This past weekend we were in Vegas – scorching, hot Vegas – for a couple of reasons. This will probably be the last time we go for a while – toting a baby in Vegas does not seem all that exciting – and also, I bought tickets for my mom to go see Celine Dion, which she said was awesome. I didn’t see it for myself, sending my parents on their merry way over to Caesar’s Palace. Instead, Taro and I watched the Jabberwocky show, which definitely had its plus and minuses. Overall, it was an entertaining show and the trip did give us some time to relax – some games of Blackjack Switch (our absolute favorite table!), random naps, poolside lounging, and some good food. As always, I had to take photos of the things we ate, although I didn’t take any at Oyster Bar because I just dived right into the Palace Pan Roast. However, I did manage to take photos of lunch at Mon Ami Gabi, a staple restaurant that Taro and I visit, and Jaleo, Jose Andres’ fabulously delicious restaurant at Cosmopolitan. Overall, it was a good weekend and definitely a good addition to my summer off.
Lunch at Mon Ami Gabi:
Gabi’s Fish and Frites (left) and Open-Face B.L.T. Tartine
Lamb and Roquefort Burger with Green Peppercorn Aioli (left) and Herb Crusted Ahi Tuna and Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Shiitake Mushroom-Ginger Broth (right)
If you haven’t tried Jaleo yet, I would definitely swing by there for some tapas. If you still have room late at night, you can always grab pizza at the secret pizzeria located next door. After watching our shows, we all shared a pizza which was pipping hot and delicious!
To celebrate Taro’s birthday, we are actually going up to San Francisco for the weekend. However, I still wanted to do something on the actual day of his birthday and the first thing to pop into my head was steak. Taro loves steak and I have been dying to try Mastro’s Steakhouse. So I thought, “Why not?” and made reservations. I think I was far more excited by it than he was. So when Wednesday approached, I hopped onto the Metro and Taro picked me up from the Wilshire/Western stop and we headed off to the restaurant.
When we were seated, Taro already knew what to order. He talked to his coworker, Kevin, who once claimed Mastro’s had the best steak before he discovered Cut. Kevin always ordered the Double Cut Porterhouse, a whopping 48 ounces of USDA Prime meat. For one person to eat it and finish it is beastly. However, Taro and I were sharing it. We also ordered oysters on the half shell, French Onion Soup, which is a must whenever we see it on the menu, and we were sold by our waiter’s description of the signature Lobster and Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
Our starter of oysters was a mix of Northern Pacific Oysters and Blue Point Oysters. Taro and I love oysters and these were not too bad, although Taro made the comment that Vegas really does serve top-notch seafood. It still just doesn’t compare to the oysters from Mon Ami Gabi or Bouchon. Despite that, the Blue Point Oysters were much better than the Northern Pacific Oysters. There was a hint of cucumber flavoring to them and with a dab of Tabasco and cocktail sauce, they were quite delectable. After this, the rest of the food came out, but Taro and I were not prepared for the enormity of the Double Cut Porterhouse. It was massive! The chef sliced the meat off the bone, dividing the filet and the New York cuts. And when the waiter said that it was going to be pink on the inside, he was not kidding. We love our meat medium-rare and this was the rarest we have ever had our steak. I definitely don’t mind since I am a carnivore; even though I love eating meat, I could not conquer this cut of steak. After just eating two slices, I was done. I felt stuffed, but it was oh so good. The French Onion Soup was also very good – not too salty, but still full of flavor. It is definitely one that has stood out amongst the french onion soups that I have tried recently. Last but not least, the Lobster Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Can I just say amazing? There were chunks of lobster mixed in with creamy, buttery mashed potatoes. Granted the mashed potatoes could have stood alone, but with lobster? Heavenly.
Even though I was stuffed, I had to get dessert. I have heard so many things about Mastro’s Signature Warm Butter Cake. When it came out, the aroma was just so warm and savory. I even told our waiter that the smell alone was fantastic and he just said, “Wait until you actually eat it.” Was it good? Yes. It was a little bit heavier than I thought it was going to be, but it was not overly sweet and it went well with the ice cream and cream on the side. The Butter Cake was a good way to end our dinner and it was nice to treat Taro (and myself) for the night.
I would definitely recommend Mastro’s Steakhouse to people just because the dishes we got were very good and considering the size of the porterhouse, I felt we got value for our money. It was definitely a treat and I can only imagine what Cut must be like. But that is for another day…
Happy birthday again, Taro, and I hope you enjoyed your monster steak. Here’s to our adventure in San Francisco this weekend!
It was a crazy idea and Taro was the one to bring it up: All You Can Jet for one month. Jet Blue was offering this insane deal to fly unlimited for the month of September. And we decided to do it – fly out every Friday and return on Sunday, visiting a different city for the month of September. It was insane, but an offer we couldn’t pass up, especially since it was an opportunity to travel within the United States.
Our first stop was Las Vegas. Yes, I know. Vegas? What is so special about Vegas? Well, it was the weekend after our wedding and since my uncle from Canada was still in town – he hasn’t visited for many, many years – my whole entire family decided to go to Vegas. So Taro and I flew there and while we were there, we obtained our marriage license. For those of you who didn’t attend our wedding, John, our friend, conducted the ceremony. It wasn’t “official” (since he isn’t ordained), but it was official in our eyes. Yet, we still needed the paperwork. So, while in Vegas, we figured we would do the cheesy Elvis ceremony and make it fun. I laughed the entire way down the aisle – I mean, how can you not when Elvis is singing to you? It was definitely fun and memorable…but nothing compared to our wedding in San Diego.
Las Vegas was a great first stop – hanging out with my family, watching “O” again, gambling and sitting at the Pai Gow tables until 4 in the morning with two Jet Blue pilots (who were not the pilots flying us back), enjoying good food, and sharing in the first husband and wife trip.
A visit to the M&M Store:
Dinner at Gallagher’s Steakhouse in New York, New York Hotel:
Lunch at Mon Ami Gabi in Paris Hotel:
What we always order whenever we go to Mon Ami Gabi, the Steak Frites:
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