food: rm seafood
30 May 2012 1 Comment
in food & cooking, travel, booze & other drinkables, restaurants & dinning out Tags: las vegas, restaurants & dinning out, seafood
rick moonen’s rm seafood is a pretty choice little place tucked in to the corner of mandalay bay right by the house of blues.
it has an upstairs fine dinning restaurant and a downstairs casual restaurant with a raw bar.
i’m a huge supporter of this concept… because sometimes you want to go all fancy pants and sometimes its nice to have a bit more of a casual option for your food.
we ate at the downstairs for this occasion, since we had just done a fancy pants meal the night before. and let me assure you that downstairs did not mean there was any sacrifice in quality or service.
the big underlying focus of rick’s restaurant is sustainability and i can totally appreciate that.
in a city like las vegas, that is so utterly unsustainable, the irony is delicious.
of course, i started with a cocktail.
the menu was mighty and enticing, but i settled on the lehigh.
and a yummy little drink it was.
i only had the one cocktail, as we ordered a bottle of wine – the kim crawford white for the record.
and then, on to the food.
i really wanted to try something from the raw bar, but my mom isn’t a big sushi/raw fish fan.
we agreed on the ebi-go roll which has tempura prawns in it and just the tuna sashimi on the top like a lovely little blanket of yum.
it also had a little jalapeno in it, which added a nice spiciness without drastically changing the flavour as wasabi would.
like an idiot, i dipped my first piece in soy sauce out of habit, but after that, i just ate it as is.
the flavours were so delicate and balanced, it didn’t need anything else.
for our mains, my mom had the chef’s daily special, the surf & surf, which was lobster and prawns on toasted orzo.
and man oh man was it ever good.
the lobster was buttery and perfectly cooked – admit it, how many times have you had an overcooked rubbery lobster? it’s so disappointing.
and the toasted orzo was nutty and full of flavour.
i wish i could remember the sauce with it.
i ordered off the menu, the turbot caught my eye right away.
the waiter chris (hi chris! – he asked for my blog address) declared it to be a favourite and really, it had me at dijon-chive spaetzle. also i LOVE ramps.
turbot – dijon-chive spaetzle, ramp greens, mustard caviar & whole grain mustard butter sauce
seriously?
the turbot was cooked beautifully with a golden crust so crisp that you could knock on it, but the underside of the fish was perfectly done.
the spaetzle was tender and not gooey and the mustard sauce was a bit strong on the first few bites, but once your palate got used to it, it was really lovely.
for dessert, it was a simple choice. the dessert sampler.
because if you can try more than 1 dessert at a time, you sure as hell should.
blueberry cobler beignets: a-la-minute beignets, blueberry compote, vanilla bean ice cream & brown sugar streusel
vanilla bean cheesecake: cinnamon sugar puff pastry, strawberry coulis & basil sorbet
decadent chocolate: chocolate brioche pudding, chocolate raspberry mouse & chocolate ice cream
key lime pie: swiss meringue & cilantro syrup
ya, i’m not even sure what to say about this. it was just ridiculous.
the standouts for me were the cheesecake – so thick and rich and the puff pastry was a nice change to the usual crust, but it was the basil sorbet that really elevated it. it cut through the cheesecake and toned down the richness so that you wanted to keep eating it until it was all gone. (and we did)
and the key lime pie was my other favourite – to no one’s surprise.
the cilantro syrup seemed like an odd choice for a split second until it hit me, that OF COURSE! cilantro and limes are perfect partners in all sorts of savoury mexican applications, why wouldn’t they be BFF on the dessert plate?
definite stroke of genius.
and then… as if this meal wasn’t already all kinds of awesome, i actually got to meet rick moonen himself!
i was pretty excited. (can you tell by my face?)
its an absolutely wonderful thing to be able to tell the chef face to face how much you enjoyed not only the meal, but the whole inspiration for the restaurant.
and he was so nice.
like, legitimately kind and interested in my comments and discussing restaurants in vegas and vancouver that focused on sustainability.
it was a real pleasure to have met him, and big thanks goes out to our wonderful server chris that got him to come out for me.
i also took home his book which is an insanely huge collection of all sorts of knowledge on how to cook, handle, clean and select fish. it’s a very exciting read thus far, i’m glad i picked it up. 
