Travel Reports

  

We arrived at the comfortable restaurant and were immediately shown to our table near the front of the room. As we were settling in, we were greeted warmly by Joe, our server, and the sommelier, C. Houston Smith, who helped us decide on a bottle of wine to get started with. We ordered appetizers — a monkfish cheek special (out-of-this world), the country-style pate with watercress, cornichons, and radishes, and a couple different soups. We knew from these offerings that we were in for a treat. Entrees were the Poulet Roti (roasted chicken), Porc Braise (braised pork), and Croque Madame (sandwich), and  few side items including Macaroni au Gratin and Haricots Verts. Wendy’s dish came with Pommes Frites and everyone sampled them. Desserts included the Lemon Tart (awesome), Brana Framboise to drink, and Bouchons, little cork-shaped chocolate cakes and more. We were presented with a bag of salted caramel popcorn as a take-away.

After dinner, the sommelier took us on a tour through the kitchen. The kitchen is big, bright, and quiet, everyone working efficiently. Kitchen staff stopped and greeted us as we went through. When we met the pastry chef, he gave us another bag of popcorn — this one chocolate and hazelnuts — to take with us, a nice suprise.

On the ride back to the house, I ‘hit the wall’ and completely ran out of steam, nodding off a bit. Fortunately, Doug was driving!

Tonight’s dinner was our ‘date night’. Based on the recommendation of Jean-Robert, we ate at Le Cirque in the Bellagio Hotel & Casino on the Strip in Las Vegas Nevada. This ‘jewel box’ of a restauarant seats 80 guests and overlooks the fabulous fountains of the Bellagio. Passing through the tiny bar area, rich with polished woods, you enter the small dining room with its swooping, silk-tented ceiling and whimisical circus scenes in muted colors on the walls.

Wendy & I decided to go to Le Cirque based on the recommendation of Jean-Robert. He trained the executive chef, Jeremy Lieb, at the Maisonette. Based on that recommendation, we made reservations. When I called to confirm our reservations, I inquired if it was possible to greet Chef Lieb and was told that he was no longer with the establishment. A little snooping, and I found out that there’d be quite a shake-up in the restaurant just a few weeks prior, so my expectations of an earth-shattering meal went out the window. I expected it to be good, but a kitchen in transition doesn’t produce amazing food.

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In Las Vegas Nevada, we joined Scott, Emily, and Sarah for dinner at 9 Fine Irishmen in NYNY Hotel & Casino. We dined on a variety of different dishes — a Sausage Pail, Salt & Pepper Prawns (gigantic!), Sheppard’s Pie, and I had a roast pork dish that was delicious!