Eating Las Vegas

Eating Las Vegas

I got back from Vegas late Wednesday night after being there for 6 days for a pleasure/business trip. But you could have called it the Eating Las Vegas Tour…..I swear I gained 10 pounds! Ha. But I did thoroughly enjoy it while it lasted. The first couple of days were at a time share and then the last 4 nights were at the Bellagio.

Thursday – Dinner at Wolfgang Pucks Trattoria De Lupo at Manadalay Bay. We had dinner before we went to the Lion King show. Dinner was great – I had Caesar salad and Thick noodles with a Bolognese sauce. They had appetizer portions of the pasta, which I took advantage of. The others traveling with me got Buccatini pasta, salmon, and chicken marsala – everyone was happy. The show was great – but unfortunately, I fell asleep during part of it – not because of the show –but because we had traveled from the East Coast that morning and I am definitely an 8 hour a night girl! Note to self - never schedule a show on your travel day!

Friday – Lunch at Tommy Bahamas restaurant – pretty good – burger and asian cole slaw. Met my Dad for lunch and it was his birthday – they brought out a ginormous piece of pina colada cake for him that we all had a bite of – quite tasty. Dinner was at the Palazzo Hotel and Casino at Mario Batali’s place Carnevino– his take on the Steak joint. We got one ribeye steak that cost $135 to share among the 4 of us. It was HUGE, and quite good. We also got 3 sides to share, brussel sprouts, mashed potatos with marscapone cheese, and spinach. All were better than average.

Saturday - was the big gambling day…..took off for old Las Vegas (Fremont Street area) around 3:00 and gambled down there for a few hours….then back to the Palazzo where we had been winning at Casino War (it is addicting – try it). Then we had reservations for Bobby Flays Mesa Grill at Caeser’s Palace. This was probably my favorite meal….great appetizers and margaritas. A cheese dip and quesadilla’s were quite tasty. I decided to get three sides as my dinner: a stuffed chili relleno, tamale, and brussel sprouts (yes I like them!). All were great. My mother in law got the pork dish and it was fabulous – she definitely won the ordering contest! Everyone loved their meal.

Sunday – We were staying at the Bellagio now…so no kitchen for breakfast. Luckily the Bellagio has an awesome pastry chef and the cheese Danish, almond croissants, and other items were to die for. Lunch was at a restaurant at the Bellagio called Noodles, which featured every type of Asian noodle dish you could imagine. I had the Singapore Street noodles with pork and shrimp. Very spicy and good. That night we went to the new Aria hotel (at the new complex City Center). It was gorgeous inside. We went to the 7:00 showing of Viva Elvis and had 3rd row seats. The show was great and the costumes were amazing. We then had dinner at Lemongrass a Thai fusion restaurant in Aria. Very good, red curry with duck. Everyone again enjoyed their food…we had steak, green curry with chicken, cashew chicken, and pad thai at the table.

Monday – Conference day…..lunch at Todd English’s Olives – (salad and chicken sausage with ricotta cheese flatbread) that night we went to Rao’s restaurant in Caesars Palace. This is the Vegas reincarnation of the famous Harlem place that only seats about 20 people. The Vegas place seats 3 times that many people! The food was great – there were three of us and we split the Orichette with sausage and broccoletti, gnocchi with a Bolognese sauce, and the meatballs. Very good and filling.

Ok – are you feeling as large as I do by now? One more day to go….

Tuesday – lunch at Serendipity 3 in front of Caeser’s. The famous NY institution – had to try the frozen hot chocolate – good, but not as to die for as I expected. That night we had dinner at Jasmine – the authentic Chinese restaurant at the Bellagio. There were 8 of us and my boss is from China so she ordered a family style dinner for the table. We had Peking Duck, Short Ribs, Sautee’d eggplant, Sea Bass, noodles, dumplings, egg rolls, etc. All were good and it was fun to try so many different things.
Every dinner was around $60. Some a bit less. It was a wide variety of food and needless to say – I enjoyed myself. And salad and veggies are in my future for the next few months before swim suit season hits!

Next week I hit Eurasia for dinner – look for my next blog about that dinner!

Far West End Fave Take-out Spots

Far West End Fave Take-out Spots

So being a working mother who always has a huge to-do list, it is always annoying to be close to that moment towards the end of the day where you and your spouse have the daily discussion about what to have for dinner….I am lucky that my husband does cook, and quite well I might add, but we both tire of cooking and have our list of standard restaurants that we turn to for take-out.

