THIS IS HOW WE VEGAS

THIS IS HOW WE VEGAS

THIS IS HOW WE VEGAS

Yes, we have an ongoing LOVE AFFAIR with French Cuisine. And Italian, and Spanish, and California and so on and so on. We also have a LOVE AFFAIR with Vegas. THE Foodie Paradise where gorgeous restaurants are designed as if money-were-no-object, with the highest concentration of World-Class chefs, and our favorite alfresco-dining galore. Yes, we love to play blackjack (thanks Dr. Thorp), take long walks along the strip early in the morning, spend time at the spa and pools, and take in the fabulous shows  – but truth be told, it’s the food that is our main attraction. THIS is how we Vegas, last weekend:

Bardot Brasserie by Michael Mina – Aria

Lavo Italian Restaurant – The Palazzo

Lago by Julian Serrano – The Bellagio

Giada by Giada De Laurentiis – The Cromwell

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Joël Robuchon, Claude Monet & 5 Years of Taste With The Eyes

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
A Menu of Small Tasting Portions

Monet’s Table: The Cooking Journals of Claude Monet
(book giveaway at the end of this post, thru July 6)

“Cap Martin, Near Menton”
Claude Monet

cap martin, near menton floral arrangement

“Cap Martin, Near Menton”
Floral Arrangement

On our trip to Las Vegas we “encountered” two ultra-gifted Frenchmen, artists Joël Robuchon and Claude Monet – the Chef and the Painter. It wasn’t until after I returned home that I realized how the two are ultimately connected…

The oil-on-canvas landscape painting “Cap Martin, Near Menton” is from Monet’s more experimental works of the French Riviera in 1884. We were delighted by the ingenious flower arrangement on display at the Bellagio Conservatory which has been modeled after Claude Monet’s painting.

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French Dining Tour of Vegas

paris las vegas balloon
 French Dining Tour of Vegas


Bonjour!

Not exactly sure how this “dining tour” idea came about. Maybe it had something to do with refreshments at the pool in the shadow of  the Eiffel Tower? Anyway, fellow bons vivants (my brother, sister-in-law, and our dear friend Susan from New Jersey) adore Vegas and its impressive collection of world-renowned Chefs. When we plan our trips to Vegas “where shall we dine?” is the first order of business.

Thanks to my brother’s edict that we try new restaurants each visit, on last Fall’s trip we hit the mother lode. We re-discovered Las Vegas’ first celebrity chef, the charming André Rochat. It may have been we were so blown-away by our experience that we convinced Don we absolutely had to go back to André’s, tout de suite. However it evolved, the first “French Dining Tour of Vegas” was born – a trip where we would eat at exclusively French restaurants, or those with French Chefs, and of course we would stay at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.

pool at paris las vegas

French Dining Tour of Vegas Itinerary

Arrival Day

Late Night Snack
Michel Richard’s CENTRAL @ Caesar’s

Day 1

Breakfast
MON AMI GABI @ Paris

Lunch
POOLSIDE below the Eiffel Tower

Cocktails
EIFFEL TOWER RESTAURANT BAR @ Paris

Dinner
ANDRE’S @ Monte Carlo

Day 2

Brunch
FRANCOIS PAYARD PATISSERIE & BISTRO @ Caesar’s

Afternoon Wine & Cheese
PETROSSIAN BAR @ Bellagio

Dinner
L’ATELIER DE JOEL ROBUCHON @ MGM Grand

Departure Day

Breakfast/Lunch
MON AMI GABI @ Paris

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Hitting The Las Vegas Culinary Jackpot

tagliatelle con il primo tartufo bianco
tagliatelle con il primo tartufo bianco @ sirio
tagliatelle pasta with fresh shaved first of the season white truffles

We’ve been hitting The Las Vegas Culinary Jackpot, big time! A week ago I shared what is now our absolute favorite spot for Brunch in Vegas – Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill @ Caesar’s. Among many other items, the Yucatan Style Grouper with Blue Crab Succotash Sauce is brilliant. Our epicurean bonanza did not stop at Mesa Grill, though.

Thanks to my brother’s edict that we try new restaurants, on this trip we hit the mother lode. To our immense delight, we re-discovered Las Vegas’ first celebrity chef, the charming André Rochat. It was with fond memories of escargots and duck à l’orange enjoyed at André’s in Downtown Vegas decades ago that we made our dinner reservations.

“In the 1980s, it was a whole different city. We were the only freestanding gourmet restaurant in town. We were very busy, very busy, sometimes with a line at the door,” said Rochat, who was raised in a small town outside Lyon, France. (Read more about our favorite Las Vegas legend here).

André’s @ Monte Carlo reflects the original old-world Downtown Vegas charm and combines it with new-world breathtaking aqua décor and warm, personalized service plus the Chef’s years of talent and hospitality. We were so blown-away by our experience we are certain that foodies coming to Vegas to meet the hottest new Chefs will be even more impressed to meet the town’s hottest old Chef!

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