thank you. not many places are equipped with the presses or guerdions to do this sort of thing & i just missed out on in participating in a similar dinner at the place i experienced pressed duck the first time. i am looking for a little luxury. my preference is the duck is asphyxiated table side.

Yeah i understand what you're looking for. Not sure you'll find it in Vegas but I would love to hear about it if you do.

I want to hear more about this asphyxiated duck...

I know Daniel Boulud in NYC has a duck press but not sure if that's even on the menu these days. I don't know of any restaurant in Vegas that serves it but honestly it's such a classic dish that it almost requires a certain setting to go along with it, and I'm not sure Vegas is that setting. I would just try I hit up La tour Argent next time you are in Paris.

Also, is the asphyxiation thing for real? I always thought it was pressed after being roasted and having the meat removed. I can't imagine seeing the bird get killed tables increasing appetite. Wouldn't it also drastically increase the amount of waiting time?

Ok so this is a review of all the places we went.

Delmonico (7.5/10) - We started off with the lobster bisque (my wife believes this to be the best lobster bisque she has ever had)and the arancini (daily special). I got a glass of wine and my wife got a mojito which according to her was amazing. She was not very hungry so she had the carpaccio as a mani course, which was good but not amazing. I had a filet mignon which was good but nothing memorable. For dessert we had this banana cream pie. I honestly hated it and thought it was basically a bunch of raw bananas and whipped cream, but my wife loved it so not sure where it really stands, but according to them it's their signature dessert.

Lavo (8.2/10) - We got their signature appetizer, the mac and cheese, which was really solid. I got the chicken and waffles and my wife got the lemon ricotta waffles. Her waffles were good but honestly she makes better waffles than those at home. The chicken and waffles on the other hand were AMAZING. Best chicken and waffles I have ever had. The chicken was breaded in Captain Crunch batter which gave it a sweet delicious taste, and the sauces that came with it were amazing. Highly suggest going there for brunch.

Yardbird (7/10) - First of all this place prob had the coolest setting. Very southern looking and overall inviting. We got a few things to share but pretty much everything on the menu looked delicious. We split their signature dish the Lewellyns fine fried chicken and the mini bacon donuts. The chicken was solid, the donuts were not great. Overall it was good and the ambience was cool but the food was kind of disappointing.

Bouchon (7.8/10) - Like Lavo this place has a cool outside patio. We started with their beignets which were solid and they came with a NUTELLA sauce. I love nutella so that was awesome for me, but according to my wife they were just OK. I got the brioche doree which was basically a bread pudding version of a french toast. It was not what I was expecting but I still loved it. My wife had the American breakfast but she swapped the potatoes for Lyonnaise potatoes which were delicious. All in all a very solid breakfast place, and one of the few places that offered breakfast everyday.

Sage (9.5/10) - This place was AWESOME. We were starving so we got there early and it was kind of weird because noone was there but the service was attentive and the waitress suggested some awesome food. We got the slow poached organic egg and the foie gras custard brulee. These were the two signature appetizers that they recommended. Honestly they were both incredible. They were kind of small but packed with flavor. My wife got the green garlic soup as a meal which we loved. I had kobe skirt steak which was also delicious. We got the dark chocolate pannacotta and the lemon cheesecake for dessert. They were both solid but probably the weakest portion of the meal. At the end of the meal they brought out some shots of this non alcoholic white chocolate rosemary milk drink. My wife LOVED it. It was a nice finish touch on an amazing meal. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Nobu (9.5/10) - My wife and I are debating if this one should be ahead of Sage but honestly I think that meal-wise this is dead even, both places being outstanding. I will say we had Nobu at the Atlantis and we loved it but this one was potentially even better than that one. We started off with the crispy rice with big eye tuna, good but probably the weakest of the dishes. We then got the yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno. This was very solid, were big fans of anything wt dry miso and a kick so this was right up our alley. We then got ordered the black cod miso which is a must. The fish just melted in your mouth, fun fact, apparently they cook it on a sweet potato. Last but not least we got this sushi roll that was off the menu, the new style salmon belly roll. I am not exaggerating here when I say this is one of the best things I have EVER eaten. My wife and I went back the next day and ordered two more of these because we were obsessed with it. We had the vanilla tart and the donuts for dessert. Good but nothing special. The second time around we got the banana spring rolls and I think they were probably slightly better than the other two desserts.

Morels (7.5/10) - This was the other place at the Venetian open for breakfast during weekdays so it became a go to spot since we pretty much just did breakfast/brunch and dinner. This is in the same category as Lavo and Bouchon, the patio is really nice and like the other places the service is awesome. We split a croque madame which was solid, my wife got the waffles and I got the stuffed french toast. Honestly this was a really solid french toast, the banana mascarpone cream was delicious. Highly recommend it if you happen to be at the Palazzo for breakfast.

