Smell ya later!

So this is going to be a short one. Mostly because I forgot to take pictures and really have nothing spectacular to say about this place- Shibuya at MGM Grand.

Before our trip to Vegas, we saw that our friend Yulian had went to Craft Steak for dinner at the MGM. Eric and I were intrigued and so we made reservations for our last night in Vegas. We were really excited to go but then got the hankering for some sushi- so we changed our reservation to Shibuya. Boy was that a mistake. 

Although we weren't very hungry, we decided to go with the Futari for Two- a special menu that was $80 per person. Ugh, what a waste of money!

We started out with this dish, a kani salad:

Ok, so it looks cool since the salad is on top of a fish bowl, but really, that was the only good thing about it. The salad was extremely fishy tasting and had that metallic taste that was extremely unappetizing. The best thing about this dish? I couldn't see how the other dishes to come could be worse...

We got some Tuna Tartare, Yellow Tail, Seared Albacore, Kobe Beef Skirt Steak, Miso Soup, Nigiri and a Dessert Trio. Some of the dishes came out at the same time, so we felt a bit rushed- bad server. 

The meal was OK. Like I said, nothing spectacular. The tuna tartare was a very good portion and was pretty fresh while the kobe beef was tender (obviously, it's kobe beef). 

I would say that this was not an $80 well spent. Our meal was lackluster and got off to a very bad start with our salad. I wasn't very pleased with our last dinner in Vegas. Sadface.

I'm hoping that the other dishes at Shibuya are better because the meal we had was quite disappointing. With all the great choices of restaurants in Vegas, I would not return to Shibuya for another meal. 

Hey, at least we got a picture with the lion!

Smell ya later, Shibuya!

Price: $$$
Food: C-
Ambiance: B
Service: C-

Boy am I glad that I gamble. (sort of)

Annnnnnd I'm back!

Back from where you ask?? Well... VEGAS of course! (Come on, where else would I be)

Now that my purse is feeling a lot lighter and my abundance of money in my bank account is no longer a problem, I finally have time to write another post about the great food I had in this special, yet dangerous place...

First stop- Picasso at the Bellagio!

We knew we wanted to go to a good restaurant in Vegas and had passed by Picasso during our last trip in Vegas. (Right before we perused the Chanel store to buy... nothing...)

The menu looked interesting and I of course am always up for a good meal, so we thought- why not! Afterall it is a two star Michelin and a 5 diamond AAA restaurant, no biggie.

I first want to start off by saying that I am going to be extremely critical of this place because well, after our usual dinner cocktails and a typical wine pairing with Eric's dinner- this came out to be the most expensive meal we've had- over $200 a person. So I think I can be a little critical, no?

To start, if you're looking for a cheap way to enjoy this restaurant and think you can cheat and order just an entree and say you've 'been' to this restaurant, try again- there is nothing but predetermined menus for you- nothing a la carte!

We got a choice of two different menus, one was a pre-fix theatre menu while the other was their degustation menu. The degustation had one extra dish for just $10 more so we thought, if we're already paying over $100 a person for a meal, why not just go all out and shell out the extra $10 bucks! And so.. we did!

Our meal consisted of a Maine Lobster Salad (not pictured) with an Apple Champagne Vinaigraette, Pan-Seared Scallops with a Potato Mousseline, Sauteed Foie Gras with a Blood Orange Sauce, Roasted Loin of Lamb with tempura zuchinni flower and a Warm Chocolate Fondant for dessert. Deeeeelicious!

Scallops

Foie Gras

Lamb

I have to say that the meal was great. The Maine Lobster Salad was fresh and had an abundant amount of lobster (it better) and the vinaigrette was a tart refreshing addition. Eric loved the scallop. Although it was just one small scallop, the texture of the scallop with the smooth potato mousseline was indescribable and had me breaking my etiquette manners while I was basically trying to lick the sauce off the bowl. Oops. 

Of course, I loved the foie gras. The good sized portion was perfectly seared and did not have that overwhelmingly 'fatty' taste, but was more rich and buttery. Delectable. The crunch of the almonds really made a great addition to contrast the smooth silky texture of the foie gras. 

The lamb was also really good and had great intense flavor, even without the sauce (but of course, the sauce made the dish). I didn't finish it though, and ended up giving the rest to Eric. 

The warm chocolate cake was amazing. The toasted marshmallow with the gooey chocolate cake was a great twist on the classic molten chocolate cake. Decadently rich with chocolate flavor, I couldn't help but to think of a few friends that would have killed for this chocolate heaven! (Yes Pooja, I mean you)

I would have to say that the food here was great, and the service was wonderful. It took a lot longer for us to get our dessert than the rest of our meal, so I think they messed up their timing a bit when it came to 'firing' their dishes. Minus 2 points. 

When I think back on this meal, boy am I glad that it was comped because I would not have been happy to pay for this meal out of pocket (thanks Mirage). It seems fairly overpriced (well obviously, it's Vegas) for what you get and I have had better meals for less.. 

It was a great experience to have been around the $300 million worth of Picasso paintings and to be with my love, but in the end, was the experience really worth the $500 check? I think not. 

I guess technically I can't really complain about the 'price' as this meal ended up being comped and I got to celebrate yet another anniversary with Eric, but don't say I didn't warn you if you end up with a ridiculously large bill!

Thanks again Vegas for another memorable experience. Thanks Mirage for the great meal....boy am I glad that I gamble. (sort of) 

Price: $$$$$
Service: A-
Food: A
Ambiance: A+

Not even for the frost bitten ice cream

Week 3 in Titusville! What a journey it has been (ok, not really)

It's been pretty boring here.. all I have been doing is cleaning/organizing, couponing and going to the casino. Fun. I've been looking for some good restaurants, but there really isn't anything here- there isn't even a grocery store that compares to Wegmans- I'm so upset!

Thankfully, last week during lunch, Jackie and I decided to explore this good ol' town and try out a place called It's Nutts. And yes, yes it was. 

Jackie got the Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas:

While I got the personal pizza:

I found this place on yelp, and thought I'd give it a try. Although I was in the mood for a sandwich, i read rave reviews about their tomato pies, and knew that I needed to try it. 

We got to the restaurant and got seated right away. I already knew what I wanted before I got there, and Jackie jumped with joy when she saw the buffalo quesadillas on the specials menu (Jackie apparently loves buffalo sauce).

We placed our order fairly quickly and got our food in a timely manner. Jackie's quesadillas (although I didn't get to try any) seemed enjoyable while my pizza was great. An overwhelming flavor of fresh tomato and hand rolled pizza crust, my personal pizza was devoured in a very very short amount of time (by only me). It was great. 

I loved that my pizza was incredibly fresh and hand made! I did wish that there was more cheese on it and that the crust wasn't that crispy (it seemed a little bit overcooked/burnt) but in the end, it was a pretty good pizza. 

I do have to say that I am incredibly shocked with the prices. Although it wasn't unreasonable, I would say that it was overpriced for the quality of service/decor/area- we were basically in a trailer...... come on guys!

Although I am glad that Jackie and I ventured out of the J&J Cafe, I would have to say that It's Nutts was a little bit too overpriced for what we got. 

Although I can't say I wouldn't return here, I don't think I would come back here any time soon. Not even for the frost-bitten ice cream.

Food: 8

Service: 8

Ambiance: 7

Price: $$