Food Rant: Thankfully, Some Things Never Change

After crying so hard when learning about the news of Fleur de Lys closing to make room for a "new tapas/small plate concept", I was a little frustrated. WTF is going on here?

Well, I felt much better after reading of Mr. ELV still enjoying nearby Aureole. As y'all know by now, I LOVE me my Aureole! And love affair only strengthened during Vegas Uncork'd last month. Aureole has really earned my respect the hard way, by serving great food in a great atmosphere with great service.

I can hardly wait to return to Aureole this summer to taste more amazing things. In my humble opinion, Aureole is one of the finest "underappreciated hidden gem" fine dining establishments in Vegas. And it's just the perfect place for a perfect dinner on The Strip.

And honestly, this is another reason why I'm so excited to be back in Home Sweet Vegas. Here is one of the most exciting and dynamic fine dining scenes in the world. And hopefully with old "tried & true" favorites like Aureole keeping the magic working, along with new favorites turning up the allure factor, foodies everywhere will keep looking to Las Vegas for more fine dining wonders.

Foodie Thoughts: Fleur de Lys Closing, "Top Chef Masters" Fallout, & Everything Is California's Fault

Everything is California's fault. Everything, I tell you. F*CK YOU, CALIFORNIA!

If you follow ELV on Facebook, you know that a week ago he reported that Hubert Keller’s Fleur de Lys in Mandalay Bay will close in August, to re-open before the end of the year as a casual, small plates, world tapas bar concept.

The good news is: Hubert Keller (and his chefs and crew) will still be running the new restaurant, and are actively working on said concept and menu as we write this. [...]

The bad news is: This closing is yet another step in the dumbing down of Vegas restaurants — to fit a clientele who doesn’t want to pay for anything more elaborate than burgers, sliders, pizzas, and (god help us) more mediocre sushi. The creeping California casualization of American dining continues, and we fear this relentless trend towards small plates and grazing platters, represents a step away from quality and bodes ill for the future of good restaurants in our humble burg.

OK, let me put aside the Kleenex and bon bons to regain my composure. Deep breath, deep breath...

OK, I can speak again. I can understand Mr. ELV's frustration. Fleur de Lys was one of our more underappreciated fine dining gems. And did I mention Hubert Keller is a culinary god?

But hey, even culinary gods can only swim against the trend current for so long. While fine dining is far from dead and moiself will never stop stimulating the economy via the occasional outrageous food splurges, the fact of the matter is that many diners these days are foregoing the traditional fine dining experience for gastropubs, tapas houses, burger joints, and sushi dens. And foodie genius that he is, Hubert Keller saw this coming and decided to go with the flow rather than risk losing it all by keeping Fleur de Lys as is. And with the Mandalay Bay complex already served by the uber-chic Mix and lovely French-American Aureole, they pretty much had their "Fussified Frenchie Food" covered.

It's sad to see Fleur de Lys closing, but I intend to keep an open mind and see what becomes of Keller's new tapas concept.

And speaking of Mandalay Bay, everyone is still talking about the "Top Chef Masters" season finale. Was Jay Rayner being a dick? IMHO, yes. Is cooking and eating sustainably tough? Absolutely. But is it worth it? I think so. And is Rick Moonen doing what he can to practice what he preaches? IMHO, yes.

Again, it's all California's fault. Wait, so Jay Rayner is from Britain? Oh, OK. F*CK THEM! ;-)

And WTF is this sh*t? Oh, it's at Las Vegas Club. That explains it all.

The slogan on the front is "You catch 'em, we cook 'em," but good luck. The price of $2 per play isn't bad if you manage to grab one of the poor unsuspecting creatures within thirty seconds of depositing your cash and manipulating the claw, but unfortunately their are no consolation prizes (I was thinking a shrimp would be nice) and based on what an employee says in this local video, not many people win. If we hadn't just eaten and if the lobsters had been larger, I might have played, yet there was still something unsettling about it. If monkfish is referred to as the 'poor man's lobster,' then the crustaceans in The Lobster Zone must be the 'cheap, drunk Vegas tourist's lobster,' because I'm not sure who else would actually attempt catch one. I suppose it gets one closer to catching their own food than they otherwise would be, but when neither the animal nor hunter have much of a chance of winning, it just seems cruel for everyone involved. Anyhow, if you're really on a budget give it a whirl, and let me know how it goes. My bet, however, is that you're better of going to Red Lobster for the money, where you're also rewarded with delicious free cheddar biscuits!

If something is so bad that one praises Red Lobster for f*ck's sake, it's that f*cking bad. FAIL!

But this is NOT fail, kids. Our BFF Mike D from Tasting Las Vegas, along with Jillian from Frugal Foodie, made the big leagues when they were featured on KNPR's "State of Nevada" on Friday, when Mr. ELV and Mr. Max do their occasional delicious Friday (not really) hostile takeover of the show. It's good to see the food bloggers in this town get the recognition they deserve.

