The Barrymore

One of my friends I met in Vegas really wanted to try out a restaurant call The Barrymore.  I had also heard good things about it, so we all agreed to dine there on our second night in Vegas.  The restaurant is owned by Block 16 Hospitality, which is a restaurant conglomerate that owns three other restaurants that I like, being Holstein's, Public House, and Flour and Barley.  Since I liked the other restaurants, The Barrymore came with high expectations.

Below are the menu items we tried and my opinions of them:
Oysters Rockefeller- served with creamy spinach, prosciutto, Pernod, and bread crumbs.  They were very rich, but extremely flavorful and some of the best I can remember in recent memory

Barrymore Caesar- romaine, serrano ham, garlic Caesar dressing, and a split anchovy.  I get the fact that Caesar dressing is traditionally made with anchovies, but I didn't care for the anchovy on my salad.  The ham was good and the lettuce was crispy, but the salad did have a taste that was a little too fishy for my personal taste.

Bone-in Ribeye- Without a doubt, this is my favorite cut of steak and I am a firm believer in the greatness of most dry aged ribeyes, however, this steak was a huge disappointment.  I love a well-marbled steak, but this one was overly-fatty, tough, and under-seasoned.

Sides- the table shared three sides, which were the creamed spinach, the mashed potatoes, and the lobster cream corn.  The spinach was the best of the three, but barely memorable.  The mashed potatoes were tasteless and the lobster and cream corn just tasted funny to me.

While I have had worse dining experiences in Vegas, this certainly wasn't one of the best i have had.  The service was good enough, but the food was a disappointment, with the exception of the Oysters Rockefeller.  While we all liked the feel and vibe of the place, it just didn't hit a home run with our picky crew.  I don't mind spending money on nice meals, but this meal was not worth the money we spent.

THE BARRYMORE
http://www.barrymorelv.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=2

Secret Pizza

In addition to our love of college basketball and the NCAA Tourney, one of my Vegas buddies also happens to be a foodie. When we arrived in Vegas, he started telling me about a pizza joint inside The Cosmopolitan.  He said the name of the place is called Secret Pizza  and that it is supposed to be legit pizza and gets it's name from the fact it doesn't have a website or any signage that signifies where to find it.  In fact, The Cosmopolitan doesn't even list it under the restaurants in the hotel.  

Entrance to Secret Pizza

Basically, you have to wonder aimlessly in search of it or ask somebody that knows where it is.  Not wanting to look like cheaters, we went in search of it and decided not to ask anyone where it was.  After about 5 minutes, we saw a man carrying a pizza box out of an unassuming hallway and we knew that we had found what we were looking for.  The line was fairly short and we both had a couple of slices in hand within five minutes of entering the hallway.  The pepperoni pizza was simply outstanding and some of the best I have had in recent memory.  The pizza was piping hot and bursting with flavor.  

Pepperoni

Since we liked it so much, we actually made a return trip in he wee morning hours approximately 14 hours after our first visit.  Luckily for us, it was still open, but we were unlucky in the fact that the line was all the way down the hallway and took 30 minutes to place our order.  On the second visit, I ordered sausage and it was comparable in quality to the pepperoni I had previously.  Although spicy sausage pizza at 3:00 AM might not have been the best decision I made in Vegas, I have certainly made worse decisions.  If you like pizza and want to go looking for this place, you will not be disappointed in this speakeasy-like pizza place.

Sausage Pizza

Secret Pizza
https://www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=4

B&B Burger & Beer

Although I have my favorite restaurants that I enjoy visiting while in Vegas, I also like trying new restaurants.  While in town for the opening weekend of March Madness, my buddies and I decided to try out B&B Burgers & Beer, which was conveniently located across from the sportsbook at The Venetian.  Although the restaurant was packed, my friends and I were able to secure some seating where we could still watch the big TVs at the sportsbook.  

In addition to a few speciality burgers, the menu also boast a build your own burger menu with various buns and toppings.  I chose to create my own with bacon, cheddar, and garlic aioli on a pretzel bun.  It was a good burger with quality ingredients.  Whereas most pretzel buns are somewhat tough, this one was extremely light and fluffy, yet still had the pretzel taste.

Bacon Cheeseburger on a Pretzel Bun w/fries

Several sides are offered, including fries, onion rings, slaw, chips, warm potato salad, and lettuce wedges.  I was able to sample both the fries and the onion rings.  The fries were pretty good, but the tempura onion rings were really good.

Onion Rings

It ended up being a pretty good meal and I would go back there again.  While not my favorite burger joint in Sin City, it was certainly above average.  While we were pleased with the food, we were not pleased with the outcome of the game we were watching and had put money on.  Oh well, you win some and you lose some.  The food was was winner.

