Last weekend, I participated in one of the coolest cooking collaborations I have experienced. I was picked to be one of the participants from around the world in Conflict Kitchen’s virtual cooking lesson with Executive Chef Bahar Sarhangi live from Tehran.
Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to this establishment for a complimentary meal. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Day two of the Holiday Hosting Party at the Kenmore Bloggers Summit 2013 began with two of my new blogger pals Marina and Beeb, who were just as crazy as me and wanted to walk the city at dawn to get some sights in! It was truly a beautiful way to experience the city in its early light and quietude.
After a quick breakfast we all headed back to the Kenmore Studio where an action packed day awaited. Little did we know how much fun was in store for us.
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try: Chicken Salad, Butternut Squash Soup
Food: ☆☆ ½
Service: ☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$
I recommend: Buttermilk Pancakes, Carrot Cake
If you ever happen to go skiing at Mohawk Mountain, CT, then the Wandering Moose Café is a nice little café option for a pleasant meal.
Located right by the covered bridge in West Cornwall, it has a view of the beautiful river and picturesque mountains in the background. In the warmer months, sitting outside must be a feast for the eyes.
The food here is rather average. Nothing outstanding but the service is very friendly and the place has soul. Its seems to be frequented by locals and the menu offers better food choices than most other places in this area ( choice is rather limited).
We tried their brunch where the highlights of our meal were the pancakes, corn beef hash and a really delicious homemade carrot cake.
So do stop off for a meal, a cup of tea or just a spot of dessert. The Wandering Moose Café promises to soothe the “wandering” soul.
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Wandering Moose Cafe & Catering Company | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| American New | |
| * Street Address | |
| 421 Sharon Goshen Tpke , West Cornwall, CT 06756 | |
| * Phone | |
| (860) 672-0178 |
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$
Must try: Village Wings
The Village Restaurant is a classic, pub style restaurant located in the heart of Litchfield, CT.
Serving better than average pub style food, this neighborhood gem seems to be a local favorite. Be sure to make reservations on weekends at it is always crowded with locals and tourists alike.
The wait staff is super friendly and the surroundings are always lively making The Village, a great dining pick.
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Village Restaurant | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| American New | |
| * Street Address | |
| 25 West St Litchfield, Litchfield, CT 06759 | |
| * Phone | |
| (860) 567-8307 |
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆½
Cost: $$
Must try: Apple Cinnamon, Red Velvet, Triple Chocolate
The city of St. Louis is famous for it’s “Gooey Butter Cake” and one of the best spots to score one (or many) of these little beauties is at Park Avenue Coffee is located in the downtown area.
This cute little café is locally owned and was featured on the Food Network for its famous cakes.
Basically a Gooey Butter Cake is like a baked bar with a crunchy bottom, and extremely gooey middle and a sugary top. It’s sweet as can be but it works. They offer several different flavors of which I though the apple cinnamon and red velvet were the best.
So if you are ever in St. Louis…. you must try one of these local favorites.
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Park Avenue Coffee | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| American Traditional | |
| * Street Address | |
| 1919 Park Ave, Saint Louis, MO 63104 | |
| * Phone | |
| (314) 621-4020 |
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $$$
Snarf’s is a brightly colored, airy sandwich shop in Downtown St. Louis.
The menu offers a nice selection of meat and veggie sandwiches along with soups, salads and sides.
Snarf’s is located right by the Edward Jones dome offers a great spot for large groups to grab a decent, affordable meal with great ease.
The sandwiches here are better than your average Subway type of places and the people are really nice.
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Snarf’s | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| American Traditional | |
| * Street Address | |
| 6301 Delmar Blvd , Saint Louis, MO 63130 | |
| * Phone | |
| (314) 725-4800 |
Food: ☆☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆½
Cost: $$$
Looking for a gourmet lunch spot with a difference in downtown St. Louis – look no further than Local Harvest Café. This chic café offers a farm fresh menu of breakfast and lunch delights.
The menu is eclectic and seasonal and they have daily specials. The folks behind the scenes are also the owners of Local Harvest Grocery, which prides itself on using green practices, supporting small local farmers and producers, donating to educational and environmental charities.
