restaurant review Archives - Page 18 of 28

ashleyd / April 9, 2011

A Tao Night to Remember…

After a day of fun in the sun and exploring Vegas, last night Theodora and I spent another long evening on the dance floor together!

We took a cab from our hotel to dinner and were surprised how much traffic there was on the strip and how expensive cabs are in Las Vegas!

Due to traffic, it cost $13 to go 2.5 miles! But, our cab driver gave us a Las Vegas hotel and economy lesson while were with him so at least it wasn’t all bad.

A few readers recommended Tao since a dinner reservations not only gets you in the restaurant and lounge but also free admission to the nightclub which can run as much as $20 per person and often has a line over an hour long. We were apprehensive to go to Tao while out here since there is one in New York, but we’ve discovered that most restaurants here are chains. In addition, neither of us have been to Tao in ages and remembered having good experiences before.

The 42,000 square foot hot spot did not disappoint! We had a perfect table for two in front of the huge statue and were able to people watch during our meal.

The Asian influenced menu includes many items intended for sharing such as dumplings, edamame, and wontons.

We took our hilarious waiter’s suggestion and ordered the lobster and mushroom steamed dumplings along with warm edamame.

I am still thinking about those dumplings, nom nom nom! These two items were the perfect sized appetizers to enjoy with our vodka and seltzer before dinner.

Since we knew we wanted to share our main course as well, we chose a few of their sushi rolls. Neither of us have enjoyed “fancy’ sushi lately and instead have become more accustomed to sushi served in tin foil boxes and delivered to our door step. It was a nice change of pace though we both missed our brown rice!

Our roll choices, from top to bottom, were as follows

TAO Angry Dragon Roll with Eel and Kabayaki Sauce

Spicy Lobster Roll with Shiso and Black Tobiko

Chef’s Roll with Tuna, Salmon, Tobiko and Avocado

After our delicious dinner, we walked two flights up to the night club portion of Tao. It was packed with beautiful people, different DJs and music in every room, and decorated with naked women in tubs with flowers, red lights, and multiple dance floors.

We spent the next three hours posing for pictures.

Making friends with two guys from Kansas who happen to have bottle service! Score!

Theodora was really, really happy at this point!

I really wish you could see this guys diamond stud earring. Also, Theodora and I have decided that a wedding ring makes any girl 10x more attractive to guys.

By the end of the evening our feet enjoyed their table service sofa area. Also, please check out the hostess in the left hand corner of this picture. Yes, that is what the hostesses wear in Las Vegas.

Oh, and last but not least, my Dr School slip-ons have paid for themselves ten times over since I bought them the weekend of my sister in law’s 21st birthday. These roll-up slip on shoes cost $10 at CVS and have seen the floor of Tao Las Vegas, Marquee NYC, and Eye Candy Dance Club. By the way, when did I start going out dancing every weekend?

We made the smart choice of closing our blinds this morning when we went to sleep and therefore were able to sleep for 7 lovely hours! We woke up starving once again since we haven’t been eating any late night food after our long nights of dancing and drinking.

Red, White, and Blue in Mandalay Bay delivered on our cravings for something savory. I devoured this grilled chicken “burger” complete with grilled mushrooms, onions, ketchup, and mustard. It was exactly what I was craving. Ten glasses of water, one pickle, and a few tater tots later I feel like a human again!

Now if the sunshine could just return to Las Vegas for one more afternoon by the pool. Oh well, we may have to head for the outlets instead. Winking smile

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ashleyd / April 3, 2011

Whirlwind Weekend

This weekend was a bit of a whirlwind since I’m spending the majority of today traveling out to Las Vegas. I’ll be on the road for a total of 12 days, the longest amount of time Bo and I have ever been apart. I’m spending the first five days in Las Vegas for our annual national meeting, enjoying the next three days with Theodora by my side in Las Vegas, and then finally heading down to Savannah for my mom’s 60th birthday.

Needless to say, packing was more difficult than normal.

Luckily, I was able to squeeze everything into two Tumi carry on bags, which I checked, and my Coach briefcase.

These bags including a week’s worth of work clothes, a weekend worth of Vegas clothes, workout clothes, long run necessities such as my Garmin and Camelbak, and finally casual clothes for a few days in Savannah.

But, before I headed out for the airport, I spent yesterday afternoon running last minute errands and enjoying time with Bo.

I was able to finish EVERYTHING on my to do list:

~~manicure~~
~~shopping/exchange~~
~~laundry~~
~~packing~~
~~personal training appointment #2~~
~~possible hair cut (I’m craving sweep bangs after hanging out with~~ ~~Tina~~ ~~and~~ ~~Caitlin~~)

It turns out that sometimes, even the experts at Fekkai make mistakes. I have been really unhappy with my hair since my last cut, hating every picture of myself due to my puffy hair triangle which was very unflattering. I thought bangs were the answer, which would soften my face. After my training appointment, I stopped in a neighborhood salon looking for help.

