Foodie-Girl

***Well, gee I just couldn't figure out what you meant...LOL

***More good suggestions..THANKS Kate. I am having a VERY light breakfast (this was a last-minute idea and could only get a 5PM reservation) in anticipation of a feast tonight. Isn't that what birthdays are all about?....

Thanks, DrKoob...now we're cooking!!! I've got a pretty good list going so far with more suggestions coming!

***Should I take that as a THUMBS DOWN vote for Lola?.....

Thanks for the suggestions and good wishes for my B'Day. I'm the Queen of Tasting Menus so sharing (even if it's just me/husband) has great appeal.

Tomorrow is my birthday and we've been dying to go to Lola so this is as good a reason as any. Who's been there and what are the "don't miss this!" items? THANKS

***Gee, sorry your experience was THAT bad. I don't think it's possible to ever get quite as good a meal in a buffet as when seated in a restaurant....or even room service for that matter...though Bellagio brings breakfast up with a "hot box" on the cart and everthing is perfectly prepared. I ate at Sensi twice last month and also thought it was a knock-out!

Wendy...sounds fabulous!!! Congratulations on whatever you were celebrating. We went to Rover's for my birthday last year and LOVED IT! Char/foodie-girl

Cascadia and Restaurant Zoe (both in Belltown) are two of my favorites.

After our very disappointing dinner at Lumiere earlier this summer, I feel your pain. It is still surprising to me how some can have an excellent experience at a restaurant and others find it falls far short of even moderate expectations. Even if the food were better, the cramped, uncomfortable room would have been enough to put me off. Atmosphere plays at least a small part in fine dining...for me anyway.

My description doesn't come close to doing our meal justice. Yes, that tiny bite of vanilla ice cream enveloped in the truffle was a gentle explosion of cool flavors....I could have eaten several...LOL

Dinner at West last week not only "knocked my socks off" , it sent them into orbit. I'll list what we ate but my words can't come close to doing justice to the presentations, quality, imagination and sheer impact of flavor of each course. There simply aren't enough superlatives... First off, I felt we had the best seats in the house....a big, comfortable booth across from the kitchen. Normally I would consider this a bad seat with all the commotion of waitstaff picking up orders but this kitchen runs smoothly and with little fanfare. Chef David Hawksworth is a quiet force behind every plate that leaves the kitchen and a delight to chat with as the meal progressed. We opted for letting him choose our Tasting Menu with the stipulation a course of seared foie gras be included. Amuse: A tiny teacup of Sweet Corn Soup with a Single Chanterelle. (I knew the night would go well after the first few sips) Tuna Tartare Timbale with Gazpacho "Water": Well, this was simply fabulous. The tuna by itself would have been perfect but the waitperson poured a clear broth...crystal - clear with flecks of comfetti-like color throughout. It was more of an "essense" than anything else. As light and clear as it appeared it was packed with flavor and when I closed my eyes I tasted gazpacho though I wasn't looking at a tomato-based liquid. It rocked! Ravioli of Goat Cheese with Artichoke Hearts in a Basil Sauce I don't know how he does it but the "sauces" are SO light that I tasted every flavor yet never felt full...or anywhere close to that as the meal progressed. For me that's what makes a great tasting menu. The ravioli was amazing. Sable Fish with Enoki Mushroom Broth: Another winner... Seared Quebec Foie Gras over Roasted Peaches: I've eaten more Foie than I even want to think about but this combination was new to me and, once again fabulous. The Foie was perfectly seared....practically running into the peaches as I cut into each piece. Saddle of Lamb Stuffed with Spinach: While not one of my favorite cuts of lamb this one was delicious. I don't even like spinach and I ate every bite. Lobster Bisque: Well, that's probably not the official name but who cares. Big chunks of lobster floating in a foamed bisque. I loved watching David create the foam while chatting with us. When I'm using my emulsifier it needs my full concenteration or things go flying. The bisque was SO rich and flavorful. Again...beyond words. Gelatin with Apricot Sorbet: This delightful bite came on a large spoon and just slid into our mouths. YUM ! Dark Chocolate Kumquat Millefeuille with Vanilla Ice Cream Truffle: Well, the Millefeuille was light enough to still be enjoyed after our huge meal and the Truffle was somehow cracked open...as one would crack an egg....all jagged edges..with the TINY bite of ice cream in the center. Fabulous taste and very clever presentation. I'm not sure what to call the final dessert...A Straberry Shortcake sort of creation...the strawberries had been soaked in red wine with very delicate cake-like pastry in between. It went SO well with the chocolate dessert. The final bite of the evening was a plate of petit fours with the most delicious morsal of Cheesecake...about one inch square. Couldn't resist that one... For me it was the perfect restaurant experience. Excellent, unobtrusive service. No faltering delays between courses and a softspoken but very warm and engaging chef who makes even two strangers feel welcome in his restaurant. It was a memorable evening in every way.....

