A Salute to the Return of Top Chef!

In celebration of the return of Top Chef (fingers crossed it doesn't jump the shark this season) I thought I'd bring back my Tom Colicchio post... enjoy!


Below is my long overdue Vegas culinary recap. While it was a crazy jam-packed week of work related insanity, I did manage to hit a few restaurants during my stay.

First, was a trip to Emeril's in the MGM Grand. This was a staff dinner and I must admit that I was curious how the Food Network Kingpin's cuisine would fare. The verdict? Not so great. I started my meal with the miso glazed black cod with green onion soba noodles and sweet soy. It was actually pretty decent (and by default wound up being the highlight of the meal) but far from spectacular; flavorful without being overpowering but not super memorable.

I followed that up with the steamed grouper with lobster, gulf shrimp, shucked clams and vegetables in a saffron and shellfish broth; while sending most of my co-workers to the pecan crusted Texas redfish with grilled vegetables, stone ground grits and Creole meunière butter sauce (when in "New Orleans" get the Gulf fish, right?). Much to my surprise, the grouper arrived table side in a plastic bunched pouch - are the ladies from the Reynolds wrap commercials in the kitchen? When I opened the pouch I was left with a mismosh of nothing special. There wasn't enough salty sea flavor from the shellfish and the saffron didn't do much except add some color to the dish. Overall, very run-of-the-mill. In a town of excess you need to do a bit better to keep up with the competition.

After leaving the restaurant, we walked past CraftSteak. Long story longer, Top Chef Tom Colicchio was actually in the kitchen and came out to say 'hello'. My co-workers took a step back and left me face-to-face with Tom and his baby blues. We introduced ourselves and I alerted him to the fact that I was a food blogger and coming to CraftSteak (a place I've enjoyed on previous visits) the next evening so he should expect a review. He was pretty gracious and an all-around good sport.

The rest of the conversation went a little bit like this:

Tom: A food blogger? Oh, you're on of those... (laughs)
F: Yup. So expect a review...
Tom: What's your site? I'll check it out.

F: f is for foodie

Tom: f is for foodie dot com?

F: f is for foodie dot blogspot dot com (mumbling)

Then Tom seemed to be getting a little creeped out by my co-workers snapping our pics like crazed paparazzo (one of eleven posted above) and politely excused himself to get back to his event. That event happened to be a three-course $500/head dinner with wine tasting courtesy of the lovely folks from the awesome Shafer Vineyards. Not too shabby, Tom! I'd prefer the company of some Shafer cab sav myself!

That being said - JC, CJ and I returned the next evening for a beef extravaganza and we were not disappointed. We started with an excellent 'someday-I'll-learn-to-pronounce-it' charcuterie platter.

I went with the expertly cooked lean but tasty bison as my entree while JC and CJ split the soft as butter Porterhouse for two.

What an excellent char on the Porterhouse and a great cut of beef!

We rounded out our meal with a side order of chanterelles as well as the super creamy and delicious potato gratin.

The only downside to our meal was that our server didn't seem to take us as serious diners.

In fact, I felt like we were treated like some kids who snuck into the dining room. Our server even mocked me a bit when I told him that I was chatting up Chef Colicchio the prior evening. Not cool! And Victor, I am not a fly by night Top Chef freak fan I am a serious diner! You should treat every customer the same respect - c'mon you should know better!

On one of the only other nights I was able to have a proper meal was when a good number of our team managed to snag the back room at Planet Hollywood's P.F. Chang's. Not sure if we were getting special treatment or they were looking to sequester us from the other diners but no matter...

I have never been to the chain before and I must say I was quite impressed with the chicken lettuce wraps and the kung pao shrimp. The fried rice was pretty decent as well and the overall 'grease factor' was much less than anticipated... or perhaps exhaustion and the shot of gin (thanks CJ!) I did before dinner made me a bit more easy on the cuisine.

As far as the on site catering, some things are better left unsaid.

I left Vegas exhausted and more than ready for culinary adventures in Spain and Portugal.

Stay tuned for the day by day recaps!

Vegas Day 5: Feasting on Asphalt (and Rosemary)

Having said our goodbyes to Niko, J-Bends and the Sanch, RRR and I got up bright and early and hit the road for a day of adventure off the Strip. On my previous trips to Vegas I've never driven outside of town to check out the desert so we decided to be a little adventurous.

