Dinner – Waiting For Delight

Rustic

Jeremy Laurin — Sun, 25 Sep 2022 08:34:00 +0000

Located at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, 300 Via Archimedes, Geyserville, CA 95441

July 9th, 2022 – Dinner

The Francis Ford Coppola winery located in Geyserville is a place to visit if you haven’t been. As you’d expect from a big-name producer, they have a large tasting room (which closes at 5), a huge shop – which has the desk from the film ‘the Godfather’, and other movie paraphernalia. Outside is a huge pool with rentable ‘Cabines’, where you can lounge all day and essentially have a Las Vegas pool experience, but in the comfort of Geyserville. I fully suggest booking a Cabine! It’s a delightful experience.

For this trip, one of my friends is a member of the winery and had booked us a spot at the pool, where we spent the day relaxing and swimming in the sun. We reserved a table at Rustic to ensure we had ample time to sober up before heading home (I mean we were having a wine and pool day) and also to try the food :).

When we finished up swimming and changing, making our way to the restaurant, we were a bit surprised because we were walked to a table inside. We had wanted to sit outside (which wasn’t a request in the online reservation portal). When we asked if we could move outside, we were told that it wasn’t an option, even though there were open tables outside. We asked how we could make a reservation to sit outside in the future, but the host did not seem to know. So, I guess it’s a gamble on where they place reserved guests.

When we sat down, we were greeted by our server, who I am sad to have forgotten to jot down his name. He was kind and had great conversation with us. I appreciate when wait staff engage with the patrons and he engaged with me on some shows I was watching (due to my apparel). It allowed for a great open dialog between us.

In terms of the menu, they have a short and basic menu – essentially with a variety of pizzas and pastas. I was told that any option with a meat can have the impossible patty swapped in, which is great.

The Claret is my favorite of the Coppola wines, so if you like a medium-bodied red, I suggest you give it a try. It’s not too heavy, so it’s great both before and during the meal.

To start, we ordered the zucchini fries. They were fried just long enough to be crispy on the outside, but yet soft in the middle. They did these well.

An interesting thing we learned when requesting bread to go with our dishes is that Rustic doesn’t have any real bread. At all. Instead, they have fried doughnut pastry that they will provide for the table after ordering in little dough bags. These are great as appetizers, but not great if you want bread or garlic bread with your pasta / entree. As a note, if you eat all of the fried dough sent to the table, if you ask for more, you get four more tiny fried balls. So, if you want them with your meal, each person will likely need an additional order.

For my main, I selected the summer squash risotto and substituted impossible meat for the ham. My friend ordered the regular version with ham. Both risottos had a nice texture to them, but were a bit lacking in flavor. The rice was well cooked and the base was nice and creamy. My feedback is that it really could use another vegetable (or two). The squash was in tiny shredded pieces, which weren’t very noticeable / detectable in the dish. Both folks who ordered the risotto added salt, pepper, and chili flakes to help create flavor. Regardless of either the ham or impossible meat – critique was the same.

We did order a side of spinach, which was actually a nice pairing with the risotto. The serving size was great and it was full of flavor. Nice to add to our table, but it would’ve been great inside of the risotto [hint to the chef ;)].

The non-vegetarian dishes (and reviews):

New York Strip Steak – with romesco sauce and mixed vegetables.

The critiques were:

‘Steak is okay, room temperature when arrived, but it is cooked right. Outside is salty, more than most.’

The onions were ‘meh’, but the zucchini and pepper were done well.

Solid 3.5 stars

Linguine Alle Vongole (Linguine with Clams):

The pasta was cooked well, had a great texture, not too soft / hard. However, the clams were a bit gritty, could’ve been rinsed better. The dish as a whole needed salt. The overall sentiment was that it was alright, but they wouldn’t order it again.

3 stars

For dessert we ordered the seasonal fruit crostata, which was served with vanilla bean gelato. It was a plum crostata, which was quite delightful! A fun tart punch paired nicely with the vanilla. Definitely would recommend it.

Overall, I will say that we left with the experience a solid 3. It was fun because of the service and company, but the food was a bit mixed in terms of flavor and presentation. While we will definitely return to Coppola for the Pool experience, next time we will likely go to a nearby restaurant in downtown Geyserville for dinner (check my review of Diavola).

Categories:

American Food, Geyserville, California, Italian Food, Wine Country

Bear at Stanley Ranch

Jeremy Laurin — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 08:09:00 +0000

Ambiance

 4.5/5

Service

 5/5

Food / Drink

 4.5/5

Overall (4.6)

 4.6/5

Visited for dinner on May 14th, 2022

The experience and food at Bear is one that I will always remember!