With such great intentions in place, the food offered at Local Harvest Café can’t be anything but wonderful.
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Local Harvest Café | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| American Traditional | |
| * Street Address | |
| 3137 Morganford Rd , Saint Louis, MO 63116 | |
| * Phone | |
| (314) 772-8815 |
Food: ☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆
Cost: $
Edible Difference is a deli/diner located in downtown St. Louis serving breakfast and lunch.
This is a really convenient spot for a quick lunch and it caters to the office crowd during the day.
The food here is nothing exceptional – just your average diner type food served with a huge smile!
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Edible Difference | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★☆☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| American New / American Traditional | |
| * Street Address | |
| 615 Pine St , Saint Louis, MO 63101 | |
| * Phone | |
| (314) 588-8432 |
Food: ☆☆☆½
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆☆☆½
Cost: $$
Rooster’s is a delightful creperie and sandwich café located in Downtown St. Louis.
This conscious food spot uses locally sourced organic ingredients, meats and so on. They have a wonderful breakfast and lunch menu with both sweet and savory crepes which are delicious along with many other offerings. Food Network Magazine named the Rooster’s “Rooster Slinger” as the best breakfast in Missouri.
Rooster’s is owned by by chef/restaurateur David Bailey who has other popular downtown spots such as Bridge Tap House and Bailey’s Chocolate Bar.
If you are in St. Louis, I would put Rooster’s on my “must do” list!
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Rooster | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| American Traditional | |
| * Street Address | |
| 1104 Locust St , St Louis, MO 63101 | |
| * Phone | |
| (314) 241-8118 |
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆☆☆
Cost: $$$$
Must try: Ahi Tuna Tartare, Open Faced Dungness Crab Club Sandwich
Tableau might be one of the best-kept secrets at the Wynn.
This elegantly whimsical restaurant is tucked away in a serene corner of the Wynn Hotel. Overlooking a pool and garden, Tableau offers a luxurious breakfast and lunch menu. The food here is top-notch as is the service and the prices.
Known for its Saturday and Sunday brunch – Tableau really offers a wonderful respite from the brisk pulse of the Vegas beat.
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Tableau | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| American New | |
| * Street Address | |
| 3131 S Las Vegas Blvd , Las Vegas, NV 89109 | |
| * Phone | |
| (702) 770-3330 |
Food: ☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$$$
Must try: Beignets de Brandade de Morue, Quiche
Bouchon is housed at the Venetian and is known for its clever interpretations of classic French bistro cuisine.
Thomas Keller is a food icon and eating at Bouchon, which is based on his Napa Valley bistro, was one of the most anticipated events of my trip to Vegas.
Unfortunately my experience turned out to be a rather lackluster one. I think it was more to do with the service versus just the food.
Our server was rather edgy which really took away from the kind of comfort and ease I expected the evening to present.
The food was definitely good but nothing blew me away. I thought the appetizers proved to be better than the entrees. The quiche was amazing as were the cod fritters.
However, overall I was disappointed as I had much higher expectations from a Thomas Keller restaurant. I would go back to give it a fair chance – perhaps for lunch next time.
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Bouchon Bistro | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| French | |
| * Street Address | |
| 3355 Las Vegas Boulevard S , Las Vegas, NV 89109 | |
| * Phone | |
| (702) 414-6200 |
Food: ☆☆☆☆ ½
Service: ☆☆☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆☆ ½
Cost: $$$$
Must try: Lasagnette, Special Mediterranean Fish
The Wynn offers some fabulous dinning options but perhaps the jewel in its crown is award winning Chef Paul Bartolotta’s eponymous restaurant Bartolotta, Ristorante di Mare.
When it comes to quality there are no expenses spared at Bartolotta. This Italian seafood gem has its crustaceans and fish flown in straight from the Mediterranean a few times a week, which offers diners signature items such as orata, purple snapper and pale pink langoustines. The food is outstanding – one of my favorites was the pink shrimp and the lasagnette.