And finally, both Mr. ELV and Sage (Shawn McClain's ab fab restaurant at Aria) get the national recognition they deserve. Well, at least some things are still working out nicely in this town.

OK, I felt the need to catch up on all I've been missing since I left town. And did I mention everything is always California's fault? I need to get me out of this gawddamned hellhole. ;-)

Why Don't Our Local Media Actually Cover Our Major Food Events?

So The New York Times got an interview with Pierre Gagnaire, the top notch French Chef set to make his US debut at Twist at Mandarin Oriental (at City Center) next month. John Curtas actually beat them to the punch in getting the first interview with him, so at least someone in our local media is noticing. So why aren't The Sun & The R-J?

No really, why aren't they? The R-J has a big story on the new Hard Rock Cafe on The Strip, but not on one of the biggest culinary events yet to happen in Vegas? At least The Sun recently did a story on Emeril and his Carnivale du Vin charity event last weekend, but it seems they're also not keeping up with all the food events in town.

Why is this? No really, why? Is this a holdover from the bad ol' days when "$4.99 prime rib" deals ruled the roost and food was an afterthought for the casinos? Las Vegas is now one of the top food towns... But one wouldn't know with the talk of the town consisting of this $6.95 "steak dinner", that $12.95 "prime rib special", or whatever other "cheapo" deal out there.

So then, I wonder what the problem really is. Is it that our media don't care about our local food scene? Or does it run deeper? Is it that we the people just don't care about our local food scene?

I know it's a recession and most people are looking to save money these days. Still, I don't see why we shouldn't boost our local economy. And doesn't it make more sense to spend our hard-earned cash somewhere where our money will stay? There are deals out there for those that know where to look.

Las Vegas won't really get the respect it deserves as a "foodie destination" until the locals here actually show some for our own food. I hope this happens soon. It's a shame that so many tourists enjoy so much of our amazing food while so many of us suffer the same ol' cheap crap.

Home Cookin': It Isn't Just for Housewives Any More!

What is it about Mr. ELV's blog that always gets me thinking? Today, he talked about how he hasn't gone out for dinner in five days. I can see how this is shocking news for a restaurant critic, but this is pretty much my ordinary life. And worse yet, I know people who haven't gone out to eat in months!

Sometimes, it really sucks when I plan weeks ahead for a glorious night out with someone special... Only for it to be taken away when the someone special is hurt and in a wheelchair and/or a friend calls to borrow money from me because the bank screwed with his account. It really sucks that I can't eat out that often these days because I may be only one broken leg or one broken window away from financial ruin. And yes, it really sucks when my next great vacation full of culinary bliss is always at risk of vanishing away if I ever lose the roommate at the house or my dad needs money to pay for my grandmother's next trip to the hospital.

Let's face it, this rotten economy is ruining a good night out for all of us. So what do we do?

Fortunately, I still enjoy the privilege of eating out at restaurants about once or twice a week. The rest of the time, I've been eating in. Yes, I'm learning to cook more and more... And I don't feel sad or frustrated about it.

Last weekend, my dad was pretty wowed when I turned his beloved “eggs & potatoes” (yes, he really isn’t into “fancy food” like I am) into a breakfast frittata that had his taste buds singing. Let’s see, I also think my “Mexitalianese” stir fry with extra firm tofu strips, shredded carrots, sundried tomatoes, and Parmigiano Reggiano for dinner recently was another winner. I just can’t wait until tomorrow when I’ll have time to make my signature gnocchi dish (with crimini mushrooms, shittake mushrooms, and Manchego cream sauce) for dinner!

Maybe I’m weird, but I feel most comfortable when I’m in my home kitchen. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy eating out. I guess I just feel like I’ve accomplished something truly meaningful when I eat something that I cooked myself from scratch or near-scratch.

Perhaps this is looking on the bright side of the recession, but I feel glad in a way that I do more of my own cooking these days. And maybe by cutting out so much driving and by using "local" (or as close as we can get to it in Vegas) and organic ingredients in my own home cooking, I'm doing my part to reduce my carbon footprint and help save the planet. Ironically, living green also saves serious "green".

Yes, I guess I have channeled my inner "no really, she's for real housewife!" and I don't feel bad about it at all. ;-)

Las Vegas Still Needs to Grow Up & Eat More Variety

Yes, I arrived home yesterday. And yes, I'll jump back into the political scene tomorrow. But in the mean time, I want to talk about my other passion. No, that kind... FOOD, silly!

Orange County, where I'm originally from, is blessed with so much good food of all different ethnic backgrounds and price points. And while some of the best food in the world can be found here in Las Vegas, I actually think Orange County's palette may be more mature. Why? Take a look at the neighborhoods.

Below is a comment I recently made at one of my fave local blogs, John Curtas' Eating Las Vegas. It arose out of a discussion on all the same ol' steakhouses that plague our town. If you agree with me, tell me about the dining options in your part of the valley. If you don't, then tell me what I'm missing.

