When it comes to gambling, Las Vegas is a 24/7 town. Getting seriously good food after 11pm? Meh, says Vegas, not so much.
This is especially true if you are on the strip (though the Palazzo’s First Food and Bar, home of the new Dobranski, is one notable late spot we are eternally grateful for). There are some good late-night places off the strip–Town Square’s Cana and dependable Yard House are two near me; and of course there are the ubiquitous “Nevada style pubs” which dot the landscape (I infer that the peculiar locution “Nevada Style” means beer, burgers and video poker at any hour). But one cannot live on burgers and wings alone, no matter how fancy. This is why God gave us cars, and why he gave our various Asian communities Spring Mountain Road.
Astute readers will have sensed by now my ‘newbie’ frustration with Las Vegas’ seeming refusal to become an actual place, as opposed to functioning solely as a mechanism for extracting money from tourists (ergo CityCenter, which is neither) . But this curmudgeonly assertion is disproved by our Chinatown, centered on Spring Mountain Road west of the strip. It’s one of our true civic treasures, as well as a culinary goldmine. The term “Chinatown” is of course a misnomer, as the area is rich mix of great Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese culture and cuisine.
Nestled in a small commercial strip just off Decatur is tiny Aburiya Raku, a Japanese robata grill. How much do I love Raku? Well if Las Vegas’ Chinatown were Napa, Raku might just be its French Laundry. I first heard of Raku from Mike Dobranski, who intoned its greatness while bemoaning his inability to score a table at its intimate dining room, which has already achieved a cult following among off-the clock pro chefs in town. He was therefore amazed when I scored a same-day table for 10:30pm on 2 hours’ notice (this was a weeknight, which I’m sure helped). Worse, Mike D. was not able to join in our post-work nosh–so after the hyenas took their final bows at Lion King, myself and Dave P (aka “the Dave”) headed north to Spring Mountain Rd in search of gastronomic serenity.
We began with an unfiltered sake, served cold:
I admit sake is not a spirit I normally get too excited about, but I found this earthy ‘cloudy’ version to be much more interesting than the few clear sakes I’ve had. And the slightly nutty quality really complimented the food well.
The dishes at Raku are mostly tapas-sized, meant for nibbling and sharing. The grill items come one or two to an order, and we enjoyed some great kurubata pork that was grilled simply with a tamari glaze and garnished with garlic chips, as well as The Dave’s personal favorite, enoki mushrooms wrapped in bacon and grilled. All were cheap and excellent, but Nirvana was reached when ordering two of the specials–hirame sashimi, and fried tofu cake in a dashi broth.
First, the hirame:
Where to begin? Both the presentation and the dish were simple yet stunning–wrapping the petals of raw fish around a nugget of wasabi-tinged daikon and fresh green onion, then bathing it gently in the most heavenly yuzu sauce that has graced my humble gullet…I swear the first bite almost made me cry with joy. I admit that sushi is a bit like steak for me–I often enjoy it, but usually find it one-note and expensive. This is the first sushi dish I’ve had that makes me understand how an evening at a place like CityCenter’s BarMasa could conceivably be worth a car payment. While BarMasa remains safely out of my budgetary orbit, I have sampled similar dishes at Nobu and the creepy “Korova Milk Bar”-like Philadelphia branch of Morimoto, but nothing compares to the Raku hirame. I only wish it had not been a special but a regular menu item, though perhaps it is best that it is a rare pleasure. Once The Dave and I could talk again–the hirame had induced a state of temporary catatonic, reverent bliss–I think I said something like, “of all the things with fins I’ve eaten in my life, this bite is in the top 3.” Then we went back into our respective cones of silence and let the hirame gently blow our minds and taste buds.
