Savoury's Restaurant - Mariposa, California

While visiting Yosemite National Park we stayed at a hotel just outside in the city of Mariposa. There is an area of about 4 city blocks where there are several quaint eateries so we decided to just park and walk around until we found the one that caught our attention. After seeing the elegant yet casual ambiance through the window and reading the menu that was posted outside we knew that Savourys Restaurant was going to be the one.

We were promptly seated by the hostess and then our server (the receipt says his name was Will) came to greet us and get our drink orders. We also put in an order of Bacon Wrapped Dates ($10) for our appetizer. They arrived in no time and were a fantastic blend of sweet and salty.

Fresh Bread with Olive Oil and Vinegar was also brought to the table. As Will took our order he gave us helpful suggestions on what was most popular (the reason I even mention his name is because he provided us with exceptional service throughout the entire meal, checking on us just enough but not overdoing it, well appreciated)
.

My friend had one of the specials which was a Pasta and Seafood dish, while I decided on the Stuffed Red Bell Pepper (quinoa, black beans, red onion, garlic, cumin and feta $16.50)

Both meals came with choice of Soup or Salad,
 but when he told us that the Salad consisted of Spring Mix, Red Onion, Carrots and Candied Walnuts and that they made all their Dressings in house I really had no other option. I chose Blue Cheese and although it was made of simple ingredients it was the best Salad I have had in a really long time.

By this point I was so pleased with everything that I really didn't even care how my entrée tasted, however when it arrived I knew just by looking at it that it was going to be good.

What a brightly colored dish!

The Pepper was tender (when I make them at home sometimes they are a little too firm) and the filling was a beautiful mix of flavors… The Cumin gave it great spice, while the Quinoa and the Black Beans gave a heartiness, and then the Feta rounded it out making it possibly the best Stuffed Pepper I have ever had.

I sure am glad we came across this place. 
Savourys is definitely my favorite place we have been to so far on this trip.

They have great ambiance, top notch service and outstanding food - which to me are the three things that make a perfect restaurant.

Highly recommended.

Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen - Las Vegas

So I am kind of a sucker for a restaurant that is associated with a celebrity chef, and also being a fan of the Food Network I was excited to hear that Guy Fieri had opened up his own place in Vegas. Located in The Quad, Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen and Bar opened in April of 2014.


With indoor and outdoor seating (and no bathroom of it's own - you have to use the one in the casino), this "Bar and Grill" concept has a definite Rock N Roll vibe to it.

It actually reminded me quite a bit of Alice Cooper's "Cooperstown" restaurant in Phoenix.

We walked in around 11pm on a Wednesday and were promptly seated. Our server was also very friendly and helpful.

Although our appetizer actually came out a minute or two after our entrees came out we didn’t care because we were starving, however in certain cases this would not be a good business practice.


We split an order of Vegas Fries, or as our server called them Broke Ass Fries, telling us a story of how Guy Fieri himself use to order them custom made back when he was broke because they had the same flavors as buffalo wings but were less expensive. 


Sidewinder cut fries, tossed in spicy buffalo sauce, topped with blue cheese crumbles, served with Guy's blue-sabi sauce $13
.

They were piled high, and when they were brought out our server drizzled the buffalo sauce table-side.

I enjoyed the concept of this appetizer, but the buffalo sauce was a little too much for
 me, and I also didn't care for the blue-sabi sauce. That is just a personal taste though because I don't like wasabi. I would have just preferred classic blue cheese, but again that is just my personal tastes. Something that both of us agreed on was that they were way too salty. 
In fact 2 hours later I still had a distinct salt taste in my mouth.

For my entrée I had the award winning Mac N Cheese Bacon Burger, built with crispy applewood bacon, six-cheese mac and more super-melty cheese between a garlicky toasted brioche bun $20.


Served on a wooden cutting board, with a heaping pile of fries (a mixture of shoestring, crinkle cut and waffle) this dish received an A for presentation. The Burger itself was absolutely delicious.

 

It was so large and the patty was so oversized that I had to take several bites of meat before I even got to the bun. The combination of flavors was really good and I was very glad that I had ordered it.


It sure looked like it was going to be a multi-napkin Burger – however I am a pro and didn’t make nearly the mess I thought I would!

Due to our server's suggestion, my friend ordered the Fireball Whiskey Wings, which were slathered in a combination of classic buffalo sauce and Fireball whiskey $15. These also had an outstanding presentation, however they must have looked better then they tasted because he
 didn't love them nearly as much as I loved my Burger.

Overall I love the concept and the whole vibe of this place. Although some of the flavors were not necessarily for my palette I do think that it is a great place to go, and the prices are not bad – especially for being right on the Vegas Strip.

I truly hope that it is a success, because I really like Guy Fieri and think that he deserves it.

The Buffet at the Bellagio - Las Vegas

I have always heard that the Bellagio had an outstanding buffet but in all of my trips to Vegas I have never actually tried it. We were there in the beautiful Bellagio enjoying it's many features and decided to give Buffet a try. The line was not bad and the price for two was just under $50.
 I did my scan of the entire buffet before selecting my first item. I was a little surprised at the spread because although there were many items that looked good, I felt that overall it was a little lackluster. Unfortunately they already had two strikes against them - #1 with all of the hype (and the fact of being located in the Bellagio) I had very high expectations, and #2 I had just visited the Wicked Spoon buffet at the Cosmopolitan, which was going to be difficult to surpass.

