rjwong

IMO, Bellagio is still on the top of the heap. If you want to try someplace different, go to the Buffet at the Wynn Resort. Those two are both really good, Bellagio gets the slight edge over Wynn. At $60-65 per person, Bally's Brunch Buffet is not really worth the price, IMO. If you get a chance, Los Angeles Times food critic S. Irene Virbila just wrote a couple of articles (2 Apr. 2008) on the latest in Las Vegas dining, including the new restaurants over at the Palazzo and Payard Patisserie at Caesar's and Louis's at Town Square. Please give us a full culinary report! And enjoy your time in Las Vegas!

Most of what David said. I had a less than ideal dining experience at Capitol Grille. And Jean-Georges's steakhouse is called Prime. Prime is very good, and the prices are definitely "prime." SW Steakhouse is fine. Just be careful with the servers who can be aggressive assertive about padding your dinner bill. Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant at Caesar's Forum Shops is very good. They do serve excellent steaks there. Delmonico's over at the Venetian is a fun place. The place is huge and you should look at their wine room. This is one of Emeril's restaurants. Besides Carnevino & Cut over at the Palazzo, there's a third steakhouse called Morels, a French steakhouse. If you're into cheeses, Morels only has artisanal cheeses, both imported and domestic. No, I haven't tried any of them ... yet. Finding a restaurant on the Strip for $15-35/entree may be very difficult, perhaps even impossible. Las Vegas can be rather expensive. Daniel Boulud Brasserie has an affordable 3-course prix fixe dinner for $48 (until 7 p.m.). Seriously, that's a bargain for a nice dinner on the Strip. To give you (and your group) some context, a lunch buffet at Wynn or Bellagio will run you about $25/person. If you all want to go off the Strip, there's a New American-type restaurant on Sahara Blvd. about seven miles due west from the intersection of Las Vegas Blvd. & Sahara Blvd. The restaurant is called Rosemary's Restaurant. For about $50, they have a three-course dinner, and on Sunday nights, their wine list is half-price. I consider Rosemary's the best restaurant in Las Vegas that's off the Strip. If your friend wants to expand the list a bit, there might be some New American restaurants like Bradley Ogden. Mind you, I suspect that might be a tough sell, ehh? I second what David said. You may want to consider treating your friend to a special dinner for a special occasion, if the opportunity arises. Thank you for clarifying. I hope that helps.

Robin, I can think of a couple of LA restaurants and an OC restaurant as well. From Fountain Valley, drive a few miles east (not west for the moment) to South Coast Plaza (a huge shopping center) and a place called Marche Moderne, if you're into French food. Marche Moderne is located on the third floor where Nordstorm's dept. store is. There's a separate discussion thread about this restaurant. Arguably the best restaurant in Orange County, California. However, if you want to be close to LAX (just in case), Melisse on Wilshire Blvd. (11th) in Santa Monica is one of the best restaurants in the LA area. Two-star Michelin restaurant, if that concerns you. There's also Joe's Restaurant on Abbot Kinney in Venice. Finding free street parking is an adventure. There also is a discussion thread that covers Santa Monica, Venice, Culver City, and the Westside. I hope this helps.

Greetings, Synergy! Pardon me if I seem a bit dense, but you're planning a stagette for your girlfriend and you get to come along?? Later in your post, you said "... my stagette ..." Please clarify. How many will there be in this stagette? And the price range you have in mind would be like those of Alize, Daniel Boulud Brasserie and Le Cirque, correct? And you definitely want a steakhouse, not French or Italian or Asian? As for ambience: "nice" as in able to have a nice conversation? Or nice as in a nice celebration & party? Sorry about the inquisition. Mind you, I want to make things clear in my mind before I open my mouth and .... say something.