Years back, my friends and I all lived close to each other in the bay area. Since, people have moved and it’s not often we are able to get together. This was one such occasion. We got together earlier in the day in Napa. We kicked the day off with pool-time at one of the nearby resorts. We were supposed to head out to wine tasting in the afternoon, but instead we spent the day catching up at the pool. Don’t you love the feeling of meeting up with friends after years and just picking up where you left off? It’s refreshing and also brings a sense of calm and relaxation along with it.

While at the pool, we made a reservation at Bear, located at Stanley Ranch and were not disappointed!

Cheers from Bear

Anyway, after day at the pool, we got ourselves cleaned up and headed over to Stanley Ranch, which is where Bear is located. I’ll note that while using Google to navigate to Stanley Ranch, it is easy to get lost. And by easy, I mean we got lost! Google does not take you on a direct route through roads that are permissible. So, take a few minutes and map your route prior to heading out. Of course we ended up finding our way to the parking lot and walking up to the restaurant. The grounds are beautifully curated with nice paths through the ‘ranch’.

Sunset at Bear

When you walk into bear you can definitely see that this is a fun and fresh new California restaurant. The decor is modern, and the host was bright and cheerful – definitely good spirits when you walk in. We were lead by the host to our table, which was outside. This was perfect as the weather was delightful. The ambiance of the back patio, watching the sunset while we dined was beautiful. The sky did not disappoint and provided brilliant pastels as our backdrop.

Bear menu on 5/22/2022

The menu at Bear looks to change seasonally, and we ordered quite a few things so we could have a nice sampler. Also, the wine menu (not pictured) was nicely curated. There were light reds and both California and old world wines.

Farm Vegetables

To start, we ordered the farm vegetables which were slices of raw veggies, mostly consisting of carrots and radishes with a few pieces of endive. Essentially was like hummus and veggies.

Sourdough Loaf

We also ordered the sourdough, which came with a very creamy butter. Throughout the evening, we ended up ordering a couple of these little loafs because they were delightfully crispy on the outside and the perfect amount of soft on the inside.

Sun Choke

As another share plate, we decided on the sun choke, which came with cheddar yeast and a little bit of a cream sauce (the menu describes it as brown butter, but it tasted more like a light & cool yogurt). The sunchoke (if you’ve never had it) is hard to describe – almost like a potato, but not quite. Best way I can describe the taste & texture of this dish is that it was crispy like a fried sweet potato on the outside and delightfully buttery like a yukon potato on the inside. It was delicious!

Crispy Rice

We also decided on the crispy rice dish, as we were intrigued by the description. I’m not sure what I was expecting from the menu, but when the fried rice squares arrived, I will say I was intrigued! The texture of the fried rice was perfect. You know when you have a good Bipimbop with the crisp/charred rice at the base? That is what these were – except that delightful crispy rice in every square! The pickles and coconut shavings for the presentation were a nice addition.

Off Menu Vegetarian Linguine

In terms of vegetarian entrées, as you can see they didn’t have any on their menu. So, I talked with the server and they offered to make a linguine pasta with a pesto sauce.

The pasta had mushrooms and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and the noodles definitely tasted like they were freshly made so that was a good plus. I appreciate when a place gets noodles right! The sauce had good flavor and was a bit thin, but still coated the noodles well enough, so I enjoyed each bite. Overall, I think they did a good job with the linguine and if you’re in a pinch like I was, it’s a decent choice, but given the option would try something else next time. As you’ll hear me say a lot – I really wish that they had at least one permanent vegetarian entrée on their menu. This allows folks like myself to feel included and not that they need to make a special request.

Short Rib

As a main entrée the meat eaters in the group got the short rib. When the short rib arrived at the table, the server cut fresh (and large) basil leaves over the plate. The aroma of the herbs was great. Everybody who had it said it was delightful and melted in their mouth. Due to the flavors (and appetites) we actually ended up ordering a second plate so that folks could have some more! I got a high thumbs up from those of my friends who ordered this.

Overall, this place was a delight. You can’t beat the ambiance of being in Napa, particularly on a warm night with a beautiful sunset. The servers were really fun to be around and we laughed with them quite a bit. Also, with their well rounded selection of wines by the glass and by the bottle, you can’t go wrong, even if you just come to share a small bite. Honestly, it’s even a nice place to hang out after your meal is complete! There’s places to sit watch the sunset.