I was prepared for a downhill ride after the hirame, since there was no way anything could top it. Then the fried homemade tofu in broth came along:
This was simply the best tofu dish I’ve ever eaten (sorry, ostentatiously tableside-made tofu from Morimoto), and one I’m sure would convert even confirmed tofu-phobe Mike D. For those readers who consider tofu ‘hippie food,’ a pale substitution for meat, or a ‘blank slate’ vehicle to convey other flavors, be warned: Raku’s homemade tofu laughs at your ignorance; snickers in your general direction. The slight sweetness of the tofu and the broth, accented with delicate earthiness of mushroom and salty/briny notes from seaweed flakes and roe–it was a perfect example of the complex yet whisper-subtle flavor harmony that is the hallmark of Japanese cuisine.
Other highlights were heavenly soba, and a wonderfully adult, barely-sweet green tea creme brulee (redeeming creme brulee–the “Music of the Night” of desserts–impressive, that).
All in all, Aburiya Raku was amazing experience I look forward to repeating, and an incredible value as well. Language fails to do this food justice, so let’s just sum it up in a two-word koan: Raku rocks.
Aburiya Raku
5030 Spring Mountain Road Las Vegas, NV 89044
(702) 367-3511
Michael Manley is a professional musician, food nut, writer and technological retard who lives and works in Las Vegas.
I don’t know if it is a new trend among restaurants in town or if it is just new to me as I’m now (thankfully) getting bombarded with press releases from our lovely PR Firm tasters, but Dos Caminos at the Palazzo resort is the latest to hop on the Cooking Class Train. Celebrating Dos Caminos’ dos-year anniversary (that’s as multi-lingual as we get), Guest Master Mixologist Eben Klemm, Corporate Executive Chef Scott Lindquist and Executive Chef of the Las Vegas location, Roberto Hernandez will demonstrate creative cocktails, tasty bocaditos (small plates) and delish desserts. The classes will be held on Saturday March 13 and Sunday March 14 from 11:30am-2:30pm at Dos Caminos in the Palazzo. The cost is $65 and you can call (702) 577-9550 to reserve a spot or to get more information.
Origin India's Kuldeep Singh and Raja Majid at Whole Foods
Hot off the heels of his Beard House debut, Chef Kuldeep Singh along with CEO, Raja Majid, of Origin India were cooking up some delicious Chicken Tikka at the Whole Foods Market in The District at Green Valley Ranch this past Saturday for a tasting / demonstration. Chef Singh and partner in crime Raja both said the Beard House event was a big success, and lucky for us, I was told that they are adding the beautiful Vermicelli Panna Cotta with Alphonso Mango Jelly that was such a big hit in New York to the restaurant’s dessert menu here. Congratulations again to Chef Singh for the honor of being able to showcase his talents at the James Beard House, he certainly deserves it!
Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich
Always dedicated to planetary responsibility, the Batali Bastianich Hospitality Group will be holding three viewings of The End of the Line, a documentary about the devastating effects of over fishing. Two of the showings will be for Batali / Bastianich staff only and a midnight on March 10 showing in the private dining room of Carnevino will be for Press and all Industry Professionals. Kudos to Mario and Joe for bringing in such an important film to help their staff understand the global impact of what is on the plate!
—– Mike Dobranski is a professional musician, amateur blogger, eater of good food, poker junkie, master of the inappropriate comment and bad husband to a wonderful wife. Follow him on Twitter at @MikeDobranski.
I thought the picture was going to come out better than it did considering the iPhone friendly bright light of the dining space, but the elegant orange caviar (salmon?), creaminess of the wasabi aioli and golden brown of a perfect prawn tempura of the Wasabi Prawn from MOzen Bistro at the Mandarin Oriental proved to be too much delicious for the iPhone camera to handle.
Wasabi Prawn from MOzen Bistro
—–
MOzen Bistro
Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas
3752 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
—– Mike Dobranski is a professional musician, amateur blogger, eater of good food, poker junkie, master of the inappropriate comment and bad husband to a wonderful wife. Follow him on Twitter at @MikeDobranski.
