Welcome to Food-abulous Las Vegas!

Welcome to Food-abulous Las Vegas!

What do you do in Las Vegas when you’re not a big gambler, can’t sit in the sun for fear of permanently scarring your pale Irish skin, and not into the club scene?

Well, eat of course!

My sister got married in Las Vegas this past weekend. As much as Vegas is not my scene, it was a perfect opportunity to sample the cuisine of a variety of celebrity chefs. Over the course of 2 days, I got to enjoy the food of Bobby Flay, Rick Moonen, Hubert Keller and Charlie Palmer. (I was too hung over on the third day to expand upon that list.)

First stop: Lunch at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill in Caesar’s Palace.

When I told my nephew we were going here for lunch, he said “Doesn’t he have a show on the Food Network?” My response was “Yeah, he used to have a show. Now he has all the shows. Bobby Flay is the Food Network.”

I have always thought that Bobby was overexposed, and he struck me as a little too big for his britches. But I now know how wrong I was… He has earned every bit of exposure and every ounce of arrogance. The restaurant was amazing. I wish I could report on a variety of items ordered, but we all had the exact same thing. The prix fixe lunch menu featured a duck pancake starter and a buffalo burger main course, with strawberry profiteroles for dessert.

While the entire meal was wonderful, I am going to focus on the duck. It was vintage Bobby Flay. Well, at least it looked like vintage Bobby Flay based on all the times I’ve seen him on Iron Chef America. It was a barbecue duck with the tender texture of pulled pork, wrapped in a blue cornmeal pancake dressed with a trio of sauces (ranging from barbecue sauce to chili oil) and top with micro-greens. I’ve had duck a few times, but this was by far the best duck I’ve ever eaten. It was melt in your mouth good with none of that fatty, gamey taste that duck can tend to have. If that was all they served me, I would have been perfectly satisfied. And if the food wasn’t good enough, it was accompanied by possibly the best service I have ever received in a restaurant. I wish I remembered our waiter’s name, because he would get a very loud shout out (to what I’m sure is a huge audience of readers).

Second stop: Dinner at Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood in Mandalay Bay.

I would not have known to pick this restaurant if it weren’t for Top Chef Masters. I’m so glad for that summer spin off – second restaurant, second great meal. My brother got the free range roast chicken, while my nephew (not a fish eater) opted for the steak frites. Both were good portions and perfectly prepared. I had the RM Cioppino. It had the perfect level of spiciness, and the fish was delectable. It was served with pasta that resembled giant calamari rings – a perfect accessory. The pasta helped cut the spiciness, otherwise I think it would have been a tad overwhelming. I’ve had cioppino before, and have always liked it, but never loved it. Rick Moonen’s Cioppino was love worthy. It is now at the top of the list of recipes I’m going to try at home. (Stay tuned… I’m sure I’ll tell you all about how that experiment goes!)

Third Stop: Lunch at Hubert Keller’s Burger Bar in Mandalay Bay.

I really wanted to try Fleur de Lys, but it wasn’t open for lunch. My primary goal was to be able to eat at a Hubert Keller restaurant, so even though it wasn’t my first choice, the Burger Bar accomplished the goal. I did not see the $5,000 burger that Hubert referenced on a recent episode of Top Chef Masters, but I was perfectly happy with the American Classic burger. Basically, a bacon cheeseburger made with angus beef and your standard fixin’s (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle). I dressed it with some good old fashioned ketchup and yellow mustard. Yes, it was a typical choice – not at all adventurous. But how else can you compare the burger of a world renowned chef to the one you get at the diner down the street?

While I do enjoy the burger from the diner down the street (it is my new brother-in-law’s diner, after all), Hubert’s American classic was perhaps the best fine dining burger I’ve ever had. It was the perfect size, perfectly prepared with the finest ingredients. And as any good burger should be, it was served with French fries. It was definitely worth the 45 minute wait.

My only complaint was that the restaurant was the shameless self-promotion of its famous chef/owner. At Mesa Grill and RM Seafood, there was a little self-promotion, but it was limited. Both restaurants had a display of cook books and sauces that were available for sale, but once you got past the hostess station, it was all about the food. The Burger Bar had items advertised for sale not only at the hostess stand, but at the bar and throughout the menu – with several photos of Hubert, and a mini-biography that appeared twice in the menu. I was a little surprised by this. Hubert has been one of my favorite guest judges on Top Chef, mainly because he has struck me as very humble and not full of himself. His representation at Burger Bar was a little different. I can see why someone may want to purchase a Burger Bar t-shirt, but I’m having trouble grasping the need for a Burger Bar thong.

Fourth and final stop: Wedding dinner at Charlie Palmer’s Aureole in Mandalay Bay.

Aureole is known for their wine more than their food, as a string of reviewers on Yelp will tell you. We were there for the food, and had a limited menu due to the size of our group. For my starter I opted for the mushroom ravioli over the mixed greens salad. I love a good salad, but I wanted to try the food. I recall the ravioli being very good. For my entrée, I got the surf and turf – which was steak with Alaskan king crab leg. As a wannabe foodie, I should be able to tell you if the steak was angus beef, NY strip or filet mignon. Being very nervous about my role in the wedding (maid of honor) and having to give a toast, I drank a little bit too much champagne and cannot recall the type of steak it was. I do remember it was excellent and perfectly prepared – despite the fact that I didn’t tell them how I like my steak prepared. (I was later told that I did tell them I prefer it rare. Who knew?) I got the citrus cheesecake for dessert, and it was perfectly lovely even though by that point I was too full to eat it all.

If my mother reads this, she will most certainly kill me for what I’m about to say… While the food at Aureole was perfectly delicious and perhaps the best wedding meal I’ve ever eaten in my life, it was not my favorite meal of the weekend. I have to tip my hat to Bobby Flay for the first place award, and Rick Moonen for the coveted first runner up spot. (If Bobby Flay should somehow fail in his duties of the winner of my favorite restaurant for the weekend, then Rick Moonen will assume the role…)

If you ever find yourself in Las Vegas, you will eat great food – guaranteed. We barely left Mandalay Bay, and didn’t even put a dent in the list of chef’s who have set up shop on the strip. My biggest complaint about the food was the branded thong for sale at the Burger Bar. The best part about Vegas is that you get to try all these chefs in one place – sin city makes it very easy to be a wannabe foodie!