Ole it's BBQ!

Day 1 in Vegas - we hit the convention pretty hard since there was so much ground to cover including what is becoming a traditional visit to the section of the convention floor where they house the latest in news helicopters. Somehow, don't think I can convince the Bossman to sign the check for this one but it is worth a trip nonetheless!

We kept with tradition again for lunch with a trip to Big Daddy's Barbeque right outside the Central Hall of the convention center. The pulled pork sandwich is quite good here with just enough sauce to bind the stringy bits of pork without being overwhelmingly sticky or sweet. The doughy white roll is the perfect chewy holder for the tender meat.

After a ridiculous amount of walking around the convention floor we called it a day and headed over to Diego at MGM for our first official dinner in Vegas. The room's funky modern bright decor was inviting and the service was certainly personable.

We ordered the obligiatory tableside guacamole and Diego adds a nice touch to the usual with the addition sundried tomatoes. T-Town noted that you could taste the freshness of the cilantro, avocado, tomato and onion and I must say he described it perfectly.

As far as cocktails go, my first pomegranate margarita was quite tasty; however, the second one seemed to have been made by someone else. The tartness of the pomegranate overpowered the tequila rendering my drink pretty "undrinkable". Not a good way to start the evening. I'll have to catch up later!

For an entree I decided to go with the pork tasting (dear readers you know how I love my pig!).

The "tasting" consisted of slow cooked cured pork 'belly', white bean rancheros with applewood smoked bacon, and roast pork over baby spinach with tomato corn salsa. The roast pork was lean and while a bit dry the roasted corn salsa and perfectly cooked spinach added enough to the dish to make up for it. The belly fared much better with just enough fat and crispiness. The white beans were delicious and the slivers of bacon floating in the garlicky sauce really added to the overall savory flavor of the pork.

Although some elements of the meal were interesting, overall my meal was a bit of a disappointment. The reasonable prices helped to soften the culinary blow but I must say that I had a considerably better Mexican meal last year at Border Grill.

After dinner we headed over to the Hard Rock Cafe for a poolside party. I did take an Oreo for a dip in their chocolate fondue fountain but the rest of the night was about drinking and socializing.

This is where our Monday's story ends since as the adage goes: What happens in Vegas...