Hot off the heels of our (why do I always say “our”? I wrote the damn thing!) last post which was about delicious tortured, grotesquely altered duck and goose livers, I thought I’d follow up with another surefire winner with PETA; the face ripped off a baby cow over pasta, a.k.a. – the Spaghetti with Slow-Braised Veal Cheeks from Brasserie PUCK.
Spaghetti with Slow-Braised Veal Cheeks from Brasserie PUCK
The Wolfman’s newest Vegas eatery recently opened up at Crystals and marks the first “French” restaurant Wolfgang Puck has opened in nearly 30 years. The jury is still out if this should technically even be called a French restaurant, but he has French Onion Soup and Filet Mignon au Poivre on the menu and he called it a Brasserie, so why not.
The "View" from Brasserie PUCK Dining Room
The dining room is open air to the Christopher Reeve Era Fortress of Solitude-ish stark white mish mash of angles that is Crystals. It almost feels as if Marlon Brando is about to tell you how the son becomes the father and the father becomes the son, but then you are brought some delicious bread with butter, dijon mustard and an extraordinary chicken liver mousse and you forget about the clinical interior of Crystals.
Bread with Butter, Dijon Mustard and Chicken Liver Mousse
The Spaghetti with Slow-Braised Veal Cheeks ($22) may be just a hop, skip and a jump (and a customs border check) from Alsace, but it called my name from the menu so I ordered it. I’m glad I did.
The thin spaghetti (bordering on the line of spaghettini) was at a perfect doneness with a wonderfully flavorful tomato sauce, using the veal cheek braising liquid to deepen the flavor. Hunks of nicely subdued garlic and a little bit of starch to re-thicken the sauce rounded out what was a delicious compliment, both in flavor and in texture, to the pasta and the star of the plate; the veal cheeks.
The magnificently tender and delicately tasty veal cheeks were sliced and plentiful in the plate of pasta. They were melt in your mouth good and gave what could have easily been a heavy plate of food a certain airiness to it. My only gripe about the dish is that some of the reheated veal cheek slices were a bit on the tepid side and could have used a few more seconds in the sauté pan. It is an artful fine line to not flush hours of slow-braising down the toilet with an overdone reheat when the order comes up, and in this situation I’m glad they erred on the side of caution.
Peartini from Brasserie PUCK
A few other quick notes about the evening; get the Peartini, as it is just a splendid cocktail with the use of pear puree. Also, our server, Gabby, was a rockstar of service and I wanted to make sure she got a special shout out. We really are fortunate in Las Vegas to be treated with such an abundance of magnificent service, and Gabby is among the best in town! Also keep in mind that Brasserie PUCK is offering 25% off the entire bill for Las Vegas locals through April 30, 2010!
I bestow my full recommendation to give the Spaghetti with Slow-Braised Veal Cheeks from Brasserie PUCK a taste. I assure you that the parts of the baby cow that was the ends of its smile will, in turn, put a smile on your face!
—-
Brasserie PUCK
Crystals at CityCenter
3720 Las Vegas Blvd. S. Suite # 240
Las Vegas, NV 89109
—– Mike Dobranski is a professional musician, amateur blogger, eater of good food, poker junkie, master of the inappropriate comment and bad husband to a wonderful wife. Follow him on Twitter at @MikeDobranski.
Foie gras(pronounced: fwah grah) is one of the more controversial items on the menu. Along side caviar and truffles as a symbol of gastronomic decadence, foie gras is as adored by many as it is chastised by many. Foie gras is also one of those items on the menu that make many people just dipping their toes into the fine dining pool scrunch their nose and wonder, “What the hell is THAT?!?”
Terrine of Foie Gras
Foie gras is French for “fatty liver,” which works out splendidly as foie gras is the fatty liver of a force-fed duck or goose, duck being more common in the United States.