(also – he signed is best fishes? love!)
food: mesa grill las vegas
29 May 2012 1 Comment
in booze & other drinkables, general posts, restaurants & dinning out, travel Tags: booze, las vegas, mexican food, restaurants & dinning out, travel
i have long wanted to try one of bobby flay’s restaurants.
he’s not my favourite chef… his food looks amazing, but there’s just something about his cocky attitude that kinda rubs me the wrong way… but i can’t deny that the man has skills.
mesa grill in caesar’s palace has been at the top of my “i should eat there one time” list for years now.
i’ve had many plans to dine there that have somehow always been shuffled aside… i think its the location. i just never go into caesar’s palace. i’m not sure why, but it just isn’t a place that i hang out.
anyways. because we had a spa appointment booked in caesars for this trip, i thought this would be a perfect opportunity to try out mesa grill at long last.
and eating here for lunch works perfectly because you get the same great quality and cheaper prices. win win.
the first tough decision… the drinks.
i’ve been on a bit of a manhattan kick lately and bobby’s certainly sounded enticing… but in that moment of sobriety, i just couldn’t justify a $22 manhattan.
that being said, i definitely regret not doing it now.
jeremy – if you go there, i’ll give you $22 to drink this for me and report back.
tough decision number two (not really) was when the bread basket hit the table…
since i’ve been off wheat, i have been avoiding the bread basket quite easily… but hot damn, i couldn’t avoid it this time, so i dove right into this little beauty…
its a cornbread muffin with two kinds of cornmeal.
mmmmhmmmm.
it was the first time in the meal that i shook my first with a *damn you bobby flay*
there was also a jalapeno cheese bread that was out of this world and was swiftly consumed by me.
so swiftly, there is no photo.
ohmygodwhitebreadisdelicious
for the real food… we started with a signature bobby flay item, the roasted duck in a blue corn pancake.
oh sweet baby jesus… there are no words.
this little mother fucker is one of the tastiest things i’ve ever eaten.
the duck is smothered in a hoisin kinda sauce and sweet and a little spicy and the pancake is just… ya.
and the sauces are so bobby flay. pureed and seasoned to perfection and yum yum yum.
enter the second *damn you bobby flay*
next up, we had the chopped salad.
i enjoy a good chopped salad and this one fit the bill.
nothing crazy unusual about it, it was just a well done salad full of tasty morsels.
the other thing that we ordered was the ancho glazed salmon.
this wasn’t our first pick, but the waiter told us it was a signature item and very good, so we decided to take his advice.
and boy, we were glad we did.
besides being perfectly seasoned and delicious, it was also cooked to medium perfection.
really, the only way to eat salmon.
*damn you bobby flay* that was some delicious salmon!
after this, we were very full and very happy…
but, then the waiter came with a dessert menu…
okay, seriously. *damn you bobby flay*
we were at a loss… even making a short list of what we wanted was hard.
so we asked for advice.
without a hesitation, the server said “sticky toffee pudding”
done.
seriously? bobby flay, go eff yourself.
this one is not even fair.
the dulce de leche like substance around the plate was made with goat milk and salted, for a sweet, salty tangy sauce.
the cake, like some fucking ridiculous substance that shouldn’t exist in nature.
vanilla bean ice cream. perfect.
in short, a ridiculous end to a ridiculous meal.
okay bobby flay. you win.
food & travel: hussong’s cantina las vegas
28 May 2012 2 Comments
in booze & other drinkables, food & cooking, restaurants & dinning out, travel Tags: booze, las vegas, mexican food, restaurants & dinning out
i am a fiend for mexican food.
and all the awesome mexican and mexican inspired food is one of my favourite parts of traveling to the usa.
hussong’s cantina is a place that we stumbled upon a few years ago and wandered into for a margarita.