We mapped out a game plan with the first stop being a trip to Hoover Dam and were pleasantly surprised to find out we can be at this industrial marvel in about half of our anticipated driving time. Hoover Dam was pretty darn cool. After snapping a bunch of photos, we chose to skip the $30 tour of the dam and power plant since we were anxious to get out of dodge before the wave of tourists flooded the dam (pun intended). We hopped back in the car and back on the road out to the Valley of Fire.

All this flat hot desert driving can do a job on one's appetite so we searched for a place to eat. The tour books suggested stopping at Echo Bay for the most restaurant offerings in the area. Eventually we found ourselves at a marina shop and patiently (okay impatiently) waited for the cashier to fill out various fishing day licenses before directing us to the restaurant up the hill.

On the way out we noticed a huge amount of fish and bent over near one of the docks to take a look. A swarm and I mean swarm of carp came swimming up to us mouths open waiting to be fed! It was worse than being attacked by hungry squirrels in a park! Very strange and creepy in a 70s b-movie type of way. Hope the picture does the scene justice.

Utterly freaked out by the aggressive carp, we made our way up the hill and headed into a nautical themed eatery which seemed to be the only game in town for lunch. We found that we were the only customers with the exception of some bikers who might have been speaking with a German accent. We were laughing thinking that this was the type of establishment Alton Brown might come across during an episode of "Feasting on Asphalt".

The menu was pretty bare bones middle American fare but we found great pleasure in splitting the roast beef au jus and a cup of chili with grilled cheese, complete with a tomato nestled between gooey cheese and toasted white bread. Seriously it was delicious! Simple pleasures on a hot day in the desert! After trying to subtly snap a few pics of the bikers, we were back on the road and on our way to the Valley of Fire.

Finally made it out to the Valley of Fire and picked a short trail to hike in the blazing afternoon sun. The trail was pretty sandy due to the wind erosion of the rock formations. All in all, it was pretty cool. After a bit of driving and climbing to snap some more scenic pics, we got back in the car and made the drive back to Sin City.

The grand finale of our Vegas adventure was dinner at the Rosemary's, an esteemed restaurant located off the Strip. We have heard and read so much about this place that we were eager to see if it lived up to the hype. After driving down a road filled with strip malls and car dealerships we finally arrived at Rosemary's nestled in a non-descript shopping center. We were greeted warmly at the door, seated and began to navigate the extensive menu. So much to choose from!

With some advice from our knowledgeable server, we decided to get a three course pre-fixe meal for $65 per person. A bargain considering the amazing choices on the menu. We conferred on what to share and decided to get the dry aged beef and maytag blue cheese carpaccio with arugula, candied walnuts and port wine drizzles.


We were so amazed by the thin yet tasty carpaccio that we just had to ask our server how it was made. She told us that the beef was pounded thin and a thin layer of blue cheese was spread over the meat. It is then frozen and sliced super thin to order. The thin slices basically defrost as the rest of the salad is getting prepared.

We also chose the wilted spinach salad; prepared with port wine shallots, a goat cheese cake, spiced pecans and sherry mustard dressing. The shallots soaked up the port and were balanced by the creaminess of the goat cheese. Equally wonderful!


For my main, I chose a piece I fish I don't believe I've ever seen on a restaurant menu, barramundi. For this entree, it was a pan seared barramundi with sesame sauteed spinach and wild mushrooms, pickled ginger, sweet soy and wasabi ponzu butter sauce. The barramundi was sweet and flavorful with a perfectly seared skin.

The rich sauce had some amazing depth with the sesame and ponzu butter with an added earthiness from the mushrooms. Surprisingly the pickled ginger brought a lot to the dish as well, I actually had to persuade RRR to give the ginger a shot for which she was eternally grateful. Our server remarked that the sauce was one of their signature items and it goes really well on a variety of fish, poultry, meats and even as a salad dressing. I swear I could have slurped up every last bit of this sauce... remarkable!

RRR had the escobar, another fish we were not familiar with but were curious to try. This Hawaiian white fish was served with a pancetta cream sauce and morells. The fish was sweet yet firm and held up to the smokiness of the bacon. RRR usually has an aversion to the words "cream sauce" but I'm glad she threw caution to the wind and ordered this entree. She even remarked how she is usually not "wowed" by fish but in this case, Rosemary's knocked her socks off! (mine too!)

And since our server hadn't steered us wrong yet, we let her pick our dessert. She brought us a creamy lemon tart with raspberry sauce. Perfectly refreshing after a rich decadent utterly satfisying meal.

Vegas Day 4: Seablue at last!

