When Hobbits Go to Vegas

[ProfessionalHobbit]

Just a small sample of pix....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marinated artichokes.

 

 

Caponata.

 

 

Grilled shrimp, fennel and celery salad.

 

 

Fregola with mussels, clams and fish.

 

 

Crepe stuffed with banana and hazelnut.

 

 

Hazelnut gelato.

 

 

Kitchen equipment from sometime during the 1930s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lobster eggs benedict, potato cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Huevos rancheros, crema, avocado and black corn tortilla.

 

 

 

Foie gras, bourbon bread pudding, orange cherry salad

 

 

 

Porterhouse steak with onions and carrots

 

 

Brown butter cake, blueberry compote, Meyer lemon curd, corn ice cream

 

 

Pork khao soi at Lotus of Siam

 

 

[suzilightning]

Stash....wonderful pictures. I want that steak......

love to hear your thoughts on some place I will probably never visit....

 

[David Ross]

Great pics.  Is the opening photo Wing Lei at the Wynn Hotel?

[ProfessionalHobbit]

44 minutes ago, David Ross said:

Great pics.  Is the opening photo Wing Lei at the Wynn Hotel?

 

It's Wazuzu at the Encore.

[David Ross]

Thanks.  Haven't been there but been to Wing Lei many times.  For the most part I've always had great food and service at the Wynn/Encore.  Great report.

[ProfessionalHobbit]

3 hours ago, suzilightning said:

Stash....wonderful pictures. I want that steak......

love to hear your thoughts on some place I will probably never visit....

 

 

Most of the restos were great.  Special mention to Mercato della Pescheria in the Venetian -- excellent food, horrendous service so it kinda balances out.  They opened two weeks ago so that's their excuse.

[David Ross]

I had the same thing happen years back when Daniel Boulud's place at Wynn closed and they re-branded it as SW Steakhouse.  I was with a local food writer and we both knew the Chef.  Service was horrific and when he came out to chat, my friend showed him the raw lamb chops.  Talk about an embarrassing moment.  At this level, that shouldn't ever happen, whether they just opened or not.  I've got to get back down there soon.  So many newer places to try.

 

[ProfessionalHobbit]

 

Tea service.

 

After a few days of this, I'm afraid every single restaurant I'll visit in the future will fail the bar set by the Encore hotel's restaurants' staff.  Seriously.

[ProfessionalHobbit]

So, I want to show some of the brunch pix at the Encore.

 

Take a look at the menu below.  Enticing, no?

 

 

 

One surprise was that I noticed way too many people lining up for standard American food like scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage and waffles.

 

Why bother leaving home then?  I'll never understand why people in this country gravitate to the familiar when they travel.  It's kind of sad, frankly.

 

 

Left to right:  pierogies in cream sauce; vegetable tamales; Spanish rice; minestrone.

 

 

Left to right:  roast turkey; roast pork; roast ham (?)

 

 

 

Left to right:  nori pork rinds; marinated olives with herbs and poached garlic; edamame seasoned with sea salt and sesame oil.

 

 

Left to right:  cheesecake bites; yuzu lime bar; creme brulee; Thai iced tea custard cups; carrot cake; lime cones; coffee custard cake; strawberry cake; miniature cupcakes.

 

 

I don't remember what these were, only that they're sugar-free.

 

 

Left to right:  vegan chocolate chip cookies; snickerdoodle cookies; magic bar (round and square); warm chocolate cake; strawberry rhubarb crisp.

 

 

Pretzels, candied apples, cake pops.

 

This was the only buffet we ate during our trip.  It's supposedly one of the better buffets in Las Vegas for that price point.  

[ProfessionalHobbit]

PS.  The amount of food I shot pictures of is about 1/4 of the entire brunch buffet just to give you an example of the scale that we're discussing.

[gfweb]

I'm going to be out there at t he Encore in a couple months. Any recs for a high class dinner?

[ProfessionalHobbit]

Probably S&W Steakhouse.

 

No raw meat this time.

[Mistinguett]

What is the name of the place with montaditos/grilled cheese sandwiches, and the lobster eggs benedict, please?

[Elrushbo]

Those are amazing pictures! You have an eye for that. I'm going to Vegas with my sister in November. She hasn't been there since 2001 so I thought I'd take her to dinner at Wynn. Thinking SW and sitting on the patio. So many choices! Going for five nights and still have to narrow things. Has anyone tried Sinatra? I've seen yelper reviews but that's about it. 

[gfweb]

Just had some great food at Wazuzu and La Cave at Wynn/Encore and even better food at Jaleo in the Cosmopolitan.  Jaleo was just outstanding tapas and paella. Place looks like a shopping mall restaurant until you get inside. Sit in back near the paella pit (grill? whatever). Great service... inventive stuff and classic tapas.

[ProfessionalHobbit]

Oh cool.  

 

My partner's parents had their 60th anniversary dinner at Sinatra.  I understand that they both enjoyed it.

 

 

Edited October 24, 2016 by ProfessionalHobbit (log)

[gfweb]

I had a big group meal at Sinatra, which is never the same as ordering from the menu, but it was well executed. I'd eat there again if I could order for myself.

 

 

Edited October 24, 2016 by gfweb (log)