Raw Foie Gras from Fork You Blog
“Force-fed” you say?!? Force-fed, I say. The liver is fattened through a process called gavage(sounds like garage with a v). After the ducks are about 9 weeks old, they are force-fed grain and whatever else the farmer deems as “duck food” through a long metal tube stuck down their throat. This gavage process happens a couple times a day for the next 2-3 weeks of the duck’s life before it is slaughtered and the now fattened liver is harvested.
Pan-Seared Foie Gras
Foie gras is most commonly served either as a terrine(meatloaf) or in pan-seared, sautéed slices. With how strong the flavor of foie gras is, it is usually served as an appetizer or as an accompaniment to a main course, although the foie gras sluts of the world can certainly find main course offerings. Speaking of flavor, it’s tough to describe the taste of foie gras, as the easiest way to describe it is that it tastes like foie gras. Fatty, rich, lush with just a hint of the minerally trademark taste of liver is the best I can do.
It’s obviously from the gavage process that the heated debate over the ethics of foie gras stems from. Is it cruel or is it not cruel; that is the question. Those in favor of foie gras say that ducks and geese have no gag reflexes and that they naturally fatten their livers up ahead of winter migration. Those opposing foie gras say that the force-feeding process is anything but natural and everything from the conditions in which the birds are kept in, to the irritation of a metal tube going down their throats, to the rapid expansion and fattening of a vital organ is an inhumane treatment of the animals.
Famous world-traveler and chef, Anthony Bourdain approached the subject on his No Reservations show in full support of foie gras:
Here’s a video produced by http://www.StopGavage.com/en showing the other side of foie gras production (Warning: some graphic footage):
Personally, I’m on the side that it is inhumane and an unethical treatment of an animal. But then again, I also think all meat eating is an inhumane treatment of an animal, and I’m sure as hell not going to put down the steak, pork chop or lobster tail anytime soon. Foie gras goes that extra step of torturing the animal before it is killed, and that is where a significant line is crossed.
With that said, I’ve eaten it, and I’ll probably eat it again. (hey, I never claimed to be a model citizen!) It’s like veal for me; I think it’s wrong, but on a rare occasion I’ll give it a whirl as my taste buds trump my morals. Beyond the unethical treatment of the animals though, I have a personal issue with eating livers anyway. I rarely have a desire to eat nature’s Brita filter, so it really isn’t something I’ll go out of my way to get in any event.
The movement against foie gras has been trumpeted by people beyond the incessant shrill whine of PETA. Most notably, superstar chefs Wolfgang Puck and Charlie Trotter have been quite vocal about not offering foie gras in any of their restaurants. As the organic / sustainable / farm-to-table food movement continues to exponentially gain popularity, I’m sure there will be many more notable cooks to sign up. Hell, even James Bondsays no to foie gras!
Chefs may not even have a choice as laws have been passed and are in the works to ban the raising and serving of foie gras. The Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, signed a law banning the production and selling of foie gras in California which goes into full effect in 2012. The City of Chicago banned foie gras in 2006, although that law was later repealed in 2008.
Foie Gras Custard Brulee from Sage
If you want to try foie gras (while you still can), you might as well go somewhere that does it right! Chef Jean Paul Labadie of Marche Bacchus in the Desert Shores area of Las Vegas makes a Seared Foie Gras appetizer for $18. Andre’s in the Monte Carlo resort has both a Foie Gras Terrine for $24 and the Pan-Seared Foie Gras variety for $28. For a slightly different take on the umami packed delicacy, check out the Foie Gras Custard Brulee at Chef Shawn McClain’s Sage at the Aria resort for $25. Of course you can roll with a Foie Gras Treatment of the Gods at either French Culinary legend Jöel Robuchon at the MGM Grand or Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace, but that’s going to hit your wallet for a wee bit higher than anywhere else on Earth in town.
