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+