B&B Burger & Beer
http://www.venetian.com/restaurants/american/b-and-b-burger-and-beer.html
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Scarpetta

On our first night in Vegas, my wife said that she was in the mood for Italian.  Before going on my trip, I had researched various Italian restaurants and Scarpetta seemed to be getting a lot of buzz from bloggers and diners alike.  Scarpetta is Scott Conant's (celebrity chef and Chopped judge) flagship restaurant and we were quite anxious to try this upscale Italian restaurant at The Cosmopolitan.

From our table, we had a cool view of the Bellagio fountains

Bread Basket

We were lucky enough to get a table with a view of the Bellagio fountains.  The beautiful view was one of the best I have ever had while dining in Vegas.  Our waiter also brought out a bread basket that included an excellent variety of breads with some flavorful spreads.  For our first dish we started with the Braised Short Ribs, which sat atop a mixture of farro risotto and diced vegetables.  This flavor of the dish was outstanding and raised our expectations for the restaurant even more.  Without question, this was the best dish I have had so far in 2015. 

Braised Short Ribs

For our entrees, we ordered the highly praised Spaghetti and the Fennel Dusted Black Cod.  The spaghetti was very simple, but the noodles had a perfect texture and the sauce was divine.  The cod dish sat atop concentrated tomatoes and roasted fennel.  While the cod was very good, the roasted fennel might have been my favorite part of the dish.

Spaghetti

Fennel Dusted Black Cod

Since everything we had sampled so far was very good, we couldn't leave without sampling a dessert.  We ordered the Amedei Chocolate Cake that came with toasted almond gelato and salted caramel sauce.  This dessert was the perfect ending to a perfect meal.  The flavors of chocolate, almond, and caramel blended perfectly into an amazing dessert.

Amedei Chocolate Cake with toasted almond gelato and salted caramel sauce

In addition to the excellent food, the service was outstanding.  While enjoying our meal, we were able to see the Bellagio fountains fountains erupt twice.  This meal was certainly worth the short walk from The Palazzo to The Cosmopolitan and I will definitely add this restaurant to my list of Vegas favorites.  

Scarpetta
http://www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/taste/restaurant-collection/scarpetta.aspx
Livin the Good Life Rating=5

Table 10

I usually don't post about places that I just have a quick snack or an appetizer.  Sometimes a restaurant has an appetizer that is just too good not share with the world.  Table 10, another Emeril Lagasse restaurant in Vegas, is one of those places.  

Table 10 is one of the few places I have found in Vegas that actually has a Happy Hour menu that includes snacks.  I have hung out, watched games, and snacked at Table 10 the last three trips I have taken to the city.  I enjoyed the place so much that I thought I should introduce my wife to my favorite place to snack and watch games.  Now they have several appetizers/snacks that are good, but there is one that stands out as possibly my favorite snack of all time.    

Bar and Kitchen Area at Table 10

The Candied North Country Farm Bacon is one of the best foods I have ever put in my mouth.  The bacon slices are fairly thick and served five to an order.  The dish is somewhat sweet, but is also somewhat spicy.  Although the bacon is good by itself, it is also served with maple syrup that just adds to the greatness of the snack.  I consider myself a connoisseur of bacon and the Candied North Country Farm Bacon at Table 10 is the best bacon I have ever had.

Candied North Country Farm Bacon…the ultimate honor for a pig!

We actually snacked here three days in a row to watch some of the games that I had money on.  One day, we also tried the cheese plate, which included three types of cheese, honey, jam, apple slices, and crackers.  The cheese platter was great and my wife absolutely loved it, but we both agreed it paled in comparison to the candied bacon.

Cheese Plate

One of these days, I am actually going to eat lunch or dinner at Table 10.  They have several menu items that I want to try.  In the meantime, I will always have the beautiful memories of the amazing, wonderful, and beautiful Candied North Country Farm Bacon.

Table 10
http://www.emerilsrestaurants.com/table-10
Livin the Good Life Rating = 4

The Buffet at Wynn

On our last morning in Vegas, my wife and I were in the mood for a late breakfast that would fill our bellies so we could gamble through lunch.  Since we had not hit a buffet on this visit, I Googled "Best Breakfast Buffet in Vegas".  The Buffet at Wynn showed up on several websites, so we journeyed the quarter mile from our rooms at the Palazzo to the Wynn.

Short wait in line

There was a small line when we arrived, but it moved quickly and we were seated within fifteen minutes.  With a name like "The Buffet", you might expect to find a simple buffet.  The Buffet at the Wynn is anything but simple.  My wife compared the dining area to a set from Alice in Wonderland.  Colorful decorations and flowers are everywhere in the dining area.

Just going to all the buffet stations helped me burn some of the calories I ingested.