Olives (8.2/10) - This is one of our go-to spots when in Vegas. We try to hit it for lunch since it pretty much offers the same things but you get the extra view of the Bellagio fountain. We always get the carpaccio here. Honestly we have not found a better carpaccio than here. I also love their bread and olive spreads they bring out when you sit down. We got their Portobello flatbread which was also delicious, very cheesy and with a hint of truffle oil. I got the gnocchi as my entree which were good but not great and my wife got the spaghetti with the vongole which were spicy but good. For dessert we had the banana tiramisu and their lava cake. The tiramisu was delicious, the lava cake was pretty standard. Still always a solid spot for lunch.

Cut (8.4/10) - Ok so we went to cut after all the thread hype. It was interesting, since we never had japanese wagyu, but honestly for the price I'd rather go to Nobu or Sage any day. When we got there the place was semi empty, the seating was comfortable and they brought out some delicious cheesy bread sticks. We got the maple glazed pork belly appetizer. This was not great, not a lot of flavor and kind of hard. My wife got the Maine lobster and crab appetizer as a meal, she did not like it. I got the special which was NY Strip tasting: 4Oz dry aged, 4Oz American Wagyu, 2 Oz Japanese Wagyu. It was amazing but still not worth the money IMO. We also had the wild mushroom and mac and cheese sides which were delicious. I prob will not go back.

Fix (7/10) - Honestly we know this place is never awesome but it has some solid appetizers and we just get a bunch of those. We always the the adult mac and cheese and the kobe chili fries. Those two are delicious. This time we also got the spicy tuna and the yellowtail and jalapeno sashimi. They were OK but after two visits and Nobu it was terrible in comparison. I got the sliders which were OK but not delicious. Overall and ok place to get some snacks. Has steak here a few years back and I dont remember it being bad. Was bummed out they got rid of the truffle parmesan wedges, those were awesome. Dessert was also solid, we got their apple donuts and the banana bread pudding.

I will mention I tried going to Kabuto a couple nights and they had no reservations available... Next year i will plan ahead!

Pretty sure he was kidding

Great report gna.

Thanks for reporting back.

Great write ups gna.

my only experience trying pressed duck was as a member/guest of small food & wine society. sort of like a chaines du rotisseurs event except the member who organized it was a rather high functioning sociopath. they presented the live ducks,did one of them in, plucked & butchered it for demonstration purposes before sending it to the kitchen where iirc they were roasted. a couple hours later they were brought out, butchered some more, pressed & the breasts i believe got sauteed with the liquid (marrow,blood,organs etc..) plus cognac & thickened with lots of butter.

ugh nothing would ruin my appetite like having an animal killed table side.

you understand why restaurants open to the public would have a real issue with slaughtering live ducks in the dining room.

There might even be a no slaughter rule in Clark County.

of course, but many restaurants have private rooms for small groups.
i never considered the legality of it.

Especially since they probably void fairly quickly post-mortem. Mmmmm.

Gna: awesome reviews

Apocalypse: I had never heard of this, but now I'm fascinated with it and must try it. Calling ahead before my next trip to New Orleans: http://www.nola.com/dining/index.ssf...ssed_duck.html

That does not sound appetizing in the least. JFC.

I'm sure it's alot better when you get to see the poor duck killed in front of you and the blood drained from its lifeless corpse.

Rbk,

I bet you are a hypocrite when it comes to live scallop!

mmmmmmm live scallops!
now you're making me hungry!

actually the duck is asphyxiated to maintain the blood! that is how they make the yummy.

This is strange. I was there on Friday the 29th at 8:30 and there were literally 3 people in the entire restaurant. I thought it was good but not as mind-blowing as the first time I went, last year.

I called on Thursday and they said they had nothing for that night, Friday or Saturday. I guess they lied or someone ddnt show up...

i am emailing guy savoy & robuchon re: pressed duck & will report back.
on the subject of french perversions, has anyone ever had ortolan?

ortalon are tiny songbirds. they are captured alive during migration, force fed a bit & then literally drowned in armagnac before roasting. i have never had the experience,but they are meant to be eaten whole in one bite or at least put in your mouth whole.

tony on ortolan:

"With every bite, as the thin bones and layers of fat, meat, skin, and organs compact in on themselves, there are sublime dribbles of varied and wondrous ancient flavors: figs, Armagnac, dark flesh slightly infused with the salty taste of my own blood as my mouth is pricked by the sharp bones. As I swallow, I draw in the head and beak, which, until now, have been hanging from my lips, and blithely crush the skull."

Apocalypse,

Balut first course, ortolan second course, pressed duck main course, who the **** knows what's for dessert!

Devil,

For dessert you get to sacrifice a virgin obv.

And then...funnel cakes.