Las Vegas - Foodie Heaven

I went on a pilgrimage to Mecca at the end of September – a food pilgrimage, that is. No, I didn’t go to Italy or France or even New York. I went to Las Vegas. That’s right. Sin City. Entertainment Capitol of the World. Glitter Gulch. The Strip. But my own personal nickname for it however is, Foodie Heaven. I doubt that will ever make it as a Nevada Tourism slogan but that’s what it was for me – heaven.

Actually, I went to Las Vegas for business reasons thanks to my wonderful boss Bob, who sent me there to attend the Wedding MBA convention for three days at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The minute I knew for certain that I’d be headed to Vegas, I started making my plans as to where I would eat during my stay. The possibilities were just mind-boggling. Did I want to have breakfast at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon? Dinner at Todd English’s Olives or Emeril Lagasse’s Delmonico Steakhouse? Or maybe lunch at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago? I was so overwhelmed I almost wanted to just put up all the names on a wall and just throw a dart to see where it landed to make my choices.

After much deliberation (and a review of the menus to see what I could truly afford), I decided on lunch at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, dinner one night at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill and then dinner the next night at Craftsteak, owned by Tom Collichio, the sexy Top Chef judge (sorry Padma).

When I was stationed in the Army in Germany, I actually spent a weekend in Paris and traveled to the top of the Eiffel Tower, so I really didn’t expect to be too impressed by the Mini-me version in Las Vegas, but I have to admit, it really did remind me of its big sister in France. The restaurant itself was on the second “floor” and I was a bit disoriented when the elevator doors opened right into the kitchen itself (I’m sure I’m not the only one who thought they were in the wrong place). I was seated by the windows that offered a stunning view of the Strip below and the fountains in front of the Bellagio (as an “Oceans 11” fan watching the fountains was another one of the “musts” on my list of things to do while in Vegas).

The restaurant had a very authentic French feel with impeccable white linens and red carpet and napkins. The silverware was so beautiful and heavy that I wished for a larger purse in which to hide a set but my little Coach bag just wasn’t up to the task.

I ordered a light omelet soufflé with asparagus and Brie and was delighted when the server brought me a little basket of cheese puffs (no, not Cheetos) and a tiny dish of a pistachio mousse to get me started. The soufflé was perfect- light and puffy – everything a soufflé should be (leave it to the French to take eggs and turn them into something heavenly). Although I typically don’t order desert I figured this was a special occasion to I ordered the crème Brule (Weight Watchers be damned) and I wasn’t disappointed. The service was impeccable too and all in all, it was a wonderful lunch experience.

I traveled to Caesars Palace for Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill. The casino itself was very impressive and don’t get me started on all the shopping opportunities that presented themselves (Gucci, Prada, Tiffany’s – oh my) but I was there on a mission – dinner. Unfortunately Bobby didn’t greet me at the hostess station (I’m sure he must have overlooked my reservation in the book) and he wasn’t working on the line in the kitchen so I had to be satisfied with the very nice hostess and the server who waited on me. I chose the Roasted “Hacked” Chicken and, despite the rather unappetizing image the name conjured up, I really enjoyed the dish. It was topped with a five-chile mole, pickled red onions and roasted tomato tamale with Key lime butter. I have to admit though; the seating was a little tight. I understand that it’s a business and the goal is to seat as many people as possible, but I felt just a little too close to the people sitting next to me. Maybe it was just my personal space issue cropping up…but they were just too darned close for comfort.

The next night it was off to the MGM Grand to have dinner at Craftsteak, where the seating was just the opposite of Mesa. Although the seating was close, my two-top was so large I felt like I could have played a game of air hockey on it. Marvin, my server, was fantastic. He’s about 6’4” and practically bent down on one knee to take my order. I asked him how his knees felt at the end of a busy evening and he said he felt just fine because he always got to enjoy a glass of wine with the chef. I guess I’d feel fine too if that were the case. I enjoyed a hanger steak and for my side dishes I chose a wild mushroom risotto and roasted corn. The steak was done to perfection and the risotto was so good I wanted to marry it. Portion sizes were very large so I got to take my leftovers with me and I ended up eating the risotto for breakfast the next morning. I have to admit it was just as scrumptious cold and to me that’s the true sign of a great dish.

All in all, my food pilgrimage was a success and it’s nice to know that if I ever get the opportunity to return to Vegas there are many, many more restaurants just waiting to be enjoyed.

And, just in case you're thinking that my boss bankrolled my entire eating pilgrimage - he didn't. The only food receipts I turned in were for a coffee from Starbucks and a McDonald's chicken wrap and a yogurt/fruit parfait. My other eating adventures came out of my own personal savings account. So much for that new Coach purse I had been saving for...but it was worth it.
Oh yeah...and I learned a lot at the wedding planner's convention...

Eiffel Tower Restaurant