LMHO ... Welcome back, Cilantro! Why pretend to cook? Learn to cook! Your favorite restaurant in southern Nevada?? Talk about lacking heart. It's a corporate chain, not a local mom-and-pop place. But hey! Yoshinoya has to start somewhere in Nevada. Isn't there another Thai restaurant that's pretty good. I don't remember the name, but it starts with an "A", like Archon or Archie or something like that ... It sounds like you're into liquid meals, ehh? Seriously, Cilantro, I appreciate your posts. If the food tastes great to you, pour it on. And your posts remind me not to take myself too seriously, particularly with high-end and fine dining. And if you haven't already, check out a new restuarant called Fish Camp and its fine-dining sister restaurant Louis's.

Cilantro (aka "Negative Nancy"), What kind of restaurants are "outside of your caste"? Do you usually eat on the Strip? Or more in downtown Las Vegas, like Binion's (Is it still there?)? Or the local places? Memphis Championship Barbecue? Rosemary's? Perhaps that new place, Fish Camp/Louis's, south of Mandalay Bay? As for Sensi, I've only eaten there once, and that was a couple of years ago. My lunch tasted fine. I'll probably try it again when I'm in Las Vegas in May. Sensi has four different cuisines to choose from, if I remember correctly. Does that help you understand a little bit?

It looks like you’re wanting more casual and/or ethnic places, about $50-75/person at most?? So, no Providence, no Melisse, no, Sona, no Spago, no Urasawa or Matsuhisa, right? Empress Pavilion in downtown Chinatown is still good. I’ve tried Triumphal Palace and Elite (formerly New Concept) in San Gabriel Valley. Pretty good, but I’m not familiar with SGV as well (Bonus answer: I could be counted as one-and-a-half people, but I’ve been on a diet recently. Mind you, something like a diet won’t stop me from helping others to round their table of four.). Sorry, I’m more used to Cantonese cuisine. There is a website called Rameniac. The person was featured in an article by Russ Parsons in the Los Angeles Times back in Jan. 2008. Give it a try. Wat Thai is still located on the corner of Coldwater Canyon and Roscoe Blvd. There’s also Thai Town between Hollywood Blvd.(north) and Sunset Blvd. (south), Western Ave. (west) and Normandie (east). Thai restaurants stay open until 2 a.m. Whatever Swicks says. South of Thai Town, there’s Koreatown. Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Grand Central Market in downtown LA. How familiar are you with Southern California geography? Almost any ethnic restaurant can get into offals. I can't think of any specific places, sorry. Not into desserts?? There’s a few places you might want to try. Mind you, they tend to be in restaurants. Local neighborhood restaurants, you have to really search for them, depending on the locale. Since your base is in Culver City, you probably want to focus on Santa Monica, Venice, Culver City, and the Westside. If that's the case, then I'm not as familiar as I am with downtown Los Angeles. Where are you hanging out during your vacation?? Enjoy your time in LA!

Which location? The one in Hollywood? And what did you order? Scoe's #1? Herb's #3?

Try this link: http://www.palazzolasvegas.com/dining.aspx The questions I would have for some of these chefs are: Why Las Vegas, but not Los Angeles? Is it more than just the money?

One place in Orange County that I know of is Marche Moderne at South Coast Plaza on the 3rd floor near Nordstrom's, if French food is something a little different. Mind you, I live in Los Angeles County and I rarely go out to eat in Orange County. Were you thinking of something more ethnic, like Vietnamese in Westminster or Chinese in Irvine? There is a Chinese restaurant in Irvine called Sam Woo, which is pretty good. I think it's next to a 99 Ranch Market. I hope you have a nice dinner with your father!

Chad, I'll be keeping an eye out for your knife book at my nearby Costco store. Are you going to do a book tour? Perhaps to Los Angeles, please? I know LA is not the Riviera. Mind you, Los Angeles does have a few good restaurants ... I wish you great success on "An Edge in the Kitchen"!!

Did this deal just end or something? I get "We're sorry, this product is not available. Product number: 11270087" when I click that link. ← I don't believe this! It was showing the picture of the product with that price this Sunday afternoon. Now, I get that same message you got, that it's no longer available. Sorry about that ...

