Food Galore in Sin City - Day 3

Our next day's culinary adventure began at The Wynn Resort, where we dined at The Country Club. This is their restaurant overlooking the $500 per round golf course and their 18th hole green and fountain. Brad didn't know whether to look at the menu or the golf course from our window table. Eventually, he ended up salivating over both. He chose one of the special sandwiches of the day -- Filet Mignon with melted gorgonzola, grilled onions on a thin focaccia bread. He was in heaven and hardly uttered a word the rest of the meal. I ordered their open faced french dip. Normally, you get a large roll stuffed with meat and sometimes onions and cheese. This was served open faced with melted guyere cheese in a soup plate. After the server presented the plate, he poured the au jus over the entire sandwich, which the bread hungrily soaked up. It was a very nice presentation and an excellent sandwich. We declined dessert and I am happy to leave the casino with $376.00 more than I entered it an hour earlier!

Dinner this evening was at Emeril's Delmonico Restaurant at the Venetian. The decor of the restaurant is a bit austere however it was a fitting atmosphere for a proper steak house. The menu, as you might expect, was largely centered on steaks. The appetizers and sides were traditional but with Emeril's twists and it was hard to choose our selections. We each had separate appetizers. Brad had a salad wedge, which was presented very simply. The bacon and blue cheese was a little sparse and I would have preferred a bit more for color and flavor. Brad is very much a simpleton when it comes to vegetables and salads and he was quite satisfied. I had one of the house specialties -- Emeril’s New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp Served with a Petite Rosemary Biscuit. It was outstanding! The flavor and "BAM" from the shrimp was excellent and the four shrimp was a perfect start to the meal. We both enjoyed steaks this evening, which the restaurant lightly seasons with Emeril's own brand of seasoning. Brad enjoyed the bone-in rib-eye, which was perfectly cooked to his request. I had the daily special of a bone-in filet mignon. (After I ordered, I heard the server tell another couple that it was a menu gimmick to get customers to order the bone-in filet. Not the perfect the statement to hear from your server.) My steak was also nicely prepared and presented. We ordered a stuffed baked potato to share with our steaks and again, I thought Brad would finish the potato before the steak. My steak arrived accompanied by delectable and woody grilled mushrooms. We each enjoyed hearty glasses of wine (Neal Family Cabernet for Brad and another Oregon Pinot Noir for me) to accompany our meal. For you wine afficianado's, this restaurant boasts one of the country's largest wine lists you'll ever see. After this meal, we were fully sated of food for the balance of the week.

Las Vegas has recently garnered quite a reputation for their famous restaurants and gastronomic outlets from New York and elsewhere. I firmly believe that Las Vegas has become a destination for people other than those who wish to gamble or have to attend a convention. It can be an ideal destination for those that savor food and wine with their entertainment and travel. But bring along a hefty wallet or a lot of luck on the crap table because you're gonna need it!Here's the initial installements of "Ode to Everything Food." I hope you enjoyed my recent travel adventure as much as I did.

In the next issue, you'll meet my dog, Oliver, a personality-plus bichon frise who has a sour stomach and allergy issues galore. So, I cook daily meals for him. Call me crazy, but he's my baby and it's another food adventure I love to share!