Food over the 17 days of this Vegas trip was all over the map, from my usual frugal and free eats approach to enjoying meals of decadently affluent indulgence.
My wife and her brother decided for a rare celebration over two nights. Elizabeth bought a meal at Morel's Steakhouse at Palazzo http://www.palazzolasvegas.com/morels.aspx and Jim bought an incredible tasting journey at
http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/le-cirque.aspx in Bellagio.
Fortunately, I had packed my nice pants and black dress shirt.
I thought Morel's tasty but unremarkable. However, I just was not in the mood for a steak, having had the Ellis Island special for brunch that morning, and perhaps the sea bass did not fully reveal their art. It was good, just not incredible. I cook my own fish often and the topping sauce did not seem any better than my own inventions. I tasted Elizabeth's steak and found that fine, but nothing to ebulliently praise.
The Circo experience was, however, simply incredible! It was featured as a taste journey and so it was with multiple courses and choices. Jim and Anne added a wine journey with their meal. I declined that, but it was entertaining when for each course a new wine was introduced to the table and explained in detail. I did lightly taste a few of their wines and none of them really caught my taste. Perhaps I was just put off because the night before a few glasses of an excellent red from the Palazzo wine and cheese tasting room(that came with Jim and Anne's suite) had prompted a migraine.
I don't know anything about wine, really. I like red. In my younger days I loved a Monte Real
but I could buy it for 75 cents at the Air Force Base at Torrejon.
Lately, I look for wine from this region of Spain
However, usually I am content with some inexpensive bottle and perhaps now the migranes will put me off red wine completely.
I like sangria, much to the disgust of my old Spanish friend who thinks of it as an unforgivable corruption of wine predicated certainly by the American addiction to ice in everything.
It is a cultivated taste. I was happy not to have added the expense of the wine journey to the bill.
The food, however, was incredible! I liked everything and just when we thought we were done, out came four different and huge deserts, all rich and wonderful.
The rest of my time in Vegas was less elegant and more to my usual habits. However, because I went with my poker playing buddy Bill and then with wife Elizabeth, I did eat much more and more often than I do solo when most days I only eat what is free and seldomly treat myself.
I gained weight for the first time in many trips, and it has taken me a week or so in sickbed, eating very little more than a bit of soup or tea, to drop those pounds again to my usual overweight rating.
Because Elizabeth was still ill in Vegas and recovering strength slowly, we did not wander far to eat. She is not one much for coupons or going out just to find a place to eat. She does not like buffets either, although she like the breakfast at the Orleans.
We had a bowl of soup at Ming's in Harrah's and it was okay, but not much for the price. I took her and here brother and his wife to breakfast at Hash-A -Go-Go using my $25 coupon from the dineLV.com Human Nature ticket deal.
I was disappointed.
What is on the menu as hash was not hash, but really a medley of bitesized bits of potato and green pepper and such and tasted fine, but is not different from what I often cook for breakfast myself.
Nothing was ground into a true hash.
On top of that the music was just too loud and too abrasive. The waitress told us that the music is what attracts customers.
Four of us were really unable to talk over breakfast.
Hmmmm. I guess I am getting old. I'll explore this idea a bit more in the following post.
We ate a build-our-own hamburger at KGB and that was delicious, but there again the same music issues arose. I'd like that restaurant with some Sinatra in the background. It was fine however to drink good iced tea and be able to forgo fries and concentrate on just the burger tastes we enjoy. Great service as well.
And then the week was scattered with buffets and a good bit of food at Ellis Island, since Bill and I were next door at the Super 8 for a week. Bill and I played free bingo every morning and did not win once, but we did a side bet on the bingo to determine who bought breakfast.
I saw some sense in the full day buffet at the Orleans because I had to go to breakfast with Elizabeth just before she flew out on Saturday, and I was not very hungry. So rather than dropping $15 and eat just a bit of food (the cafe line was very long) I dropped $24 and just ate what I wanted with her, stopping in for food breaks from playing poker as my solo day went on. I got my money's worth there just with the convenience of beating the line and maybe just having a bite here and a bite there until 9PM.
The Harrah's deal of $39 for a clocked 24 hour buffet pass seems even better if bought a late supper one day and used for breakfast and lunch and supper the next as well. I'll try that once next trip ion May rather than just treating myself to one meal at the Spice Market. So perhaps I'll gain a few pound again.
My favorite tastes of the week were:
*dry rubbed ribs at the Gold Coast lunch buffet
*lamb grilled at the Spice Market near the tandori chicken
*tempura shrimp at the Spice Market
*Prime rib at Ellis and at El Cortez cafe
*smoked salmon, capers, onion, tomato at Golden Nugget breakfast
*Crispy bacon at Golden Nugget breakfast
*Bite sized fruit at Golden Nugget breakfast
*watermelon at Gold Coast buffet
I missed the good potato chips at the Vue bar because I got too sick at the end of the trip to want to walk for them.
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