it turned out to be the best margarita i’ve ever had, and thus, a love was born.
the food is also not so shabby, although it does lean toward the american penchant for fat & deep fried more than for true mexican style preparations, but hey, there’s a time and a place for everything.
lets start with the margaritas.
this place boasts being the creator of the margarita. their wikipedia says:
Hussong’s is reputedly the place where the Margarita was created—back in October, 1941 by bartender Don Carlos Orozco. He concocted the perfect mixture of equal parts tequila, Damiana (Cointreau is used now) and lime, served over ice in a salt-rimmed glass for Margarita Henkel, daughter of the German Ambassador to Mexico.
now, the las vegas location is not the original, obviously, but they still make a damn fine classic margarita.
for those poor souls that don’t know… a margarita is not a slushy sugar drink.
its a salty-sour-punch-you-in-the-face drink.
and this… will punch you in the face.
i like my margaritas with no salt and a sidecar of grand marnier to make a float on top.
and yes, this is a PINT of margaritas that was served to me.
< insert heavenly music here >
this is commonly called a cadillac margarita. and its my favourite.
the beautiful and special thing about this place is that the bartender stands at the bar and squeezes the limes right into your glass. there’s no bottled lime juice in this piece. it’s fresh and simple and it makes a world of difference in the finished product.
we were served chips and 2 kinds of salsa at the table and tried not to stuff our faces too much, but it was damn fine salsa… but what i really wanted was the shrimp stuffed avocado.
ya, this definitely falls into the american style food… but wow is it ever something.
waaaaay too rich for a single human, but wonderful to share with a few people.
it is a half avocado, stuffed with a shrimp and cheese mixture, breaded and deep fried. its served on a lovely salad with tomatoes, bacon and hominy around the outside.
and friends, it is GOOD.
we only made it about 2/3 of the way through it, but ate up all the salad. the dressing is really nice on it, i wish i knew how they made it.
we shared this and also got an order of the chicken tacos to split. mine, without onions, of course.
the chicken was nicely seasoned and i love fresh cilantro, but i must say that these lacked a sauce. i used the dish of salsa on the table and it rounded it out nicely.
the beans and rice, while nothing special, were tasty. and i totally dipped my chips into them.
hussong’s also has a restaurant.com gift certificate for them, so we saved $25 on our meal and walked out for about $20. bargain! this place is rad because the gift certificate is also good on the liquor. so you could just come here with a GC and get margaritas. hooray!
food & travel: gluten free vegas
15 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
in restaurants & dinning out, travel Tags: gluten free, las vegas, restaurants & dinning out, wheat free
since the main attraction of most of my vacations is the eating… it’s just occurred to me that my new-ish wheat/gluten free diet with paleo tendencies (yes, that’s my most accurate description for it) will need a little research and tender loving care.
thank the seven for trip advisor. seriously, if you have never made use of the forums on trip advisor, you’re missing out on a massive resource of information of every type. and i’m not just saying that because i’m a destination expert for las vegas.
anyways, i did a few searches on gluten free vegas restaurants and was rewarded with a wealth of knowledge.
the BEST news of the day is that my absolute favourite vegas restaurant; Border Grill has a special gluten free menu. seriously? LOVE.
they even make it very easy on you with this handy guide… http://www.bordergrill.net/glutenfree.php
also with a special separate menu is PF Changs… not high on my places to eat list – but you never know, sometimes that kinda food is just what the hangover ordered – http://www.pfchangs.com/menu/
but also Mon Ami Gabi does one which can be found here – Mon Ami Gabi Gluten Free Menu and sounds AMAZING!
there’s also internet rumblings of everywhere from California Pizza Kitchen to Chipotle incorporating GF options into their regular menus.
and apparently the buffet staff are quite informed as to which dishes are safe and which to avoid, with the wynn even marking the signs to denote allergies.
i found this website… glutenfreelasvegas.com which could be something great, but right now looks like its just getting going… and las vegas advisor has put together a pretty solid list too – here.
