Las Vegas Nevada
On our first night in Vegas I wanted something a little fancy. Right in our hotel (Paris) was Vanderpump. Lisa Vanderpump is not a chef, she was on one of those terrible “Real Housewives” reality shows and owned a few bars and restaurants.
Whatever. I read good reviews and it’s handy.
And busy. We had to wait until 10pm to get in. On Tuesday night too. I definitely underestimated the need for a reservation here. The first table available was at the front, but it was a great place to people watch.
It’s quite a lovely space. Feels quite Parisienne. And I’m not just saying that because we are in the Paris hotel.
One of the recommended dishes I have hear about is the Beef Bourgignon pot pie.
It was very good. Perhaps not as rich as I’m used to when I’ve made Beef Bourgignon myself. It was more beefy than winey. The Bourgignon should be more prevalent. The pastry Voul-a-vent was very flakey and tender. I did forget there would be fungi. Too many fungi. One fungus is too many fungi really. But choked ’em down.
Merilynn had a salad as I had warned her about the risks of getting scurvy in Vegas. It’s easy to not get enough fruit and veg in a Vegas diet.
Yes that salad bowl is a parmesan tuile. Very cool! White Goddess dressing with guyere cheese. Think Caesar but elevated. It was really good. And we ate the whole bowl! Note the watermelon radishes. My favorite new ingredient.
For my bevvie I went with Chimney Red beer. First time for me. It had an incredible head. Look at all that foam. It was a bit bitter for my taste though. Plus that’s a really cool color for a beer.
Merilynn went with Pinky’s Poison.
Gunpowder gin, pink tonic, juniper berries, hibiscus, cucumber, ginger bitters and lemon. The thyme sprig creates a nice forward aroma with subtle cucumber/lemon flavour that linger on your tongue.
To finish the evening with some flair we ordered a “Louvre at first sight”.
Beautifully presented in a pyramid shaped glass case reminiscent of the pyramid in Paris.
As the case is opened hickory smoke wafts out and surrounds the immediate vicinity for a few moments, heightening your anticipation of what surely must be a memorable experience.
And it did not disappoint.
Flavours of lemon, hickory and spice in a mezcal and prickly pear created a wonderful combination.
Was it worth $26 USD. Well that’s debatable. But it still was a fun experience. A little cheaper than the $600 Grand Canyon helicopter flight anyways.
Overall we had a good time at Vanderpump. The food was great. The drinks were fantastic. The ambiance really fun.
If I were to stay at Paris again Vanderpump would definitely be on the itinerary.