Pepper Place Market Tomatoes. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
I love Farmer’s Markets. Maybe it’s because I grew up on a farm and you can’t ever take the country out of the girl. Whatever the reason, I love wandering along those rows of produce, looking at the colors, the vibrant hues of nature’s bounty, savoring the smells, sampling the freshness.
The big red tomatoes are my favorites. I’m really partial to heirloom tomatoes. Those lovely purplish ones are indescribable. Big juicy strawberries always pull me in — red and sweet, I can imagine my grandma’s strawberry pie just by catching a whiff of them. Oh, and the peaches. When you find a good peach, the very smell has your mouth salivating.
But there is more than produce at the best Farmer’s Markets. You’ll find fresh baked breads, jellies and jams, honey, cakes and pies, flowers…
One of the best Farmer’s Markets I’ve visited is the Pepper Place Saturday Market in Birmingham, Alabama. This great market, located at 2829 2nd Avenue South, is open from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. It features farmers, bakers, beekeepers, cooking demos, flowers, and performances by local musicians. I was even able to get a package of the grits I’d had that morning for breakfast — Stone Ground Organic White Grits from McEwen & Sons in nearby Wilsonville.
Penton Farms Peaches. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
Pepper Place Market Sunflowers. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
The Pepper Place Saturday Market is open March 15 through October 9, then the market transforms into the Harvest and Holiday Market from October 16 through December 4.
Cafe Mocha at The Red Cat. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
When I visited the Pepper Place Saturday Market, I also took a few minutes to wander into The Red Cat Coffee House (formerly O’Kafes). This great little coffee shop is TransFairUSA Certified, serving up organically grown, 100% Free Trade coffees. I had a great Café Mocha, with whipped cream of course. The shop is at 2901 2nd Avenue South, in the renovated Martin Biscuit Building.
Farmer’s Markets have popped up all across the country. Check one out in your neighborhood. Take in the sights of the beautiful aisles of colorful produce, sample some great food, and head home to create dishes with fabulously fresh food.
There’s really little more filled with wonder than a juicy, plump heirloom tomato.
Pepper Place Market Peppers. Photo by Susan Lanier-Graham
Pepper Place Saturday Market
2829 2nd Avenue South
Birmingham, AL
http://www.pepperplacemarket.com
The Red Cat Coffee Shop
2901 2nd Avenue South
Birmingham, AL
http://theredcatcoffeehouse.com
Mountain Harbor Resort porch offers lake view. Photo courtesy Mountain Harbor Resort & Spa
Mountain Harbor Resort & Spa on Lake Ouachita in Arkansas is both family vacation resort and luxury holiday spot. Located on the shores of Arkansas’s largest lake, less than a half hour from Hot Springs, Mountain Harbor is the ideal vacation spot.
As I drove into what I’d been told was a luxury resort, I loved the seclusion, but I didn’t know what to expect. I knew there was a spa, but I also knew there was a marina and a full offering of water sports. I didn’t want loud and noisy. I didn’t want to rough it. I didn’t want a fishing lodge or a tired motel. What I found was the perfect place to relax and get away in completely comfortable surroundings.
Resort Accommodations
The resort offers several types of accommodations: lake view guest rooms and kitchenette units; cottages with lake views, hot tubs, and fireplaces; and luxurious condominiums. The newest unit is a spacious 3 bedroom, 3 bath “green” cottage with energy efficient appliances, bamboo flooring, carpet made from recycled soda bottles, and more.
I stayed in a lake-front cabin with a great deck overlooking the water and a hot tub that was perfect for quiet evenings. The bed was fabulous, there was a great fireplace, and complete solitude without feeling isolated and alone. It definitely fit the bill for a luxury vacation with just a touch of the unique.
Dining
I loved my room, but I wasn’t sure what to expect from the restaurant. I could cook in the full kitchen in my cottage, but I was there to pamper myself, so I made my way to The Lodge Restaurant. I was, once again, pleasantly surprised. The restaurant features Southern-style cooking and healthy cuisine with breathtaking lake views.
Relax at Turtle Cove Spa. Photo courtesy Mountain Harbor Resort & Spa
The spa, tucked in its own building up the hillside from the lake, was a wonderful treat. There are four treatment rooms, a fireside couples suite, an open air pavilion for outdoor treatments, and pedicure/manicure stations. One of Turtle Cove Spa’s signature treatments is the Crystal Energy Balance Therapy using locally mined polished crystals, tuning forks, and vibro-acoustic sound table. You can check out the full menu of treatments at http://www.turtlecovespa.com. Even if you don’t plan to stay at the resort, Turtle Cove Spa is an exceptional day spa on an excursion from Hot Springs.
Outdoor Activities
Of course, the crowning glory of Mountain Harbor Resort & Spa is the lake front location on Lake Ouachita. Even though the activities include horseback riding and hiking, the majority of the fun revolves around the water sports — the perfect playground for a family vacation.