Would definitely recommend a visit if you find yourself in wine country 🙂

~Jeremy

Laurel Court Restaurant & Bar

Jeremy Laurin — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 09:41:00 +0000

Ambiance

 4/5

Service

 4/5

Food / Drink

 4/5

Overall (4.0)

 4/5

Visited for dinner on 4/6/2022

All right friends, so before my trip to Laurel Court (the restaurant located within the Fairmont Inn in San Francisco), I was having a really rough week! Well, make that a rough couple weeks. Work was crazy – like legitimately a nightmare. So much so that I really just needed a break. So, I took a few days off and gave myself a stay-cation. A chance to get away locally and treat myself for a few days.

The Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco

Walkway to the elevators in the Fairmont Hotel. Full of historical photos

The Fairmont Hotel is one of my favorite hotels. It reminds you of old Hollywood with a mix of prestige. I’m always impressed when I walk in, as it reminds me of walking into like an old Hollywood film. There is a large beautiful carpet, a large staircase, plus the staff are all helpful and kind. If you walk down the hall (to the left of the restaurant), you’ll see a montage of historical photos showing past presidents and movie stars who have visited the hotel. But, I’m not here to talk about the Fairmont! We’re here to talk food, so let’s get to it. The Fairmont has two restaurants inside, the main restaurant is Laurel Court, which is located just through the main doors of the hotel, and the other is the Tonga Room, which is on the lower floor and is more of a Tiki Lounge with drinks and dancing. The Tonga Room is great and I’ll likely review in the future. For now, let’s jump into Laurel Court.

Interior of the dining area

The ambiance in laurel court is an interesting one. It’s a mix of roman columns, with large chairs (in teal and off-white). The set glasses are bubble glass, but the plates used in the entrees are rustic-heavy duty hand-made ceramics. This may seem like a crazy mash-up, but it sets a classy, but relaxed vibe. There were individuals in suits sitting down, but also folks in jeans & button ups. So, to class things up, I kicked my order off with a glass of Blanc-De-Blanc (sparkling wine).

Butter Leaf Salad

As mentioned, I was in a ‘treat myself’ mood and therefore decided to order a few things from the menu. To start, I ordered myself a butter leaf salad. The butter lettuce salad was delightful. I realize it looks a little bit lacking in the picture, but it was actually quite nice. It had a light cream dressing and the leaves were that perfect softness on the edges with the crispness in the center. It came with cucumbers and pickled radishes.

Crispy brussel sprouts

Next, I had the ‘crispy brussels’. The brussels sprouts were well-done. They had a nice little crisp, but I would say that they could’ve been crispier (mostly because I can never have crispy enough brussels sprouts), but while they were my least favorite of the items ordered, I would order them again. They had parmesan cheese flakes on-top and in traditional fried brussels style, had a tangy balsamic flavor.

Funghi Flatbread

As a main, I went with the Mushroom Flatbread. The flatbread was full of mushrooms of various varieties, which gave it a nice texture on the palate. It also had a mound of arugula on top (to you-know make us feel like it’s healthy -_^), and a nice crispy base. The waiter marketed it as a ‘pizza’, but while it’s not super small, it is really thin, so it’s more like a tasty tapas flatbread than a pizza. After finishing the salad and brussels, I gave myself high ambitions to make it through the flatbread by myself! In all honesty, I did take some back up to the room (for a midnight snack) so I could save room for dessert :p.

New York Style Cheesecake

For dessert, I ordered a hot tea and the ‘New York style’ cheesecake. The cheesecake was basically a cheesecake piece with a firm layer of jelly on top, surrounded by two short-bread crackers. In full honesty, the jelly was a bit of a let-down. The star of the show was the cheesecake base and the two shortbread crackers. The cheesecake itself was delightful! It was nice and creamy, melting in your mouth. The biscuits were perfectly baked and (truthfully) I ate them last as actual biscuits! Like picked them up with my fingers and ate them while sipping my hot tea :p. In the end, the slab of jelly was the only thing to remain when the waiter cleared the plates.

After I was finished with my meal, I relaxed and enjoyed an audiobook through my headphones, while doing some casual people watching. Since it’s a busy hotel, it was fun to just sit there with my tea and people watch/relax just for a while. I sat for about 30-40 minutes until the crowds thinned and then I headed back up to my room. I appreciated the wait staff giving me time to be in my thoughts and relax. Sometimes you just need to relax and take a break.

The Garden behind Laurel Court

After dinner, I took a stroll through the outdoor garden (located behind Laurel Court). If you get the chance, I encourage you to walk through the garden. It’s quite cute and not too big, so it’s perfect for a little stroll before or after dinner.

