Palazzo Trip Report - January, 2009

My wife, B, and I are in our 30s and we have found that we love a quick January Vegas getaway to wrap up the holiday season and start the year off right.  I had an offer for three free nights at Palazzo with some free play, and when I called to inquire about what the rate might be for adding a fourth night, they happily comped that as well.  This was just the first of many beneficial upgrades that would come through for us this time.

We drove up to Memphis and left our nearly two year old with my parents for the trip.  The nonstop flight on Northwest was uneventful enough, although I had blown the 24 hour check-in window the day before by just long enough that I missed out on exit row seats.  This makes a big difference on my 6’7” frame so the flight was pretty uncomfortable.  I didn’t keep a ton of notes this trip, but one I did write to myself was that packing the portable DVD player was absolutely worth it in helping make the flight go by quicker.

Our baggage arrived quickly and we were off to the rental car center.  I found a great rate on a full sized sedan and B loves to do some shopping at the nice outlet center so getting a car this trip was a no brainer.  Next upgrade: they offered us an SUV with GPS for only an additional $10 per day.  That’s my preferred ride anyway, so I couldn’t accept fast enough.  We quickly drove right to Palazzo, valet parked, and checked our bags with the bellman.  Lunch at Table 10 was calling.

This was one meal where we tracked all the details, because B and I have considered collecting our thoughts into a restaurant blog at some point, even if it is just for the sake of our own memories.  So here’s what we wrote about Table 10, starting with her description, as she’s far more aware of decorating details than I am:

B: The restaurant is on the second level of the Palazzo shops, tucked away towards the end of the shopping area. The restaurant was pretty quiet when we arrived.  We sat at a table in the main room to the right of the bar. The bar display features a quirky iron spiral staircase as part of the liquor display. Our table was made of what appeared to be mosaic glass tile. I generally like my tabletops smooth so that the plate is flush with the table, but these tiles did seem like something I would actually find in an old-school cafe in New Orleans or some other older city and therefore, it didn't bother me. The table was quite high. I'm not a short woman, so for me to notice the table height meant that it was probably pretty tall.

My thoughts: The table was very comfortable. A display featuring ten of Emeril's chef's jackets was displayed near our table, and beyond that was a good sized counter bar placed directly in front of the huge open kitchen. This would be a great spot for solo diners.

B’s food write-up: I began my meal by ordering a Bloody Mary. The waiter promptly warns me about the spice level, to which I assure him, I'll be okay.  The drink was spicy as promised, which is a welcome change of pace. My only complaint is that the fresh-squeezed/puree of tomato was lacking just a little bit of the tomato punch. It could have used a little more tomato juice.

Me: I went with a Crimson Cocktail, simply because I just had to try a fruity cocktail with scotch as the main ingredient. It was delicious, even to B, an avowed scotch-hater.

B: For my meal, I thought about skipping the appetizer, but I was lured into indulgence by the Beer and Parmesan Cheese Soup. I'm so glad that I succumbed to temptation. The soup was so tasty and smooth. It was the epitome of comfort food and the perfect start to a relaxation vacation. My main course was a Barbeque Carnitas Po-boy. The menu read: "Slow cooked pork carnitas on freshly baked bread with charred tomato BBQ sauce, cole slaw and fried pickles." What roped me in was the fried pickles. I grew up in Arkansas and fried pickles were a frequent childhood treat. I know it sounds weird, but it's really fabulous. And Emeril's version did not disappoint. I very much liked his approach to fried pickles by using very thinly sliced pickle chips if you will. But enough about the side item, the main part of the meal was tasty too. You can't go wrong with barbecue pork. I remember that it was great, but I also had a barbecue pork sandwich later that week at Mesa Grill and I remember every detail about Bobby Flay's sandwich. So, while Table 10's was good, I think Bobby's was my favorite.  My absolute favorite and one of the best things I've ever eaten was our side item. Hubby and I split a side order of the Lobster Mac and Cheese. Yeah. That's right. Lobster Mac and Cheese. And yes, it is on the menu as a side item. Crazy! They brought it to the table sizzling in the All-Clad souffle/Soup Ramekin. I have eaten many things, but this was a truly fabulous dish! It was comprised of mini-penne pasta in a heavy creamy cheese sauce. It was more of the classic bechemel sauce. Lobster chunks were well dispersed throughout the dish and it was covered in a panko bread crumb crust. It was buttery, cheesy, lobstery goodness! It's a good think I don't live in Las Vegas or I'd need a regular fix of that mac'n cheese! I am still dreaming about that dish.

