Swicks

thanks Colgate Not sure i can buy a Vouge for myself (im male) so maybe I'll pull a dastardly deed and just rip the article out.

Im going to ask again, does anyone know where I can find Jeffery Steingarten's article on Las Vegas that was mentioned? I searched the web and can't seem to find it. Many thanks!

Colgate you make some great points. I also had a good time at Mix, for what its worth. Anyone know where I can find the Steingarten article, Vogue online?

Facinating!

Well said.... moosnsqrl, I think you are absolutely entitled to your own opinion but I think its a bit much to say that Vegas outposts of other fine dining establishments are the end of the world, like Fat Guy said, if the food is good, what does it matter? What if this trend was occuring in Indinapolis or Des Moines or Jackson Hole, would you still feel the same? It seems more that you just dislike Vegas itself. Clearly I am trying to read your mind so take it with a grain of salt....

Fakeness, wretched excess, et al notwithstanding I am of the opinion that Vegas now has to now be considered in the top echelon of dining cities in the US. Regardless of your opinion of it there really are some top notch dining destinations avaliable there now.

Excellently put busboy and docsconz. FG, I definately agree that it will be interesting to see how these restaurants do. IIRC, JR at the Manison has been open for at least a year and seems to be doing well. I think that inevitably there is enough money in Las Vegas, and enough people wanting to appear "classy" and "sophisticated" and they figure the best way to do that is to eat an extrodinarily expensive meal, and this type of business will keep the tables filled. Whether or not this type of business is good or bad is debatable and it would seem irrelevant to the chef so long as his bottom lines are met. Regarding L'Atelier, the wide swath of experiences from overwhelmingly positive to negative is interesting and perhaps a bit troubling.

FG, I totally concur (and forgot to mention) Aureole, I have heard nothing but mediocre to bad reports about it as well. Almost had a major business dinner there a few months ago, glad I had it somewhere else. Countdown to dinner at L'Atelier....20 days. I'll judge for myself.

Interesting thread, just found it, lost of good inspirational stuff here. As a recent quitee, 8 months in as I have kept up my New Years Resolution, its great to read. For me personally, food and smoking had a strong link. As probably many smokers will attest, I really enjoyed a cigarette after a good meal (or any meal for that matter ). This was one of the tougher things to deal with missing but at this point I feel pretty great about the progress I have made. I know this whole post seems like a personal rah-rah session but I felt like adding my own personal experience to the mix.

It was an interesting article. I felt that he didn't go into enough depth on some of the places but it obviously due to the constraints of the articles size. I was surprised he disliked Alex as much as he did, I have heard so many good things about it. While that sommiler issue was unforgiveable, it was odd. Additionally, I was surprised by the lack of a dinner at Joel Rubachon at the Mansion, I would have expected that given he ate at the compareable Guy Savoy, which seems to be not as positviely reviewed as JR at this point.

I'll definately give it a go when I am in San Diego again.

I was browsing through some old posts and remembered I forgot to post a review of Stonehill Tavern I did for another blog a few months ago. Here it is and bear in mind it is from June. Enjoy! The restaurant showcased contemporary and elegant design and a great looking marble cocktail bar. Though the dining room was a tad bit loud it did not feel crowded and the noise did not have a negative effect on the dinner. The menu at Stonehill Tavern is simple and elegant focusing on high quality ingredients and simple preparations. It is very conducive to sharing items, though all are so good you may not want to! Appetizers are inventively arranged by food type: lobster, scallop, duck, tuna and greens and offered in three different preparations as well as a trio of tastings. We had the lobster fritters (with bacon and shiso), lobster bisque as well as seared scallops (with potato, parmesan, and ham). The scallops and fritters were both delicious in their own right but the bisque out shined them both. Although I am biased, as I would kill a man for a decent bowl of lobster bisque, this one was superb, perhaps the best I have had. It was mostly a delicious broth, clearly homemade lobster stock, light on the cream and contained nearly an entire lobster tail as well as fresh vegetables. Not to be outdone by the appetizers the main courses impressed as well. I dined on the braised short rib of beef, a personal favorite of mine. I can rarely turn down this comfort dish if offered on a menu and this one was the best interpretation I have ever had, very tender with a light sauce and very lean as far as short ribs go, just spectacular. It was served with glazed mirepoix and potato puree; the latter was so delicious and buttery if I had the opportunity I would have gladly showered in it. My brothers had the New York steak and halibut respectively and both were delicious and inventively prepared. My parents shared the Berkshire pig, which was also delicious and cooked perfectly. In an age of flavorless, overcooked pork it was nice to see a restaurant treat it with respect and prepare it properly. The dinner ended with an incredible desert, a warm chocolate cake with an inside of molten peanut butter, an absolutely great ending to a truly memorable meal. In similar fashion the wine list shone as well. Expansive without being overbearing it showcased excellent and interesting choices all at reasonable cost, with a majority of the bottles under $125. We were guided through it by an excellent sommelier and enjoyed two great recommendations, a 2003 Patz and Hall Pinot Noir and a 2004 Copain Pinot Noir. Both wines were excellent and complemented the food wonderfully. Throughout the meal the service was superlative, friendly and non-intrusive and completely professional. It is tough to describe a meal at Stonehill Tavern and not run out of superlatives, as the entire experience was nothing short of spectacular.