Overall, if you need some time away, the Fairmont is a wonderful place to just go and escape and the Laurel Cafe isn’t a bad option if you want to eat locally.

4-stars all around.

~Jeremy

Le Plongeoir

Jeremy Laurin — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 13:47:00 +0000

Ambiance

 5/5

Service

 3/5

Food / Drink

 2/5

Overall

 3/5

Visited for Dinner on May 26, 2022

Le Plongeoir is a restaurant on an island

Once my friend Jennika and I had bought our flight to Nice, she immediately started scoping out fun restaurants to try. She stumbled across Le Plongeoir from a video she saw on TikTok and shared it with me. We were both in awe of the little island restaurant and booked us a reservation for the second night we were in-town. I mean take a look at these photos! Here is a video when walking up to Le Plongeoir. It’s just as incredible to see in person as the photos show.

We were staying in Old Town Nice, which isn’t too far from the restaurant. If you like to walk, you can easily do so in about 30 minutes. We opted to take an Uber there and walk back.

View of the walkway connecting the restaurant to the mainland

When arriving at Le Plongeoir, the restaurant looks just darling. It is positioned perfectly on a rock outstretched into the ocean, connected by a manmade walkway.

Looking down from the walkway, you’ll see guests dining below at the bar seating area

You travel down the walkway and if you look down, you’ll see that they also have tables (and a bar area) below. So, if you forget to make a reservation or want to pop over for a quick drink, you can likely do so.

The kitchen is down below, along with a few inside tables

To get to the restaurant, you’ll head upstairs. Now, I’ll say that the owners / designers really did not plan well because directly at the top of the stairs is a speaker hanging about 5.5 feet high.

Watch your head as you come up the narrow stairs! Many people hit their head on this speaker.

So, when I walked up the stairs I hit my head squarely on it (and not lightly). Through the time we were at the restaurant, I watched person after person hit their heads on the speaker – so just please be careful! Also – if the restaurant ever reads this, please move that speaker!

You can’t beat this view

Walking in, you can’t beat the view. Really, there isn’t a bad seat in the place for the view. That said, they initially tried to seat my friend and I at a table right at the top of the stairs, with the edge of the chair just a few feet in front of the stairs. It did not feel safe / comfortable to sit there, so we asked to be moved. The staff in the restaurant were actually a bit rude and dismiss-missive, even though there were quite a few empty tables. So, I went down to the host to ask and eventually we were accommodated.

Click here to see a video of the view from our seats 🙂

The ambiance of the outdoor restaurant is classy, but it doesn’t pull in a Parisian crowd. What I mean is that the clientele (from what we could tell) were entirely American tourists! We talked with folks from the surrounding tables and near everyone had found out about the restaurant from some type of social media. That said, there were folks from all across the states (Illinois, Los Angeles, etc.) so that was nice. Some families and also parties of friends out on vacation.

The Burratta

We ordered a bottle of wine to share (Domaine Toasc, 2021 – AOP Bellet €59 – nice, crisp and stone fruit flavors) and the ‘Beef tomatoes, buratta, vinaigrette with herbs’ to share (€25). The tomato was cooked alright (it was still a bit hard in the center), but the burrata was nice, creamy and thick. With the large amount of burrata to tomato ratio, there was plenty to spread on-top of the home-made sourdough rolls, which were our favorite.

The sourdough biscuits (which went well with the burrata)

During the first course, we weren’t super impressed with the servers, but the owner seemed to be the friendliest. When he came over, he was engaging, but as soon as he left, we felt again like we were invisible. Usually at a place you want to be left alone, but each time we had a need and I tried to flag someone (for additional sourdough rolls (which were yum), refills on water, etc.), the servers would ignore us, which was frustrating since there were like three folks on the floor at most times.

Risotto

For the main, we both ordered the risotto carnaroli (with seasonal vegetables & aged parmesan shavings €32). It looked beautiful (as you can see). The problem was, it was lacking flavor. Not a dish I would recommend or order again. The most flavorful things were the vegetable toppings and shave parmesan. The risotto was entirely flavorless, we expected more. So, we decided that we wouldn’t worry about it and instead hang out, enjoy the rest of our wine, and have dessert in Old Nice on our walk back.

Cheers from Le Plongeoir

As the sun-set, the view just became better and better. It truly is an incredible setting to sit and enjoy the experience. There is a time limit (they have dining & reservation windows), so we were told our time was just about up after about an hour and a half.