it seems as though most of the articles i’m reading really have Border Grill, Mon Ami Gabi & PF Changs as the standout options for severe allergies as their kitchens have dedicated gluten free prep & cooking areas. very nice to know.
while this isn’t a huge factor for me, i know this information could make a world of difference for someone with a severe allergy.
also i have respect for and trust in a kitchen that is so confident with their practices in terms of cleanliness, they can guarantee that sort of things.
travel: whistler
30 Mar 2012 3 Comments
in photography, restaurants & dinning out, travel, vancouver Tags: restaurants & dinning out, the fine things in life, travel, whistler
last weekend we celebrated my husband’s birthday up in whistler.
i absolutely adore whistler… and he has been dying to ski, so it was a perfect fit.
the two of us, my brother and my husband’s best friend packed up and spent 2 nights in a winter wonderland.
we stayed at the delta whistler village suites this time… for no other reason than they gave us a 2 bedroom unit for a very reasonable price considering it was peak season.
the last time we were in whistler, we were at the pan pacific whistler village, which i absolutely loved. the location and the rooms were just a bit better than the delta, but i would definitely still stay at the delta again.
usually though, the bulk of my whistler stays are done at the club intrawest in the upper village, which i also like.
of course, being in the village proper is the best scenario, but i really do love the intrawest property. particularly the hot tubs and pool area.
anyways. unfortunately for us, my husband was just getting over a wicked cold and i was just getting it. so the party factor was a lot smaller than we thought it would be. so what was projected to be a wild weekend, turned out to be pretty tame, but still super enjoyable.
we went out the friday night, to 21 steps attic for dinner and drinks. the food was excellent and the drinks mixed masterfully. we were all about the manhattans and old fashioneds. (there’s been a lot of mad men in my house lately)
i had an appetizer of fried goat cheese with rosemary honey that nearly brought me to my knees. spectacular.
the service was a little spotty… really great until this massive group of people showed up and didn’t have seats, so they were literally hanging over us on all sides while we were eating our meal. they totally obscured us from the waitress, so it took over 30 minutes to get our drinks refilled and it just made us feel like we wanted to get out of there as soon as we could. it was a shame because up until then, we were having a really lovely time… i have no idea what the hostess was doing or why you would bring that many people upstairs with nowhere to seat them.
saturday morning, we were up early and i made the boys breakfast before they hit the slopes. i love having a kitchen in a hotel room. it really makes your stay so much cheaper the have snacks and light meals on deck.
then they were off as soon as the mountain opened.
i decided to hit the gym to try to sweat out my sickness and then i relaxed in the pool and hot tub. i love how whistler pools are like bathtub temperature… and then got ready for some village exploring.
my original plan was to hit the trails like i normally do in whistler… but then i realized that i’m normally not there during ski season and most of my regular trails are closed for cross country skiing. so i gave up on trying to navigate the map and just explored the village.
the weather was stunning. absolutely picture perfect whistler weather. not a cloud in the sky and warm sunshine… no wind at all. lovely. my first stop was david’s tea, where i had the most excellent cup of cold 911 tea to help ease my sickness. it worked like a charm… while i was drinking it. but then it snuck back up on me. by noon i was ready for a bowl of soup.
i read the menus at a few places and eventually decided on the little eatery, as they had a selection of 6 different soups. i ordered a bowl of the thai chicken, which was spicy and exactly what i needed. very yummy. unfortunately, i found the service to be a little lacking. i was left at the entry way for a while and ignored and was just about to leave when finally someone talked to me and seated me. then my order was taken, dropped off and later my bill brought. i definitely felt a little neglected by the “bare minimum” service i received. while it technically wasn’t “bad” service, it just didn’t make me feel like they cared at all about my business or experience. but i’m sensitive to that sort of thing.
after my soup i had to retreat back to the hotel… the sickness was creeping up on me and despite the phenomenal weather, i just couldn’t hold it together anymore.
around 4pm the boys came back and we hung out in the room all night… watched 2 hockey games, drank some drinks… i made chicken wings and lasagna (thanks costco) and we just talked and laughed and had a great time.