If you're a member of Costco, you can buy this Le Creuset 6.75 qt. French Oven at its current everyday price of $189.99, shipping & handling included. My boss told me about an offer years ago where American Express was offering an eleven-piece set (only in green) of Le Creuset for about $250.00 USD (you read correctly). Amex has never made that offer since ...

French bistros and brasseries are beginning to show up now. That's good. Why should the Italians have all the fun? I wish Suzanne Goins well. I hope she doesn't spread herself too thin (Lucques, AOC, Hungry Cat with her husband David Lentz (LA & SB)) ...

Amigos, por favor ... Try this link: http://www.sosa.cat The website is in three languages. I'm guessing, "gelificante vegetal sosa" may mean vegetable gelling agent, made by Sosa??

phlox, I have a few questions for you: What kind of cuisine would your mother eat and/or NOT eat? What cost or price would you and your mother consider too fancy? Due to your situation, do you want more quiet places, more of a local neighborhood restaurant? Do you want some popular places with some people-watching scene? You probably want to stay on the Westside (west of the San Diego Freeway, aka the 405). Wait a minute! I remember a discussion thread that talks about restaurants over on the Westside. Let me try and find it and I'll put the link for it. I'll be back, unless someone else finds it ... I think I found it ... I hope this helps.

I second that. The place is now called Boule Atelier and they moved a few doors down from their original spot on La Cienega Blvd. One problem I have with them is that they don't stay open late at night (only until 7 or 8 p.m.). Contrastly, a place called Milk stays open at least till 10 p.m. Milk is located on Beverly Blvd., west of La Brea. LA has a few pastry chefs you might want to consider: Sherry Yard @ Spago Karen Hatfield @ Hatfield's Adrian Vasquez @ Providence Adrian has his new line of chocolate he created for LaMill Coffee. He made a mushroom (chanterelle) chocolate that you need to taste. As for cheap ethnic dives, I'll mention a few basic places. Mind you, different ethnic places are all over. For example, in Chinatown closest to Olvera St., there's Mexican, Peruvian, Thai, Filipino, Carolina BBQ, Hawaiian, Vietnamese, Chinese, & Philippe's French Dip, as well as a Subway's (That's cheap ethnic, isn't it?), all within a two- to three-block area: Chinese: CBS Seafood, Sam Woo et al. in Chinatown Japanese: Sushi Gen, Izayoi, KaGaYa, Curry House et al. in Little Tokyo Mexican: Grand Central Market & various taco trucks Armenian: Glendale (City of) has a large Armenian community Salvadorean: Atlacatl on Beverly Blvd., west of Vermont/Beverly station Thai: Ruen Pair, Red Corner Asia, Samnungluang(?) in Thai Town on Hollywood Blvd., east of Hollywood/Western station Korean: Koreatown on Western, near the Wilshire/Western station

gfron1, I work in downtown LA and the Wilshire Grand is on the corner of 7th and Figueroa (or "7th & Fig"), near the Metro station. From that station, you can go to Hollywood and/or Pasadena and/or Long Beach with a $5 day pass. Just to let you know, downtown LA is experiencing a renaissance of sorts. A lot of developments are going on (LA Live next to Staples Center & Grand Ave. Project next to the Walt Disney Concert Hall). I ate at a Korean restaurant last night at the Wilshire Grand. Pretty good. I'll PM you with more info.

Thank you for your report, AnnaC! It sounds like the two of you had a wonderful time in Las Vegas. The restaurant prices along the Strip can be daunting. Perhaps, the casinos figure you can win a few dollars to pay for those meals ... There are a few restaurants in Las Vegas that are affordable, mainly off the Strip. Mind you, there are a few bargains, relatively speaking, that are on the Strip. You have to find them, and we're talking about $50 a person for dinner. How was Vic & Anthony's in downtown Las Vegas? I've never eaten there. BTW Jean-Philippe makes about twenty-five different pastries. How many did you try? It sounds like you have a sweet tooth ... You might want to try Payard Patisserie over at Caesar's.

