Last night I returned from a weekend trip to Las Vegas. I'm exhausted. I have huge puffy circles under my eyes. My ears still ring with the jingling of slot machines. My hair smells like cigarette smoke and no matter how much I scrub, I can't seem to get the ink from the nightclub stamp off of my wrist.The unsustainable lifestyle I lived while in Vegas was great. But the real highlight of my trip was dining at MESA Grill, Iron Chef Bobby Flay's first restaurant. Those of you who know me know that Bobby is my celebrity chef crush. I watch Throwdown on the Food Network religiously. So when we made the reservations at MESA, I was a bit worried that the experience wouldn't live up to my expectations. It exceeded them.
The restaurant, located in Caesar's Palace, was warm and colorful, with a completely unpretentious atmosphere. Our server, Joel, was friendly, attentive and eager to give us recommendations when we asked. And not only was the food beautifully presented, but it was also exquisitely prepared. The dishes were savory, sweet, spicy, crunchy, tender, fresh, flavorful and balanced. And the portions? Almost too big to finish . . . but we finished them anyway.
Here's what I ordered.Appetizer: Smoked Chicken + Black Bean Quesadilla with avocado and toasted garlic creme fraiche. The menu doesn't tell you about the sweet and tangy sauce drizzled on top--did I taste balsamic vinegar, sweet chile and roasted red peppers?
Entree: New Mexican Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon-Ancho Chile Sauce, Sweet Potato Tamale and Crushed Pecan Butter. The pork was tender and moist without a trace of that farmy after-taste that pork sometimes has. And the spicy rub on the pork was balanced by the mild sweetness of the tamale. So delicious!
Dessert: Warm Cornbread Pudding with pear-apple compote, pear butter sauce and ginger-molasses ice cream. Need I say more?
So for anyone who's headed to Las Vegas, New York or the Bahamas (Mesa Grill's three locations), you owe it to yourself to taste Bobby's dynamic Southwestern cuisine. It may be a bit of a splurge (entrees range from 24-48 dollars) but the experience is worth every bite.
4 comments:
i'm so happy you're coming home. ♥
oh man that desert looks heavenly!! I am a sucker for anything warm, spicy, and gingery ala mode. Thanks for adding me to your links! I noticed you have The House there as well--tasty, tasty, tasty. Have you ever tried a raw food restaurant before?
It's always good to have or hear about good experiences at celebrity chef's restaurants where that chef himself isn't there to oversee the operation.
As for Bobby Flay, when he first started out on Food Network, he came off as being cocky and arrogant, but he's way more cool and humble now.
While the food looks and sounds delicious, most of his recipes aren't what I'd consider making myself, mainly because I'm not really one for spicy, chili-based flavors. Here and there OK, but not on a regular basis.
Did you hit any hotel buffets while there? On our last visit we did the MGM Grande Buffet and also the one at the Rio. both stellar and ridiculously-affordable considering the top-notch selections.
This was definitely a good meal...
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