***UPDATE – 03/10/10***
Check out this amazing video of a presentation by Chef Dan Barber of NYC’s Blue Hill Restaurant about a visit to Eduardo Sousa’s ground-breaking farm in Spain. It’s 20 minutes long, but it is WELL worth it!
—– Mike Dobranski is a professional musician, amateur blogger, eater of good food, poker junkie, master of the inappropriate comment and bad husband to a wonderful wife. Follow him on Twitter at @MikeDobranski.
There has never been a better time to eat good food if you live in Las Vegas. Why, you ask? Because empty restaurants are offering some pretty significant discounts to get us in the door.
Las Vegas Strip from MGM/Mirage Website
As we all know, The Great Recession has nearly crippled our local economy. Less people coming to town and the people that do show up are spending less. Scrambling to make ends meet, restaurants on the Strip have been searching for ways to put butts in the seats. Fortunately for us locals, many of the best restaurants in town are now turning to a market quite often forgotten about in the times of plenty; the people living in their own backyard.
While a few restaurants have regrettably turned to dumbing down their menus (yes, I’m looking at you, DJT), many restaurants are taking a haircut on their profit margin in efforts to make more in the long run with volume of sales. There’s no better target audience than locals, as we’re here all the time and we’ll also be the ones telling our mooch relatives where to go eat when they “visit family” for the umpteenth time when the days of steady cash flow are upon us once again. You know what I’m talking about, Las Vegas locals. You never realized you could run a Best Western until you moved to Vegas and all of your friends and relatives come out of the woodwork to visit “you.”
Empty Dining Room at Silk Road
And sure, while many Las Vegas locals seem to take pride in never going to the Strip, we should keep a few things in mind. Whether we like it or not, the Strip is our life-blood, and when the Strip does well, we’ll all be doing better. Yes it is a vacation spot in a foreign land to most, but the people that cook the food, mix the drinks, seat you at your table, bring you the food, wash the dishes and clean the toilets are all our neighbors. Of course, bring me tucked away local hidden treasures like The Pasta Shop, Table 34, Ichiza and Namaste every day of the week, but every now and then it’s nice to experience what the millions of visitors to the Strip spend their hard earned cash on so they can get away from their miserable lives. I promise you, it ain’t that bad, and in fact quite good and quite enjoyable.
The discounts Strip restaurants are offering to locals right now are extraordinary. Keep in mind that these deals can and will change at the blink of an eye, but two for one entrees at L’Atelier de Jöel Robuchon and 15% off Restaurant Charlie by Charlie Trotter?!? Are you kidding? How can anyone that likes great food pass this up?
My suggestion to you is that if you go to a restaurant on the Strip, you go in both educated and inquisitive about deals for locals. Not every server is going to remember they are offering a locals discount, so it is good you know that there is a deal to be made an what that deal is before you go. If you don’t see something or don’t know of something, always ask if there are any deals for locals. On a recent visit to Brasserie PUCK at Crystals, our server took the dessert off the bill instead of giving us the advertised 25% off the entire check. An honest mistake as it is tough to keep up with these continually changing, seldom known about deals. We informed her of the 25% off special (good until 4/30/10) as tweeted by @WolfgangBuzz and she immediately took care of it.
To find out about local dining deals at The Venetian and The Palazzo visit: http://www.palazzolasvegas.com/Grazie_Dining.html. Keep in mind that they say you’ll need their Club Grazie card (free) and also show your Nevada ID to get the deal.
It appears Wynn and Encore are not offering local discounts, and when asked they just directed me to a Prix Fixe option they offer all their guests. (boo)
As for Harrah’s properties, good luck trying to find anything on any of their websites (boo, too). Remember, always ask!
As more information comes in, I will update this post and let you know. If you hear of anything, please let us know! Now is a great time for Las Vegas locals to take advantage of our little town’s most prized possession. Here’s to hoping the restaurants that call upon us to help them in their time of need will not forget us when the good times inevitably return.
