good TR mephisto.

but, medium well, really? :-)

DOING IT WRONG.

I really suggest you get it rare next time. Report back to me.

I've had a 15 year or so reluctance to even go to Spago...I live in LA and it's such the epitome of faux trendiness. Even if it's good.

I'm going to be in Vegas last weekend of this month. Looking for a great seafood meal one night. Recommendations?

Have any of you eaten at American Fish in Aria yet? How was it?

michael mina at bellagio imo ^^^^

Anyone been to Sinatra at Encore?

How can anyone order a steak cooked more than med-rare? I used to work in an upper class restaurant and it always confused the staff when someone bought an expensive steak and asked for it med well or well.

I used to order my steaks well done. There's a massive thread on 2+2 about steaks and I read it all. I'm working my way down slowly, it's a work in progress.

I'm just curious, why the hesitation? Why get it more well done?

because "some people" gross out eating blood. you should know that.

I cooked in restaurants for years and I eat my steak med-rare but I never understood this kind of thinking. Some people like their steak med-well and they want to eat at a nice restaurant. They should order it med-well. They shouldn't order their steak such that they won't like it no matter what any snooty food 'expert' says. And if they want to drench it in ketchup, it's their steak, drench away.

I agree. "Snooty food experts" are the same people who berate fish at the poker table for playing like fish.

Snooty food experts provide people all over the world with very large amounts of joy and satisfaction by preparing the best meals, recommending the best meals, and serving the best meals.

There's nothing like a good Omakase or chef's tasting menu where the snooty food experts tell you exactly what to eat and you have no say in it.

[snooty food expert] Actually for really marbled beef such as real Kobe, especially if its like a fatty cut like a Kobe Ribeye, its better to have it at medium to medium well. But for all other steak, generally I prefer medium rare. [/snooty food expert]

I'm going to guess you said that only as a witty quip. Surely you can't believe in a statement like this. I'm sure there are "SFE" 's who berate fish, but there are also tons of other people that berate fish. You're just trying to insult people now.

Snooty food experts are more likely to be found on internet forums than in restaurant kitchens or behind a sushi bar. I'd contend that most of the food experts running successful restaurants have learned to not be so snooty about it.

No, snooty food experts are equivelent to the people who pull fish at the table asside and try to hook them up with lessons so they can broaden their horizons as see the game holistically but developing a range of hands that their opponent may be playing - rather than only looking at their own cards like a one-eyed cyclops.

I love snooty food experts, they arent at all snooty.... but they are great teachers. If your the type to ignore your teachers growing up, or the type that needs to learn life's lessons on your own rather than learn from someone else's experience then the food expert is more likely to be snooty in your eyes, in my eyes they are artisans who understand the product far more than I do, I want to learn from their education experience. The best dining experiences I have ever had were restauraunts that the hoi-polloi say are run by snooty food experts, thank you snooty food experts!

I say, you're quite welcome old bean.

Found this article in the OOT life trick thread and I thought that you food snobs would enjoy it:

http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000...?currentPage=3

It's about a guy who went around NYC and tried to tip his way into the most hard to get into restaurants.

Medium rare, otherwise you have just wasted $100 on a steak that tastes like it came from ruby Tuesday's.

Also, any opinions on Alex vs Joel Robuchon? I realize Robuchon is a bit pricier but I've heard some less than glowing reviews and at that price I want perfection!

Have you had medium well Kobe? I promise you it tastes nothing like Ruby Tuesday's. The classic Japanese way to have Kobe is to have it medium or medium well in small chunks. Having it medium rare in a large steak form is really more of an American concoction.

Yes-- the best Kobe, imo, is cooked to medium-rare by sous vide and then seared before service. I've never had it in Japan though. Obv my comparison to a steak at ruby tuesday's is an exaggeration.

Out of all the Michelin restaurants in Vegas, Alex would be my least favorite.... I would go with Rubuchon, Picasso or Guys Savoy.

Interesting-- mind if I ask what what you didn't like about Alex? Currently have reservations there for anniversary and would appreciate any additional info.

I copied this from a TR I wrote a while ago. I tend to be a little particular about fine dining. If I went there again (and I probably will) I would stay away from the tasting menu but ask for wine pairings with the dishes. For an anniversary I think the ambiance would be really nice.

Christmas night we had the tasting menu with wine pairing at Alex. We had heard quite a bit about Alex and were looking forward to trying it as eating and drinking are my main hobby (I only wish I were kidding). The restaurant itself is beautiful – deep rich brown tones with perfect lighting and thick brocade damask drapes along with the required purse stool for the ladies. I am sorry to say that I was underwhelmed with the food. The menu was quite heavy and the portions were large for a tasting. Even the amuse bouche was 5 pieces and it was 5 pieces that didn’t quite go together. By no means is the food bad, just not quite up to what I would expect from a 2 star Michelin restaurant as there was more than one item that wasn’t seasoned properly. The one standout on the menu was the foie gras with huckleberry. One of the best preparations of foie gras ever with so many subtle flavors of sweet and savory in addition to being paired with a late harvest red….
The wine pairing overall I thought was phenomenal and quite exquisite. I don’t want to get anyone in trouble so I won’t say who it was, but one of the employees at Alex was mentioning that when he had visitors come in he wasn’t sure if they were going to go to Joel Rubichon or Guy Savoy, so I thought that was telling… and also made me feel a little better in my assessment of the food.