. The chairs are not very comfortable. I think most if not all of the table seating also use the higher bar type chairs. I've dined there as a group of 6 at the counter. They gave us a corner so it was 3/3 and it worked okay. Sitting at the counter gives an entertaining view of the kitchen.
2. $100 is a bit light unless you're just talking food (no drinks or tip). You can order the club menu which is a 5 course prix fixe for $95. Small plates (tapas/appetizer size) start in the high teens and go up rapidly. I think larger plates start around $40 and also go up rapidly.
3. They ofer both tastings or ala carte. They've pretty flexible.
