Food: ☆☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆ ½
Cost: $$$$
Must try: Black Label Burger
The garden is open at Jeanne and Gaston and you just have to experience it!
Claude Godard, the charming Chef and owner of this little oasis on 14th street recently hosted a “Meet the Chef in the Garden” event for the press.
Chef Godard is a third-generation chef from Burgundy who is also a Maitres Cuisinier.
We spent the evening in the soothing environs of this little sanctuary as we noshed on delightful little bites and sipped on perfectly chilled rosé.
Now can you think of a better way to welcome spring?
Here is some of what we ate:
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$ ½
Must try: Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Yam Cake
(This meal was complimentary which did not affect my review.)
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆½
Cost: $$$$
Must try: Almond Croissant , Dka “dominique’s kouign amann”
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$$$
Must try: Beignets de Brandade de Morue, Quiche
Bouchon is housed at the Venetian and is known for its clever interpretations of classic French bistro cuisine.
Thomas Keller is a food icon and eating at Bouchon, which is based on his Napa Valley bistro, was one of the most anticipated events of my trip to Vegas.
Unfortunately my experience turned out to be a rather lackluster one. I think it was more to do with the service versus just the food.
Our server was rather edgy which really took away from the kind of comfort and ease I expected the evening to present.
The food was definitely good but nothing blew me away. I thought the appetizers proved to be better than the entrees. The quiche was amazing as were the cod fritters.
However, overall I was disappointed as I had much higher expectations from a Thomas Keller restaurant. I would go back to give it a fair chance – perhaps for lunch next time.
Here is some of what we ate:
Food: ☆☆☆ ½
Service: ☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try: White Chocolate Ganache, Strawberry Rhubarb, Dark Chocolate
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$
Must try: Pike Mousseline, Chocolate Napoleon with Rasberry Soufflé
Food: ☆☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆☆
Cost: $$$$
Must try: Hand Made Cocoa Pappardelle , Warm Sticky Toffee Sponge
Service: ☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆ ½
Cost: $$$
Ça Va Todd English is a French Brasserie with a Mediterranean twist. Ça Va is located in the heart of the Times Square/ Theater district in the contemporary Intercontinental Hotel. The space is crisply modern. The food is enticing enough but the service….oh the service….was friendly but grossly inept. I’m not sure if the kitchen was running slow or the servers but we never received our bread basket, it took so long just to flag someone down to refill our water or make special requests … and it took eons to get our dessert.
Ça Va has a nice enough menu with decent fare. It offers a nice break from the cacophony of the busyness that exists outside its doors. However I’m not sure I would go back as once I was on the inside, I found it wasn’t exactly the sort of relaxing retreat I had hoped for.
Here is some of what we ate:
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$$$
Must try: Peekytoe Crab Dumplings , Goat Cheese Royale
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$
Must try: Aligot, Brandade De Morue
Food: ☆☆☆ ½
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆ ½
Cost: $$$
Must try: Toasted Almond Ice-cream Bar
“Tired” is the word that comes to mind when I think about my evening spent at Le Perigord, which is nestled in the heart of Sutton Place. Every thing about the evening was just so pathetically dreary and tiring.
There was no real “welcome” when we entered the restaurant. We were ushered to our table and just kind of left there for quite some time with the menus till we asked for someone to come and take our order. The general air of all the servers was brusque. And even the little charm that I thought the place had in its simple table setting wore off by the time the appetizers were done. For the rest of the meal – I just kept hearing the “tick-tock” of a clock….when will this be done? Continue reading
The first time I ate at Bouley was in 1996. My mother in-law took my husband (fiancée at that time) and me for dinner to celebrate our graduating Graduate School from Columbia.
The experience for me was beyond divine. Even though it was almost 12 years ago, I still remember being delighted by every course we were served! Little did I know at that time that Bouley would close down that very year. I’ve never forgotten that meal. I really think it was one of the best meals I have ever had….in my entire life!
So, after 12 long years of Bouley having closed, reopened, moved locations and so on, I finally went back to try it one more time. This time I went for lunch. They have a great pre-fix deal for lunch for $48.
Here is some of what I ate.
PORCINI FLAN DUNGENESS CRAB
I started with the Porcini Flan, Dungeness Crab, Black Truffle Dashi. This dish was outstanding. The crab just melted in my mouth and the combination of the mushrooms and dashi was to die for. This dish had so many layers of subtle flavors to it – I tasted something different in every bite. Everything about this dish was superb.
ROASTED ROUGET
I had the Roasted Rouget for my next course. This dish really did nothing for me. The fish was very fresh and roasted to perfection but I found the bed of sauces it was on to be unimpressive. It really did nothing for the dish. I guess I expected more.
This was the Pennsylvania All Natural Chicken Baked in Buttermilk. The chicken was very tender but it was a little underdone and the vegetables and sauce it came with did nothing for the dish. It didn’t have the depth I expected from it.
BLACK COD
The next course was a Fresh Washington State Black Cod with Organic Buckwheat, Sunchoke Cloud and Black Onion Powder. I thought this dish was horrible! I did not like it at all. It sounded like an interesting dish and came highly recommended, but once I tried it I just could not get through it. It was one of those semi-cooked, quivery , jellyish kind of dishes that I personally just do not like. I have to say that when the staff saw that I didn’t like my dish they immediately offered to bring me something else. They were really very gracious.
DESSERTS
This Lime Sorbet with Finely sliced Pineapple was a palate cleanser that was brought to us right before dessert. This dish really jolts your taste buds and wakes you up. I thought it was very good but I couldn’t eat more than a few bites of it as it was very strong. It served it purpose really well!
HOT VALRHONA CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE
The Hot Valrhona Chocolate Soufflé Vermont Maple Ice Cream, Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Sorbet was beyond divine. This was the best chocolate soufflé cake that I have ever had. The ice creams that accompanied it were unbelievable too. So fresh, so beautifully flavored – it was a perfect way to end our meal.
I have to say that overall I was disappointed with this meal. The two outstanding things I ate were the Crab-Porcini mushroom flan and the dessert. The rest of the meal was just okay. I would go back again though. Bouley is such a charming place, with impeccable service and grace. I really enjoyed the experience and parts of the meal were outstanding. It’s hard to judge a place like Bouley based on just one meal and one menu. I still believe that Chef David Bouley can recreate the magic that I experienced 12 years ago and I am willing to go back and try.
MY RATINGS FOR THIS MEAL
Food: ☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆1/2
Service:☆☆☆☆
Price: $$$$Overall experience: ☆☆☆1/2
I recommend: Porcini Flan, Dungeness Crab,Hot Valrhona Chocolate Soufflé
(All ratings are out of a possible 5 stars. Each establishment is individually rated based on my experience of that particular meal. Ratings are also based on my expectations of quality of food, value for money, service, ambiance and overall experience)