You all have been begging me to update my blog (okay, by “you all” I mean 3 rather persistent students). Here are some of the edible highlights of my trip to Vegas over President’s Day weekend.
The neon museum is a graveyard for historic signs from past Casinos
We got in a little late and knew we wanted to try Rick’s Tasting Game from Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood in Mandalay Bay. This consists of 16 flavors of ice cream and sorbet served blind (22.00).
This was so enjoyable. I like to think I have a good palate but rarely test it… and who needs to eat actual dinner anyway? They don’t tell you anything other than some are 2 flavors and give you a page to write down your guesses. The waiter was impressed with us. I feel comfortable posting this and recommending it because they said they change them rather frequently. It was amazing how even common flavors are hard to place when you don’t know what to expect.
The flavors (with our guesses) R-L
- Top Row: Chocolate (got it!), Tahini (almond? the only one where we had no idea), Passion-fruit sorbet (Check, and a little bitter), Nutella (chocolate Malt, the hazelnut was weak)
- Second Row: Cherry (Blueberry Lemon?), Raspberry (check), Guava-Sage (just guava), Strawberry- guava (just strawberry)
- Peppermint (check), Caramel-banana (just banana, but it was so good) Mango-jalapeno (check) White-chocolate (we thought we tasted macadamia nut, but those flavors are always together)
- Vanilla Bean, Coffee (check), Coconut Curry (got it, and it was odd in a good way), Lychee Sorbet (got it!)
Of course, we finished. I wish more restaurants did things like this. I like combining a game with my frozen dessert.
We started out with brunch the next day by going to Giada’s namesake restaurant in the Cromwell. We were there early but it overlooks the Bellagio Fountain and I imagine the view is spectacular later in the day when it’s on. The interior design was light and was incredibly on-brand for her.
Salmon Benedict – wilted spinach, piquillo peppers, prosecco hollandaise, poached eggs & toast ($19). The salmon cakes were a departure from what I often eat in the morning. They were flavorful and the eggs were perfect. All the textures worked well together.
WHY ARE WE NOT PUTTING GRILLED PINEAPPLE AND NUTELLA ON EVVVVVVERYTHING?!!?!
The polenta waffle with some awesome toppings ($17). Slightly heavier than a typical waffle. Everything had her name on it, and the restaurant was beautiful in a Disney way (there were gorgeous displays of cheeses/olives and whatnot). Everything had her signature displayed prominently. fg
Then off to a Segway tour and the neon museum (both of which I highly recommend).
Oh wait, we did “a huge dessert instead of dinner” TWICE. 24 layer (2pound) chocolate cake from The Strip, a very old-school steakhouse. This was free considering our *considerable* casino winnings. We almost finished it and then saw KÁ (a Cirque show and it was incredible with the most unbelievable stage).
So this is frustrating because I don’t have any pictures of what was one of the coolest meals. I didn’t even SEE the food. Or the inside of the restaurant. Was this gimmicky? Sure. Was it REALLY fun? Oh yes.
The 6-course meal took place a room so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face and had to be lead, conga-line style- by a waiter wearing night-vision goggles. It was a set menu (they asked about restrictions) so not only could you not SEE the food, you had no idea what it was. I was pretty good at using utensils (some of the time). Much like the ice cream tasting, I feel like we use our perceptions of what things are supposed to taste like to inform flavor. The dessert was great but I had such trouble placing what it was we ate. I totally recommend this experience.
Another fun brunch by a female chef I know from TV. Lorena Garcia’s Chica.
It was a fusion of many South American Cuisines. I appreciated the interior.
These corn pancakes were soooooo fantastic. The coconut cream and fruit topping were sweet and it countered the dense cakes. Dragon fruit doesn’t have much taste but the texture worked well on this dish. There were other items on the menu that called tome but after seeing this I had to have it. 
This chipotle chicken omelet was perfection. Fluffy and full of flavor. The cheese was gooey, the potatoes were crispy and I was immensely happy. Avocado really does work well on everything. 
Assorted arepas. Black-bean, beet, cilantro, plain and cheese. Normally I want all my baked goods to be filled with gluten as well, but these were lovely. Also, I really appreciated the fact that they gave two of each variety (I just assume this basket of carbs was meant to be split between just two people).
Until next time (which won’t be as long of a time I promise). I tried the famous gas station hummus…
Evan Eats Cleveland 
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