the next morning we hit up the dub linh gate pub for breakfast. i had a gift certificate for $50, so it seemed like a good time to use it. the breakfast was super average. my husband’s smoked salmon benny was good, but my omelet was pretty much inedible with leathery eggs out of the carton. they also served the breakfast french fry. which i’m not really a fan of. if you call it a hashbrown on the menu, it should be hashbrowns, not cubed french fries. but the service was really good and the irish coffee very irish, so i give it an overall “okay” stamp. probably a better place for lunch/dinner or just drinks.
so that, my friend, was my whistler adventure.
and now, i leave you with the greatest picture anyone in my family has ever taken.
my brother on top of the mountain, tebow-ing.
food: the red wagon, vancouver
07 Mar 2012 2 Comments
in food & cooking, restaurants & dinning out, vancouver Tags: as seen on tv, pig, restaurants & dinning out, vancouver
on monday, we made a visit to one of the places featured on diners, drive ins and dives.
the red wagon in east van.
http://www.redwagoncafe.com/
this is has been a place i’ve driven past a bazillion times and always noticed it looked funky and busy. really busy. like, there’s usually a line up outside during peak times.
i’m a fan of el bario, with is in the same block, but this was a place that intrigued me… and so i’d listed it on my mental “to do”, but never been particularly fussed about it.
and then guy fieri showed up.
the episode of DDD aired on 27 Jan, and ever since, this place has been even busier.
my husband and i were in the area, buying produce at donald’s and since we were parked and RIGHT THERE, we decided to pop in for a meal.
unfortunately for us, we weren’t starving. so we just ate a lighter meal. (kinda, lol)
the signature item here is the pulled pork pancakes.
now, obviously, i don’t eat pancakes and my husband had just eaten a pretty big breakfast, so he wasn’t in the mood… so we looked longingly at the stacks of deliciousness on neighboring tables, but decided we’d save it for another trip.
my husband went with the Ruben.
the phrase “house brined beef” sold him.
he deemed it to be an excellent sandwich.
i honestly, chose poorly.
i got a cobb salad. and while it was good, it was just a cobb salad.
nothing crazy or special about it, just a really good solid salad. the dressing was really nice. but the rest was just pretty normal.
one thing though… it was MASSIVE. i only made it about 1/2 way through before giving up.
i also ordered a cup of the smoked tomato soup.
wow. now here’s where i ventured into “something special” territory.
after picking out what looked like absolutely beautiful buttered croutons, i devoured this.
the pesto on the top was perfect… the soup itself smokey and creamy and rich.
i love a good tomato soup and this was one of the best i’ve had in vancouver.
and then… the real magic.
we got a side of the crispy pork belly and JD syrup to dip it in.
i know *insert heart attack here*
i’m not sure this picture really does justice to the fact that this is a slab of pork belly.
as we saw on DDD, they confit it until perfectly cooked and rendered and then slap it on the flat top to crisp it to order.
the word WOW is a freaking understatement.
and the syrup… i don’t even like jack daniels and this was incredible.
you got the hit of the booze with the most delightful maple finish.
these two items are friends. make sure you pair them together.
all in all, a massive success.
we’ll be back for sure.
the woman at the table across from me ordered the crispy pork belly sandwich, which looked like a play on a banh mi and she declared it to be the best thing on the menu.
she was a regular.
i trusted her.
food & travel: the crab pot, seattle
27 Feb 2012 2 Comments
in food & cooking, restaurants & dinning out Tags: restaurants & dinning out, seattle, travel
we ate some fine meals in the fair city of seattle over the weekend… but my favourite one was here:
it’s called The Crab Pot and it’s certainly not fancy, but it was delicious and fun as hell.
i had first seen this place on Man VS Food, so clearly i was already sold… but it was AWESOME.
basically, this is your plate…
and then you get a bib…
and then they dump a giant pile of seafood infront of you and you literally get cracking.
this, my friends, is fucking spectacular.