I'm fascinated by all this as well. It reminds me of a dining experience I had a couple of years ago. It was a Sunday night of a three-day weekend in Los Angeles, either Jan. or Feb. It. Was. Cold. Grace Restaurant was having their regular "Burger Night" and I decided to go there that evening. It shouldn't be that crowded. When I got there, the ENTIRE restaurant was slammed! They ran out of the burgers by 7:00 p.m. I ordered something else from this one little spot at the bar area and watching the whole thing. Even though I didn't get to see the kitchen action that well, I could just feel this "poetry in motion" going on throughout the restaurant, the BOH and the FOH working together, even though it was very busy. It was amazing to see it and experience it ...

jbzepol, what do you mean by, "get away with about half the amount"? Well, bless your heart! Next time, you just give me that other half of the blue cheese slaw. I'll finish it up for you. Sounds like all y'all enjoyed Rosmary's a lot? Was it worth drivin' all the way out there to have dinner? I like that place very much. The food is great and the restaurant is off the Strip!!

Friday On my way to Las Vegas in my brand new Saturn Aura (with a V-6 engine), I stop by the Valley Cheese & Wine Store over in Henderson to drop off some burrata cheese that I bought directly from Gioia Cheese Co. the night before. My friends who run the store need to know how good and fresh this cheese is. I then check into my budget hotel near the Convention Center and I’m ready for some culinary adventures ... But first, I need my shave and a haircut at Truefitt and Hill, inside the Forum Shops at Caesar’s. And since I was already at Caesar’s, I decided to have dinner at Spago Las Vegas. I got to meet chef Eric Klein, and after a little conversation, I went for the six-course tasting menu for $100. Tarte flambee Yellowtail with wasabi & Tuna tartare taco Pear salad with arugula, prosciutto and burrata Lobster salad Four cheese gnocchi with black truffle sauce Scallop with cauliflower puree Butter, salt, olive oil with rosemary, and pepper Venison with root vegetables and sauerkraut Tea Remains of the pre-dessert: blueberries topped with green apple sorbet Pecan pie, Valrhona chocolate (72%) and apple tart Spago Saturday I woke up and went to the Venetian to have breakfast at Bouchon. Florentine quiche wth salad, apple danish and tea. The quiche tasted wonderful. The service wasn’t bad. My server didn’t bring the bread until after the quiche arrived. Overall, my breakfast was fine. Carnevino Here are a couple of photos of Carnevino at the new Palazzo. No, I didn’t eat there yet. And no, that is NOT a photo of Mario Batali ... sigh ... I went over to Henderson (again) to visit my friends at the cheese and wine store. I had some lunch at a Middle Eastern place called Crazy Pita. I ordered the beef kabob plate, with vegetable coucous, hummus, salad, and iced tea. The food was more Moroccan with the inclusion of the coucous. I drove out west, way off the Strip, and stopped at Rosemary’s Restaurant for the three-course prix fixe dinner for $50. Selected courses have additional surcharges. Asparagus bread pudding The roll on the left has white chocolate and nuts. Mind you, it didn’t taste sweet. Hugo’s Texas BBQ shrimp, Maytag blue cheese slaw Scallops (evening special) Grilled veal tenderloin, French green lentils, apple smoked bacon & sherry mustard butter sauce Rosemary’s Restaurant The Maytag blue cheese slaw was flavorful. Nothing subtle about the blue cheese. The dinner at Rosemary’s was worth the drive. And one of the most affordable fine dining meals in Las Vegas. Cheese course (Morels, Palazzo, Las Vegas) Although I didn’t eat at Morels during this trip, I got a chance to take a quick look at the place. I had a brief chat with the fromagier. No they do not have époisse. He was explaining to me that instead of the familiar “big names,” all the cheeses at Morels are artisanal, both domestic and imported. I only recognized one: Red Hawk. I definitely have to eat at this place on my next trip. Sunday After I check out of my budget hotel, I head on over for an early check-in at the Wynn Resort. Nothing available at this time. I decide to have breakfast at the Country Club, and hopefully, my room will become available (so I can charge breakfast to my room). I ordered their corn chowder, Cobb salad and iced tea. Nice, for what it is. And the view of the golf course is wonderful. But I wouldn’t pay $500 for a round of golf. And it worked! I called the front desk and my room is available now. Charge the breakfast to my room, get my luggage, head on up and get ready for Sunday night dinner at Restaurant Guy Savoy ... The wine wasn’t the only thing that was flowing that night at Guy Savoy ... I made arrangements to get a group of foodies together for dinner at Restaurant Guy Savoy. Bob & Kristin have never been to Guy Savoy before. Dennis was staying at Caesar’s for a business conference and wanted to try Guy Savoy. John has