Vegas, Baby, Vegas - Day 2, Part 3, Joel Rubichon - Saturday, August 21st

Omg! Joel Rubichon time! We had been looking forward to this for over a year and a half! When we went to Vegas in March 2009, we were supposed to go here for dinner, but had to cancel because I was pregnant and wasn't feeling up to it. Then, my mom and Ray told us it was their favorite restaurant. Ever. We had to try it!
http://www.mgmgrand.com/restaurants/joel-robuchon-french-restaurant.aspx

Joel Rubichon is next to the Ka Theatre at the MGM Grand. It's the only 3 Star Michelin Guide Winner in Las Vegas. And, Joel Rubichon was named Chef of the Century. I'm not sure who decided this or what it means, but it sounds like a big deal. When you walk in, it's like you've completely left the Vegas scene and are in a fancy schmancy restaurant. The noise and hub-bub from the casino disappears. When we were seated, I was slightly concerned because the tables were close together and there were couples on either side of us. This ended up not mattering at all. In fact, even though we were close, we couldn't hear their conversations.

The decor was unexpected. It was kinda like an underwater scene with a gold gauze-like table runner and gold shells and starfish (see below for a partial picture of our table). There were blue coral in flower pots around the restaurant. I thought maybe it was a French fish restaurant, but it wasn't. It's just French. There were large purple curtains separating the dining rooms. Around the restaurant, there were framed pictures of "famous" people, including Jeff Gordon, Alan Thicke, and Emeril Lagasse. Pretty random. It was hard to get a feel of what they were going for.

Once we were seated, the server asked if we would like Brut or Rose Champagne. Yes, please. Don't mind if I do :)  We both chose Brut. It was delicious. I didn't care what the decor was anymore. I was happy.

The server explained the menu. There were five menus to choose from: two two-course menus, a four-course menu, a six-course menu, and and sixteen-course tasting menu. With the two, four, and six course menus, you were able to choose what you'd like from different parts of the a la carte menu. For example, four courses - an appetizer, a soup, an entree, and a dessert. Surprise, surprise, we decided on the sixteen-course tasting menu. Looking back, I would make the same choice again.

While we purused the menu, a guy came around with a bread cart. Huh? I'd never seen this before. He had at least 15 types of breads to choose from. Jeff asked for Bacon Bread and Milk Bread. I had Gruyere Bread and Puff Pastry Bread. Once we chose the types we wanted, he told us, "I'm going to go heat these up, and I'll bring them back to you." Wow! And when he brought them back, he had a huge block of butter that was ancient French churned butter (or something like that), and he delicately shaved off a chunk for us. It was delicious.

Course 1 - Le Cavier - Cavier on a fennel cream served as a surprise. This was a little jar of crab and gelee with cavier on top. A great way to start off the meal.

Courses 2, 3, 4 - Palette aux Saveurs Estivales - Tomato mozzarella gelee, basil and olive oil, almond blancmange with vegetable medley, chilled cilantro gazpacho. This was three separate dishes on one plate. All small. All yummy. The gazpacho was done in one quick shot.

Course 5 - L'Oeuf - Egg yolk and herb ravioli with spinach sprouts and chanterelles. One of my favorite dishes of the night. Beautiful presentation with a robin's egg (decoration) and a ravioli. Perfectly prepared.

Course 6 - La Grenouille - Crispy frog leg, garlic and parsley puree. This was a frog leg lollipop. Just one bite, and it came clean off the bone. Nice and crispy.

Courses 7, 8, 9 - Les Crustaces - Roasted lobster on cauliflower with green curry, herb flavored coral broth, delicate flan of sea urchin with mocha foam. The lobster was pretty good. The coral broth was different and fun. I couldn't eat the sea urchin. I had one bite and didn't like it. I tried it again and liked it even less. Of the whole meal, this was one of two dishes I didn't finish.

Course 10 - Les Petits Pois - Light green pea cream with a hint of peppermint, sweet onion cloud. A yummy soup.

Course 11 - Le Foie Gras - Duck foie gras in cabbage, bacon and spicy jus. I'd never had foie gras with cabbage before and was surprised I hadn't because the flavors went together so well. Mmm... Foie gras... Delicious.

Course 12 - Le Turbot - Pan-fried turbot with a lemon grass emulsion and stewed baby leeks. Yum.

Course 13 - Le Veau - Sauteed veal chop with natural jus and vegetable taglierinis flavored with pesto. As some of you know, I don't eat veal... unless it is part of the tasting menu at a fancy restaurant... Omg! This was absolutely amazingly delicious! Why don't I eat veal?!?!?! It's fantastic!!! This was my favorite dish of the evening.

