Eating and Drinking in Las Vegas

To celebrate our second wedding anniversary, Joe and I went to Vegas.  Fair warning:  this post contains talk of food, but its also a travelogue of our vacation.

We stayed at Aria in City Center.  Its the one in the back middle (that doesn't look like the empire state building).

 

Big-name resort wise, Aria is between New York New York and the Bellagio.  Really, its between Monte Carlo and Cosmopolitan (which are next to NY and B, respectively).  Location-wise, Aria couldn't be in a better place.  We were close walking distance from many of the big resorts (the previously named ones, plus MGM, Paris, Hard Rock, Bally's, Excalibur, etc), feasible walking distance to Harrah's, Casino Royale, the Venetian, and there were bus/monorail stops at the neighboring property.

Aria is one of the few 5-star resorts in Vegas, and it didn't dissappoint.  Every staff member that we had contact with was beyond friendly and seemed sincerely interested in the fact that we were pleased.  When they found out we were there celebrating our anniversary, they upgraded our view, AND we came home to a plate of luscious chocolate covered strawberries and a 'Happy Anniversary' card after our first night on the town.

The hotel itself was gorgeous - with innumerable fresh flowers everywhere you turned and a modern/Asian feel.

Yes, the flowers hanging in the tree were real too!

 

The pool area had 3 good sized pools, and a "day-club" pool.  We only ate at two of the restaurants, but Aria appeared to have something to please every taste.

Our room was spacious, and the bathroom was beautiful - 5 piece bath with a separate toilet area, and a glassed in soaking tub and shower.  Perfect to soak my feet in after long days of walking in heels.  Our one room complaint (which so many other reviews had raved about) was the bed - sleeping on a queen sized pillow may feel nice at first, but made both of our backs ache.

Our first night in Las Vegas, we were in the mood for Italian food.  We ate at D.O.C.G, which was next door in the Cosmopolitan hotel.  We picked D.O.C.G. because it was described as being rustic, Northern Italian food, and was in the $$ category (out of $$$$).

 

Joe and I both got the Pici, with Braised Duck Sauce & Black Truffles.  Pici is a thick, hand-rolled spaghetti-like noodle.  The texture of the noodles was perfectly al dente and the braised duck was very flavorful - but a little bit over salted for my taste.  The wine list was out of our price range, but we weren't too disappointed because we planned to go to Vesper next.

 

Vesper Bar is also in the Cosmopolitan hotel.  Joe is a really big James Bond fan, and the Vesper martini became James Bond's signature drink in Casino Royale.  So of course we had to go!

 

Atmosphere-wise, Vesper Bar was very modern and chic.  It was too bad that it was right near the hotel check-in area though, because that took away a little bit of the classy ambiance.

  

 Joe of course had the Vesper martini (gin, vodka, Lillet, and lemon peel).  I had a drink with gin(?), an Earl Grey infused liquor, egg cream on top, and Earl Grey tea leaves sprinkled on top.

We spent the rest of the night walking the strip, stopping into all of the big resorts, and enjoying the sights.

Paris

Chihuly glass in the lobby of the Bellagio

Me and Joe in the lobby of the Bellagio - our only picture of the two of us from the trip!

Watching the Bellagio fountains - I think we stopped by to watch these every night on our way back to Aria.

We spent the majority of our second day near the pool, and then took the bus to Fremont Street for the afternoon and evening.

With a street performer on Freemont Street

Fremont Street is a street in Old Las Vegas that has become a pedestrian mall.  They covered it with a video-screen covered roof, that conveniently blocks out the hot Vegas sun and holds in some of the A/C that pours out of the casinos.  The casino's on Fremont Street make you feel like you stepped back in time.  They're also the only place that we saw $3 blackjack tables :-)

Our goal for dinner was to find an old-fashioned cheap Vegas meal.  We certainly did.

At 4 Queens Hotel and Casino, we spun the free wheel and won a buy-one-get-one dinner coupon for their restaurant, Magnolia's Veranda.  (This seemed to be the prize for everyone who didn't win the $10K.)  Magnolia's didn't have the best atmosphere (older, open to the casino), but their prices were great.  With our coupon, we both got a steak dinner and a handcrafted microwbrew for about $25.  Can't beat that!

We spent most of the third day  by the pool as well, and then decided to explore Aria more.  We found a Happy Hour special at one of the nicest restaurants in the hotel, American Fish.  As the name implies, all of the seafood served here is from the U.S.  For HH, all of their lounge menu food items were $5.  So I picked four.  They were so good I nearly forgot to take a picture (and was already half-way done)!

 

Clockwise from the top left:  Shrimp & Grits (with jalapeno and Serrano ham); Truffled Mac & Cheese (with mushrooms and English peas); Crab Truffles (with masago arare and green cocktail sauce); Oysters on the Half Shell (one with mignonette, one with bloody mary granite)

I'm not even sure which was my favorite - they were all soooo good!

 

Joe couldn't resist the Diver Scallops from the main menu - served with butter poached leeks, purple potatoes, and grapes.  Such succulent scallops.  Mmm.  The food at American Fish was exceptional.  I would certainly go back.

