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Kristian's Corner | Wine & Food | Italy 2007 | Atlanta 2007 | Vegas | New York 2005 | Buenos Aires | London 
VEGAS 2006 Just got back from a little trip to Sin City. Went out there for a little reunion with my buddies from the Army, as well as to meet up with Chef Jon, Michael Cramer and Ricky. Here's my little 'travelogue', if you will. Day One Checked into the Wynn hotel (pictured above), the newest and probably one of the swankiest hotel/casinos in Vegas. Had a beautiful room overlooking the strip on the 26th floor (it goes up to 60 and you can check them out at www.wynnlasvegas.com). We chose the Wynn for a couple reasons. 1) Since they don't have a huge 'must-see' lobby, it doesn't get as much foot traffic, so it's a bit quieter and B) we got a great rate of only $119 a night, which I think is because of our last trip to Vegas, when we won a lot there but didn't spend alot. I'm guessing it was their way of getting us to return the money we took last time. Lucky for us, it didn't work out and I ended up taking them for more. HA!! Take that, Vegas!! Stopped into Bartolotta for lunch; a gorgeous restaurant located amongst the swanky designer stores that line the mall area of the Wynn. Bartolotta is and Italian seafood restaurant that has fresh seafood flown in every day of the week. Since it was lunch, we opted for a bottle of Italian sparkling wine and to spilt a seafood pizza from the wood-burning oven (decent, but not exciting in any way) while we perused the menu. I ordered the Brodetto, which is a seafood stew in a a tomato broth similar to bouillabasse, while the others ordered the Seafood Risotto and the Sea Scallops with Porcini Mushrooms. The presentations were beautiful and the portions were generous...a little too generous for lunch, but hey, this is Vegas. Overall, the entrees were excellent and the service was spot-on. However, the prices are high and it was a reminder that we "weren't in Kansas anymore". Spent the afternoon at the pool. One of the benefits of staying at a classier place is the higher caliber of bodies you get to look at when lounging poolside. No NASCAR t-shirts with hairy potbellies hanging out and fewer butts in thongs that don't belong in thongs makes for a much nicer pool experience. Also, they don't allow kids at the pool (they have a separate pool on the far end), which automatically grants them another star in my travel book. On the other hand, you know those free drinks they give you in the casino? Well, they make up for that at the pool. $12 mojitos!! YIKES!! And let me tell you, when you're sitting in 100 degree Vegas heat, they go down mighty quickly! So, large bar tab, but no kids and nicer views. I'd call that 'breaking even'. Dinner that evening at Alex at the Wynn with Ricky, Cramer, Jon, Aldo and Heather. This is considered one of the Wynn's top places and I'm afraid I don't have anything good to say except it was adequate and the two whites we drank were exceptional (1990 Krug Champagne and a 1990 German Reisling). The service was...interesting. Once we were seated, it took FOREVER for them to bring us a menu. They brought a wine list and Ricky dove in and started finding something good for us to drink, but in the meantime, there was nothing to look at, which made hard to determine what else we would drink. We were not impressed by the sommelier, either. He had a tendency of guiding us to high-priced stuff and even talked us into a bottle of insipid Rioja from the 70s that did gain a bit more body while in the glass, but fell hundreds of dollars short of delivering any sort of 'bang for the buck'. Looks like Lady Luck was beginning to put the screws to us. Luckily, I got her back on the gaming floor at the slots (too tired to play any 'games of skill'). By the time they cashed me out, it was time to hit the 320-count sheets to spend a few hours dreaming of being in the cast of Oceans 13 as Catherine Zeta-Jones' main squeeze. Mmmmmmmm. 