I guess I was just too spoiled when I lived right in the heart of Orange County, between the fancy, schmancy South Coast Plaza fine dining scene, the Latino (Mexican, Salvadoran, Guatemalan, etc.) flavors in Downtown Santa Ana, and the many Asian choices in Garden Grove/Westminster (Vietnamese, Korean), Costa Mesa (Japanese), and Irvine (Indian, Korean, and Chinese). Like the rest of Southern California, OC isn’t so much a “melting pot” as it is a “tossed salad” of all sorts of ethnic flavors, “Casual California Cuisine”, and fine dining. Last week, it was nice to explore some of this again.

In many ways, the culinary scene here in Las Vegas is more sophisticated than SoCal spots (away from LA) like Orange County, as the fine dining restaurants concentrated on The Strip and scattered in some spots Downtown, Summerlin, and here in Henderson are among the best in the nation. But on the other hand, I feel it isn’t as mature precisely because we don’t yet have the various unique holes in the wall thriving in neighborhoods all over the valley that Orange County takes for granted.

Now yes, we’re starting to see this. “Chinatown” on Spring Mountain is a good start. So are the Mexican places on The East Side. So are the mom-and-pop shops that are scattered around town. I just hope that with economic recovery will come more of these, more neighborhood eateries that offer a unique experience and not more of the same Cheesecake Factory/Claim Jumper/Olive Garden/Chili’s/insert-other-national-chains-here monotony that makes so much of The ‘Burbs so boring to my palette.

"Food, Inc." Now Showing in Las Vegas

As I've said before, I'm not a one-trick pony. I have many different interests, with food being one of the top. I LOVE cooking my own meals. I feel so blessed to now have a kitchen big enough and modern enough (don't ask about my old digs in SoCal!) to give me the opportunity to experiment more with my cooking.

However, I must also admit that I enjoy the occasional night out. And yes, when I go out I sometimes like to go "all out" and check out one of those "fancy schmancy dancy" places that get all those rave reviews. That's why I always check out local restaurant John Curtas' wonderful Eating Las Vegas blog before making my next fine dining reservation.

So anyway, I noticed yesterday that John Curtas mentioned "Food, Inc." coming to town. I was quite excited in learning this... Until I found out it's only showing at the Regal theater on Sahara in Summerlin South. Still, I want to make the effort to trek across town to see it. I hope you can, too.

Why? I'll let Mr. Curtas explain:

The message of Food Inc. is that the giant corporations that control our food supply don’t want us to know what we’re eating. Ignorance is bliss to their corporate thinking, and the less we know about how that chicken was raised, or the predatory practices of soybean farming, the more we will continue blissfully strolling down the center aisles of our supermarkets, shoving processed corn, soy and wheat products into our pieholes to their everloving profits and our everlasting doom.

If you’ve read Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation or Michael Pollan’s Ominvore’s Dilemma or In Defense of Food, nothing on the screen will be news to you. But watching an overweight, diabetes-ridden poor family fill up on cheap protein from a fast food window drives home the point that we have sold our souls to high-fructose corn-syrup, genetically-adulterated soy-fed-white-meat-bred-botched-bovine-mad-cow-corporate madness. The thinking of which goes something like: because we can do something (and make a healthy profit) we should do it. [...]

The facts are we are the most unhealthy first world country on the planet – one in five children born after 2000 will suffer from juvenile diabetes – one in two if they come from a minority background.

There is a direct cause and effect between the over-sugared, fat and carb-laden meals that lower income families can feast on, and these statistics. Food Inc. drives home the point that back in the fifties, government subsidies allowed the wheat, corn and soybean mega-farms to produce such an abundance of these easily storable commodities, that it was only a matter of time until food scientists figured out how to adulterate them into virtually every kind of food imaginable. And it’s a short hop from artificially low production costs to a 99 cent Happy Meal.

This is why I mostly stopped eating fast food long, long ago. (And even when I occasionally do, I'm careful about where I order it.) Believe it or not, humans were not made to survive on high-fructose corn syrup, bleached flour, and grease alone. Actually, we shouldn't be having too much of any of that. But thanks to an outdated agricultural regime that refers to corporate agribusiness as "family farmers" as they give them subsidy after subsidy to keep producing this garbage that plagues many communities (especially poorer inner city communities) in nearby fast-food joints and convenience stores, we now have an obesity epidemic and scores of health problems that were unimaginable not that long ago.

Sometimes, I feel guilty that I can go to Trader Joe's and buy fresh, local, and organic produce while even some in my family (especially the ones living in poorer inner city areas in places like San Francisco & Orange County) say they usually can only afford that greasy "McMeal Combo" or pre-packaged convenience store sandwich. It's sad that the inequality in this society even extends to the very food we eat. Many of us can enjoy the better food in life while others are pretty much forced to eat this synthetic crap.

So anyway, please see "Food, Inc." at the Regal theater in Summerlin South. And once you're done seeing the film, consider doing something to give more people access to the good food that so many of us take for granted.