Sunset at Le Plongeoir

Overall, I wouldn’t say that the experience at Le Plongeoir was bad, I would just say that it is very hyped. You truly can’t beat the experience of dining on a restaurant island during the sunset on the French riviera! I mean, that just sounds as delightful as the experience was, but the food and service did not make us feel like returning. Location & setting: full 5-stars. Food & service, 2 & 3 stars respectively. So, my overall rating for Le Plongeoir is 3 stars. Go for the view & experience, and share a light meal. You can grab something at better value (and flavor) in-town later.

~Jeremy

Le Grande Café de France

Jeremy Laurin — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 13:37:00 +0000

Ambiance

 4.3/5

Service

 3/5

Food / Drink

 4.3/5

Overall

 4/5

Visited 5/25/2022 (afternoon snack) & 5/28 (breakfast)

Le Grande Café de France is located right on the main strip of the hotels and restaurants in downtown Nice. It is definitely a ‘tourist trap’ of a restaurant, but I can say happily that it lured me in, not once, but twice for a quick snack.

I suppose I should start with that I appreciate France for it’s outdoor cafés and when I see one with the white wicker and classic vibe, I have a hard time resisting to sit down at least for a cappuccino.

The menu at Le Grande Café de France has everything you’d expect from a Parisian tourist restaurant. Croissants in the morning, Aperol spritz in the afternoon, and Italian / sea food in the evening. The prices are a bit elevated from those of restaurants not on the ‘main street’, but the lure & draw is that you are in the mix of it all while you sit and enjoy your meal.

The ambiance of the café is so cute. Outside, which is where I sat both times, is under a covered awning. You sit and face the walking traffic, so you get some nice people watching as you sip your Aperol or enjoy your meal. I am very sad I did not take a photo of the inside, but if you do visit, please go inside and check it out. There is a grand spiral staircase that takes you upstairs (to where the restrooms are). Across from the restrooms is a beautiful bar, a chandelier, and seats with a terrific view. Plus, the staff were attentive as well.

When I stopped by the evening of May 25^th, I wanted just a snack, so I ordered the cheese and fig plate. It came with so much cheese! There were brie, gouda, and cheddar. There were dried apricots and figs intermixed as well. In the center was a mixed greens salad with some pine nuts. While very cheese heavy, it was a nice snaking plate as I relaxed.

I popped over again for a quick snack (aka croissant breakfast) before my flight on the 28^th. I ordered a couple croissants (one for now, one for take away), a cappuccino and a mimosa! Basically all the delightful things. While I was only there for about 25 minutes, the croissant was buttery, flakey, and perfect. Ugh it was great! And the mimosa sure hit the spot. Cappuccino is hard to go wrong in general, but this one was darker than the one I had the previous day while out and about, which I appreciated because of the brightness of the mimosa.

Similar to the previous visit, I was able to people watch during my snack and get one last piece of the French experience before my flight back home.

Solid 4-stars.

~Jeremy

Mildreds Soho

Jeremy Laurin — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 08:23:00 +0000

Ambiance

 4.5/5

Service

 4.5/5

Food / Drink

 4.5/5

Overall (4.5)

 4.5/5

Visited for dinner on 5/28/2022

My friend and I found ourselves in London (we flew in for a few nights to see a show) and were open to trying anything out for dinner. So, when we checked-in to the hotel, we asked the concierge where we should eat. We were looking for a cute spot that was vegetarian friendly and were told ‘hands down’ to try Mildreds Soho, which was near to where we were staying. The concierge tried to call us in a reservation as we were warned it was usually busy, but couldn’t get through. So we decided to freshen up and chance it by walking-up. Spoiler: we got in 😉

Streetside view of Mildreds

We arrived around 7pm and it was definitely busy. The wait time for a walk-in was about 40 minutes (it was Saturday night). So, I gave my number and we went and caught a pint nearby while we waited. Honestly, the time flew by and I got a text saying the table was ready before we were finished with the pint!

Inside bar (there is no seating)

We arrived back and were seated by the host to a table near the front of the restaurant. The back portion of Mildreds looks to be where the main dining area is, which was full of plants and radiating chatter. The ambiance of Mildreds is fun & classy. There is body positive artwork on the walls (think hand sketches of bodies, boobs, etc.) but nothing lewd. Just nice and artful amongst a lot of plants. There are only tables in the front (no bar seating), so you’ll definitely need either a reservation or to wait like we did to get in.

Mildreds Menu

The Mildreds menu is all online (https://www.mildreds.co.uk/menu/all-day/), so if you’re curious you can check it out in advance. Our server Steven was so nice and talked us through each dish and was very helpful with suggestions, particularly when it came to the entrees. Having Steven’s help was great though, because the definitions of the entrees don’t quite give away what you’ll get! That is always part of the fun of vegan/vegetarian places like this, but it is nice to know you’re on the right track.