Indian – Malabar (Wellsley shopping center on Lauderdale) – Great chicken tikka masala, samosa’s, and any of the veggie dishes. (804) 364-7077

Chinese – City Lights of China (Gayton Road) My 5 year old loves their egg drop soup with crunchies and we both love the Crab Rangoon. The shrimp with lobster sauce is quite good as well. (804) 741-6716

Italian – we actually order takeout from Maggiano’s when we want Italian. I cook pasta a lot so we don’t do this a lot– but it is close, decent, and large portions so my husband has leftovers. 804-253-0920

Japanese – Osaka hands down – best fried calamari I have ever had. And great sushi too! (804) 364-8800

Mexican – Habanero Mexican Grill on Quioccasin – this little whole in the wall has the best taco’s! They are made the way they are supposed to with meat (I like the carne asada), onions, cilantro and hot sauce in a soft corn tortilla. Excellent!!! I have heard the burritos are good too. (804) 750-2020

And that brings us to….Pizza or Subs…I have a few places I like for pizza:

Sal Cataldo’s on Gayton – great pizza and eggplant parm subs. (804) 740-6593

Leonardo’s Pizza – my fave is pepperoni, spinach and garlic – it rocks – try it! 804.346.3333

And I will admit – we are all suckers for Pizza Hut’s thin and crispy cheese or pepperoni pizza….it is on our speed dial. (various locations)

Anything suggestions on other places to check out?

Big and Little Girls Night Out - Melting Pot

My friends and I had planned a "Girls" night out with our daughters in December to go to the Melting Pot, but...it snowed, so we had to reschedule. We planned to go last Friday, but.....it snowed. Then we rescheduled for last night....but, it snowed! Are we seeing a trend here - maybe that is what is causing all of the snow!!! Our plans! Well we decided to break the pattern last night and actually go.

We had dinner reservations for 12, at 5:30 pm. There were 6 adults and 6 children. We were shown to our table which was in a very nicely decorated back room. We were seated in a long table which was fine, but not conducive to conversation. We ordered the Featured Dinner which was an "Alpine" special. It came with your choice of cheese dip, salads, the Feast - which is a main course of meats and your choice of boiling broth, and your choice of chocolate dessert. (we had a coupon which was dinner for 2 for $65 - or $35 each) At the suggestion of the waitress, we ordered the "mini" feasts for the children which includes all of the above, minus salad and a smaller portion of meats and ravioli for $18.95 each. We figured this made sense because if we added them to the cheese and chocolate portion at $8 a pop we were almost there as it was.

We ordered two bottles of wine a Malbec ($24) and a Pinot Grigio ($19). We were informed it was Wine-Down Wednesday and if you ordered a bottle of wine that was $50 or more it was 1/2 price. BUT we couldn't use our coupon, so we nixed that.

NOW the saga began...............THREE hours later, yes, THREE, we were finally paying our check. The cheese came out promptly and we had four pots and had the Cheddar Cheese Dip in 3 of them and Swiss Cheese in the 4th. This was served with apples, bread and veggies for dipping. It was very good. Our salads were served with this course. We all ordered the Alpine salad and I have to say, it was really, really good with candied almonds, cheese and a shallot dressing. Then the wait began....

About 20 minutes later our main course or Feast arrived. This was a broth like mixture that came to a boil in front of us and we were served a platter of raw meat that included chicken, beef tenderloin, ravioli's, sausage, and shrimp. The kids actually loved this part of cooking their own food. All of this was served with an assortment of sauces and mustard with a bowl of veggies (broccoli, potato's, and mushrooms) thrown into the broth for cooking. It was a ton of food and I enjoyed it as well. The meats that were pre-marinate were much tastier to me, and had a better flavor. The sauces were ok - I liked the mustard the best. The veggies were ok - not great, but there was a ton of food....so I skipped them after tasting each type. Our dishes were cleared......

Then the REALLY long wait began. Seriously it was 40 minutes until our chocolate desserts were brought out. We ordered the special one - which was chocolate and peanut butter, a flaming turtle sundae type, and flaming marshmallow oreo cookie one. They were served with an assortment of dipping items such as strawberries, banana's, pound cake, rice krispie bars, cheesecake, brownies, and strawberries. Of course this was what we were all waiting for and it was GREAT....but at 8:00 pm - it was getting really late.....I had asked for our check to be given to us before we even got our chocolate dessert. It showed up after we had already finished our dessert. We figured out how much it was per person - split up 6 ways and provided our credit cards. 30 minutes later, yes, 30 minutes!!! We got our credit card slips to sign! They actually sent another server back to tell us they were having a slight problem and it would be a little longer for our checks. At this point, our daughters were literally dancing around the room....the poor couple who were seated in our private room with us must have wondered what sin they had committed to be stuck in a room with us! I have to say they were good sports about it. We asked for the manager who gave us $15 free chocolate coupons for another visit......as I sat there fuming about my 3+ hour dinner.....it occurred to me that no matter how good the food was, and it was, fresh, tasty, and fun.....I probably would not come back. And I told her that - she then amended the free chocolate to dinner for 2 on them for each of us. That was better and we all accepted it. But to be honest.......I have to really consider whether or not I will actually use it! I mean - we cooked our own food - they didn't even have to do that....and I know they must prep cut the stuff. That was a LONG evening thank goodness that school was delayed for two hours so I could let the Pea sleep in!