so basically if the clip from Man VS Food on the Crab Pot website doesn’t sell you… and these pictures don’t sell you… well, i just can’t help you.
i actually have nothing else to say about this. i feel like i could eat every meal here for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy.
food: more lazy eating & making it better
25 Jan 2012 5 Comments
in adventures with moonbeam bouvier, food & cooking, general posts, paleo, restaurants & dinning out, wheat free Tags: gluten free, paleo, resolutions, restaurants & dinning out
remember how you start your day/week/month whatever with delusions of health and all the conviction in the world? and then you have a crap day at work and it all goes to shit?
yes, this was me last week.
but, all is not lost. i’ve read my paleo books and decided to test drive it.
my work does this cool 12 week challenge thing where you sign up and upload terrible fat pictures of yourself and alllll your measurements, strength test ect… and then you commit to being all around better in 12 weeks from now.
if you’re the winner, then you get fabulous prizes including some really amazing trips. so it’s a pretty cool thing.
i did it my first year with the company… but never finished it.
and last year, i was full of excuses and was in a cast.
but now that i’m starting my 3rd year with the company (wow – REALLY? – time flies!) i’m ready to rock the shit out of this challenge. i’m also considering starting a new blog in addition to this one thats focused on daily updates for the challenge. not so much because i think it’ll be interesting, but because the judging is 30% based on a written essay and i think that will help my chances.
so, the first thing i’m going to do is try full on paleo for 12 weeks. there’s a couple reasons why… first off, i think it absolutely has to make me lose weight. and while this isn’t a “biggest loser” competition… losing a visible amount of weight would definitely help my chances of winning. also, i’m frankly curious about how this will change my body.
it won’t be a forever change (well, i say this now, but you never know) because there’s just some things that i’d like to keep in my life, even if it is in moderation. (cheese, i’m looking at you)
the second thing is an actual regular commitment to exercise. moonbeam and i had a sobering moment at rock climbing last week. where we were forced to accept that aquafit, while getting us off the couch and making us move, isn’t necessarily making us strong and fit. it’s a step in the right direction, but it’s like step 7 of 100. so we should really be pushing ourselves a little more.
the weather is the biggest obstacle/excuse right now… i hate exercising outside in the rain or worse, the snow. infact, if its icy, that’s just stupid and dangerous. BUT, i do have a free gym that i can see from my window. and exercise dvds and such. so basically, i have excuses, not real obstacles.
the third thing i’d like to achieve is some sort of really quantifiable thing… like maybe signing up for and actually running a race… or something like that. something that can not be faked or excused or whatever. this is to be determined, but i love suggestions.
anyways. goals, they exist and i’m gonna slay them.
and now, witness my shame of the last week. lol.
here’s the thing about getting your mind all worked up about “something big on the horizon”… it somehow excuses yourself to make crap decisions in the meantime. like i have to “get in all the shit i can before i’m not allowed to eat it anymore”. because, you know, that’s logical.
so… i ate a few things.
first shame: boston pizza’s gluten free pizza crust.
this is my delicious little ‘za below. definitely better than the me & ed’s experience. this guy was about $9 and i got it with peperoni, feta (no mozza) and mushrooms. it was really good. one of the better, if not the best, gluten free product i’ve had while eating out.
it was small, but a perfect size for a meal. i’d buy it again.
second shame: my ongoing quest for a good mac & cheese… and we have a winner!
thank you trader joe’s.
not only was their rice mac & cheese only $1.99 for the box, but it tasted like delicious kraft dinner-esque garbage fake cheese and i loved every minute of it.
the search is over, the king is crowned. all bow down to the winner.