Tokyo Highball and Kalamansi Margarita

We ordered two cocktails to start, unfortunately the appetizers came about 15 minutes before drinks (likely because it was a busy Saturday night), but when they came we enjoyed them.

The tokyo highball – roku gin, sake, artisan yuzu tonic, cucumber

It was nice and refreshing. The cucumber was a new twist.

Kalamansi margarita – el tequileño tequila blanco, cointreau, kalamansi, sage, citrus caviar. So cute and delightful, with a frothy top!.

Artichoke Panelle

We ordered three appetizers to start. The first being the roman artichoke panelle, which came with a ‘sicilian herb chickpea fritter’ and roasted pepper pine nut cream.

The artichoke was well cooked, very soft and buttery. The chickpea fritter really tasted like a delicious block of cheese! It is incredible. Both my friend and I really liked the chickpea fritter (aka faux cheese as we named it) mixed in the red-pepper sauce.

Hummus & Pita

Next came the hummus, which was made with apricot harissa chickpeas and came with two slices of pita.

The Hummus was nice and creamy! Inside of the hummus was a bit of a spicy chili sauce, but my friend (who said and I quote ‘is a sissy with spice’) said she could easily handle it.

Sweet Potato Fries

Once we saw that there were Sweet Potato Fries on the menu, we couldn’t pass them up. We were not disappointed! They were phenomenal, so crispy and salty – if you’re a sweet potato fan, these are for you!

Entrees:

Amba Chick’n Kebabs

First we decided on the amba chick’n* kebabs. The menu stated they came with mango marinated plant chick’n, salada, pickled red cabbage, red shaata. We liked the kebab! And the yellow cream sauce was a nice add, as the kebab needed a little sauce to go with it, but the flavors were nice and savory.

Mercimek Kofte

The next dish was the mercimek kofte, which was a quinoa based dish with lentils, beets, grape herb freekeh, tahini cream, and shredded carrots & cucumbers.

This was a hearty and fresh dish. It complimented well with the kebob, which was a savory and saucy dish.

Dessert:

Caramel Cookie Cheesecake with Blueberry Coulis

The dessert menu peaked our interest for quite a few things! We decided on two, the first of which was the caramel cookie cheesecake with blackberry coulis. It came with caramel popcorn on the top. The cheesecake was bright and buttery – the caramel shone through in all the right ways. The blackberry coulis provided a nice balance – definitely our favorite of the two desserts

Butterscotch Banana Bread

The other dessert we ordered was the butterscotch banana bread. It had miso butterscotch on the side along with salted caramel ice cream. This was a very soothing dessert. It gave us comfort and really reminded us of home! It was essentially a deconstructed banana bread. So, if you’re looking for something fun & new – go with the cheesecake. If you want something soothing before bed, go with the deconstructed banana bread 🙂

Espresso Martinis

Since we were planning to head out on the town after dinner, we ordered ourselves a couple of espresso martinis! The martini’s were made with sapling vodka, tia maria, cointreau, and of course fresh coffee. They were terrific and perked us right up! The espresso beans on top were a nice touch. So, if you need a pick-me-up definitely grab the espresso orange martini.

Overall, I can see why Mildreds has such a reputation (and so many locations). Our experience was a super delight! I can’t wait to go back again one day. Once we figured out they had a sister restaurant (Mallow) we needed to give that a try for brunch the next day, which you can read the review here.

~Jeremy

Giada Las Vegas

Jeremy Laurin — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 13:12:00 +0000

Ambiance

 5/5

Service

 5/5

Food / Drink

 5/5

Overall

 5/5

Visited for dinner on 5/16/2022

Sign when walking up to the restaurant

Giada’s is located in the Cromwell hotel in Las Vegas. My friend and I were in-town and had heard great things, so we opted to check it out! Let’s just say we weren’t disappointed.

To get to the restaurant, when you’re in the Cromwell, you will go up a large escalator, which the restaurant reception is right at the top of (you’ll be greeted by the sign above). Because it is up and out of the casino, you don’t even notice it is located in a casino while you’re eating! Which is delightful.

View of the kitchen and dinning area at Giada

Otherwise, the interior (and details) of Giada’s exude relaxed luxury. From the thick branded paper towels in the restroom to the lighting, to the number and attention of the wait staff, it all is on-point. People visiting are in solid business casual outfits and you’re pleasantly greeted whenever walking around. There is a good ‘buzz’ / energy in the air.