Once again, we spent the night visiting the nearby sights.

 

Waiting for the fountain show in front of Bellagio.

We spent our last day seeing the sights.

Monte Carlo and New York New York from the front of Aria

mmm...  Steak.  At New York, New York

The Lions at MGM

I just read that they've since closed the lion habitat :-(

Apparently I was performing at Harrah's!

Joe "climbing" in the Palazzo.

The Venetian

Viva Las Vegas!  We can't wait to go back!

Baked Manicotti (and a simple sauce recipe)

 

There are certain foods that have always intimidated me.  Manicotti is one of them.  The thought of trying to pipe cheese filling into cooked tubes of pasta sounded difficult and frustrating.  And then came a revelation.  On America's Test Kitchen one Saturday morning, the topic was manicotti.  On ATK, their goal is to take something that's difficult and make it accessible.  This episode fulfilled that promise and introduced me to a novel idea:  manicotti made with lasagna noodles.  I've made them twice so far, and the reviews have been very positive - this recipe is a keeper.  Also, the sauce is very simple and tastes good on its own if you need a quick recipe.

BAKED MANICOTTI - makes 16 manicotti - serves up to 8 people.

INGREDIENTS:

Sauce:

• 2   28-ounce cans whole plum tomatoes (in juice)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (or less, to taste)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Filling:

• about 3 cups ricotta cheese - if you're fortunate enough to get to choose between several brands, choose one without stabilizers (*note* from what I've found, the big containers have ~2.5 cups - I've used these and then filled the manicotti a little bit less)
• 4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Other:

• 16 no-boil lasagna noodles (*note* I've used Barilla and Ronzoni - Barilla has 16 noodles/box, Ronzoni only has 12 so you'll have to buy 2 boxes and have leftovers)

STEPS:

The sauce, filling, and noodle prep can be done simultaneously.

Sauce:

• Pulse one can of tomatoes in a food processor or blender until coarsely chopped.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Once hot, add garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for 1-2 minutes (the garlic will be fragrant, but not brown).
• Add first can of tomatoes to the pot.  Stir.
• Pulse second can of tomatoes.  Add to pot.  Stir.  (You could do both cans at the beginning and reserve in a bowl, but I prefer to conserve dishes.)
• Cook for about 15 minutes, until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat and add chopped basil. 

Filling:

• In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, pepper (to taste), and herbs in medium bowl.
• Mix well.  Set aside.

Noodle Prep:

• Bring about 4 cups of water to a boil. 
• (Very carefully) pour the boiling water into a 9"x13" glass pan.  Add noodles one at a time.  Allow to soak for about 5 minutes, or until pliable and similar to the texture of fresh pasta.  While soaking, move the noodles around with the tip of a sharp knife to avoid sticking.
• Remove the noodles and lay them out in a single layer on clean kitchen towels.  Dump out water and dry dish.

Assembly:

• Preheat the oven to 375 F.
• Scoop a scant quarter cup of filling onto each noodle.

 

• Spread the filling over 3/4 of the noodle, leaving 1/4 on an end exposed.

 

• Evenly cover the bottom of the 9"x13" glass baking dish with 1.5 cups of sauce.
• Starting at the end with filling, roll each noodle into a tube shape.  (The non-filled portion of noodle should help the end of the tube stick).
• Place seam-side down in the baking dish.  (In the occasion in this picture, I used 2 8"x8" baking dishes because my 9"x13" was in use.)

 

•  Roll up the remaining manicotti and add to the dish.  I slide them into place so that there is sauce between each tube - otherwise the noodles may stick together.
• Top with the remaining sauce, making sure to cover all of the manicotti.  (If there's enough, keep about a cup to the side to serve with them at the end.)
• Cover the pan with foil.  Bake for 40 minutes.
• Remove the foil.  Top with remaining cup of Parmesan.  Bake for an additional 4-6 minutes, until the cheese starts to get brown spots.

  

• Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.
• Serve with a green salad and Italian bread.  Enjoy!

Learning to Love Leftovers

I have never been a huge fan of leftovers, but with cooking for 2, we ALWAYS have something to put back in the fridge.  By "tweaking" the original meal, even by just a little, I can get excited about eating it again.

Original meal:  pasta with homemade tomato/bell pepper sauce.

Leftover 1:  I threw together some quick meatballs and simmered them in the sauce (not a huge change, but different enough that I didn't find it boring) = spaghetti and meatballs (Joe's favorite food).

Leftover 2:  Meatball subs (which also used up the deli rolls that we had left from a cookout).

Other recent leftover transformations:

roasted chicken --> chicken salad and chicken pot pies

gravy --> chicken pot pies

chili --> frozen in a muffin pan (then I removed the lumps and threw them in a ziplock in the freezer) so that we can heat up individual servings when we want them!

chopped up kale and leftover leek greens --> kale, chorizo, potato soup

Some leftovers DO get better after sitting in the fridge.  The chicken cacciatore with olive rice that I made recently was one of those, as is my chicken marsala, and most soups.  Thanksgiving leftovers are still pretty awesome the next day too, I'm excited for next week!

Now if only I could find something good to do with leftover mashed potatoes...