Not trying to push back, just a personal opinion. Still love Edo.

I have a tentative (as everything in my life now seems to be) trip to Madrid and San Sebastian later this year. Please suggest anything from Michelin (although we have that covered) to street food.

Just posting to hold myself accountable to respond. Both of these places have had my favorite ever restaurant at some point. I’ve been to San Sebastián about half a dozen times for food. My last visit still had covid precautions in place which takes quite away from the very convivial atmosphere that would be there, so I hope it’s back to that at this point

Arzak

I don't want to hijack this thread, but we are doing Akelarre.

san sebastian experienced only once
but if you can stay within the boundary of old town, likely worth it

here's my map of pinchos had

Maybe this should go in the casual thread but thought I’d post the Vegas James Beard finalists. Always a good indication on places to check out. It’s what made me check out Edo along with posts here.

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

DJ Flores, Milpa, Las Vegas, NV
Brian Howard, Sparrow + Wolf, Las Vegas, NV
Steve Kestler, Aroma Latin American Cocina, Henderson, NV
Outstanding Chef

Oscar Amador Edo, Anima by EDO, Las Vegas, NV
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

Kimmie Mcintosh and Josh Mcintosh, MILKFISH Bakeshop, Las Vegas, NV

That makes me even more excited for Sparrow and Wolf!

I have a hard time trying to divide fine and casual dining in LV especially between strip and non-strip pricing.

I think you're fine for sharing it in either thread, but please keep sharing. I know I've gotten a lot of great recommendations from both threads that I likely wouldn't have stumbled upon on my own.

Thanks!

just returned from another trip
no energy right now to share thoughts on toca madera and edo (as well as neko, lamaii, and mon ami gabi in the casual thread) but i'll probably do it sometime tomorrow or the next
visited all with a group of seven, so didn't really take pics

Never get the angry chicken at morimoto, it's just an overwhelming cumin seasoning. Inedible, my girlfriend said she would try to turn it in tacos.Yes we got sushi, but I pulled out a 300 comp voucher. Very underwhelming.

I was extremely unimpressed when I went to morimoto many years ago.

not fine dining at all but Aroma is excellent.

the pastel de queso dessert is one of the best i’ve had all year. pork belly and carne asada tacos, gaucho (large steak sandwich), enchiladas, mole all excellent. only the empanadas underwhelmed.

Toca Madera at 8:45 on a thursday night. party of seven so they gave us our own room and happy they did. the back of the restaurant is filled with music and vibrant conversation about and funded by expense accounts. would be hard to talk amongst a table larger than four.

food was a twist on classic mexican.
great guac, solid enchiladas, nobody ordered steak. first round of cocktails for the ladies were photo-worthy but they say the next was weak and slapped together. shosh*tos hot and salty, calamari just fine. decent reviews from the scallops and branzino entrees. $127 each out the door with drinks.

oh, did i mention halfway through the meal a woman swallowed fire and blew it out her mouth? happened on the main floor as a sideshow.

as for Edo, 7:30 on friday. party of seven reservations, seated at a long table in the front window.
service was seamless, timing a bit rapid but table side you never found your water glass half full and all staff could describe the course on your plate.

ordered from the tasting menu below.

we all added the iberico to start and the scallop for sexto. a couple added the strip instead of beef cheeks, i think they made a mistake

the bluefin with lotus chips and the tart are familiar, the salad unique with greens and a soft blob of warm cheese at the bottom -- loved it. same for the octopus with gallega sauce

add a few bottles of spanish wine for $209 a head total, well worth it

I am looking forward to these casual thread reviews, especially mon ami gabi. Good to hear reviews with a large group of 7. Travelling to Vegas with a similar sized group so keen to hear how restaurants accomodate.

Turns out Sparrow + Wolf has a corkage fee of only $25 (max two bottles), which is fantastic.

Mon ami gabi is Cheesecake Factory quality with a fantastic view. If you are going for the food go to bouchon or even Bobby flays new French restaurant.

What’s the consensus on best tasting menu style restaurant in Vegas right now? Been to all the old Michelin Star level places (robuchon, guy savoy, Picasso, l’atelier, Michael Mina, wing lei), and a bunch of other great Vegas restaurants. Wondering what I might have missed that I should try to go to on a trip soon? Seems like Partage is a favorite in here, anything else?

won't claim the best
but Edo and Anima by Edo have to be up there.

partage, le cirque, bazaar meat, mott 32, and anima are all great choices. partage is still my favorite off-strip option. bazaar meat’s high-end tasting menu has multiple exceptional bites.

i like edo too for a la carte tapas, but anima’s tasting menu was better. one pet peeve for both anima and edo is that group tasting menus come with shared family-style dishes - i prefer when everybody is served an individual dish.

I don’t think you’re going to get quite the same quality as a Robuchon restaurant at Partage but it’s still really good and half the price.

had a similar initial thought last time seated in a group at edo
quick to discover you get half again as much when family style with several women

Sorry in advance for the OT post. I did search the site, but nothing recently came up and I do appreciate advice from this forum. I have Le Bernardin booked for next month. I have never been. Any recommendations? Not for cost reasons, but my GF is leaning to à la carte as everything sounds good and we normally share/swap dishes. I think RED said that he liked the tasting menus on first visit, which I agree with, but are we getting a bad dish here ever? If we do opt for a tasting, then is the wine pairing a must in this scenario (I know the general opinion in this forum is that it's not good value).

IMO you can't go wrong either way. Tastings are great when you're decision fatigued (I usually am), and sometimes they hit you w something you'd never order in a million years and you get your socks knocked off. Otherwise no reason not to a la carte and do what's best for you. Love something? ****, order another one.

I agree about skipping the wine pairing in most cases, but that's just because it's expensive and frankly I usually dont need or want that much wine when im eating -- if I'm drunk by the end of dinner im not even getting full value from the already expensive food menu. Just my .02. Have a pre-dinner cocktail or sparkling wine, and then have 2 glasses of wine over dinner. Way better experience for me, personally.

There's no wrong way to eat a Reese's...

I have also never been to Le Bernardin, but look forward to your trip report!