Me: I went with an appetizer from the day's specials list, half a lobster tail served with a potato and pepper hash, and I'm really glad I did, because it was insanely good. The good-sized tail was cooked absolutely perfectly, while the hash was a subtle yet hearty addition. I actually planned to get the carnitas Po'Boy myself, but when B ordered it I mixed it up and went with what must be one of the house's signature dishes, a lobster pot pie. It was fantastic. The crust was perfect, firm enough to hold its shape, yet delicate and fluffy on the inside. The creamy base was fantastic, and the pie was jammed with lobster meat--I literally pulled out nearly an entire claw in one bite. The dish was a big hit.  But the lobster mac and cheese was even better. It's so wrong, and yet, almost indescribably tasty. Honestly, it's just one of the best things I've ever eaten anywhere. I cannot wait to have it again.

B: Dessert was great. We split a Flourless (almost) Bourbon Chocolate Cake with a Tart Cherry Compote and a Brown Sugar Creme Fraiche. I was so full at this point, but the few bites I had were very good! There were so many others that I would have liked to have tried.

Me: The cake was good. It was maybe a little dry, and I've had flourless cakes that I enjoyed more. I thought the bourbon flavor would be stronger, but that may just come from watching Emeril liberally toss booze around when cooking on TV. The tart cherries were a nice addition. While the cake was decent enough, I'd try something else next time.  Our overall impression was that we loved the place and we’d happily come back any time.

After lunch we headed back to check-in.  Time for yet another upgrade.  We were offered what the front desk attendant described as a very nice suite for an extra $125 per night.  Honestly, I could have taken or left this.  I knew that Palazzo’s standard room would be on par with Venetian, which suited me just fine before.  But B liked the idea so we went for it, and it turned out to be a great decision.  The suite was enormous, at least twice the size of the already-big rooms.  It was the same length but double the width, including an extra half bath, a nice, big table…and an elliptical machine in an alcove room right off the doorway.  I’ve been trying to stick to a good workout schedule so this meant I would have no excuses, even in Vegas.

We had some friends in town, J and R, checking out after a weekend stay at the Red Rock.  They were held up due to a big power outage of some sort, which led to them getting comped lunch and some free play cash for their hassle.  They drove over and B won $60 on a goofy cow-themed slot (“Moooola?”) while we waited to meet up.  We decided to catch up over drinks at Dos Caminos.  The place was dead but the beverages were tasty.  I opted for something different, a margarita with pomegranate or berry and it was delicious.  The ladies had some sort of sangria and gave that high marks as well.  B and I had existing dinner reservations at Valentino but switched that up to Carnevino for the four of us instead.  We were there on the first night it opened to the public the year before and just loved it, and we figured it would be a great, fun spot for the four of us.  The concierge happily and helpfully switched things up for us.

Carnevino did not disappoint.  We recognized the sommelier immediately, as we had really enjoyed some selections he helped us with last year.  We put him to the test immediately, as B remembered that she had requested some sort of fruity rum concoction a year ago and was hoping to have another one.  This time he and the bartender came up with something completely different for her, and she enjoyed that as well.  I rolled the dice on something completely new for me, some sort of ginger-based bourbon cocktail from their specialty menu.  It was crisp and refreshing.  We then started the meal with the same amuse bouche we had the first time, a small basket of delightful, fried little cheese puff-balls.  No description I come up with is going to do these justice, because they are just otherworldly, an unreal combination of light, airy, crispy, and fluffy.  I literally don’t know how they do it, but these little bites are amazing.  We really enjoyed the antipasto platter the first time around so we had to order this again, and it was a big hit.  We were partially turned onto it the first time because in the quiet afternoon hours, while playing in the casino, we peeked into the place and saw Mario Batali standing by himself on the restaurant floor, casually cutting prosciutto on a big deli slicer.  That first time, and again here, the plate included the best prosciutto I’ve ever had, just incredibly flavorful and so light that it melts in your mouth.  The other platter offerings were similarly stellar, as is a unique spread that Carnevino offers up alongside the butter for their bread and rolls: lardo.  That’s right, folks, we’re talking about smearing some creamy fat on your bread.  It’s phenomenal stuff.  A roll slathered with half butter, half lardo is so good it should be illegal.