—– Mike Dobranski is a professional musician, amateur blogger, eater of good food, poker junkie, master of the inappropriate comment and bad husband to a wonderful wife. Follow him on Twitter at @MikeDobranski.
News coming out of CityCenter that they have their first victim in Chef Martin Heierling’s Silk Road. Thankfully, it’s just a flesh wound. Effective today (March 1), Vdara’s only restaurant will no longer be offering dinner service, but will still offer breakfast and lunch with new hours of operation going from 7:00am to 2:00pm. In any other building, Silk Road would probably be a smashing success, but not even Chef Heierling’s wonderfully flavorful food can bring people into the massive condo/hotel failure that is Vdara.
In Business Las Vegas 40 Under 40
Big congratulations to our local food industry peeps that made In Business Las Vegas’ 2010 40 Under 40 List! This years honorees include:
Cory Harwell – Owner & Founder, Caña Latin Kitchen & Bar
Joe Micatrotto Jr. – Founder, President & CEO of Micatrotto Restaurant Group and Raising Canes Chicken Fingers
With our viewership numbers growing by the day, TastingLasVegas.comsecretly moved to better accommodate our increasing audience. Along with the move comes a slightly different look and some extra bells and whistles you may have noticed (like the buttons to post links to your Twitter and Facebook pages at the bottom of each post!). Like with all moves, we probably broke a few dishes, so please give us a heads up if you experience anything wonky. And rest assured, while we might look a little different, we will always bring you the same bad grammar and hand-crafted snark!
—– Mike Dobranski is a professional musician, amateur blogger, eater of good food, poker junkie, master of the inappropriate comment and bad husband to a wonderful wife. Follow him on Twitter at @MikeDobranski.
It’s a Nobhill Tavern Palooza in posts this week, and of course no “palooza” is truly complete without an iPhone camera nightmare. You wouldn’t know it by looking at it, but this should be slices of sausages and potatoes, pearl onion and hunks of bacon all in this dijon beurre blanc-ish sauce that made my arteries dance with glee. It’s the Wood-Grilled Sausages from Nobhill Tavern at the MGM Grand.
Wood-Grilled Sausages from Nobhill Tavern
—–
Nobhill Tavern
MGM Grand Las Vegas
3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
—– Mike Dobranski is a professional musician, amateur blogger, eater of good food, poker junkie, master of the inappropriate comment and bad husband to a wonderful wife. Follow him on Twitter at @MikeDobranski.
Hot off the heels of the 2010 James Beard Award Semifinalist announcements, I wanted to go to one of the nominees that I haven’t been to before. Almost ashamed to say, I haven’t been to Michael Mina’s Nobhill Tavern at the MGM Grand in the 5 ½ years The Wife and I have called Las Vegas Home-Sweet-Home, so we were certainly overdue for a visit. Always loving a good date night with The Wife, we decided to see what San Francisco’s own had to offer.
The MGM Grand feels like one of the more cavernous resorts in town to me, with only the meandering Ode to Italia that is The Venetian being the ultimate cluster. After walking around in a huge circle that took us by a Wolfgang Puck joint (in case ya haven’t heard, he’s got a thousand few places here) the Ka Theater and Jöel Robuchon’s Culinary Cathedral, we finally found Nobhill Tavern’s front desk and was greeted with a smile.
Nobhill Tavern at the MGM Grand
Speaking of that smile, it is in the Outstanding Service category that Nobhill Tavern got the JBF nod for. James Beard ain’t joking either, as the service we received here was nothing short of extraordinary. The service was so good that it is worthy of it’s own post to be written at a later date. For now I’ll try my best to stick to the Lobster Pot Pie.
Our fabulous server, Leo, brought our attention to a two for one entree special that they were running for Las Vegas locals. Two for one entrees?!? Score! No better time to pony up the now $85(eek!) for some Lobster Pot Pie since now we get TWO Lobster Pot Pies…and you know the only thing better than a Lobster Pot Pie is two of them!
