Dining in the heat of the night: Las Vegas

[rjwong]

It’s been said that whatever happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas. Just to let you know, there’s another quote you should know about:

Whatever happens in Vegas begins in L.A.—Pink’s Hot Dogs

With all due respect ot BryanZ, his Vegas trip actually began towards mid-August. My drive to Las Vegas began in early August. Unfortunately, we missed each other by about a week. BryanZ, we need to make some plans, dude ...

Yes, it was hot out there in Las Vegas. That was why I got a very good room rate over at the Wynn. I was going to stay at the Bellagio, but Wynn had the better deal at that time. And once I checked in at the Wynn, I pretty much stayed there. I hardly went out onto the Strip during my vacation.

My meals outside the Strip included a couple of places in Henderson called Settebello and Crazy Pita. There’s a gourmet wine and cheese store in that same shopping area called Valley Cheese and Wine and everyone should check out that place. And then there’s Memphis Championship Barbecue on Warm Springs, west of Eastern.

Meals on Fri. and Sat. nights were at the Venetian and Caesar’s. From Sun through Wed., I ate at the Wynn Resort. You can say that this was a Wynn, non-Wynn situation ...

I’ll be copying the posts of my meals at Wynn on the Wynn thread, here at this link, as well as other individual restaurants where appropriate.

[moosnsqrl]

It’s been said that whatever happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas. Just to let you know, there’s another quote you should know about:

Whatever happens in Vegas begins in L.A.—Pink’s Hot Dogs

With all due respect ot BryanZ, his Vegas trip actually began towards mid-August. My drive to Las Vegas began in early August. Unfortunately, we missed each other by about a week. BryanZ, we need to make some plans, dude ...

Yes, it was hot out there in Las Vegas. That was why I got a very good room rate over at the Wynn. I was going to stay at the Bellagio, but Wynn had the better deal at that time. And once I checked in at the Wynn, I pretty much stayed there. I hardly went out onto the Strip during my vacation.

My meals outside the Strip included a couple of places in Henderson called Settebello and Crazy Pita. There’s a gourmet wine and cheese store in that same shopping area called Valley Cheese and Wine and everyone should check out that place. And then there’s Memphis Championship Barbecue on Warm Springs, west of Eastern.

Meals on Fri. and Sat. nights were at the Venetian and Caesar’s. From Sun through Wed., I ate at the Wynn Resort. You can say that this was a Wynn, non-Wynn situation ...

I’ll be copying the posts of my meals at Wynn on the Wynn thread, here at this link, as well as other individual restaurants where appropriate.

←

I'm going to overlook the bad pun for the moment . . .

I stopped for the night and a dinner last June and it was so hot it was difficult to get excited about food. I cranked the A/C in my room down to Klondike (feeling somewhat guilty but, hey - 108 degrees?) and waited for my appetite to return. By the time I found a parking place and got to Bradley Ogden I was again too hot to eat. I guess you're just supposed to stay inside. Period. Looking forward to your reports.

[BryanZ]

Looking forward to your report. And yes, to be fair Russell was there before I was, blazing the trail for me and providing me with insights for my trip.

I think it got up to 110 when I was there. Vegas in the summer, pretty much in general but especially in the summer, is very hot.

[rjwong]

Friday

I left Los Angeles at about 6 a.m. I made a few stops along the way, including one over at Primm. There were many outlet stores, including a William-Sonoma. I bought a couple of things. Mind you, I did show great restraint ... I drove over to Henderson and had a pizza over at Settebello. Molto bene!! Afterwards, I dropped in at Valley Cheese and Wine and visited the owners. They’ll be having dinner with me later at Wing Lei on Sun. night.

Once I finally chiecked into my inexpensive hotel for Fri. & Sat. nights, I was ready for dinner. I walked down the Strip to the Venetian and saw a couple of new restaurants: David Burke, B&B Ristorante. Both were close by to one another, as well as Delmonico Steakhouse, one of Emerile Lagasse’s restaurants.

Ever since Marlene raved about this place, I wanted to try this steakhouse, and nows my opportunity.

This restaurant was huge: about 250 covers. The hostess was leading me from one room to another. Wow! What a production number!

Truffle Parmesan potato chips

Pretty good chips to nibble on.

King crab corn chowder

The soup was quite flavorful. There was a crab shell in my soup and I brought it to my server’s attention. No, I didn’t choke on it or anything like that. Time for the steak ...