We all had a second course as well.  I opted for a seafood pasta item which was great: the shrimp, lobster, and broth were rich and spicy and the pasta was excellent.  J&R gave their gnocchi raves as well.  For the entrée, B and I split a bone-in ribeye for two, which was carved off the bone and presented tableside for us.  It was great, although I think it’s just a little expensive.

However, we really view dining like this as a once a year treat, so in Vegas we just go for it.  The group barely thought we could handle dessert, but we did manage to polish off the little plate of donut-like pastries that we split.  After four courses, cocktails, wine, and after dinner drinks, we left stuffed, buzzed, and happy.  Time to hit the tables.

We played some roulette at Palazzo and I booked a nice win.  After that we made our way over to Venetian to check out the scene.  J and I found a craps table that tried to up the limits on us about five minutes after we got there.  We politely asked if we could be grandfathered in at our current limit and our request was declined.  This coupled with the fact that the drunk shooter at the other end of the tub was firing hot dice off the two of us like we were the Green Monster at Fenway made leaving an easy decision.  We were already up a little so we took our winnings right over to a Casino War table.

That’s right.  War.  I know.  I’ve never played it, and it only took a minute to realize just what a sucker game it truly is.  But we thought the ladies might have a little low-key fun while we all grabbed a few more drinks.  We then proceeded to destroy this war table, with all four of us winning.  The drinks kept flowing, as did the chips featuring Wayne Brady’s face.  Somehow this became hilarious to us at the time, as J would tuck his Waynes aside, only going to them when he had a strong feeling he was going to win.  I started to do the same, and it felt like our Wayne-winning percentage had to be near 80%.  We had a blast.  R & B headed up to get some sleep after a couple of hours.  J&R were driving back to San Diego in the morning so I decided I would do my best to make sure J was in at least some sort of shape to make the drive.  This was a fairly tall order.

We eventually made our way back to Palazzo.  We stopped by Wayne’s theater to pay homage and take pictures.  I also got a nice shot of J seemingly taking a big, healthy drink from one of the fountains in the inter-hotel walkway.  Hydrating is key, after all.  J was up and J was hammered, and I knew that he’d be really happy to leave town with the cash currently in his possession.  I decided the best way to keep things under control and minimize any significant damage to his bankroll might be at a three card poker table.  He had never played before, so I quit drinking and became his coach.  Clearly I’m a genius, as I quickly coached him right into trip kings that paid a 30-1 bonus.  He kept pounding cocktails and I kept tucking his chips away for him and keeping him somewhat under control.  He beseeched the pit bosses for a Wayne Brady comp, insisting that he had to see the man and inspiration for his winnings live in the flesh.  Didn’t happen.  I finally dragged him up to the room at about 3:30 AM so he could get 90 minutes of shuteye before getting on the road at 5.

J&R were long gone by the time we got going on Tuesday morning.  B and I had a morning appointment for a couples massage at the Canyon Ranch spa.  She is a spa veteran, and massages and treatments are a highlight of the trip for her.  I had never been.  It’s not that I’m opposed to the idea, but I just usually can find something else I’d rather be doing.  But especially on the heels of our big first night, it sounded perfect.  And it was.  We arrived early and I sampled many of the pre-treatment areas, including the atmospheric rain rooms that are kind of silly but also fun.  I drank a bunch of water, had at least three showers interspersed with steam and sauna time, and just relaxed.  The massage itself was great as well, and it’s definitely something I’ll make time for again in the future.

We followed this up with a nice lunch at Sushisamba.  I had a fruity cocktail of some sort that hit the spot, and the actual fresh fruit puree was front and center.  A rock shrimp tempura appetizer was fantastic, as were my Kobe beef sliders.  B enjoyed her meal as well, opting for a sushi roll recommended by our waitress.

The big suite upgrade came in handy as B had some work she had to attend to, as her company is going through some big changes.  She made her necessary calls in the room and I played a little bit that afternoon.  We took it pretty easy in anticipation of yet another uber-dinner coming up that night: Joel Robuchon at MGM Grand.