The buffet itself was very impressive.  They had so many different stations, that I didn't even make it to all of them.  I ate breakfast until I hurt.  I tried twelve to fifteen different items and I cannot remember having anything that I did not enjoy.  Obviously some items were better than others, but nothing I tried was bad.  The three items that were the highlights of my meal were the bacon waffles (it's waffles and bacon, so it has to be good), the ham and egg breakfast pizza (cooked in coal-fired oven), and the green chili  breakfast quesadillas.

Plate #1-Bacon, ham and egg breakfast pizza, corn muffin, breakfast potatoes, and ham

Plate #2-Bacon, green chili breakfast quesadilla, bacon waffle, and chorizo and eggs.

My wife, who usually detests buffets, loved this place as well.  She didn't make as many trips as I did, but she always came back with bacon and a smile on her face.  The fresh squeezed juices and coffee were commendable as well.  Since we were there towards the end of breakfast, they had started putting out desserts for lunch.  I took advantage of my fortuitous timing and got a couple of desserts as well.

Chocolate mint cupcake, strawberry shortcake, and fruit.

If  the items served at lunch and dinner are as good as the items served for breakfast, it is easy to see why USA Today voted it the best buffet in Vegas.  Although I only had breakfast here, I would rank it pretty close to my favorite Las Vegas buffet which is Bacchanal buffet at Caesar's.  Our coffee cups were always filled and our empty plates gone by the time we returned from a trip to the buffet stations, so I was pleased with the service.  At just over $20 a person, the value was good as well.  I would highly recommend The Buffet at They Wynn for breakfast.

The Buffet at The Wynn
http://www.wynnlasvegas.com/Restaurants/CasualDining/TheBuffet
Livin the Good Life Rating = 4

Delmonico Steakhouse

If there is one thing Vegas does right, it is steaks.  There are several really good steakhouses that I have dined at during my many visits to the city.  Prior to this trip, my favorite steakhouse in Vegas was Carnevino.  I made sure that I once again dined at Carnevino on this visit, but I also made reservations to try out one of it's neighbors, Delmonico Steakhouse.

Emeril Lagasse's steakhouse was rated one of the 10 Best Steakhouses in Las Vegas by Las Vegas Weekly and the Las Vegas Sun.  In a city with no shortage of steakhouses, this is high praise indeed.  The night we visited Delmonico was our last night in Vegas, so we were eagerly anticipating this meal on our final night in town.

We arrived a little early for our reservation, but we were seated immediately.  The wait staff quickly took our drink orders after they gave us the rundown of the nightly specials.  My wife decided to start with the gumbo, while I started with the organic baby mixed greens salad.  While we waited for our starters, the very attentive wait staff also brought out some very light and croissant-like roles.  

Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo

When my wife's shrimp and andouille gumbo arrived, I was slightly jealous that I had not ordered it as well.  She said it was the best gumbo she has ever had.  She did let me try a bite and it was an impressive gumbo indeed.  My salad had a sherry vinaigrette dressing, shaved manchego cheese, tomatoes, red onion, and creole spice croutons.  It was a really good salad, but I would have preferred that it had more of the delicious croutons.

Baby Mixed Greens Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

For our entrees, we both ordered the filet and shared a twice-baked potato and grits.  Our filets were nicely charred and topped with a spiced butter that was extremely savory.  The flavor of the steak was delectable and it was one of the best filets I have ever had.  My wife agreed with my assessment and absolutely loved her medium rare delicacy. 

Filet

Not to be outdone, the sides were impressive in their own right.  The twice-baked potato was cooked to perfection with just the right amount of bacon and Vermont cheddar.  As good as the twice-baked potato was, the grits were the best grits I have ever had.  The white cheddar and bacon were the perfect add-ons to the amazing grits.

Bacon and Vermont Cheddar Grits and Twice Baked Potato

We could not leave the restaurant without sampling the desserts.  I ordered the pecan pie and my wife ordered the white chocolate macadamia nut bread pudding.  My pecan pie had an oatmeal crust that gave it an interesting texture.  The French vanilla ice cream and the caramel sauce were the perfect match for this dessert.  I could not have been more pleased with my selection of dessert.  My wife was disappointed in her bread pudding because it was somewhat dry.  Our waitress apologized and brought out some vanilla ice cream to go on top of it.  My wife said the ice cream improved the taste and texture of the dessert, but she agreed with me that the pecan pie was the better of the two.

Pecan Pie

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bread Pudding

Despite my wife's dessert being somewhat disappointing, I cannot say enough good things about my experience at Delmonico Steakhouse.  Having tried Mario Batali's Carnevino and Wolfgang Puck's Cut in the same hotel complex, I can honestly say that Emeril Lagasse's Delmonico is on par with Carnevino and considerably better than Cut.  The food was top notch and the service was outstanding.  My wife and I absolutely loved this place and my next visit to Vegas will include a trip to this outstanding restaurant.