Course 14 - Les Racines et Pousses d'lci - Spring root and sprout vegetables with Argan oil. When we initially saw the tasting menu, Jeff immediately pointed out there was not a cheese course. He was willing to make a deal with our server to get one. The deal was to give up this course and the next course and to replace them with the cheese course. The server said he would just add on the cheese course, and we wouldn't have to give up anything. Wow, I'm glad that's the way it worked out! These vegetables were amazing! If veggies always tasted this good, I would eat them everyday!!! There were baby carrots, baby radishes, brussel sprouts, and a few others. They tasted like they had been bathing in butter for days. Fantastic!!!

Cheese Course!!! Wow, do they know how to do a cheese course! I don't remember what any of the cheeses were, but there were approximately 20 to choose from. The guy put together a plate of 6 different cheeses we chose (I had done most of the talking about the kinds I like). We were shocked at the quantity, it was more than enough for the two of us. He put the plate in front of me and then asked Jeff what he wanted. There was no skimping on cheese. My favorite!!!

Course 15 - La Framboise - Pistachio cream, raspberries infused with Lillet and rose sabayon. The other dish we would have given up for cheese. I'm glad we didn't have to. It was good.

Course 16 - Le Caramel - Caramel parfait, chocolate poppy sable, light coffee mousse. This was the other dish I didn't finish. It was good, but just didn't excite me enough. By this time, I had seen the trolley of dessert treats go by numerous times and knew I wanted to try at least 10 different items.

Jeff's ice cream birthday cake course!!! Totally unexpected! It was a pitachio and strawberry ice cream cake with a hard meringue crust and a soft meringue top. It was big enough to serve 8 people. They brought it out and served us 2 pieces. I'm guessing they ate the rest in the back. It was unexpected, fun, and yummy.

Le Moka - Le The - Assortment of sweets and teas. We did it! The final course!!! I contained myself, I only chose 7 items off the trolley. They had chocolate mixed with everything imaginable. Starting in the back left of the picture, chocolate hazelnut ball (my favorite), crunchy chocolate dipped in gold leaf (yum), chocolate truffle (rich), hard chocolate macaroon dipped in chocolate with a chocolate crust (my second favorite), chocolate cream puff (also my second favorite), tropical soft macaroon, (my third favorite), and a passionfruit marshmellow (yum). It was all delicious. My mouth is watering as I type this because I want more.

After the dessert trolley, we thought we were finished, and we were. At least, at the restaurant we were. With our check, they also gave us a loaf of pistachio raspberry bread. In case we needed a midnight snack after our four hour dining experience. I ended up eating it for breakfast for the next 3 days. Shockingly, it was also yummy.

Joel Rubichon is officially on my Top 5 Favorite Restaurants list. I'm already trying to figure out when we can go back.

Vegas, Baby, Vegas - Day 2, Part 2, Lunch - August 21st, 2010

After I finished my morning at the amazing spa, Jeff and I decided to wander around the Palazzo/Venetian shopping area to see what kinds of restaurants were open for lunch. We found a mini version of San Marco Square that was designed to look like outside, although it's all indoors, and thought it would be perfect for lunch and chose Wolfgang Puck's Postrio. We were immediately sat "outside" at a perfect table where we could watch the happenings in San Marco Square. Our server was sweet and prompt and anticipated our needs. I was hungry and thirsty!
http://www.venetian.com/Pages.aspx?id=870

We started with the Salt & Pepper Calamari and Rock Shrimp, Fresno Chillies, and Sweet Thai Chili Sauce. It was perfectly cooked, not too much fried, but just enough to let you know it was not low calorie. I enjoyed the Sweet Thai Chili dipping sauce. It was nice to have something other than the usual cocktail sauce and made me feel fancy. Even though Jeff had said he wasn't going to eat any (remember, he's on a diet...), he still ate at least half. Yummy!

For an entree, I had the Prosciutto Panini with Roasted Peppers, Wild Arugula, Fresh Mozzarella, and Basil Aioli. Wolfgang Puck knows how to make a panini right! I was expecting only a few slices of prosciutto, and had already prepared myself for potential disappointment at the lack of meat. I was wrong! There was so much prosciutto on it, I contemplated taking some off, but immediately changed my mind. There was also a small side salad on the plate I hadn't been expecting. As many of you know, salad is not my thing, but it was still pretty good. I quickly finished my panini and had a few bites of the salad. A perfect lunch.