eaten at Guy Savoy ... beaucoup de temps ... And then there’s yours truly. When I arrived at the restaurant, Bob, Kristin & Dennis were waiting in the lounge area and sipping some champagne. I did likewise. It was great to see Franck Savoy again. He’s an excellent maitre d’. John finally arrived and we all introduced ourselves. After a couple of champagne toasts and small appetizers, we proceeded into the main dining area. The group decided to order a la carte instead of the menu prestige, so we can have more variety. As John said, “Make them cook!” I took photos mostly of what I ordered. Amuse bouche Amuse bouche, part 2 Bread cart Terrine poularde Risotto with black truffles Beef cheek ravioli (compliments from the kitchen) Sea bass Poussin (with black truffles under the skin) I didn’t order this. Mind you, I was admiring it from a distance ... okay, I did get to taste a bite and it was wonderful ... Grapefruit terrine with a maple leaf biscuit It looks like a Canadian dessert, ehh?? A few selections from the Dessert Trolley We were having so much fun, I was wondering if we might get kicked out for being so rowdy. I asked Bob what he thought about their wine book (not a list ... a book). What impressed him was that there were a fair number of affordable bottles of wine. Bob ordered about 3-4 bottles and he said each of them were under $100. I already liked Restaurant Guy Savoy from my first visit, and I like it even more. Guy Savoy is definitely that special occasion restaurant you want to dine at if and when you hit it big ... Monday After what happened last night (and that will stay in Las Vegas), I had lunch/brunch at the Wynn Buffet. For about $25, it’s one of the best value meals on the Strip: four different selections of fish, sliced meats, vegetables, salads, and desserts. Even though it’s not cutting-edge, the food doesn’t taste bad. The best time to go is between 10:30-11:00 a.m., when the line is not too long. During the afternoon, I went back to Caesar’s and visited Payard Patisserie. Before I went on my chocolate shopping spree, I snacked on a small ham & cheese quiche and a meringue tart that was quite sweet. For about $15, I had a nice snack or light lunch. I didn’t get a chance to try the three-course dessert menu in their dining room area. I need to focus on Payard during my next trip to Las Vegas. As I was working my way through the rest of the restaurants over at the Wynn, I went to SW Steakhouse that’s located next to Daniel Boulud Brasserie. Tomato pie This was basically a pizza. I should’ve ordered the crabcakes instead. I blew my Atkins diet for that evening ... New York strip Truffled cream corn SW Steakhouse The service was fine and aggressive ... I couldn’t finish everything. So, I had it all bagged up, drove over to Henderson, and gave it to my friend as his dinner. Tuesday Since I was going for an afternoon spa and massage, I had breakfast at Terrace Pointe Cafe: eggs, sausage, tomato slices, and hot tea. Over at the spa, the refreshments that were available were bottled water, fruit juices, bananas, apples, oranges, coffee, and tea. After my massage treatment, I was ready to gorge myself at Tableau Restaurant. I opted for their vegetable tasting menu. I then added an extra course: the tai snapper. Tableau (Wynn Resort) Crab with red bell pepper Baby beet salad, ricotta salata Black lentil soup, curry spätzle Roasted garlic gnocchi, mushroom broth Ricotta cannelloni, parmesan cream Winter vegetable pot pie Crispy skin tai snapper Blue cheese and pear terrine, walnut bread Tea Carrot cake, creme fraiche, creme brulee The dessert sampler included a creme brulee, a creme fraiche and a carrot cake that, unfortunately, was rather disappointing. The cake tasted a bit doughy, less than fully baked ... As a result, I later went to Daniel Boulud Brasserie for some peach clafoutis and hot tea. Mind you, the vegetarian tasting menu was pretty good, as well as the added snapper course. I’m willing to try Tableau again. At some point, I’ll probably let the kitchen know about my dining experience. Wednesday Before heading back to Los Angeles, I wanted to try this new place for lunch that’s located in Town Square Las Vegas, south of the airport on Las Vegas Blvd. (not on the Strip, technically speaking). Actually, it’s two restaurants: Louis’s and Fish Camp. Fish Camp is the more casual restaurant. Louis’s is “upscale dining at its cultured finest, y’all.” I went to Fish Camp and had one of their lunch specials: pork grillade, grits, collards, slaw, coconut sorbet, unsweetened tea. The entree with two sides and a dessert cost $12. Now that’s a bargain. And if you’re into Southern cuisine like me, their food really hits the spot! I wish Los Angeles had a restaurant like this ... Well, another Las Vegas culinary trip done and over with. On the next trip (whenever that’ll be), I’ll need to try some of the restaurants over at the Palazzo, including Wolfgang Puck’s Cut, Mario Batali’s Carnevino and Morels with all those artisanal cheeses.