Another vote for the Bellagio breakfast buffet and I'm not even a person who eats a huge breakfast. It ends up to be less expensive than room service (my usual choice for breakfast as I can pre-order it the night before and it's hot at my door right on time) and, if you're there during the week there is no problem with waiting in line.

I had two great dinners at Araxi and Bearfoot Bistro recently.

***I'll second ARAXI. Was there last month and going again in a few weeks. Fantastic food/service. As I recall BEARFOOT BISTRO was a bit less pricey and also outstanding!

Hi Rob! I'm really looking forward to your report. I have another trip planned for 6 nights in August and always anxious to hear about the experiences of other foodies!!

***I've not been to Mix (or Fix) but I have been to the three restaurants you mention at Wynn and, having eaten at Daniel Boulud twice in one week I have to say it's a fantastic restaurant. I did see numerous people eating hamburgers with great enthusiasm but I stuck to a 3-course dinner menu both evenings...sublime!! Also, if you eat there be sure to get an OUTSIDE table...Yes, it's hot in July but if you eat around 8PM it cools down and the show is worth it! Cheers!

So how was Ka'? (This is a travel forum too, right? ) And could you tell us the name of the restaurant? Criticism of your opinions shouldn't be feared if they're well-thought-out. ← ***We really enjoyed Ka' but then we have not been disappointed in any of the Cirque shows we've seen: "O", Mystere and Zumanity. All a little different but spectacular in their own way. Our dinner at Nobhill was disappointing in terms of disinterested service/overcooked lobster in the Lobster Pot Pie and other components of the meal that fell flat. Used glasses were left sitting on our table as well as finished plates. No clearing of crumbs...just very slipshod service.

***I was there Sun - Fri and my impression was that the hotel was not full. It took a little patience but I could always find a $15 blackjack table (minimum bet at night) without too much trouble. The craps tables seemed very busy at night but not during the day...which is pretty common. Daniel Boulud and Bartolotti were both packed but Alex was not crowded....maybe half full the night we ate. We used a taxi twice, once to go to MGM to see Ka' and then to the airport at the end of the week. No lines either time.