I had read amazing things about Joel Robuchon, and it clearly seemed like a place that we needed to knock off our list.  We arrived and opted for the 16 course degustation menu, which was quite an experience.  I still have the menu, but I won’t bore you with the details here.  By the end of the meal we were completely full and completely exhausted, and being ignored for about 20 minutes after dessert left us on a bit of a sour note.  The food and service were both incredible to that point, and the experience is certainly a foodie’s dream, but I don’t know if I’ll be rushing back to do it again, if ever.  There were certain courses that were amazing, but the process really wore me out.

B had more work come up on Wednesday so she ordered in breakfast for herself and got down to it.  I started to come down with something (note: it ended up being a pretty bad sinus infection) so I just had coffee and a pastry from downstairs, which I took with me to the sports book to look at some lines.  And let’s take this moment to address the Palazzo sports book: what were they thinking?  It has all the scope and appeal of a bank teller window thrown into a grocery store.  I guess they might have been thinking “something is better than nothing,” but honestly, I’m not even sure it is.  It is even tucked so far off the regular Palazzo path that it is barely any more convenient than just hoofing it over to the Venetian book, which is what I ended up doing anyway since I actually wanted to take a seat, drink my coffee, and look at the lines.  I love almost the entire layout of Palazzo and Venetian, but this is one glaring exception.

For lunch we made our way over to Mesa Grill at Caesar’s Palace, which is one of our favorites.  I’ve never had a menu item here that I didn’t outright love, and that trend continued this time around.  We love to try new places but we just couldn’t pass up a return here.  I went for the $29 tasting menu which included a blue corn duck pancake for my first course and a pork sandwich for my entrée.  They were both phenomenal.  I paired this with yet another adventurous cocktail choice: a Black Widow mojito, which was essentially a mojito with Coke in it.  It was quite tasty.  The whole meal hit the spot.  B got a pressed Cuban burger for her meal and I was thrilled that she was unable to finish it.  Dessert was an ice cream sundae included with my $29 meal and it brought lunch to a lovely conclusion.

B snuck in another spa treatment that afternoon and I played some more.  We also explored the Palazzo shops.  The rare book store is a great spot to seek out if you are into that kind of thing at all.  And the next thing we knew, it was time to eat again!  We had reservations that night at Cut, Wolfgang Puck’s Palazzo steakhouse.  My brother had given us a gift card for Christmas, and part of the beauty of it was that we could use it at any of Puck’s Las Vegas establishments.  Cut is a trendy steakhouse and they don’t apologize for it.  The service was a little New York edgy for my liking.  I asked my server to send the sommelier over before we ordered, as I knew that I’d probably be trying a new cut of meat and I love hearing expert opinions on how different wines pair with certain items.  The waiter said that “he’d try to flag her down.”  He also pointed her out to me and told me that I could do the same.  It wasn’t a big deal, but it just rubbed me the wrong way a little bit.  Once I did speak to her, however, she was great, offering exactly the kind of information I was looking for.  Random sighting: Iron Chef Morimoto peeked into the restaurant, looked around a little bit, and left.  He had his hair back in a ponytail with black shades on and looked like every bit the culinary rock star that he is.

I had an American Wagyu filet cut that was outstanding.  The sides were ample and filling as well, and while B and I both loved the meal, we were starting to get a little fooded out.  We were both feeling a little under the weather from the infections we had picked up, and the non-stop overindulgence was wearing us out.  We had reservations at Alex the next night, and although it would be our last night of the trip and we wanted to go out with a bang, I didn’t know if I was even in any shape to enjoy it.  We got back to the room and I decided to cancel the reservation.  However, I was unable to reach anyone at Wynn that could actually handle this for me at that hour.  This would turn out to be one of the best lucky breaks of the trip.

Next morning: feeling a little worse.  Tea with lots of honey helped, and then we opted to go with a nice breakfast at Bouchon, one of our favorites.  This place seems like a hidden gem to me, and I cannot think of a nicer spot for breakfast.  Their pastries are incredible, as are the savory breakfast items.  I had to have some of each, taking a couple of croissants back to the room with me. 