Day Two Breakfast at The Buffet at the Wynn. This ain't your daddy's three-dollar buffet. For one, it ain't three bucks... it's $26 on the weekends AND it rocks! It rocks hard. First, the coffee is great and the sparkling wine they pour is very good even though it's not that expensive. It's not a cheapo knock-off with a "private label", but rather Lindauer NV Brut from New Zealand. On the buffet, you could get SIX different ceviches!! SIX CEVICHES!!! I was in cevicheria heaven! Watermelon-Scallop Ceviche, Ceviche Verde, Red Snapper Ceviche... it was awesome! In addition to ceviche, they had... well... everything. All of your usual breakfast suspects as well as Asian stir-fry, sushi, and Prime Rib, 'cuz for some people, I guess 7am is dinner time. I guess what impressed me the most was how high-quality everything was. I know, I was staying at one of the best places, but that doesn't always translate into the best "stuff". At the Wynn, it did. Lunch at Sensei in the Bellagio. I talked about this place last year when I went to Vegas and we just had to return. Chef Martin Heirling is one of the most innovative young chefs in Vegas and the restaurant itself is just frickin' amazing. The sheer volume of stone throughout is enough to make your jaw drop, but when you couple that with the glass-enclosed central kitchen, it just blows your mind. If you are out there and they have the Tandoori Chicken with Curry Butter Sauce, order it! Wicked good! Also, be sure to spread some of the Indian condiment they present at the beginning of the meal onto the naan (Indian flatbread). DEEE-LISH! This place is incredible! Afternoon at the pool. I also went to the gym at the Wynn, which is nicer than most health clubs. It's also a lot more expensive, but I figured in order to keep my waistline in check, I'd better hit the gym at least a couple times while in Sin City. This was the only time I went to the gym. Oh well, they said I could use my card again the next time I'm in town. Yeah, right. Dinner at Chinois with all my Army buddies and their wives. The food at Wolfgang Puck's Chinois is good and they have a great "large party" tasting meal, where they bring out multiple courses of food served family style. This was perfect for us because the meal was about spending time with each other, not focused on the dishes. Private table at the House of Blues for the rest of the night. Treated like VIPs, we even had our own security guard. Two bottles of Patron, two bottles of Tanqueray and more bottles of stuff I can't remember. A kick-ass 70s funk/dance band that I actually saw back in '97 in San Francisco. It's four white guys wearing slacks, disco shirts (100% imported Italian nylon, I'm sure) and afro wigs AND THEY ROCK! You need to catch them the next time you're there. They play every week. BTW, if you have a large group, reserving a table and doing the "bottle service" thing is the best way to go. Day Three
Breakfast at Starbucks. Coffee and a muffin. Couldn't handle another big meal. It's like my stomach gets smaller and smaller as the days and meals go by.
Lunch at Olives in the Bellagio. Always good, always packed, Olives is one of our favorites. Again, it ain't cheap, but the space is beautiful (in and over-the-top, Vegas kind of way) and the food and service never disappoint. It would be nice if they reduced the portion sizes and the prices, though. As much as I like Beef Carpaccio, I don't need a pound of it. Ditto on the Caesar Salad. Ditto on everything. I get it... I'm in Vegas... everything is over the top. ENOUGH ALREADY! Overall, though, this place is awesome; just be sure to split things. The flatbreads (pizzas with a different name) are always excellent and are a great respite from the enormous meals you'll find everywhere.
More pool time. This time, we went to Bally's, where my buddy Tonz had rented a cabana for the day. Even though it has an 'old school' pool (13 feet deep on one end), they don't have a diving board. It's a good thing they plan on tearing Bally's down soon. It's pretty beat up and the crowd around the pool ranged from obnoxious kids to scary, overly-implanted biker strippers. Even the poolside waitresses looked like they'd seen MUCH better days, unless Bally's only hires slow, dumpy women from Central American countries. Good thing Tonz had the cabana and all of our friends were there. How ironic was it when I opened the in-flight magazine on the flight back and saw the Bally's ad, which featured hot, sophisticated models lounging by the pool? HA! Maybe twenty years ago!
Drinks and apps at Tao in the Venetian. You have got to see this place. It's frickin' gigantic! Just when you think you've seen all of it, you find another area. This place is everything... restaurant, club, lounge, buffet, bar, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if it had a spa or Jiffy-Lube in it, too. At 42,000 square feet, it's possible. To put 42,000 square feet in perspective, it would be like 17 Gervais & Vines or 19 Mr. Friendly's or a dozen Solstices! On top of the size, the place is wicked gorgeous! The design elements are incredible and work in perfect harmony with the feel of the place...even the 20 foot Budda in the dining room. Skip the Treasure Island 'pirate battle' and wander through this place the next time you're in Vegas. You won't be disappointed.
Dinner at DB Brasserie at the Wynn. After unsuccessfully trying to get together with Ricky, Jon and Michael for sushi (Okada closed at 10... yes, I said TEN... IN VEGAS?? WTF?), we ended up at DB Brasserie. The DB in this case refers to THE MAN, Daniel Boulud. I love this man. You want to know my heroes in the business world? This guy is one of them. An incredible chef/restrauteur and mentor to some of the best chefs throughout the world, this guy knows how to do it RIGHT. We went to DB Brasserie last year, after it been open for only five days and you would have sworn it had been there forever. Flawless, FRIENDLY service; spectacular sommelier with an equally impressive list full of great wines AND great values; perfect (and I mean PERFECT) food AND a warm, inviting, beautifully crafted dining room looking onto the giant waterfall. Of all the restaurants I've been to in Vegas, this is the one I will go to EVERY time I'm there. We had the Porterhouse for Two and a bottle of 2001 Malleolus from Ribera del Duero. Red meat, red wine. Perfectly grilled; served over a pan of roasted carrots, potatoes and parsnips; a gravy boat full of heavenly Bearnaise sauce. What more could you ask for? Nothing. Abso-frickin-lutely NOTHING.