When planning last year's NAB dining fest I attempted to visit one of San Francisco chef Michael Mina's establishments. It didn't work out and I was determined to make it happen this year.

A trip to Nobhill would have blown the budget so instead we went to Mina's Seablue in the MGM Grand. I really feel that MGM is a real gem when it comes to dining. There's Craftsteak, Fiamma, Seablue, Nobhill, Diego and the big poppa of them all...Joel Robuchon.

After taking a moment to admire the open kitchen and the many water walls that decorated the restaurant, Niko, Sanch and I decided to start by sharing an appetizer of the "fried and crusted tasting trio" which consisted of the following:

Lobster corndogs with whole grain mustard
Gulf shrimp tempura with pineapple and pickled salad
Dungeness crab–stuffed piquillo peppers with house-smoked pepper aioli

The portions were not huge (especially for three) but the corndog was spectacular. The moist lobster was blanketed in a starchy bed of corn was superb and the only disappointment was that there wasn't more to go around. The tempura was also impressive; large shrimp lightly battered and perfectly fried without a bit of grease. Equally spectacular was the dungeness crab; sweet and juicy with the slightest tinge of heat from the pepper and aioli.

RRR and J-Bends decided to create their own salad for an appetizer.

They were given pencils and asked to check off ten items to include in their salad. Again, not a huge portion but tonight is all about quality over quantity.

At this point of the trip, everyone was playing along with Ms. Foodie's dinner photography and we passed the camera around so they could snap a photo of their dish. Of course Niko (a kick ass camera dude) had the best photos of the bunch; I might have to hire him full time for f is for foodie!

Here's how the dinner went down:

Niko: SEABLUE "Paella"Select Seasonal Shellfish, Chorizo Sausage, Grilled Quail, Saddle of Rabbit

Sanch: Ahi Tuna from Hawaii With Olive Oil Smashed Potatoes and Select Seasonal Vegetables

J-Bends: Arctic Char Nova Scotia With Chickpea and Lentil Rice and Select Seasonal Vegetables

RRR: Atlantic Cod tangine with Almond Crust, Couscous, Lemon broth, Artichokes

Foodie: Bacon-wrapped Chilean Sea Bass tangine with Toasted Garlic Jus, Cannellini Beans, Manila Clams

Each dish was wonderful. The freshness of the seafood was evident and the presentation was gorgeous. I tried my best to savor every bite while clamoring for more.

For dessert we shared an order of pear sorbet along with a cheesecake tasting of mango, raspberry, dulce de leche, apple pie, and double chocolate. The mango was a bit too sweet for my taste but the apple pie was pure fruity creamy heaven; surprising since that was the cheesecake I didn't think I'd enjoy.

Wow! Mr. Mina and his James Beard Award certainly did not let me down. If anything, it made me only want more Mina. And when I found out that there is a branch of Seablue located in the more geographically convenient Borgata in Atlantic City it made the thought of a return visit that much more enticing.

Can I find a better meal than this in Vegas? Stay tuned...

Vegas Day 2: Ago at the Hard Rock

An abysmal lunch of over processed lunch meat on low grade 12 grain bread at the Las Vegas Convention Center added to the excitement leading up to Monday's meal at Ago. Ago is an Italian restaurant located in the former home of Simon Kitchen and Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel and partially owned by Robert DeNiro. There was a poolside party at the Hard Rock that evening so logistically it was a no-brainer to have the night's meal here.

We began by splitting one of the evening's special salads: mixed greens with roasted beets, gorgonzola cheese and candied pecans.

We also shared the lo bianco pizza which was made with mozzarella, rucola, cherry tomatoes and shaved parmesan. The portions weren't exactly huge but the salad and pizza were pretty darn tasty.

For my main course, I chose the lombo di maialino con cavolo nero e patate: a roasted pork chop with black cabbage & rosemary potatoes.

The pork chop was pretty large and well seasoned although slightly more cooked than I would have preferred but certainly not dried out by any means. The cabbage and the potatoes rounded out the dish perfectly.

The rest of the crew were equally satisfied with their dishes and the standout meal belonged to Sanch's seafood risotto, chock full of briny goodness. After a long day on the convention floor, this was a great way to kick back and relax!

Vegas Day 3: An Evening "AT" TI, not "WITH" T.I.