EJCSanFran, The last time I wore a jacket and tie at a restaurant in Los Angeles was ... I really don't remember. Anyways, dress code is completely California casual. Although not in Santa Monica, Lucques is a very good place. They have a Sunday Night Supper for $40, which is really a good bargain. Is that price a bit much for you? Across the street from Lucques is a new French brasserie called comme Ça, owned by David Myers of Sona. Caution: The place is quite loud. Mind you, the food is quite good. Neal Fraser's Grace Restaurant has a Sunday evening "Burger Night," along with their regular menu. Closer to Santa Monica, there's Joe's Restaurant in Venice. They have a prix fixe menu for $61 and a tasting menu for $75. Border Grill in Santa Monica is a nice choice, if you're into upscale, modern Mexican food from the "Too Hot Tamales." Over in Culver City is Fraiche Restaurant. If you do plan to go there, make reservations, even on a Sunday night. Chef Jason Travi is doing great things there. Unfortunately, I haven't eaten there yet. I hope this helps. And please give a full report afterwards ...

Unfortunately, that is one area in Southern California I haven't dined as much. Perhaps, I should do some culinary research out there before I become of retirement age ... FYI I'm somewhere between forty and death ...

JLam, I've looked at the menu, and I wouldn't necessarily call Le Chene, "a fancy high end French place." The menu looks rather traditional and classic French from a previous era, not really cutting edge. I also see that the entrees are not served "a la carte." You get a complete meal with your entree. And that helps with the overall bill, ehh? BTW Do you how to get there? Le Chene is really "out there" in the middle of nowhere. And no, I have never eaten there ... yet. If you haven't had any French food before, you might want to go with some of the classic French dishes that you may have heard about: Duck a l'orange, Beef Bourguignon, Bouillabaisse, Halibut Meuniere ... If you're adventurous, go ahead and try the sweetbreads, or one of the game meats. Add the escargots as well. Try their French onion soup. I'm a sucker for good French onion soup. I hope this helps. And please, give us a report if & when you eat there.