Tuesday, November 16, 2010

October 16. Lunch In Vegas At Mesa Grill.

Guess where the Hawthornes have a rezzie for lunch!
At Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill in Vegas.
It's inside Caesar's Palace.

We were seated near the open kitchen and grill
 so I could see all the action.
 Here's Booby in action.
And no, he wasn't at the restaurant when we were there.
 Probably out on a lame-ass throwdown.
 I must say I had reservations about this restaurant.
 I wasn't expecting a lot
and I went in with preconceived notions.
 I really shouldn't do that.
 I knew it would be expensive
 since it had Flay's name on it
and I was expecting mediocre food.
 I was entirely correct on the first matter
and entirely wrong on the second.
 Here are the menus:
We were given a brunch menu for appetizers ...
... and for brunch entrees.

We were also given a lunch menu:

We ordered off the Lunch Menu.
 Mr. Hawthorne picked the Chili Relleno
 and I picked the Grilled Grouper.
 The waiter gave me an odd look,
 then asked to see the menu.
 He informed me I had been given the wrong menu
 (He had given me the menu.)
and we were to order off the Brunch Menu.
 OK, give me a few more minutes.

For appetizers, I chose Sophie's Chopped Salad
with her own special dressing and crispy tortillas.
Mr. Hawthorne ordered the Grilled Asparagus Salad.
 After checking out the proper menu, we ordered correctly.
Mr. Hawthorne was watching what
 was coming out of the kitchen
 and there were more Mesa Burgers than anything else.
 He ordered the Mesa Burger.
I got the Pan Seared Halibut.
 The whole time I'm thinking
 about how much this is costing me
 and how much fresh fish and groceries
I could buy at home instead of spending it here.
 But, I don't do this everyday and I'm trying to justify this expense.
Our waiter brought us a basket of assorted sweet muffins.
 They were so-so.
 When I had a bite of the one with the powdered sugar,
 I inadvertently inhaled the sugar.
Not a good thing.
 There was a jalapeno cornbread underneath
 where you can't see it that was particularly good.

Our salads arrived.
 I'll be making this one at home.
 Fresh mixed greens, kidney beans, garbanzo beans,
 olives, cilantro, tomatoes,
 multi-colored tortilla squares, cheese cubes,
 and a light balsamic vinaigrette.
 I loved the addition of the beans.
Mr. Hawthorne liked his grilled asparagus
 with a sweet red chili dressing over mixed greens and arugula.
 But I think he liked my salad better.
Mr. Hawthorne's comment:
 "It wasn't the best burger I've had but it was damn good."
My 2 cents: The French Fries were really good.
 Extra crispy like I like 'em.
I loved my halibut.

 A sweet corn and green pepper creamy sauce
 accented the perfectly cooked halibut.
There was a red sauce with a hint of mustard
on the plate and a green oil swirled in.
 I'm not sure what the oil was.
 I asked the waiter if there was some type of cheese on the plate,
 and he said, "No, no cheese."
 Then I went back and looked at the menu
 and it does indeed say, "Cotija."
 The menu also said cactus.
 I've never had cactus before
so I don't know what it tastes like
or how much it flavored this dish.
I do know that I loved this.
Take notes, Ange, my Faithful Scribe!"

I do not understand these people who stay glued to the machines.

Stay tuned for the sights and sounds of Vegas.

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