Jeff had the Grilled Prime Blue Cheese and Bacon Burger with Garlic Aioli, and Buttermilk Onion Rings cooked rare. The burger and onion rings looked amazing! Jeff dressed his burger and immediately cut it in half because of his diet, and the big fancy dinner we were going to have that evening. Watching him eat the burger was like watching a Carl's Jr. commercial, but better. Although my panini was fantastic, I would probably order the burger in the future. I had one of the onion rings and loved it. Onion rings are on my Top 5 list for favorite fried foods. Jeff didn't like them as much. He said there was too much batter and they seemed too fried (is this my husband???...). He's actually more of an onion string kinda guy. And, he stuck to his guns and only ate half the burger.

While we were eating lunch, there was action in San Marco Square. There was a man acting as a statue the whole time, covered in a gray sheet and gray makeup. He was interesting to watch, for about 8 seconds. People would give him money and take pictures with him, and he wouldn't move at all. Fascinating. Glad that isn't my job. There was also a show that lasted about 10 minutes. This was a little more exciting. There was a juggler (one of Jeff's favorite kinds of entertainment, not mine), and women singing opera. All in all, the performance gave Jeff and me something to talk about, other than Eliana. She probably would have enjoyed the show more than we did.

There was a gelatto stand in the middle of San Marco Square. We didn't try any (had to save room for dinner), but the line was at least 10 people long throughout our lunch. We passed it on our way out, and there were over 15 different flavors to choose from. I heart gelatto.

Stay tuned for our big night out at Joel Rubichon.

Vegas, Baby, Vegas - Day 2, Part 1, The Spa - Saturday, August 21st

Saturday morning, I went to the Canyon Ranch Day Spa. It spans the Palazzo and Venetian and is the most amazing spa I've ever been to!!! It's approximately 140,000 square feet and is the largest spa in the world.
http://www.canyonranchspaclub.com/las_vegas_nv/

If you ever have the opportunity to go, make sure to save a LOT of extra time for all of the different extras the facility provides. They call the extras the Aquavana Experience, which is European inspired. Fancy! It's free once you get in. The highlights (from the brochure):

Crystal Steam Room - A large natural natural crystal and optical effects provide a meditative focus as you soak up steam enhanced essential oils.

Experiential Rains - Invigorating, multisensory cooling rains - select from Polar Mist, Atlantic Storm or Caribbean Monsoon with thunder and lightning effects. This looked fun and relaxing. There were separate shower-type rooms for each one.

Finnish Sauna - A classic, wood-lined dry-heat sauna. The usual fancy spa sauna area.

Herbal Laconium - A warm, misty ceramic-tiled room with heated individual seating thrones and a color-changing fiber optic ceiling. Everyone looked so relaxed in here.

HydroSpa - A variety of body jets provide gentle massage to the body at the optimal temperature for rebalancing and release. Ahhh... soothing...

Igloo - Cool air and three Arctic Mist experiences - your choice of menthol, mint or eucalyptus - enhanced by twinkling fiber optics. Brrr... but interesting.

Thermal Heated Loungers - Keep your muscles warm and relaxed as you lie back between thermal experiences.

There was a co-ed conservatory with lots of cushy chairs that had a wave room and salt grotto. If I had had the time and could only do two things, I would have hung out in the wave room for hours and would have tried the experiential rains. Those are two things (of many) I hadn't seen at spas previously and both looked incredibly relaxing. Being away from Eliana for the weekend, relaxation was what I needed!

I had an 80-minute deep tissue massage, including a peppermint head and scalp massage - fantastic! This guy was great! My only complaint was he didn't spend enough time on my legs and feet. I guess that's my fault for not requesting it at the beginning. At the salon, I had an ice cream pedicure (you get to choose your own flavor - chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry) with a parrafin dip (done in booties, not where you dip your foot into a tub of hot wax). They put an "ice cream scoop" in the water that immediately fizzed up. There was a vanilla salt scrub used to exfoliate and a chocolate lotion and leg & foot massage after (yay!). The salon was in it's own area at the spa, where you pay separately for your services. I unfortunately only had time for the massage, a quick shower (also fantastic), and the pedicure.

Two important things to know:
1) Even though you pay for your spa service before you start, and there are no pockets in the provided robe, tip is not included. If you want to tip, you need to bring cash to the service.
2) There are many ways to relax at the Canyon Ranch Spa. Make sure to save enough time to use the included "free" services. You more than paid for it in what you paid for your services.

