Florida Burger Lover: Wicked Spoon

When I was planning my trip to Las Vegas I did my online research to find out which Buffets currently had the best reviews. I hadn't been to Vegas in about six years and I know the popular spots can change with the times. I heard mostly good remarks about the Wicked Spoon Buffet located on the second floor of the Cosmopolitan so I knew it was a must. 

We arrived around 12:40p on a Monday, stood in line to get to the counter where we were to pay before having to stand in another line (which had a 30 minute wait) before we were seated. By this time it was 12:55 and they closed at 2, but we decided to go ahead pay in hopes that we would still have time to enjoy a nice meal.

The cost was $27 per person, and the second line ended up only taking 12 minutes so we still had almost an hour.

I first took a quick tour looking at each section and formulated a game plan. I try to do this at Buffets so that I don't overindulge on the first thing that looks good and then miss out on something that I probably would have enjoyed more.

While checking out their options I noticed why they called this place Wicked Spoon - because many of their dishes were served in little individual skillets or "Spoons" which is not only gimmicky but it makes serving your plate much  easier.

For my first plate I selected small portions of French Toast, Sausage, Spiced Nuts, Multi-Colored Beets with Truffle Oil, Artichoke -Cherry Tomato - Avocado Salad, Sun - Dried Tomatoes, and Kale Salad with Pepitas, Dried Cranberries and Ginger Dressing. Other then night liking the Sausage Patty (too bland and tough) I thoroughly enjoyed everything else. The Kale Salad was a standout being so fresh and having such simple, clean flavors. 

For my second plate I decided to try the most interesting sounding "Spoons", which for me included Risotto Milanese with Saffron Mascarpone, "Angry" Mac & Cheese with White Cheddar Sambal, Beluga Lentils with Brunoise Mirepoix, White Wine and Garlic Cream, and Asiago Gnocchi with Tomato Fondue and Black Garlic Pesto. I hated the flavor combination of the Risotto so one bite was enough, I liked the Mac & Cheese but the Sambal made it too spicy for my pallette, but I really liked the Lentils, and the Gnocchi was fantastic - super flavorful and very hearty.  By this point I knew that this place was really top notch. They use high - quality ingredients, and although I might not personally enjoy each dish I realize that each one was expertly crafted and  well thought out. 

By my third plate I was really just picking. I tried some Heirloom Carrots with Honey and Orange Glaze (Delicious) and Kung Pao Cauliflower (Bland) and then also hit thee Dessert Counter for an Apple Cobbler and White Chocolate & Apricot Mousse Cone. Both Desserts were really tasty, and by this point I was just about full. 

Ok, one final plate.

One Banana Nut Pancake, 2 strips of crispy and delicious Bacon (the best Bacon I have had in a really long time as a matter of fact), a little more Kale Salad, and some more Spiced Nuts and Granola (a couple of cubes of Cheese might have fallen on to my plate as well). This was actually my best plate of the day, a taste of all of my favorite flavors.

I ended with two samplings from the Gelato Counter, Blood Orange Sorbet and Mint Chocolate Chip. They cleansed my pallette and sealed the deal on the fact that Wicked Spoon is indeed worthy of the praise it has recieved and gives all of the other Vegas Buffets a run for their money. 

On a side note, throughout the rest of our Vegas vacation we kept reminiscing how much we enjoyed Wicked Spoon so we ate there again on our last day in town. This time it was right around noon and much to our shock there was  no line, no waiting.

My first plate was some of that delicious gnocchi, as well as some Morel Carbonara with cream, parmesan, egg yolk, black pepper and peas. I had wanted to try this dish on my first visit and was very glad I returned because it was fantastic.