My first plate was bacon, a cheese blintze, potatoes o'brien, couscous, pesto mashed potatoes and red chicken curry. All pretty good, but the standouts were the pesto potatoes and the bacon.

My next plate was a sampling of four different pastas and some broccolini. All were decent but the standout on this plate was the 5 cheese tortellini with walnut pesto.


When I was talking to one customer at the buffet she mentioned that the butternut squash soup 
was pretty good, so I got a bowl of it on my next trip. She was right on the money because it was really tasty. Thick and velvety (and I don't think I have ever really been able to honestly call a soup "velvety") and actually quite sweet. I added a little salt and pepper to cut the sweetness, making this my favorite dish on the entire buffet.

For my next plate I decided that I should get some salad. Usually while on vacation I eat so decadently and often pass by the salad bar, so I figured that it would be a good idea. I got a portion of their pre made kale salad (Wicked Spoon's is much better), a piece of veggie sushi, a little salad from the salad bar and of course some more bacon. Afterwards I was very glad that I had opted for this plate.

Then for my final plate I got some fruit, some more bacon, some more pesto tortellini and two cookies. This was a nice way to wrap up my time at the Bellagio, and the cookies were really good.

So although the Buffet at the Bellagio is indeed superior to most of the buffets on the strip, I cannot say that it is my favorite. That award would go to Wicked Spoon, but with that being said I still feel like it is a pretty good value.

Gordon Ramsay Pub and Grill - Las Vegas

I certainly did not go out planning to have dinner at Gordon Ramsay's Pub & Grill, however when I left the Celine Dion show at the Coliseum at Caesars Palace I noticed it directly across the casino. I enjoy Gordon Ramsay on Master Chef and know that he is world renowned for his culinary arts. We decided to give it a try so we put our name in at the hostess stand. 15 minutes later we got the text stating that our table was ready and off we went.

The decor is that of a British Pub, with comfortable seating, friendly service and cozy feel.

I ordered the Grilled Lamb Burger (9oz. vadouvan caramelized onions with goat cheese and feta spread on a rosemary brioche bun, served with fries and house pickles $21)


When it was brought to the table I was amazed by the presentation, it looked big and juicy and I loved how the fries were served in newsprint butcher paper.

As for the taste - fantastic. The Burger was juicy and the Feta and Goat Cheese gave it the perfect flavor combination. The fries were really good too.

My friend ordered the Bangers and Mash (English chicken, beef and pork sausages with onion gravy and mashed potatoes $25) which is a popular British dish. We both liked the look of
 his dish as well, but I don't think it was exactly what he was expecting when it came to the way it tasted. Might just be a personal preference.

All in all I liked this restaurant quite a bit. I feel it is a good value when you consider the following things:

#1 The location is in Caesars Palace which means it is going to be a little on the expensive side.

#2 There is a celebrity chef's name attached to it which makes it fancy and we all know that comes at a price as well.

#3 The food is really delicious, which ultimately makes it worth every dollar spent.

Lotus of Siam - Las Vegas

When first planning our trip to Vegas, my friend that I was coming with asked if we could eat at Lotus of Siam. He had never been but had heard that it was one if the best Thai Restaurants in the world. I looked it up online, and although it was off of the beaten path it did have incredibly good reviews. 
We took a cab there and I was surprised to find that it was located in the back of a desolate strip mall about a 30 minute walk from the Stratosphere (I know this because we walked there afterwards).

I was also surprised to find that there was nothing at all fancy about the interior,  in fact it almost had a cold feeling about it. 
There is a Buffet option, however it seemed pretty basic and so we decided to order from the menu hoping that was where the good stuff was.


We started with the Pork Satay (meat marinated with fresh herbs and spices, grilled on skewers,  served with peanut sauce and cucumber salad $9.95)
This was an awesome appetizer. The Pork skewers were really tender and well seasoned,  and the Peanut Sauce and Cucumber Salad paired perfectly with it.


For my entrée I had the Musaman Curry(the very interesting flavor curry made from musman curry paste with coconut cream, peanuts, onions,
tomatoes, potatoes, carrots and choice of meat or tofu $11.95) I chose Chicken and had it prepared mild, I can't take too much heat.
I enjoyed it very much, the portion was not too large but the flavors were very good.

My only complaint was that both the Potatoes and Carrots were still a little too firm (almost raw). I feel like if they had been cut into smaller pieces this problem would have been eliminated.

My friend (due to our servers recommendation) ordered Chu-Chee Prawns (fresh prawns in red thai curry base $22.95). Their heat scale goes from 1 to 10, and since he likes it hot he ordered a 10. He did enjoy it but confessed that he should have ordered it at 8. I also feel like he should not have listened ti the server in this case and ordered one of the items that he originally looked at because he might have loved it instead of just liked it. He did love the appetizer though and said that was his favorite part.

All in all I did enjoy Lotus of Siam, however I was not "wowed" by it. I have had just as good Thai food at home, with better atmosphere and a cheaper price.