(also – who are they kidding with this “serves 4″ garbage? a box of mac & cheese is a meal for one. always has been, always will be.)
and my final shared shame…
the soda pop.
i have a mad lust for root beer. proper root beer. don’t try and give me that barq’s crap.
for me, when i read the bottle, it must be made with pure cane sugar. no high fructose corn syrup, thank you.
but really, i love all the craft brewed soda pops.
and the other day, i found this…
remember the pop shoppe?
my husband waxed poetic over this for an hour, i swear.
apparently there used to be an actual pop shoppe by his house and they used to buy crates of them and $.25 a bottle.
sadly, i paid $2.50 each for these fuckers, but it was definitely a taste of my childhood.
food: eating out wheat-free
17 Jan 2012 4 Comments
in food & cooking, restaurants & dinning out, vancouver, wheat free Tags: gluten free, restaurants & dinning out, vancouver, wheat free
okay, confession time. i’ve been kind of avoiding eating out while being wheat-free.
for one, i’m broke these days (ie – after hawaii) so it’s money that i don’t *need* to spend. also, it’s tough. it’s a similar situation to what i’ve dealt with before when restricting certain types of food; you just never know what’s going on in the kitchen.
the wait staff can swear up & down that something doesn’t contain whatever, but if the cook doesn’t give a shit, then you’re eating it anyways.
trust me. i’ve been a cook in kitchens.
because i’m also still learning all the secret ways that wheat is snuck into our food, it’s a struggle on my end too.
so basically its been a lot of sushi. because generally, what you see is what you get. except i can’t eat soy sauce. or tempura. sadness.
but i have learned to enjoy salmon nigiri with no soy sauce and it’s pretty much my go-to eat now. also miso soup. always miso soup.
anyways, a few pizza places have started offering gluten free crusts, which are hit or miss.
i ordered one from Me & Ed’s a few weeks ago, and while it technically allowed me to eat a delivered pizza, it was overcooked and basically a flat cardboard disk dripping through with oil. so i ate a few pieces and ended up just eating the toppings with a fork. for the price, i definitely wouldn’t rush out to order it again. which is a shame because i do love me & eds pizza.
when i do a google search, i see that boston pizza offers a gluten free crust… and while megabite shows up in my search, i can’t actually find a mention on their online menu of it. so there’s a few other delivery options around my house to be checked out. and i’ll definitely be sure to report back in.
for the most part, if its not sushi, its been burgers or salads. yes, burgers.
i am one of those weird people that will happily eat a bun-less burger. i actually have always been a fan of a burger patty on my plate with some ketchup or mayo for dipping. so this one is no sacrifice to me. i just have to remember to ask if they use fillers in their patties, but thankfully in this day & age of the gourmet burger, it’s not that common anymore.
most places have been very cool about the bun-less burger. i had an absolutely killer burger at Vera’s (duh – they’re the BEST) and they wrapped it in tons of leaf lettuce for me and i scarfed that mo-fo down with my hands. it was definitely on the messy side, but that’s not unusual for a burger.
and while i happily can knife & fork a burger, it is nice to do the handheld thing too. because let’s face it, it’s some of the appeal of eating a burger.
i’m also a big lettuce lover. i’m always requesting extra lettuce on my burger (since it’s the only vegetable i get on it) and it never seems like enough. so literally wrapping my meal in lettuce is a beautiful thing to me.
so last night i had a meat craving. i really wanted a steak. which is RARE for me to crave. i eat steak like 2x a year. if even. i am not a steak girl. but i kinda felt like a petit filet would treat me right last night.
unfortunately, while there are some excellent places by my house to get a steak (Onyx, the Keg, The Boathouse…) it would have meant a pretty pricy meal out. and i’m on the budget. so it was nixed.
next best suggestion is the burger.
we decided on red robin. my husband worked there in his youth and so he loves eating there still. old habits, you know. and i, for one, would never speak ill of the red robin bacon cheeseburger.
i was all geared up to eat that burger out of the paper wrapper with my hands regardless, but then i spied at the bottom of their new menu “gluten free bun – $.99″
what the what?
the server told me they just started doing it and that the feedback had been great.
now, as i’ve said before, i’m not huge into the substitution products. i would likely never buy gluten free buns, i’d just skip the bun. but thats just me. i don’t want to eat a faux version of something, i’d just rather not eat it at all.
and so, while i appreciated this option, i actually was planning on skipping it.