Just returned from a 5-night stay at WYNN and had some pretty incredible meals: ALEX: Drop-dead beautiful room and happy to see the maitre d' from Le Cirque made the move. He's French, efficient and not in any way snobby. I've never seen anyone who SO enjoys (or gives the impression) of making sure everything runs smoothly at a meal. My husband did the tasting menu and me and my friends ordered from the ala carte menu. Everything was great and it was nice to see they didn't force the entire table to order the tasting menu. They managed to time it so no one just sat and watched my husband eating with nothing in front of us...not an easy trick but they pulled it off. BARTOLOTTA: Italian Seafood...WOW on this place too. Whole fish flown in from the Mediterranean is their speciality and we were not disappointed. They serve it tableside and do all the work (deboning/filleting)...loved it. RED 8: Though not a big fan of Asian cuisine it made for a great lunch stop. Another beautiful space/excellent service and tasty appetizers to fill the void until dinner. DANIEL BOULUD: Well, it ws SO damn good that I ate there twice...LOL. Be sure to sit OUTSIDE...I'll keep the reason as a surprise...just do it. Our one meal outside the hotel was terrible and it wasn't until we walked into the restaurant that the bad memories of our initial meal came flooding back. We were seeing a show at the MGM so it seemed like a convenient idea....wrong, wrong, wrong. I'm not saying where we ate (as I was practically drawn and quartered on another forum for giving a restaurant a bad review) but it was a disaster. Overall we really liked WYNN. It's definitely not Bellagio and doesn't try to be. It's low-key...easy to navigate and has a top-notch staff. No big surprise because a large percentage of them came from Bellagio. They are well-trained and will do anything to fix a problem and make sure you are a happy guest. Sorry I don't have all the food in my head...I just wanted to relax and enjoy...but I'm sure my husband can help me come up with a few courses if anyone is interested. While there were definitely a few glitches still to be addressed in the hotel itself and I will admit to being super-critical I can say there were no problems in any of the restaurants we visited. Service/atmosphere/quality of food/presentation...all first-class. And now back to my own mediocore cooking......)))-: P.S. regarding the Las Vegas Open Forum Report....I used the cashier numerous times (conveniently located next to the guest elevators and never waited on line). I agree...the "deli" is NOT good and should be revamped. Cold, tasteless corned-beef sandwich. As for problems with the rooms...I had several with my room and they should have been taken care of before any guest arrives. But, on the plus side the staff responds immediately and, after a few complaints, knocked $100 off my room bill for my inconvenience. They were even willing to send a valet up to pack up my clothes, etc and move me if I so desired. I was on the 57th floor and really didn't want to move so it was my choice to stay. It's very hard not to compare WYNN with BELLAGIO and that's unfortunate because BELLAGIO is a hard act to follow. I think many, including myself, had expectations of WYNN that couldn't possibly be met. I love WYNN for different reasons...it's new/different/very easy to navigate and the restaurants (those I tried anyway) were better than I could have imagined and NEW experiences. I've always enjoyed the restaurants at Bellagio but after so many visits it's nice to try new places.

Yes, first time I had it and it was not described on the menu as a pot-au-feu (which would have given me a better idea of what was to come and given me cause to chose something else. It's listed as :Pan-Seared Quebec Foie with BBQ Duck Broth, soybean, enoki mushroom and Seaweed Salad. The foie sort of disintegrated into the broth. The fois was definitely cooked through rather than seared rare which (for me) gave it more of a "liver floating in broth" dish. The soggy, over-cooked foie seemed a long way from the menu description.

Final thoughts....A big Thank-You to those who responded to my post with thoughtfully posed questions and comments...they are much appreciated. transfattyacid...you are tooo funny! As for the suggestion that I should give Lumiere another try I have to say that if I lived in Vancouver I most certainly would consider doing just that at a future time. I think the problems with service were adequately addressed by the restaurant in terms of removing the wine charge. What happened with the bill for the mineral water remains to be seen. Given that our waiter seemed to be in a state of frenzy during the entire evening I will give him the benefit of the doubt and assume the over-charge was not intentional. I take responsibility for not questioning the charge. No matter....it was really the substance of the meal that created my disappointment. Most people will agree that the appreciation of food is extremely subjective and I don't think my expectations were unrealistic. Given the rave reviews, not only in print, but by friends, colleagues that share my love of food I felt the meal fell flat. If it was an off-night so be it.

I'm glad someone called the restaurant and clarified the price of the water. If my math is close to correct we were, in fact charged for 4 bottles. Given the wine was "comped" it simply didn't occur to me to question the charge for the water...It seemed extremely high and in retrospect I should have inquired...

OK, here's my take on the water issue. I didn't think it would BE an issue. We went to Lumiere thinking we would most likely each have one of the tasting menus...as this is our favorite way of fine-dining. I was happy to know they offered a vegetarian tasting menu because, though I love meat, I find it gives the chef the opportunity to be REALLY creative with the menu. It also gives us the opportunity to taste a greater number of dishes. We went to Lumiere fully expecting dinner to cost about $300 + given our cocktail/ wine bill would be relatively small...which it was. I think the half bottle of wine was $40 or so. It never, in a million years dawned on me to ask the price of bottled water. Yes, I suppose I AM naive (love the Evian joke) but I was in SHOCK when I saw the charge on the bill. Live and learn I guess......