Interesting report David. I have eaten there twice but back when it was a more traditional menu set up. I really enjoyed it both times. I do think that the small plate type of deal has been done to death but that is obviously exclusive from the quality of the food which seems to still be delicious. The rice pudding dish is delicious, I remember it quite well also.

I have eaten at Sevilla on several occasions, while touristy it is still quite good and has a fun atmosphere. While i have not eaten at Tesoro I have heard good things about it. Rama is also excellent, i highly reccommend it. While it is not the cheap, streetfood type of thai food some people desire it is very delicious and suprisingly authentic. Very cool room with a lounge in front and we had great service. Decent wine list too. If you can get the mango and rice desert, it is amazing. Its sticky thai rice, sweeted coconut milk, and fresh cut mango, great for summer. The same group also has a restaurant called Celadon as well which is also very good. www.signonsd.com is a good site for other restaurant ideas. Enjoy!

FG, Seems like a great call! I'll be in Vegas in November and I am hoping to squeeze in a trip as well.

It seems for your price range you might consider L'Artelier de JR and do it big time knowing you will be safely under your, albiet very generous, max. I haven't been to either of them yet but a guy can dream right?

Forgot to mention, great pics molto e, that kitchen is amazing!!!

Yeah, both spots seem to offer an incredible experience but I'm still not sure about a $300 tasting menu with no wine, tip etc. Maybe that is a short-sighted opinion. Im not familiar with what their followings are like but it seems to be working over at Rubachon. Additionally, I have readof some lapes in experience with the two and I agree with the reviewer in that for that price tag the experience should be flawless. Even with the prices at L'Artelier de JR i would expect perfection, though based on quite a few reviews it seems to be hit or miss.

S. Irene Virbila from the LA times reviews Guy Savoy here (sorry don't know how to link): http://www.latimes.com/features/food/cl-fo...ack=1&cset=true Interesting review. I didnt know the prices were that astronomical.

Erring on the side of brevity, I will simply ditto eveyone's previously written thoughts. In a day and age of sitcoms written by monkeys, reality show whores, and teenage dramas, it was great to see such an honest, thought-provoking, and well produced piece of television. I was really blown away. Additionally I can't help but echo the sentiments regarding the restrained political commentary (read: lack of preaching) by AB and crew as well as the honest portrayal of the marines as positive, human, and caring. Quite a refreshing and different perspective compared to the descriptions common today in some of our major news sources. Bravo.

Agree with the above, for high end French MF can't be beat.

Yeah the food at Buchon looked really great. I laughed everytime he spoke to Rhulman. Like when he answered his cell phone with "What is it Ruhlman you filthy beast?"

Did anyone catch the random wed night showing last night? It was an entertaining trip to Las Vegas with his friend Rhulman, the same trip detailed in Nasty Bits.

Additionally, I would second the rec on Parallel 33, however not on Acqua al 2. While good, I think there are other better options for Italian. Pangea and Indigo Grill are two additional interesting choices.

I just typed out a whole thing then realized i wasn't logged in, dammit. Oh well.. San Diego, my specialty! I would second the inconsistency of JSix as I ate there on Saturday night, it was good, but not great, and there are plenty of other great options in the nearby area. The bar at the Solamar JBar however is excellent, great scene with lots of beautiful people. For Italian downtown I would rec La Strada, Osteria panevino, and D'Medici in that order. For seafood Blue Point, steak, the flemings downtown. For a hip atmosphere and good food try Chive, Confidential or Aubregine. If you want to venture out of downtown to La Jolla (up the coast about 15-20 minutes) there are a bunch of excellent choices as well. The Marine Room for steak/seafood in an unbelieveable oceanfront setting or Tapenade for French, both are very highly rated. Check out www.signonsd.com for restaurant listings and reviews. Hope this helps, enjoy! Feel free to ask any more questions -S