Anyone else have a similar or different experience - was this the norm or an anomoly?

Greek 4 U - Review

I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. The food is fabulous, the owners are wonderful. It is my go to place for lunch at least once a week. Today I stopped by and had the lemon chicken soup with fresh bread to go ($2.99 for a large soup!) it is creamy with the right tinge of lemon it - my Greek friends go and buy it by the thermos full. While I was there I got dinner for tonight, it was their special of the day, Lemon Chicken with potato's ($5.99). This is one of my favorites, the lemon sauce pairs very nicely with the potato's. Other items that I love are the green beans, fresh dill makes these a stand-out, and the hummus platter ($4.99) with tzaziki sauce, hummus, cucumbers, feta, greek olives all with pita bread....fabulous. The greek salad is freshly made with great quality feta cheese and olives.

George, one of the owners with his wife Katerina, is a baker by trade so the desserts are to die for. The baklava is the best I have ever had and the coconut macaroons are another one of my favorites. If you like Greek food this is a must try. It is perfect for take-out on your way home from work or for lunch - there aren't a lot of tables, but I usually eat-in once a week at least. Quick friendly service as well. They have recently got the ok to sell wine and beer and have a wide variety of Greek wine and beer to go or to have on site.

Like I said at the beginning - I can't get enough of this place!

Beef Stroganoff - 2nd Weekend Snowed In

So for the second weekend of being snowed in....cancelling plans for dinner, about to go stir crazy....I decided to make one of my favorite winter comfort foods, Beef Stroganoff. I love this recipe and the fresh dill makes it perfect. Here is the recipe for y'all to try:

3 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 Tablespoons flour

1 cup beef broth

1 (1-lb) beef tenderloin, trimmed, sliced 1/4 inch thick and then into 1 inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots

3/4 cup cremini mushrooms, halved, then quartered

3 Tablespoons sour cream, at room temp

1 tsp dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

accompaniment: buttered wide egg noodles

Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a heavy saucepan over heat and whisk in four and cook whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Add broth in a slow stream, whisking, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Pat beef dry and season well with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon oil in a 12 inch skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Saute beef in two batches, turning once, until browned on both sides, but still pink inside, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Heat remaining tablespoon butter with remaining tablespoon oil in same skillet over moderately high heat, but not smoking, then saute' shallot, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute', stirring occasionally until liquid mushroom gives off is evaporated and mushrooms are browned. Return meat with it's juices to skillet and stir to combine, then transfer to a platter.

Reheat sauce over low heat (do not let boil), then whisk sour cream, mustard, dill, salt, and pepper. pour over beef and serve immediately with egg noodles.

Enjoy!

Urban Mom checks out the Urban Farmhouse Market and Cafe

Tonight I went to a friends, family, and fans party for the new Urban Farmhouse Market and Cafe in Shockoe Slip (1217 E. Cary Street). I was one of the first 20 "fans" on facebook to respond to their invitation. The building they are in is gorgeous! Right on the corner across Cary from La Grotta. They have done a great job with making the space bright, inviting and cozy with couches and chairs plus tables to sit at. The concept behind this cafe is local, sustainable, and healthy food that tastes great. My friend Barb and I shared a couple of menu items: a Winter Beet Salad with Oranges, Fennel and Mint and a Farmer's Grilled Cheese with Black Winter Truffle Oil. The salad was really tasty with goat cheese sprinkled on it and a dusting of fresh mint. The beets and fennel paired very nicely with the oranges. I would go back for that. The sandwich was good - the bread was homemade and it had the distinct flavor of truffle. I would have liked a bit more cheese on the bread, but I love cheese and there is never enough for me! The menu I grabbed didn't have prices on it yet, and the food was free for the party, so I can't tell you costs, though I believe they are in your normal sandwich/salad/soup cafe ball park. They haven't gotten their liquor license yet, but they plan on serving organic wine and beer. Since a glass of wine was not an option, I got a smoothie (ambrosia berry) that was quite tasty and Barb got a mocha that she deemed much better than Starbucks. The owner came by to talk to us and was very friendly and interested in promoting the produce/goods and the stories of the local farmers/purveyors who provide it. They also have some food items for sale such as organic honey, chips, coffee, and other healthy options. They also serve breakfast and are open M-F at 6:30 and at 7:30 am on weekends. They are open till 10:00 pm Sun-Thu and 11:00 pm on Fri-Sat.

I like the concept of this place and I hope it does well. Their website is: http://theurbanfarmhouse.net/ if you want to check out their full menu and see pictures of the rehab of the building.