On my way to meet the team before a day at the convention, I stopped off at Payard in Caesar's to get some breakfast. The man himself, Francois Payard was there, along with a huge crowd and a camera crew. Apparently, he was unveiling a new Willy Wonka-esque clock that not only resembles a large truffle but dispenses chocolate truffles every fifteen minutes! What can I say about that except ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!? That is insanely fabulous! Ms. Foodie was torn between getting to the meeting place on time to do her "day job" or staying at Payard to cover this event for f is for foodie.

Unfortunately for you dear readers, my daily obligations took precedence and I left this chocolaty scene with my delicious egg and caper sandwich and sub par coffee (which sadly seems to be prevalent all over Vegas) and met up with the group. And while the coffee was mediocre at best, the sandwich was excellent. Crispy fresh bread and the slightest touch of hollandaise on the egg sandwich. Delicious!

For our second day at the convention we decided to pass on the nasty Aramark lunch and hit Big Daddy's Barbecue. We have made a lunch at Big Daddy's a bit of an NAB tradition and this year we got to introduce the Sanch (at left) to Daddy's pulled pork sandwiches. A filling sweet stringy pork sandwich on a doughy roll complete with crispy fries... delicious! And what a great way to refuel after hours of walking around and schmoozing with vendors.

After resting up a bit at the hotel, it was time to head out to dinner at the Mexican restaurant, Isla, at Treasure Island. It seems that Treasure Island is looking to change their vibe a bit and everywhere you go the hotel is referred to as "TI". Since our team has covered the actor/rapper T.I. pretty extensively in the last year, there were plenty of corny "TI" jokes to be made.

Anyway, back to the meal. We began with a tower of crispy chips with three salsas (verde, tomatillo and fresh) along with some guacamole. Quite tasty and addictive! Of course we didn't stop until we saw the bottom of the bowl.

I decided to start with the rock shrimp ceviche. The shrimp was quite good but a bit heavy handed on the paprika and I found myself in the middle of a coughing fit after inhaling a heap of the spices. In an unusual plating choice, there was a scoop of guacamole on the top of the dish which proved to be helpful in balancing out the spice of the ceviche. (Note: The lovely margarita I had with Chambord also added a smooth touch to the heat of the fish)

RRR and I decided to split a steak burrito for our main. The steak was perfectly cooked but we were a bit perplexed by the rice and beans accompanying the burrito. I was expecting a traditional yellow rice and black beans but instead it was more of a pilaf than sticky rice with saffron.

Oh well... still a nice way to fuel up before hitting another poolside party. Unfortunately, it was a bit windy so the party was brought indoors and not nearly as good as the party the prior evening at the Hard Rock. Don't feel too bad for us... the good thing about Vegas is there's always a better party at the next hotel.

Vegas Day 1: Chinois and "Wing It"

We arrived in Vegas last Sunday for our third annual trip to the NAB Convention. Joining J-Bends, Niko and I on his inaugural trip to NAB was the Sanch. RRR also came along for the ride, however, I couldn't convince her to actually come to the convention with us; I guess the pool at Caesar's is a bit more inviting.

After settling in, we decided to walk through the Caesar's Forum Shops to find some lunch. After weighing our options, we settled on Wolfgang Puck's Chinois. We started our meal with the very tasty chicken and shitake spring rolls. The rolls were crisp and juicy without being overly greasy and the chicken was very flavorful. The portions were a bit small however, and the four of us wound up with about half a roll apiece.

I chose the firecracker shrimp for my main course which consisted of shrimp in a spicy yet tangy sauce accompanied by bok choy, water chestnuts and basil. The vegetables provided the perfect amount of crunch and the spiciness of the shrimp was just about right and some sticky rice certainly helped balance out the bit of heat from the dish.

After spending time at an Avid off site at the Hard Rock Hotel (complete with open bar and a few hors'douvres) we regrouped at the hotel and decided it was time to get a bite to eat. It was decided prior to leaving that this was going to be the one meal that was not preplanned and it was a bit disappointing for J-Bends to learn that "Wing It" didn't mean chicken wings and beer.

We ventured over to Mandalay Bay and had a casual meal at Burger Bar. I had a delightfully medium rare burger with mushrooms and onion rings and we ordered some sweet potato fries for the table. The fries were crispy and wonderfully salted and the onion rings were far above average. Thick rings of onions that didn't fall out of the batter after a bite.

The burger fared equally as well. The quality of the beef was outstanding and it was perfectly charred on the outside and bright juicy pink on the inside. What a way to kick off the week.

Note: I refrained from snapping photos to ease my co-workers into what was sure to be a photographic nightmare....