Lobster Pot Pie from Nobhill Tavern
After mouth-watering breads and superb appetizers, the beautifully paced meal came to its climax when a cart with two pastry covered copper pots were rolled out on a cart. Table side service! Harkening to an era of better days, Leo and another fine server each carefully cut the pastry top from the copper pots only to reveal a steamy stew of Crustaceanary Delight.
The Guts of the Lobster Pot Pie
A whole lobster (minus the head, and thank you, heads sort of freak me out), potatoes and various aromatics like carrots and pearl onions, greens and super-delish Peruvian Purple Potatoes were plated atop the circle of pot pie lid and then topped with a mind-blowing Truffle Lobster Stock Cream.
Leo Plating the Lobster Pot Pie
The Truffle Lobster Stock Cream was indeed the Lobster Bisque of the Gods. I can’t imagine a better saucing for the plate of sheer decadence that was put before us. It was perfect, as was the exquisite preparation of all the ingredients involved. To get the diverse collection of vegetables and various parts of the lobster to all cook to a perfection under the mystery of a pastry top is not only masterful, but it takes some chutzpah in my book. Then again, I burn ice when I cook it.
Two Lobster Pot Pies and The Wife. A great night.
The Lobster Pot Pie is listed at Market Price, and Nobhill Tavern must shop at Whole Foods with the current price at $85. It is steep, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s worth it, even without the local Twofer special. With how good the ingredients are, how well those good ingredients are prepared, the (sadly) rare and well done table side presentation and the You’re-Eating-On-The-Las-Vegas-Strip Tax, a price tag of $85 can be justified. I didn’t say it was easy, but it can.
I regret that it took us 5 1/2 years to make it to Nobhill Tavern, as this was overall one of the best dining experiences we have had since moving to this desert with the sparkly lights. Nobhill Tavern certainly has more moderately priced entrees for those not interested in blowing a small fortune on dinner. If the Lobster Pot Pie and spectacular Woodfire Grilled Sausage appetizer (with a dijon beurre blanc that I want to bathe in) are any indication of the rest of the menu, Nobhill Tavern is a must visit destination in Las Vegas.
—–
Nobhill Tavern
MGM Grand Las Vegas
3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
—– Mike Dobranski is a professional musician, amateur blogger, eater of good food, poker junkie, master of the inappropriate comment and bad husband to a wonderful wife. Follow him on Twitter at @MikeDobranski.
In our continuing efforts to make fine dining and exotic cuisines more accessible and understood to the world-at-large, Tasting Las Vegas is rolling out yet another new feature; What the Hell is THAT?!?
Sweetbreads Before the Saute Pan
Our What the Hell is THAT?!? Series will cover ingredients, techniques, people, labels and everything else that causes confusion in a restaurant. We’ll make sure you know the difference between a beurre blanc and a bechamel, what exactly “confit” means and let you in on the secret on how to pronounce Veuve Clicquot(SPOILER ALERT: It’s Vuhv Kleekoh).
Sure we can ramble all day long about umami, but we can’t do this new series alone! We need your help by giving us suggestions on things you may have seen on a menu, heard on TV, or had some hack foodie friend spew his culinary superiority complex all over your face that made you wonder, “What the Hell is THAT?!?”
Post a comment here, send us a message on Twitter or on Facebook, or just send up a smoke signal…but please feel free to give us a suggestions of things that need clarification and you may just see it featured on a future “What the Hell is THAT?!?” post!
Sorry, while we try to improve accessibility through education, we can’t do a damn thing about the prices! (You’re charging HOW much for decomposed ribeyes, Mario?) Stay tuned to TastingLasVegas.com to find out What the Hell is THAT?!
—– Mike Dobranski is a professional musician, amateur blogger, eater of good food, poker junkie, master of the inappropriate comment and bad husband to a wonderful wife. Follow him on Twitter at @MikeDobranski.
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