Breakfast helped our condition a lot, and shortly thereafter we made our way over to the outlet malls.  We both did some damage here, with B finding a trove of discount handbags, including several for friends back home.  I found a nice winter coat that I needed desperately and we also picked up a couple of gifts for family members.  For lunch we split one hot dog.  Perfect.

We played a little more back at Palazzo.  B really loves the Monopoly machines, although they didn’t seem to treat her as well this time around.  I did pretty well on sports bets this time, including even betting on a hockey game just because the Boston Bruins were so hot (winner).  I also took home a couple of future bets on NFL playoff action, including a nice 6-1 winner on Larry Fitzgerald scoring the first TD in the Cardinals’ next playoff game.  The gambling was certainly the most fun the first night, but we enjoyed it the whole week.  B especially loves the open, clean Palazzo casino.  It’s by far her favorite, and I love the whole feel of the place as well.  I love to play poker but on a trip like this one I just wasn’t able to carve out a big enough window of time.

Dinner time arrived and we had steeled ourselves for yet one more epic dinner, at Alex at Wynn.  I am ecstatic that I wasn’t able to cancel, as this dinner turned out to be the highlight of the trip.  The room is gorgeous, for starters, and you really feel like you are arriving as you make your way down the stairs to the dining room.  We opted for the tasting menu and it was a stellar culinary experience from start to finish.  The amuse bouche contained a row of little bites, each of which was exquisite.  My note taking went out the window on this trip, but anyone considering Alex deserves to know what they might have in store for them, so here is what we had:

Kaimin Kanpachi sashimi with Kukui nuts, sea urchin*, and osetra crème fraiche.

Nantucket bay scallops with roasted Bibb lettuce, dried tomatoes, and pata negra ham.

Crispy onaga with roasted hearts of palm, soy bean veloute, and ponzu reduction.

Huson Valley foie gras with fresh huckleberries, turnips, and mostarda di Cremona.

Braised short rib of Wagyu beef with sweet onions, crispy parmigiano potatoes, and red wine vieux telegraphe.

Cheese course.

Mascarpone panna cotta with pear and sauternes geleee.

Vanilla citrus parfait with toasted marshmallow cream and campari sorbet.

* The presence of sea urchin warrants its own footnote.  Sea urchin is my kryptonite.  I had previously tried it at Okada and Joel Robuchon, and I just outright hate it.  Obviously it’s me.  I wanted to like it, and I’m quite sure those establishments do a better job preparing it than just about anywhere, but after seeing it pop up as an ingredient a third time, I was ready to concede.  Sea urchin, you have bested me.  You win.  I don’t want you on my plate.  I mentioned this to my waiter, thinking that if urchin was a key component to the first course that perhaps I could replace it with something else.  The waiter said that he would be glad to bring me something else, but that I should judge for myself.  I then felt like quite the jackass upon learning that the piece of urchin on the item in question was approximately half the size of a dime.  Yeah, I ate it.  Didn’t love it.

I sure did love absolutely everything else, though.  We opted for the wine pairings as well, and this just added to the entire sublime experience.  The sommelier went above and beyond the call of duty.  This was clearly a guy that loved his job, and loved that we showed any level of passion or interest in what he was doing as well.  And some of the pairings were just downright inspired.  Foie gras has been an acquired taste for me over the years, and Alex’s was the best I have ever had.  Our guy paired it with a late-harvest Italian red so rich and velvety that it was almost like drinking a Port.  This was simple yet brilliant—a coupling of menu items so simple, but so perfect.  It’s almost hard to explain, but I just took one bite and one sip and couldn’t stop grinning.  “Yes.  THIS is exactly what you should drink with foie gras. Of course it is.”  Anyway, the sommelier knew that we loved this particular wine, so he both topped us off again and brought my wife the label.  Little touches like this meant a lot.

I think that Joel Robuchon and Alex are in the same league, and I think that they are generally trying to do similar things.  But for roughly the same final cost, personally I enjoyed half as many courses at Alex at least twice as much.  Your mileage may vary.  Alex is a treasure, and will certainly come up early in any conversation I have about the best meals I’ve ever eaten.  I cannot wait for my next opportunity to visit them.

We checked out the next day and flew home without incident.  All in all it was just another fabulous trip to Las Vegas.

Tags: Palazzo Carnevino Cut Sushisamba Mesa Grill Joel Robuchon Bouchon Al

Bookmark: