Las Vegas Fine Dining Thread - Page 120 - Las Vegas Lifestyle Forum - Las Vegas Entertainment and Living Information

In the same boat here, but always think the waiter/waitress gives you the "roll of the eyes" when you split an entree, meaning "my tip just got cut in half." We normally order a bottle of wine, or a few glasses for her and drinks for me, but still get the feeling we are being cheapskates and being a bother.

In fact, we just don't eat as much as we used to and don't want a doggie bag when we are in Vegas. Anybody else get this feeling or am I just being paranoid? How do you think the restaurants view this practice?

To make up for my insecurity, I normally tip 25% plus.

I see a lot of older couples sharing dinners in Vegas. Appetites change as we get older and I have never noticed the staff "rolling their eyes." It's a fact of life as well along with the fact that American portions of some dishes, especially in lower level establishments, are unnecessarily super-sized.

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07-24-2012 , 04:29 PM

#2977

eco74

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Quote:

Originally Posted by CowboyCold

At a classy joint like Cut they're never going to look down on you. Plenty of people split steaks in a steakhouse, they're used to it. They're more likely to be disappointed if you come in and order two steaks and two glasses of water.

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07-24-2012 , 07:05 PM

#2978

Riverman

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Yeah splitting an entree isn't going to piss them off at all if you have wine/drinks/apps/etc. If you walk in and go with tap water and split potatoes and a steak they'll probably be thinking you suck but shouldn't convey that to you in any way.

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07-25-2012 , 03:13 AM

#2979

hobbes9324

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Just agreeing with everyone else - but my wife and I have been splitting entrees for the last 15 years in about every "nice" restaurant in LV. Haven't once felt the staff was upset/irritated or whatever.

OTOH, if they did, I'd probably stiff them and never go back. Which is probably why it hasn't happened, I suppose. I probably should note that for a bunch of reasons we're never dining at 8p on a Friday or Sat. That might make a difference, but I doubt it.....

MM MD

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07-25-2012 , 01:49 PM

#2980

TheMetetrown

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MIX is awful, in case anyone didn't already know. Wasn't expecting much but it took them 4 tries to cook my steak medium-rare. I got well done, then a new steak raw in the middle, then the same one just below rare, then finally a medium-rare. The service was pretty lackluster too with a complete lack of communication throughout.

I've sent back like 2 steaks in my entire life of 100+ steaks in restaurants, it was that bad.

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07-25-2012 , 07:19 PM

#2981

McMelchior

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Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMetetrown

I completely agree that a restaurant of the caliber of Mix should be able to cook a perfect steak 10 times out of 10.

With that said, (ordering and) rating an Alain Ducasse restaurant based on how a steak is cooked is like rating a Lambourgini based on the quality of the headlights.

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07-25-2012 , 08:05 PM

#2982

eco74

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Originally Posted by McMelchior

With that said, (ordering and) rating an Alain Ducasse restaurant based on how a steak is cooked is like rating a Lambourgini based on the quality of the headlights.

If they can't even get a steak right, I think he's right to rate them awful.

And I've been there, years ago. Totally overrated.

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07-25-2012 , 08:11 PM

#2983

Thousand Tigers

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Quote:

Originally Posted by eco74

If they can't even get a steak right, I think he's right to rate them awful.

And I've been there, years ago. Totally overrated.

I haven't bothered with the restaurant side since I've only heard bad things, but i still like to take people who are first-time Vegas goers up for a martini and the amazing view.

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07-25-2012 , 08:30 PM

#2984

madlex

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Originally Posted by McMelchior

With that said, (ordering and) rating an Alain Ducasse restaurant based on how a steak is cooked is like rating a Lambourgini based on the quality of the headlights.

If the headlights malfunction and cause a crash, you are prolly rating the Lamborghini based on that.

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07-25-2012 , 09:03 PM

#2985

McMelchior

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Quote:

Originally Posted by madlex

If the headlights malfunction and cause a crash, you are prolly rating the Lamborghini based on that.

I'm glad you got my point

In the mean time over the years I've enjoyed 6 or 7 very good meals at Mix, without one single miss, including the probably best starter ever served for me (Ducasse's classic "Dungeness Crab Martini").

Consistency is clearly a most important factor for a high end restaurant, but characterizing a restaurant as "awful" based on a single mis-executed dinner item is IMHO more than just hasty; or are you guys now completely dismissing for instance Charlie Palmer Steak after the Anthony Bourdain incident a month ago?

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07-26-2012 , 06:26 AM

#2986

madlex

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Originally Posted by McMelchior

or are you guys now completely dismissing for instance Charlie Palmer Steak after the Anthony Bourdain incident a month ago?

I don't care what Mrs. Bourdain says. But if I had a relly bad experience the first time I visit a high end restaurant, I won't come back.

If I make a $7-mistake at a cheap restaurant, I might give it another try and get something else. But if I pay >$100 for fine dining, I'd be so mad at myself for making the same mistake twice, that I wouldn't take the risk.

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07-26-2012 , 09:57 AM

#2987

KenoVictoryLap

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Quote:

Originally Posted by McMelchior

I'm glad you got my point

If Charlie Palmer took 4 shots at a steak to get it right, I would write them off.

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07-26-2012 , 10:47 PM

#2988

amoeba

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I wouldn't really even call MIX a Ducasse restaurant. Sure his name is on it but thats about it.

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07-27-2012 , 05:13 AM

#2989

McMelchior

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Quote:

Originally Posted by amoeba

I wouldn't really even call MIX a Ducasse restaurant. Sure his name is on it but thats about it.

Obviously there's pretty strong agreement above that Mix sucks balls in the eyes of anybody but your humble & apparently deluted poster.

Leaving that to luck and individual taste, I'm curious to why you would disavow Ducasse's influence there - more than for instance over Benoit and Adour in NYC?

AFAIK Alain Ducasse
- opened and owns Mix
- employed, supervised and trained chef Jason Arbusto over 10 years
- is directly responsible for around 30 - 40% of the usual menu items.

???

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07-27-2012 , 04:13 PM

#2990

JayLV

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Quote:

Originally Posted by McMelchior

Leaving that to luck and individual taste, I'm curious to why you would disavow Ducasse's influence there - more than for instance over Benoit and Adour in NYC?

AFAIK Alain Ducasse
- opened and owns Mix
- employed, supervised and trained chef Jason Arbusto over 10 years
- is directly responsible for around 30 - 40% of the usual menu items.

???

Because he's there for maybe 1-2 days a year?

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07-27-2012 , 04:31 PM

#2991

eco74

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I have no way of backing this up, but I would make a guess that of all the absentee famous chefs with a restaurant in Vegas, Alain Ducasse is the most absent of them all.

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07-29-2012 , 12:30 AM

#2992

Broberts06

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Has anyone been to or have feedback regarding the new Masa teppan grill called Tetsu? Unfortunately I will not be in lv for a bit, but I'm pretty curious how this place will turn out.

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08-02-2012 , 08:37 PM

#2993

riverdog

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Gin and tonic trip report:

Using all the ingredients except the two juniper berries, and with regular ice instead of ball ice, I've gotten close to the Jaleo recipe but can't quite get it right. Is it mint in the glass? I have assumed so. Played with various amounts of Hendricks and different bruisings and cuttings of the fruit as well as mixing up the temperatures of the ingredients. Not quite there. But a really good gin and tonic. I'll have to go back and observe several makings more closely over caviar egg. Meanwhile, <hick>, back to the lab.

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08-03-2012 , 04:55 PM

#2994

eco74

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Not speaking to the gin and tonic specifically, but for cocktails the ice does matter. Not just the size and shape of it, but what kind of water they're using.

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08-03-2012 , 08:43 PM

#2995

Shiftyeye7

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Quote:

Originally Posted by riverdog

Is it mint in the glass?.

no, it's lemon verbana

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloysia_citrodora

hope that helps

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08-03-2012 , 09:52 PM

#2996

riverdog

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Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 166

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shiftyeye7

no, it's lemon verbana

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloysia_citrodora

hope that helps

Outstanding sir. Will create ice with twice-filtered water, switch to lemon verbana, and ask for confirmation about those being juniper berries. Anyone know the amount of gin used? I've tried 1to 2 ounces and prefer 1.75 allowing some ice to melt but it's not quite right.

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08-03-2012 , 10:24 PM

#2997

Thousand Tigers

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Quote:

Originally Posted by riverdog

I applaud you in your quest, and I love gin. But most bartenders will be more than happy to tell you the ingredients/method if you ask. Have you asked?

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08-03-2012 , 10:56 PM

#2998

Shiftyeye7

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they are juniper berries. my wife is a bar manager and she found the recipe somewhere. i'll get it from her and post it

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08-03-2012 , 11:09 PM

#2999

Shiftyeye7

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2 oz hendricks
3 oz tonic (they use fever tree)
5 juniper berries
4 lemon verbana leaves

you can make a spherical ice cube by freezing a water balloon

gl

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08-04-2012 , 04:27 PM

#3000

eco74

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Shiftyeye7

2 oz hendricks
3 oz tonic (they use fever tree)
5 juniper berries
4 lemon verbana leaves

you can make a spherical ice cube by freezing a water balloon

gl

How do you get the ice to not taste like a water balloon?

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