Delmonico Steakhouse
http://www.emerilsrestaurants.com/delmonico-steakhouse
Livin the Good Life Rating = 5

Holsteins

During a visit to Vegas in 2013, I had the pleasure of eating lunch at Public House inside the Venetian Hotel and Casino.  We enjoyed the food at Public House and they had plenty of TVs for us to watch the March Madness games.  I heard from a friend that Block 16 Restaurants, the group that owns Public House, also had a burger joint called Holsteins.  Since I am always up for a good burger, my wife and I ventured down to The Cosmopolitan to give Holsteins a try.

Seasoned Popcorn

We arrived to a busy weekday lunch crowd, but we only had to wait a few minutes before we were seated.  Our waiter brought us waters and seasoned popcorn right away while we perused the menu.  The menu had several delicious-sounding appetizers and "adult" milkshakes.  We decided to start with the buttermilk onion rings and they arrived before we had even decided which entree to order.  The crunchy buttermilk batter was absolutely amazing and they were served with a nice Chipotle aioli dip as well.  These onion rings were unquestionably some of the best onion rings I have ever had.  

Buttermilk Onion Rings with Chipotle Aioli 

Dining Area at Holsteins

Holsteins menu had several appetizing burgers to choose from, including the $28 Billionaire burger that included Foie Gras as a topping.  I decided to pass on that particular burger because I once had a distasteful dining experience involving Foie Gras.  For my entree, I ordered the Gold Standard burger with fries.  The Gold Standard was a dry aged sirloin burger with smoked bacon, aged goat cheddar cheese, tomato confit, baby arugula, and garlic-chive aioli.  The burger was very juicy and the toppings gave it a very unique taste.  This burger gets a thumbs up, but the fries were very bland and a complete disappointment.  Hindsight is 20-20, but I should have just substituted the fries for more onion rings.

The Gold Standard with Fries

My wife had the Maine lobster roll sliders with cole slaw and gave them her stamp of approval.  She allowed me to try a bite and I thought the toasted mini-hot dog bun was a perfect fit for the lobster.  I am usually not a huge fan of lobster rolls, but I would have eaten these any day of the week.

Mini Lobster Rolls and Cole Slaw

Holsteins ended up being an perfect choice for lunch.  The food, with the exception of the fries, was much better than your average burger joint.  The service was good and we did not have to wait more than a few minutes for either our appetizer or our entrees.  Holsteins was a little on the pricey side, so I certainly wouldn't consider it a great value.  Even though it was a little pricey, I would certainly go back because I want to try some of their other burgers.

Holsteins
http://www.holsteinslv.com
Livin the Good Life Rating = 3

Serendipity 3

Serendipity 3

Breakfast is my wife's favorite meal of the day.  I myself am not a "breakfast person", but I do make exceptions when I am with her and I don't have to make it myself.  While visiting Vegas, we noticed that Caesar's Palace had a Serendipity 3.  My wife is a huge fan of it's New York restaurant, so we decided to try out the Vegas location for breakfast.

Dining area of Serendipity 3

The Vegas location of Serendipity 3 is located in front of Caesar's Palace, just off Las Vegas Boulevard.  On the morning we dined at the restaurant, our internal clocks were still on Central Standard Time and we woke up around 7:00 a.m. (which from my vacationing experiences there, is very early by my standards).  We arrived right after they opened for they day and sat down to look at the menu.

Frozen Hot Chocolate

I am usually a fan of coffee in the morning, but I decided to forgo it on this occasion and split the frozen hot chocolate for two with my wife.  This was a drink that we had shared at the NYC location and we both really enjoyed it.  I was pleased that the frozen hot chocolate at the Vegas location was just as good as the one in New York.  The drink is quite large, but we managed to finish it off without any problem.

Cresentwich with breakfast potatoes

Since I was not super-hungry on this particular morning, I decided to just get the breakfast crescentwich with potatoes.  The cresentwich was very filling, but it would have been better with more bacon and less eggs.  The potatoes had excellent seasoning, but mine were slightly over-cooked.  My wife wife was also in the mood for a light breakfast and got the fruit platter with yogurt and granola.  She said she really liked her breakfast, but like myself, thought the frozen hot chocolate was the highlight of our visit.

Fruit platter with yogurt

Our breakfast at Serendipity hit the spot and gave us the needed kick start to a day of shopping for my wife and a day of gambling for myself.  The service was very good and the restaurant had a very casual feel to it.  Although it was a little pricey for my standards, it was pretty comparable to most other Vegas restaurants on the strip.  The frozen hot chocolate here is certainly worthy of a return trip.

Serendipity 3

http://www.caesarspalace.com/restaurants/serendipity-3.html#.UyUAFygf9CM

Livin the Good Life Rating = 2