View of the dining area

View out to the strip (if you’re lucky to get a window table)

Also, since the Cromwell is right on the strip and Giada’s has a long stretch of windows overlooking the strip, if you’re lucky enough to get a space by the window you’ll have so much to look at while you dine! Definitely a super special moment.

Mozzarella crostini

To start, we ordered the mozzarella crostini ($15.99). They were extremely crunchy – almost like little croutons. In terms of dishes, this one was not our favorite as it was just lacking something. The pine nuts, pesto and sun dried tomatoes were a nice touch, but didin’t give us enough to make us craving more with the crouton toast.

Split arugula salad

As our second starter, we ordered the Arugula salad, which came with candied lemon, crispy pancetta (held on mine) & Parmigiano-Reggiano ($17.99).

We did request if we could split the salad, which the waiter did without question. He brought them out on separate plates, with our own large pieces of cheese, and one with and another without the pancetta, which was excellent! This way there was no fighting over pieces or the awkward dishing of salad to friends or who will eat the last bite. If you just want a small bit of salad, this is the way to go here.

Giada’s signature bread board

Giada’s Signature Bread Board ($9.99) was also a delight. Three different types of bread (sourdough loaf, onion loaf, bun) with a variety of dippings, sprinklings, or mixings. Each were perfectly baked, nice crispy edge on the sourdough (my favorite) and soft and springy (roll). No hints of dryness, definitely were just freshly baked! We actually liked all of the toppings (pesto, butter, salt, olive oil & balsamic, chili flakes), but also appreciated the ability to be able to soak up the delicious remains of our dinner entrees with the bread!

Rigatoni vegetable bolognese

For the main entrees, I ordered the Rigatoni vegetable Bolognese ($32.99), which was hands down the best vegetarian Bolognese I’ve ever had. I’m often let down by vegetarian options that are well hyped by the wait staff and my expectations actually were truly exceeded! Now, I am a bit of a ‘premadonna’ and don’t particularly care for round tube-like rigatoni pasta (or penne for that matter), so I did request to swap for the longer bucatini noodles and was accommodated without question. When it came out, it didn’t disappoint! I asked the server about how they created the Bolognese and he mentioned it was. Reduction of eggplant and other vegetables until they were tiny and delicious. I was astounded at the flavor and also the waitstaff’s knowledge of the dishes!

Salmon with basil orzotto

My friend ordered the ‘Salmon with basil orzotto, artichoke-tomato broth, and lemon gremolata’ ($40.99). He described the salmon as perfectly cooked and a joy to eat. It was packed with flavor and was both crispy and buttery.

Apple pie bake

For dessert we ordered the Apple Pie Bake ($12.99). The Apple pie bake was so yummy! The bake comes in a cute saucer cup, that you then break with your spoon. Once you’ve made an inlet, you pour this caramel sauce in the middle and go to town! It is apple pie deliciousness. Delightful cinnamon, delicately crisp top, and caramel buttery sweetness. So good.

Cheers!

Overall: Walking into Giada’s is walking into relaxed luxury, you don’t feel lavish or out of sorts, but its casual and upscale all at the same time. All details are thought through, from attentive service to nice restroom towels. As for the food, while the crostini were not a hit, literally everything else was. The Salmon was perfectly cooked, and the vegetable Bolognese blew me away. Hands down the best Bolognese I have ever had. I’m often let down by vegetarian options and this didn’t disappoint. For what we got, the food wasn’t too pricey (keep your price expectations low, this is Vegas). Overall, definitely recommend!

5 Stars

~WFD

Morimoto Las Vegas

Jeremy Laurin — Sun, 28 Aug 2022 08:47:00 +0000

Ambiance

 4.5/5

Service

 4.5/5

Food / Drink

 4.5/5

Overall

 4.5/5

Visited for dinner on 8/1/2022

The front of Morimoto (located in the MGM Grand Hotel)

In full honesty, the very first time I went to Morimoto 5/8/2022, I was not impressed. In my initial review, I remarked ‘disappointed, definitely not the iron chef experience’. After my review, the General Manager reached out, apologized for the experience and asked to give them another try. I’ll preface my updated-review below by saying that I received no bill discount, free entree, or incentives to revisit or re-review. I visited again simply out of curiosity. Spoiler alert, this time it was a delightful experience!

When we arrived on 8/1, we were met by Jenna (the GM) and walked to our table. The servers we passed said ‘welcome in’ as we passed them and as our table was in the back of the restaurant, it really made us feel welcome.