That was about it. Checked out and headed back. Reflecting back on it, I have to say, I really like Vegas. I can't handle it for TOO long, but there is so much to see and do, it's never boring. Will I go more often? No, but if Ricky and the boys are going out for a long weekend, chances are I'll probably go. Would Heather and I go alone? Probably not. Vegas is for partying with your friends. Not that you can't meet people there. I ran across a lot of girls who wanted to know if I wanted to 'party'. Who says people in Vegas aren't friendly?
VEGAS, Baby! May 2005 With the impending birth of our new restaurant, Solstice, this Fall, I had to go out to Las Vegas for the Hospitality Design Expo to see the newest and coolest things for restaurant design. Unfortunately, it wasn't as cool as I thought, but I got a lot of great ideas, nonetheless. We also got to eat at some incredible restaurants and THAT made the trip worth the time and effort.
If you haven't been to New to the scene is the Wynn, owned by casino visionary Steve Wynn. He's amassed a pretty sweet line-up, also, but not a lot of names you'd be familiar with except for Daniel Boulud (DB Brasserie). That doesn't mean the restaurants are any less spectacular. The ones I would try the next time I go out would be Alex, SW Steakhouse, Wing Lei and Okada. However, it's the Bellagio that boasts the most star-studded roster on the strip with Todd English (Olives), Michael Mina (self-titled), Jean-Georges Vongerichten (Prime Steakhouse), Martin Heirling (Sensi), Philip Lo (Jasmine), Julian Serrano (Picasso) and restaurant impresario Sirio Maccioni of Le Cirque and Il Circo. YOWSAH! I'm not kidding, if you are a food fanatic the way we are, Vegas is the place to go. Of course, to enjoy the finer things in Vegas you'll have to put up with an inordinate amount of dawdling idiots in flip-flops and NASCAR t-shirts, as well as hordes of Central Americans handing out cards for strip clubs and escort services, but once you get to these shining temples of gastronomy, you'll be relatively safe. Don't get me wrong, people-watching is fun in Vegas, but after a few hours of watching a non-funny version of Blue Collar Comedy, you begin to wonder what they were thinking when they came up with the "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" slogan. Seriously, it seems to have given people the notion that they can dress and act as poorly as they want since it will "Stay in Vegas". Unfortunately, I don't think most of the people we saw dressing and acting like slobs are any different once they leave Anyhoo, here's where we ate and a brief review of each: Olives (at the Bellagio) - This is a gorgeous restaurant, so even if you can't sit on the patio overlooking the $30 million dollar fountains, you are still in for a treat. Rich, deep tones with a Mediterranean flair abound in the dining room and you'll be amazed at all of the spectacular craftsmanship, from the ironwork to the lighting to the woodwork. The menu is a mix of all that is right from Todd English's two restaurants Figs and Olives, both in Needless to say, it was a flawless and fantastic meal and I couldn't have asked for anything more. This place gets very busy and I can't comment on how they do at peak service time, but we were there early, having just arrived and starving. Sensi (located in the new Spa Tower of the Bellagio) Wow! This place kicks ass! The decor, which is heavy with granite and steel, may seem a little cold at first, but the tones are soft and inviting once you sit down. The kitchen is located in the center of the restaurant and is completely surrounded in glass, so you can see everything that's going on--which is a real treat. They even have some seats along the glass walls of the kitchen, but I don't suggest sitting there. Would you want someone watching you do your job? Besides, once the food starts coming out, you won't want to take your attention away from it. The kitchen is run by Martin Heirling, a young guy with an impressive resume. The menu he has assembled takes advantage of the incredible kitchen they've given him. Trust me, he's got everything, from a wood-burning oven to a couple of tandoori ovens to grills and saute stations to...well, you name it. The only problem I could forsee is that it must be as hot as a furnace in there. I guess they thought of that, though, and with the budget they had, probably addressed it beforehand. Anyway, it's been so long since I ate there that I may have a difficult time remembering what I ate. Here goes: We started with the Trio of Ceviche (rock shrimp, scallops and crab), then had the Tandoori Rack of Lamb. Man, that's all I can remember. I do HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE, though. The sommelier is excellent and once he understood I was into eclectic wines and a big fan of Spain, took care of the rest.
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