but my husband suggested i try it, just to try it. and of course, there’s my blog to think about 
but his theory was that if the bun sucked, then i could tell the server, get the 99 cents back and eat it anyways with no bun. which i would have done anyways. it seemed like sound logic.
so i ordered up my usual… bacon cheeseburger with pepperjack, only lettuce and chipotle mayo instead of regular mayo.
it was… okay.
here’s the caveat. i haven’t eaten any gluten free bread products yet. no buns, no sandwich bread, no muffins or cookies. the closest i’ve come is the english muffins, but they were so cornmeal-y, they were nothing like the real thing and weren’t trying to be IMO.
so basically i have nothing to compare it to.
this certainly looked like the real thing. it was browned all around and fluffy and white in the middle… but something was definitely amiss.
the texture. it was spongy and made me think of undercooked yorkshire puddings.
all in all, it wasn’t bad. i ate the whole thing and it got the burger to my mouth with less mess than the lettuce wrap does… but i’m not entirely sure i’d choose it every time.
i LOVE having the option, and will probably choose it from time to time, just to make sure it stays on the menu… but a good 50% of the time, i’ll probably just stick with the lettuce wrap.
this is what i’ve been finding to be true overall. while these substitution products have their hearts in the right place, it’s really not necessarily what i want to eat.
and i feel like restaurants are still learning how to navigate the wave of gluten-free eating that’s so abundant right now. and very few of them are getting it right IMO.
when i go out for a meal, what do i want?
essentially i want an option that doesn’t make me feel like i’m eating fake food.
i want a piece of meat. steak, chicken, pork chop, sausage… whatever.
i want vegetables. side dishes, salad, whatever.
i want a small amount of something else. potato, rice, quinoa… nuts, hummus, beans… whatever.
it doesn’t seem like too much to ask, and i’m getting better at figuring our which restaurants can do these things for me.
and if worse comes to worse… there’s always sushi, lol.
vegas in food & drink part 2
21 Oct 2011 1 Comment
in booze & other drinkables, food & cooking, restaurants & dinning out, travel Tags: drinks, food, las vegas, restaurants & dinning out, travel
first stop on this food tour…
BB Kings in the mirage. we went here because we had a coupon but also, we love our southern fare.
here’s my husband eating catfish bites. they were amazing. and it was his first time eatting catfish, so he was impressed. it was flaky and buttery and the coating was very light, i believe cornmeal based.
we also had a mac & cheese. damn fine. would definitely go back AND they have live music every night. which goes far for me.
these next series are from our “splurge” dinner at ONDA in the mirage.
my husband picked this place based solely on the menu. and it was a fine choice.
the meal itself wasn’t ridiculously pricey, but we had a bottle of champagne and a bottle of wine, so about $150 in booze on the bill. i think it was about $320 once we were done.
first up is our appies. i had the aged prosciutto & parmigiano. it was outstanding. my only complaint is that my salad was over-dressed. it was literally drowning in dressing which was very unnecessary. everything else was perfection.
husband went with the classic caprese salad with house made mozzarella & heirloom tomatoes.
for mains, i was powerless to resist this pasta. it was basically just fresh egg noodles, butter & olive oil, garlic and truffles. shit loads of truffles. and cheese. for me, utter perfection. this is exactly how i like my pasta, and it was my first time having fresh truffles. decadent and wonderful.
husband went with the server’s suggestion of lasagna. it was also excellent. there’s nothing like a REALLY GOOD lasagna to make you realize how much mediocre lasagna you’ve had.
bottle of Chianti. also on the server’s suggestion.
dessert. tiramisu semifreddo. really good but WAY too rich for me after my meal. so i had a cappuccino and left it to my husband.
next up i’ve got a few pics from the wicked spoon at cosmopolitan.
wow, what a place. this may be fighting the wynn for my new favourite buffet.
it was really excellent and well priced for the quality. and i love buffets because i’m indecisive, but hate feeling like i’m eating out of a trough. this solves that problem. individual portions for everything. wonderful.
below is the short rib eggs benny.
and a berry macaron.