Rao's: It's about frickin time!

Day three in Vegas was our "free day" and after breakfast at Caesar's Augustus Cafe (where a three egg omelet is really a 24 dollar six egg omelet) we decided to relax by the pool. Like everything in Vegas the Caesar's pool is a bit of a sight with its Roman columns and Jacuzzi spas but certainly worth the trip. Despite the gale force winds that blew a few lounge chairs into the pool, we decided to hang for a bit.

The omelet eventually wore off and J-Bends and I decided to get a bite at Snackus Maximus to keep us going until tonight's dinner at Rao's. (Side note: Is that not the best name ever for a poolside snack bar?) We split an order of the spicy chicken nachos and an order of eggrolls. The nachos were quite tasty with the zesty seasoning of the chicken and fresh tomatoes and guacamole. The eggrolls fared equally as well and the dipping sauces (including a nice mustard) were lightly fried without being greasy. Of course the main goal of the afternoon was how many times one could work Snackus Maximus into the conversation! Awesome!

Dinner tonight was the long-awaited trip to Rao's. When I had called to move our reservation from Sunday to Wednesday night, the reservationist informed me that our 9:30pm reservation could be easily moved. A trip to the hostess stand en route to the pool moved us up to 8:15pm - no problem. No problem? Well... after being told that our table was being cleared and we will be seated shortly we watched as a few groups of goombahs were escorted into the dining room. When I asked the hostess what happened to our immediate seating, she explained that OOPS! someone was seated at our table and now we had one party in front of us. When I put up a bit of a stink, she agreed to buy us a drink at the bar to let us cool our heels. I must say, I certainly didn't feel like I was a valued customer.

J-Bends and I took this opportunity to enjoy an expensive glass of Brunello di Montalcino. When the bartender started to pour, I realized this wine was from none other than everyone's favorite Mafioso psychiatrist, Lorraine Bracco. Suprisingly, the wine was dry, tannic, full-bodied and quite impressive. Not too shabby, Lorraine, not too shabby... I just might forgive the shoddy treatment at the front of the house.

We eventually began our meal with orders of cold antipasto and meatballs. The prosciutto was a bit thicker than I am accustomed to but lean, salty and delicious.

Unfortunately, Niko and J-Bends did not partake in Meatball Madness so they couldn't compare to mine, but to be honest, the Rao's meatballs were darn pretty good. Beefy and dense in a sweet marinara sauce; not the best I've had in a restaurant but certainly up there on the meatball leader board.

J-Bends had veal marsala for her main and while she did enjoy her meal, I don't think Rao's veal stood a chance against the previous night's veal-a-palooza at David Burke. Niko had Rao's signature lemon chicken and I went with my perennial Italian favorite, frutti di mare.

Rao's version was a nice departure from the norm. The generous portion of fresh seafood was the bulk of the dish with just enough fresh squid ink pasta not to throw the carb-pasta ratio out of whack. The spicy tomato sauce was thick and chunky but in perfect proportion to the seafood.

While I wasn't completely knocked out by my meal here; I was certainly pleased and impressed on quite a few fronts. Enough to overlook the diss at the front of the house and I sealed the deal with an obligatory handshake from the owner's son, Frank Pellegrino, Jr.

Perhaps a trip uptown to the original is in order... Can someone help me get a reservation?

The Sea was Angry My Friends...

Vegas Day 2 - We hit the convention with a little less vengeance and a few more blisters than the day prior but got down to business. Today was "truck day" for me and it was a bit of a tease to see all the cool digital trucks and the toys that could go in them (if you have an unlimited budget).

Lunch today was at the food court, so not much to note here; your run-of-the-mill turkey on wheat with mustard for me since I was starting to feel like a bit of a glutton.

Hey, isn't that what Vegas was built on... gluttony and greed?

Dinner, however, was another story. We headed over to the beautiful Venetian Hotel and a trip to David Burke. Having heard Burke's New York business partner, Donatella, speak a few weeks ago my curiosity was piqued.

Tonight's dining crew was Foodie, T-Town and J-Bends. When we were seated in the cavernous dining room, our attention was immediately drawn to the large fountain with red glass spires in the middle of the room. We started to oooh and ahhh and then realized the acoustics were going to be a challenge since we were straining to hear each other at our four top table.

J-Bends & I split a bottle of wine which coincidentally was a Spanish Rioja that Mitch bought me when the Boston girls came to NY for a food-filled weekend. Mitch has a keen palate so I knew I made a wise choice.