Bone-in New York strip

The steak tasted very good. I asked the server if the seasoning was Emeril’s essence. It was ...

New Orleans creamed spinach

The spinach was okay. It had a lot of garlic in it. I was wondering whether I tasted raw garlic ...

Emeril’s Banana Cream Pie Whipped Cream, Chocolate Shavings and Caramel Sauce

I thought the pie was going to be overly sweet. It was not. Despite the chocolate and the caramel, the banana brought a balanced flavor to this pie which I enjoyed.

As I said, the steak was very good. I wouldn’t compare it with the steak at Prime. Mind you, I’ll have to eat at Prime again to give a more definitive verdict. I think the soup and the spinach might have taken away from enjoying my steak more.

Delmonico Steakhouse

[Marlene]

Glad you finally made it to Delmonicos, but apparently you didn't enjoy it as much as we did. Then again, we always get the rib eye rather than the NY strip. We've also never had the spinach there. I love those chips except there looks to be way more parmesan on them than usual.

I have to say, the last time we ate there, we weren't as impressed as usual, although I tried their seared foie gras for the first time which was pretty darn good.

We'll be going to Vegas, probably in November so I'll have another chance to eat there as see if it really has slipped.

[rjwong]

Saturday

Saturday morning started off with a shave and a haircut at Truefitt & Hill, Caesar’s. As I try and find my way back to the parking garage, I noticed a boarded-up space where a new patisserie and bistro will be coming: François Payard. I’ll have to try out that place when it opens. On my way to Henderson (yes, again), I pick-up some lunch over at Memphis Championship Barbecue. Then it’s off to Valley Cheese and Wine for some “working” and “interning.” I drive back to my hotel for a little nap. By the time I wake up and get ready for the evening, it’s the beginning of ... Dinner #1: Bradley Ogden at Caesar’s. It took a while to get into Caesar’s parking garage on a Saturday night, mind you ... I arrived at the restaurant at about 7 p.m. My friends called the restaurant to keep an eye out on me because they know one of the managers there.

I decided on a simple three-course dinner. I definitely wanted to try the Kobe beef. Yes, Kobe, not Wagyu.

Japanese Kobe beef presentation

I’ll have a couple of more photos later.

Heirloom tomato salad

Rolls

Black Angus Kansas City strip

This steak was very good.

Japanese Kobe beef

Four ounces of Kobe beef, marinated in a soy mirin, then grilled. Perhaps a little too much marinade, but it was definitely great.

Black Angus Kansas City strip (top) and Japanese Kobe beef (bottom)

Here’s a little side-by-side for comparison. The two steaks I had at Bradley Ogden tasted better than at Delmonico’s. I would also say that even if I didn’t have the Kobe.

Raspberry soup with sparkling wine, topped with sorbets

I tasted a little bitterness in the soup, maybe because of the sparkling wine ... The sorbets were wonderful.

Butterscotch pudding

After my dinner, my server gave me a quick tour of the kitchen. I got to meet chef Ogden, the son. I suggested that they make available the certificate of the Kobe beef. It would make a nice touch of authenticity.

Bradley Ogden

It’s after nine o’clock on a Saturday, and I have to leave Caesar’s parking garage, drive to the Venetian’s parking garage, park my car, and make my 9:30 p.m. appointment for Dinner #2. Don’t do what I did, unless you’re very comfortable driving in and around the Strip on a busy weekend night. Do not exit on Las Vegas Blvd. (The Strip). You’ll be stuck on the Strip for a long time ... Now, on to Dinner #2 ...

[rjwong]

Saturday night, Dinner #2: B&B Ristorante

This is B&B Ristorante, as in Batali and Bastianich. I finally made it, fifteen minutes late. But that’s okay. I need some time to digest Dinner #1. Here are some photos of the restaurant.

I wanted to eat light. So, it’s another three-course dinner.

Amuse bouche

Spaghetti alla chittara with heirloom tomato and mizuna

The flavors blended well together. The pasta felt different, thicker than regular spaghetti.

Wild striped bass with summer vegetable brodetto

The fish was good. Slightly overcooked to me.

Vanilla bean semifreddo with strawberry rhubarb marmellata

The dessert stasted wonderful.

