Leaving Las Vegas…
Jack: “I’m hungry.”
Jill: “Ok, go make yourself a sandwich or something.”
Jack: “No, I mean, I’m H-U-N-G-R-Y. Get it???”
Jill: “Ohhh. But we just showered!”
Jack: (silence)
Jill: “I don’t get it.”
And so, we (meaning WE and not solely Jill, as is the norm) set about planning our next excursion. Where to? Why back to, VIVA Las Vegas, of course! Yes, it was time to head back to one of our favorite destinations though this time the focus would be on… the food experience!
Before we jump into specific jaunts, I must say, albeit sadly, that our overall trip was disappointing. Having visited Sin City in the past, with great pleasure, we chose the Venetian (& Pallazo- connected sister-hotels) as we sought an upper-end clientele.
Please understand, Jill & I are not hoighty-toighty individuals; quite the opposite, really. We simply enjoying presenting ourselves in a classy way, especially when the situation calls for it. And fine dining (as well as gambling at the Venetian & Pallazo) call for it!
What we found instead was quite the opposite. Whether it was/is a post-COVID affect, the clientele were anything but ‘upper-end.’ We consistently came across individuals who did not know how to dress in public to those who did not know how to speak in public (or a combination there of). Though various establishments professed to have a dress code, none were enforced. It truly was off-putting.
Moving on….
Our first dinner was at Lakeside at Wynn located at the Wynn.
The ambiance of the restaurant is magical with the center of attention being the small lake and large waterfall-feature the patio seating overlooks. It also serves as the entertainment focus of the experience. If memory serves me correctly, the waterfall stops approximately every 15-20 minutes and a song is played accompanied by either a video and/or props which come out of the water or soar above you. David Bowie’s Space Oddity was one such song. It really is neat and a must-see!
Our server, Scott, was fantastic! He was professional yet personable and quite focused on the pace of our experience. We began with West Coast Oysters (don’t we always!), followed by Mediterranean Branzino for me and Atlantic Diver Scallops for Jill. They were accompanied by whipped potatoes. We agreed EVERY course was fantastically prepared and simply delicious… BUT… the best came last; dessert!
Scott brought us two complimentary offerings: Coffee 24k (milk chocolate mousse, dark chocolate sponge cake, coffee ice cream adorned w/edible gold accents) and Pretty In Pink (vanilla-whipped pannacotta, strawberry meringue, strawberry-rose sorbet). Whoaboyohboyohboy! Our mouths had multiple orgasms! We recommend dining here in spite of what transpired.
You’ll note, I stated the desserts were complimentary. Now comes The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, as it were. It would only be appropriate of me to provide full disclosure. We did have an issue with our experience. And that issue was the manager/hostess/general manager. Sadly, we do not recall HER name.
I had called EVERY establishment myself to make our reservations SEVERAL months in advance. I specifically requested patio seating and took the appointed time. Unlike other establishments (such as Picasso which we will get to a bit later) which clearly state, ‘first-come-first-served’, I was told my request was noted, no worries. Upon arriving we were informed the patio was ‘first-come-first-served’ (say what???), though it wouldn’t be “that long” for a table to open (again, I was given a specific time for a patio seating). Having arrived early for our reservation (~30 minutes or so) we figured, no worries, and took to the bar for a cocktail and waited. And waited. And waited. All told, we waited for close to an hour and a half! And the few times we went to HER for an update, we were greeted with a nasty disposition. Why didn’t we leave, you ask? Because ‘plan B’ would’ve been McDonalds (no offense to corporate) as every other restaurant is booked until late. Its Vegas, remember??? Quite literally, as Jill & I finally brought up the topic of leaving, they came to seat us. Of course, SHE was nowhere to be found.
We asked to see someone other than HER and a gentleman came over introducing himself as the Asst. General Manager. We detailed all that had occurred, including seeing 2-3 tables remain empty for approximately 15 minutes while we waited. Quite frankly, there was nothing he could do or say to remedy our anger and frustration but tried nonetheless. And for that, I give him an ‘A’ for effort. He listened and ultimately that is what most people want; someone to listen. I’d like to think he ‘assigned’ Scott to us for this reason!