Luckily, the kind people at Marie Bove salon, near my apartment, convinced me that my thick hair needed to be thinned instead.

Much better! I love the movement, lightness, and layers! If you’re looking for a reasonably priced New York City salon I would recommend Marie Bove in a heartbeat.

After my haircut and packing, Bo and I headed out for a movie date complete with homemade popcorn.

Unfortunately, within 30 minutes we were back home watching How I Met Your Mother since I read the movie times wrong. Sad smile

Oh well, at least our dinner date plans worked out perfectly. Bo made reservations for us at Rye House, a Flatiron gastropub which is known as much for their food as their beer selections. The atmosphere was very relaxed yet the space was polished due to the use of marble and dark wood.

We started with a few appetizers which far exceeded my expectations!

“Di Stefano” Burrata Cheese Salad: Grilled Crostini, Cherry Tomato, Olives, Arugula, Balsamic Reduction

Fried pickles

Perogies: Yukon Gold Potatoes, Solo Gran Queso, Fresh Horseradish

Hazelnut Crusted Pollock: “Porky” Green Beans, Cheddar Biscuit

Braised Beef Short Ribs: Sweet Potato Puree, Oyster Mushrooms

My favorites were the burrata salad and my pollock. I would highly recommend Rye House for either a perfect happy hour location with friends or a casual dinner location with delicious food.

Our night ended early since I had to set my alarm for 4am!

I’ll be back later to check in from the air! Have a great rest of your weekend and congratulations to everyone who ran the MORE/Fitness Half Marathon today!

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ashleyd / March 22, 2011

Ain’t No Party Like a Diamond Party: Part 2

Happy Monday friends!

As promised, I want to share the rest of our celebratory weekend with you. After a relaxing and productive Saturday, the rest of the weekend was filled with two delicious meals, lots of dancing, and an unhealthy amount of alcohol. :) I mean, living in New York City is all about moderation, right?

Our cab ride quickly took us to the night’s dinner location, Valbella. We chose Val Bella on a whim, Saturday afternoon, after Lavo refused to expand our reservation from 4 people to 5 to accommodate our friend Michael. Luckily, Zagat and Open Table came to our rescue and suggested this when we searched for restaurants in the Meat Packing district so we’d be close to the evening’s next stop.

Upon arriving, the service was the first thing which stood out. They quickly escorted us over to meet our friend Michael who was already at the bar, waiting for the birthday girl with a rose and chocolate. Proof, that chivalry still lives strong!

The restaurant’s spiral staircase in the middle of the curved bar really adds to the atmosphere. The restaurant had a great deal of style ranging from the hardwood and white walls to the simple arches.

Luckily, we received a wonderful table on the side wall of the restaurant, positioned perfectly in the center which allowed for wonderful people watching.

Throughout our experience, the service is what stood out more than anything. They happily charged Meg’s phone in the coat check when she noticed it was dead, they made her feel like a princess the entire dinner, and they even provided a used Pellegrino bottle to serve as a vase during our meal for Meg’s yellow rose.

The restaurant was the place for birthday celebrations Saturday night as there were four people who celebrated while we were there. This is our table neighbor, smiling with his birthday soufle and the birthday girl!

How do I begin to describe the wonderful food we enjoyed. Each dish was better than the last and luckily we were a friendly group, everyone open to sharing bites of our dishes.

Our stand out dishes of the evening included a mix of specials and regular menu items.

An appetizer special that night, a rare mozzarella, flown in from Italy 2 times per week, served with arugula, roasted artichoke, and prosciutto.

Medaglioni Di Aragosta Con Brie baked brie cheese crusted with spanish almonds, topped with lobster medallions and served in a grand marnier sauce

The best dish of the night, hands down, was a scallop dish with a delicious pistachio reduction.

The boys enjoyed their special filet, a rare bone in filet grilled to perfection!

Last but not least, what birthday celebration would be complete without a candle and a wish.

Luckily, the rest of our evening included dancing the delicious calories away at Marquee! We saw a special on Gilt last week, and new it was a perfect way to celebrate the birthday.

$210 special for VIP Bottle Service at Marquee including table for four people, 1 bottle of vodka with mixers, and hours of dancing.

Even better, they let our fifth person, the birthday girl, in free! We spent four hours dancing the night away in the packed club, enjoying more than one vodka cocktail, and catching up on all the newest club fashions, dance moves, and music. I had so much fun, that I actually frowned and said I wish we didn’t have to leave when they turned the lights on at 4am.