Migardnises

It’s around midnight and the rock music is cranked up big time. The service felt casual, while the decor looked more formal. The place seemed similiar to Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza over in Los Angeles. Mind you, B&B doesn’t have either the pizzeria bar or the mozzarella bar. You can find that upstairs at the Enoteca in the Venetian. I didn’t try that place on this trip. Because the decor looked quite formal, I was expecting a little more formal service. Mind you, the service was quite good and casual, just like I would find over at the two Mozzas in LA.

B&B Ristorante

[rjwong]

Glad you finally made it to Delmonicos, but apparently you didn't enjoy it as much as we did.  Then again, we always get the rib eye rather than the NY strip.  We've also never had the spinach there.  I love those chips except there looks to be way more parmesan on them than usual.

I have to say, the last time we ate there, we weren't as impressed as usual, although I tried their seared foie gras for the first time which was pretty darn good.

We'll be going to Vegas, probably in November so I'll have another chance to eat there as see if it really has slipped.

←

Marlene, just to let you know, I would go back to Delmonico's. If the truth be known, the raw garlic taste in the creamed spinach really turned me off. I was really impressed how large the restaurant is. I was sitted waaay over in the last room next to the kitchen, I think.

I hope to return to Las Vegas in Dec. We'll see what happens ...

[BryanZ]

B&B kind of looks like a bigger version of Esca on the inside. I've noticed that Batali restaurants tend to slightly overcook their fish in favor of going for the elusively crispy skin that many people like. No cooking I've ever had at a Batali joint could be classified as delicate; I think this is just another example of that phenomenon.

[sand]

Saturday

I decided on a simple three-course dinner. I definitely wanted to try the Kobe beef. Yes, Kobe, not Wagyu.

Black Angus Kansas City strip

This steak was very good.

Japanese Kobe beef

Four ounces of Kobe beef, marinated in a soy mirin, then grilled. Perhaps a little too much marinade, but it was definitely great.

Black Angus Kansas City strip (top) and Japanese Kobe beef (bottom)

Here’s a little side-by-side for comparison. The two steaks I had at Bradley Ogden tasted better than at Delmonico’s. I would also say that even if I didn’t have the Kobe.

After my dinner, my server gave me a quick tour of the kitchen. I got to meet chef Ogden, the son. I suggested that they make available the certificate of the Kobe beef. It would make a nice touch of authenticity.

←

Bradley's son is named Bryan.

Love the triple seared Kobe beef preparation that they offer on the appetizer list sometimes. The bison steak is also quite good.

[sand]

Glad you finally made it to Delmonicos, but apparently you didn't enjoy it as much as we did.  Then again, we always get the rib eye rather than the NY strip.  We've also never had the spinach there.  I love those chips except there looks to be way more parmesan on them than usual.

I have to say, the last time we ate there, we weren't as impressed as usual, although I tried their seared foie gras for the first time which was pretty darn good.

We'll be going to Vegas, probably in November so I'll have another chance to eat there as see if it really has slipped.

←

I was sitted waaay over in the last room next to the kitchen, I think.

I hope to return to Las Vegas in Dec. We'll see what happens ...

←

Consider requesting the kitchen table. Be warned, it's a lot of food.

[rjwong]

Sunday

Sunday morning, I took care of washing, drying and packing to check into the Wynn Resort this afternoon.

Since the rest of my vacation is going to be at the Wynn Resort, I’ll be posting my meals on the Wynn thread, here at this link.

Of course, I’ll be back for another Las Vegas vacation, hopefully at the end of this year in Dec., when it’s a little bit cooler, ehh?? Don’t forget to go to the Wynn discussion thread for the rest of my report.

[Elrushbo]

Saturday

Saturday morning started off with a shave and a haircut at Truefitt & Hill, Caesar’s. As I try and find my way back to the parking garage, I noticed a boarded-up space where a new patisserie and bistro will be coming: François Payard. I’ll have to try out that place when it opens. On my way to Henderson (yes, again), I pick-up some lunch over at Memphis Championship Barbecue. Then it’s off to Valley Cheese and Wine for some “working” and “interning.” I drive back to my hotel for a little nap. By the time I wake up and get ready for the evening, it’s the beginning of ... Dinner #1: Bradley Ogden at Caesar’s. It took a while to get into Caesar’s parking garage on a Saturday night, mind you ... I arrived at the restaurant at about 7 p.m. My friends called the restaurant to keep an eye out on me because they know one of the managers there.

Glad you liked Bradley Ogden! As I've mentioned before, the corn&lobster chowder and dessert I had at the bar there were fantastic. Since that, I've been wanting to try Ogden for dinner.