The meal being so VERY good is what makes this all the more annoying. And for the record, SHE should not be in the hospitality industry.
Moving on…
The following evening’s dinner found us at CUT by Wolfgang Puck. This can be found in the Venetian & Pallazo complex.
I’m sorry to say we do not recall our server’s name though he was all smiles and beyond personable. He really added to the overall experience; fully engaged and focused on us! We began with Artisanal bread w/Vermont Butter as well as Korean Style Big Eye Tuna (must have!) and… you guessed it… Oysters! For entrees, Jill had the Sautéed Alaskan Halibut and I, the Filet Mignon #1. We also had the Yukon Gold Potato Puree as a shareable. Dessert was very good, and chocolate-y. No complaints here!
The restaurant is a bit busier in nature though nothing is wrong with that- unless you’re looking for a quiet evening for two, which we were not! The pace was solid and the taste quite delicious! We recommend dining here, fo’ sho’.
Moving on…
Our third night brought us to Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen at Caesar’s Palace. This was a truly confounding experience. You see, our first visit to this restaurant was pre-COVID and the experience was divine! EVERYTHING about that visit was out-of-this-world (including the gentleman having a cardiac event– happy to say, he pulled through)! Our welcome, our seating, our server, the food pace & quality… EVERYTHING! This time, not so much.
The welcome was rather mechanical, our server though ‘nice’ was not very enthusiastic. We were seated in the ‘kitchen’ area which might normally be an exciting prospect. This was more akin to a high school cafeteria. And the food… meh. We started with oysters (see a pattern???) which weren’t shucked all that well. Our entrees were pan seared scallops & lobster risotto (two app’s taken as an entrée) for Jill and braised short rib for me. The dessert was solid… Cookies & Cream Baked Alaska. And yet, we expected more.
We left believing Chef needs to visit his own restaurant and turn things around.
We would not recommend dining here… at the moment.
Moving on…
Next on our list was one I was really REALLY looking forward to: Picasso at Bellagio. This restaurant has a patio which overlooks THE fountains of the Bellagio! Needless to say, the setting is simply amazing! Sadly, due to high winds that evening (as well as the following evening) the fountain show was postponed. When we inquired, we were told our patio along with the various other restaurant patios would be drenched otherwise. Still it was an extremely enjoyable experience and location. What could equal it? Why, the food! Picasso offers two fixed menu options though remain flexible between them.
Our server, whose name we do not recall, was a very pleasant and friendly ‘French guy’. We found him to be warm and inviting and very much aware of our experience. Our meal was as follows;
1st Maine lobster Salad
2nd Pan seared U-10 Day Boat Scallops for Jill & Big Eye Tuna Carpaccio for me
3rd Sautéed Steak of “A” Foie Gras
Main Course- Sautéed Filet of Chilean Sea Bass for Jill & Prime Petit Filet Mignon for me
For dessert we had a chocolate concoction (quite tasty), with Bordeaux wine throughout!
It was simply a wonderful time across the board. We HIGHLY recommend dining here.
Moving on…
Our last evening took us to an ‘old’ haunt, if you could call it that after one visit. Sushi Samba Las Vegas. Our evening was low key as we decided to simply grab small plates and drinks. Our server was very friendly and offered her favorites. We had Edamame, Crispy Hokkaido Scallop, Crispy Taquitos and for sushi, the Neo Tokyo and Samba Sushi rolls. It’s a lively atmosphere here, a virtual ‘hot spot’. Jill and I talked and laughed as we ate and drank; great memories! We recommend dining here.
A last thought… overall though the experience varied from location to location, the food quality was still quite good, as you can read. That being said, we did notice the cost of our experiences was approximately 33% higher than in previous visits (inflation anyone???). Combining that fact along with the ‘clientele-impact’, we will now be taking a break from Bugsy’s paradise. Where to next, is the question.