Bartolotta is not just about the food though. Their service is just as flawless as the meal. The servers tend to patron’s needs with tremendous care, weaving in and out of the dining experience with deft expertise.
At Bartolotta you pay top dollar for an extraordinary experience. I think it is well worth the splurge for those really special occasions.
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Italian | |
| * Street Address | |
| 3131 S Las Vegas Blvd , Las Vegas, NV 89109 | |
| * Phone | |
| (702) 770-3463 |
Food: ☆☆☆ 1/2
Service: ☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆☆
Cost: $$$
All buffets are not made equally and the Wynn Buffet is certainly many cuts above the rest!!
I am not a fan of buffets and find that generally they are filled with un-thoughtful, generic dishes to please the hungry masses. The buffet at the Wynn however proves to be very different.
Set in a whimsical dining room within a bright atrium, filled with multicolored fruits and flowers, the offerings are unbelievable in variety, quality and flavor. It took me a good 10 minutes just to walk the buffet to wrap my head around all the options I had.
Fresh salads, soups, seafood, meats, vegetables, sushi, Chinese food, hand pulled noodles, Mexican options, Italian food, vegetables galore, live cooking stations – a room full of desserts…the list just goes on and on and on.
The buffet at the Wynn is priced a little higher than others but for this quality of food – I would say that it’s worth every penny!
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| The Buffet | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| American Traditional | |
| * Street Address | |
| 3131 S Las Vegas Boulevard , Las Vegas, NV 89109 | |
| * Phone | |
| (702) 770-3463 |
Food: ☆☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆½
Ambiance: ☆
Cost: $$
Lotus of Siam is Vegas’s best-kept secret. Okay it’s not so much of a secret ever since Gourmet magazine called it “the best Thai restaurant in the United States!”
I had to find out what all the fuss was about especially since I have been thoroughly spoiled by the splendid Thai food available in Queens, NY. (Lotus of Siam now has opened an outpost in New York City)
I have to say I was blown away. Chef Saipin Chutima, the owner of Lotus of Siam has created truly authentic classic Northern Issan-style cuisine using fresh and bold flavors.
The menu at Lotus of Siam is extensive and overwhelming to navigate without the help of the servers who offer great advice on what dishes to order.
Everything we had was excellent. The waiters will ask you how spicy you want your food on a scale of 1-10. I tried panang curry at a 10 and it really wasn’t that spicy but was very tasty.
As I walked out, belly full, of this nondescript food spot housed in a dinky strip mall, a mile away from the dazzle of the Strip – I knew that I was leaving Las Vegas after really having hit the jackpot!
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Lotus of Siam | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Asian Fusion / Thai | |
| * Street Address | |
| 953 E Sahara Ave , Las Vegas, NV 89104 | |
| * Phone | |
| (702) 735-3033 |
Food: ☆☆☆☆
Service: ☆☆☆☆
Ambiance: ☆☆☆
Cost: $$$
Must try: Patatas Bravas, Setas al ajillo con La Serena, Espinacas a la Catalana, Patatas Bravas
José Andrés is the culinary mastermind who is credited with bringing authentic Spanish cuisine and the concept of Tapas to the United States.
At Jaleo, which is at the Cosmopolitan in Vegas, Andrés along with Chef Ramon Martinez, offers a delightful blitz of fantastic small plates showcasing the very best of Spanish cuisine.
Andrés has created a remarkable paella pit at Jaleo, lit by all wood fires, which flavors their delicious paella of the night.
The menu is extensive offering over 70 options to diners to pick from. Each dish delights in different ways as do the wonderful drinks. The service at Jaleo is just as charming as the food is. For me, this was a perfect Vegas food spot to kick off an evening of fun.
Here is some of what we ate:
|
|
* Restaurant Name |
|---|---|
| Jaleo by José Andrés | |
| * Overall | |
| ★★★☆☆ | |
| * Neighborhood / Cuisine | |
| Spanish | |
| * Street Address | |
| 3708 Las Vegas Boulevard South , Las Vegas, NV 89109 | |
| * Phone | |
| (702) 698-7950 |