The decor in Morimoto is like a cool ‘chic’ vibe. While it’s in the MGM grand, unless you focus on the windows to watch the folks walk by, you’re pulled into the classy interior and experience around you. In the back of the restaurant there is a hibachi kitchen, where you can sit and the chefs will cook meals for the group. Otherwise all tables are placed throughout. There is a restroom in the back, so no need to leave the restaurant to use the facilities if you need to freshen up quick.

The vegetarian options at Morimoto (in case they don’t offer you a menu as well)

In looking at the menu, there are excellent options for fish and sushi, but the vegetarian options at Morimoto definitely are lacking, which was one of my main frustrations with the restaurant during my previous visit. This time, they curated a physical vegetarian menu for us, showing what could be altered or ordered. This was appreciated, as the previous visit the server was unaware and it made ordering difficult.

After seating, we met our server Katie, who was just phenomenal. Not only was she kind, but she also had fun banter with us through the evening. In terms of service, she has a full 5-star rating from me. Super attentive, thoughtful, and engaging. She checked-in just the right amount and made sure we felt taken care of!

For example, of course she knew I was vegetarian, but she brought out a special soy sauce for me, which I appreciated. Because Morimoto’s uses fish in all their sauces, if you don’t eat fish, you have to have someone attentive to make sure you are taken care of, which Katie sure did! Also, it was my friend’s birthday and I whispered to her this in passing and she made a candle appear with sorbet when dessert was served. This was a very different service experience than the previous time.

The vegetarian sushi combo

For my main entree, I ordered the Vegetarian Sushi Combo, which apparently the chef created just for my visit. I really hope this becomes a staple, because without it, there is no main entree for a vegetarian. Plus, the veggie sushi combo was phenomenal! There were flavors and textures I never had on a roll before.

Fresh carrot roll very crunchy and fresh
Marinated carrot roll, umami slight crunch and tasty (this one was my favorite)
Mixed veggie roll is nicely complimented with avocado
There was an endive roll that was fun – never had something like that before
Edamame roll that was something creative – a fun texture in the mouth
Mushroom Roll was a fun chewy texture with the marinated mushrooms
Avocado sliced roll was creamy and perfectly ripe

So good!

The other folks in my party had the non-vegetarian items:

Duck Fried Rice – flavor packed! To quote exactly ‘#flavorbomb’

Sashimi for two chefs combo:

Sashimi for two combo

All cuts of the fish were really fresh. Waitress let us know what to try first and between cuts of fish before other dishes (like the appetizers).

Paired the sake well with the sashimi

Very positive experience

Sushi combo plate:

Sushi combo plate

Very tasty! Every cut of fish was a delight, no complaints!

Sake:

The Sommelier was very knowledgeable (and fun to be around). He gave us a detailed run through of the sakes, including region, ownership, land, and terroir! Here’s what we ordered:

Unfiltered: Nigori Genshu Sake by Murai Family. Thick, almost like milk – nice and heavy. We liked it for the texture and with our appetizers.

Filtered: Konteki Pearls of Simplicity Junmai Daiginjo. Bright and fun, hints of melon. Paired wonderfully with the sushi combo and the vegetarian sushi combo.

For dessert:

Jasmine Panacotta with blueberry compote, almond streusel, blueberry ice cream and lemon sorbet

Jasmine Panacotta with blueberry compote, almond streusel, blueberry ice cream and lemon sorbet :

Delightful. Lemon and blueberry, light and slightly tangy. I ate quite a few bites 🙂

Chilled cheesecake souffle with blood orange sorbet

Chilled cheesecake souffle with blood orange sorbet :

Perfectly light and fluffy- it basically danced across the palate! So nice when paired with the blood orange sorbet

Cheers from Morimotos!

Overall the experience was so much fun. We had a great time conversing with the staff and had a full and fun time. Super five star experience. I really hope they make the veggie menu and the vegetarian sushi combo permanent. I asked Jenna about it when we were closing out and she mentioned that it was made just for my visit, but it may not be on the menu in the long-term. So, if you’re headed to Morimotos and interested in the vegetarian sushi combo, I suggest asking if they can make it for you! Compliments to the chef for stepping out of the norm and creating the dish for me. In the long-term, Chef Morimoto should really consider adding this permanently to the menu, it will be inclusive and also an amazing add for vegetarians or folks who can’t eat fish.

Previous experience: 2-star, most recent experience 5-star. Overall, I’d give a 4.5 as I think they learned well from the feedback provided and that shows a lot in a restaurant! It isn’t often you can say a place takes feedback and shows up as well as Morimotos did! Nicely done and thank you Morimotos!

~Jeremy