It was a quick trip! I had to meet Jeff for lunch!

Vegas, Baby, Vegas - Day 1 - Friday, August 20th

Wow! What a great weekend in Vegas! My time was spent almost exclusively sleeping and eating. And I loved it! I also was able to spend a few hours at the spa while Jeff slept off his gambling hangover. We dropped Eliana off at my mom's house on Friday at 3pm with a cold and teething. There was a lot of snot and drool! I knew I was going to miss her, but at the same time, I was thrilled to leave her for the weekend! After emptying bags of Eliana's favorite foods and toys and many instructions, it was off to the airport.

Once we went through security and sat at the bar, I was ready to go! The new terminal at SJC is great. Lots of options to choose from. Even a wine bar! We started at the Sharks Grill with a chicken quesadilla with guacamole. Surprisingly, it was one of the best quesadillas I'd had in a long time. Perfectly crispy on the outside. Just the right amount of cheese. Delicious guacamole. Jeff did his usual pre-flight ritual of "drink as much as possible before getting on the plane." After this, he was ready to go! Even though he knows the flight is always bumpy in and out of Vegas, his sweaty palms told a different story. Poor guy!

Once we landed, things were great! 106 degrees in Vegas. Hello, Summer!!! I hadn't planned on this when leaving San Jose and was wearing jeans. I think I was the only one in the taxi line in jeans. By the time we took a cab to the hotel and checked into the Palazzo, it was 7:30pm. Our suite was on the 42 floor and overlooked The Strip. Perfect! I love the Palazzo!!! We unpacked and got ready to go to dinner. Since we were in Vegas, I felt it was appropriate to wear a dress which showed off my largest assets (my eyes), and we went to Sushi Samba for dinner. Jeff and I had previously gone to Sushi Samba in March 2009 and loved it.

Sushi Samba was great, but probably not as much fun as last time. We started off at the bar and I had a strawberry coconut mojito. Yummy! Jeff hadn't been drinking since Father's Day and had been watching what he ate, so he wasn't as willing to order tons of food like last time. But, he was willing to drink lots of beer. When in Rome... The first time we went to Sushi Samba, we had our server bring out her favorites. It was incredible! This time, we picked our choices off the menu.
http://www.palazzolasvegas.com/sushisamba.aspx

Jeff started with flash-fried Japanese river crabs. I couldn't bear to eat them. They still had faces!!! (and claws) He said they were good and crunchy. Next was tuna tiradito (the waitress described tiradito as a Peruvian ceviche) with granny smith apple, serano, and lime. I thought this was fantastic! But, my first bite was much spicier than I had anticipated. The tiny serano pepper slice caught me off guard. Jeff didn't like this dish as much as I did because he thought all the strong flavors overpowered the tuna. Next, we had tempura wild mushrooms. It was good, but I probably wouldn't order it again. There are so many delicious items on the menu to try. Next was the seabass and miso anticucho (skewers cooked over wood creating a smoky flavor) and Peruvian corn. This was amazing! I could have had 10 servings of this!!! The seabass had a little bit of a carmelized flavor. The Peruvian corn is much different from what we're used to. Bigger kernals and much chewier. Finally, a little sushi. The Samba Strip roll was a lobster peanut sushi roll. It was pretty good. A little spicier than I anticipated. Jeff didn't like this one too much. I thought it tasted like a Thai springroll. I wouldn't order it again. Jeff's big pick of the meal was the three type meat churrasco with dipping sauces (ribeye, hanger steak, and linguica), all cooked less than medium-rare (for my husband). Surprisingly, the hanger steak was my favorite. I didn't try the linguica because I couldn't bear the thought of heartburn. Since it was Jeff's b-day, they brought out a special pot de creme chocolate dessert with two layers of chocolate and crispy chocolate balls on top. It was amazing! Try it!!!

Last time we went to Sushi Samba, we also ordered the Kobe Beef Ishi Yaki dish. They brought out a hot stone and thin slices of Kobe beef. Fantastic presentation! We cooked the Kobe ourselves on the hot stone and had different dipping sauces to choose from. This was fabulous! If we had ordered this again, it definitely would have added to the fun.

Something I noticed last time and this time at Sushi Samba was both times we were seated about 20 minutes after showing up for our reservation. Be prepared to be sent to the bar for a drink while waiting for your table.

After dinner, Jeff hit the tables and I went to bed. It was a great first night in Vegas!!!

Sorry for the lack of pictures. I only took one the whole trip :(