Our meal began with an amuse bouche of shrimp and corn fritter with a fava bean and some micro greens. The shrimp was juicy and chunky and you really tasted the texture of the corn. And while it was batter dipped and fried there wasn't a hint of grease or dense crust to be found; just flavorful chewy textures with quite a unique presentation.

I decided to go for broke and get the crisp and angry lobster for an appetizer. A one and a half pound lobster served on a bed of nails? Are you kidding me?

The lobster was lightly seasoned with chili powder and paprika and then drizzled with a bit of chili oil. It was then broken into sections and strategically placed on said bed of nails along with a few lemon wedges for good measure or good humor; take your pick.

Not only was this one of the most flavorful lobsters I've ever had; it was certainly the most unique. Kudos, Mr. Burke you've impressed me already and I haven't even had my entree yet!

For my main course, I resisted the temptation to try the "pork steak" and instead went with the Peking duck with peasant noodles and a sunny side up duck egg. T-Town and J-Bends went with the Bronx style filet mignon of veal with Yukon gold dumplings and morels. (see the semi-dark photo below)

The veal was an impressive chop that was buttery soft. I'm not a veal lover per se, but even I couldn't resist trying a bite. Good choice gang!

The duck was perfectly roasted and the skin was crispy but soft in the noodles and light sauce. The broken yolk of the egg added a nice dimension and thickness to the dish and really brought all the ingredients together.

Our dishes were all served in shiny All Clad cookware which kept our entrees warm as I gazed lovingly at all the interesting dishes coming out of the open kitchen.

What also came out of the kitchen was the man himself; David Burke. His table hopping and hand shaking unfortunately did not include our table and I was hoping to tell him how much I was enjoying my meal (especially after last night's less than stellar trip to Diego).

Little did I know that the best was yet to come. We chose David Burke's signature dessert for the table - David Burke's cheesecake lollipop tree. Individual pops of chilled cheesecake dipped and coated in milk chocolate, bubble gum and pistachio-crusted chocolate served on an adorable "tree" with accompanying bubble gum whipped cream.

The cheesecake was creamy without being overly thick and rich. This would have stood out as a great dessert on it's own without the lollipop tree. The whipped cream was sugary sweet and light - how'd he do that? Bubble gum pulverized to a powder? Who knows? Who cares? We were so busy dipping and acting like giddy kids at a carnival to care.

I had to ask our server what was up with all the eggs. There were egg statues, egg dishes and little eggs placed everywhere in the restaurant (not to mention the website). We were told that Burke loves eggs and sees them as the beginning of life.

Well Mr. Burke; Ms. Foodie sees this dining experience as the beginning of a beautiful culinary friendship!

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...

Vegas, Baby! Maybe???

In a few hours, Ms. Foodie is (hopefully) leaving for Vegas to attend the NAB Convention. The toughest part about planning this trip was deciding where to eat! The possibilities are endless!

After we spend countless hours on the massive convention center floor geeking out at more cameras, editing gear, news helicopters and production trucks than you can imagine a few of my co-workers and I are going to kick back at the following restaurants.

Here's the dining itinerary and you can certainly expect reviews when I return.

Sunday: Rao's @ Caesar's (if our plane leaves today - thanks Nor'easter! Isn't it bad enough I have to travel across the country to eat at a restaurant uptown?)

Monday: Diego @ MGM

Tuesday: David Burke @ The Venetian (my previous post about Donatella had me especially curious about Burke's culinary prowess)

Wednesday: Seablue @ MGM (slightly less expensive than Michael Mina's Bellagio restaurant)

Vegas Baby!

In about a month, I will be heading out to Las Vegas with a few co-workers for the annual NAB Convention. In getting ready for our trip, first and foremost on my mind, is where are we going to eat?

Last year, we enjoyed fabulous meals at Bouchon, Border Grill, Simon Kitchen and Bar and Craftsteak.

How do you choose the best restaurant? Word of mouth of course! In Vegas there are SO many good restauants and SO little time. In determining where to spend our four nights of culinary bliss, I am looking to you, dear readers, for some suggestions on where to go:

DB Brasserie at the Wynn?
Michael Mina's at the Bellagio?
Joe's Seafood at Caesar's?
Zeffrino at the Venetian?
Emeril's New Orleans Fish House at MGM?

So what do you think? Any of these restaurants? Or do you have some better suggestions? Bring it!

Oh yeah and I guess there's gambling in Vegas too isn't there?