The full service marina has a party barge, deck boat, and fishing boat rentals, along with a floating marina and covered patio. There is also a dive shop and you can rent a variety of water toys or a houseboat. If you bring your own water craft, Mountain Harbor offers over 1,300 storage slips.
I enjoyed a leisurely cruise on the lake at sunset. The expansiveness of the water and the sun glistening off the cottages alongside the lake gave me a sense of serenity. It was everything I was looking for in a vacation.
- I’m on a Budget Spa Package includes two nights lodging in a Mountain Harbor Resort guestroom with two queens or one king bed, coffee maker, refrigerator, microwave, VCR, and patio overlooking the lake. The package include a $200 credit at Mountain Harbor’s Turtle Cove Spa and all lodging taxes. Now through September 2nd, the package is $487.76 Sunday through Thursday and $553.16 on Friday/Saturday/Holidays through September 6th. Prices drop to $370.04 for the package from September 7 through December 31st.
- Fantastic Lodging and Boating Package offers you the best of both worlds. You’ll enjoy two nights in a 2-bedroom, 2-bath luxurious condominium with a fully appointed kitchen, wood-burning fireplace, washer and dryer, and a private deck with a charcoal grill. The package includes a $200 credit at the marina, where you can rent party barges, ski boats, fishing boats, and water toys. The package also includes all lodging taxes. The price is $808.22 Sunday through Thursday through September 2nd and $919.40 Friday, Saturday, and Holidays through September 6th. Prices drop to $581.50 September 7th through December 31st.
- Honeymooners Private Cruise/Spa Romance Package includes two nights lodging in the special couple’s cottage with fine chocolates, fresh cut flowers, and a rose-petal turn down for your bed. The package also includes a 50-minute couple’s hot stone massage in the Wilderness Pavilion or Fireside Couple’s Suite, as well as a two-hour romantic, private, lake cruise with a captain and a cheese tray. You’ll enjoy a romantic, three-course candle-lit dinner for two at Mountain Harbor’s Lodge Restaurant. All taxes and gratuities are included. The package is $1,769.10 on weekdays through September 2nd, $1943.50 for weekends and holidays through September 6th, and $$1627.40 September 7th through December 31st.
There are a variety of other packages available online at
http://www.mountainharborresort.com/packages. I definitely recommend Mountain Harbor Resort & Spa for the perfect luxury escape, vacation deal, and all-around great family vacation.
PO Box 1268
Mount Ida, AR 71957
870.867.2191
800.832.2276
www.mountainharborresort.com
info@mountainharborresort.com
Follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MountainHarborResort
Tags: Arkansas, Lake Ouachita, Resorts, Turtle Cove Spa, Water Sports
Duck Fat Fries. Photo courtesy Bourbon Steak
I love truffles. The fungus kind. I love the luscious smell, that deep earthiness. Truffles make every food they touch taste just a bit smokey and velvety. Pure luxury on a plate.
On the other hand, I’m not always a hamburger fan. It takes something special to win me over. Like truffles. Not only did Bourbon Steak, located at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, win me over, it combined truffles and burger to create a great wow moment. It added in fries for an over-the-top WOW moment.
Bourbon Steak is a high end restaurant (someday I’m going to try that $72 Kobe beef filet minon to see if it offers me a wow moment), with great food and superb wines. When my husband and I went to the restaurant’s burger bar, open 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday in the restaurant’s bar, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Burgers? How high end can you make a burger and what can you get in a $14 burger that you can’t get in a $7 burger?
Not only was it fun, but I found the perfect place to feed my truffle passion. They handed us a clipboard when we arrived that had all the options available for our burgers. We could either take the easy route and select one of the signature burgers or create our own burger. Well, I’ve never been known to do anything the easy way, so I chose to create my own burger.
For the actual meat, the choices are dry-aged all-beef, turkey, lamb, salmon, and falafel. I opted for the all-beef. For the $14, you get to choose up to 6 toppings.
I chose truffled pecorino cheese, heirloom tomatoes, butter leaf lettuce, onion ketchup, and (of course), black truffle aïoli.
The bar at Bourbon Steak. Photo courtesy Bourbon Steak
The side dish of a trio of duck fat fries is $5 (by the way, these are served complimentary to restaurant guests). I had to go with these. I mean DUCK FAT. How can you go wrong? I wasn’t disappointed. These are crunchy little fries, soft in the center. They were the ultimate wow moment of the entire meal. We got a tray of 3 different types of fries and accompanying sauces: smoked paprika-dusted fries paired with a barbecue sauce; herb-and-garlic-crusted fries with onion-infused ketchup; and (my favorite) lightly salted fries with truffle aïoli dip. Wow. I was in truffle heaven.
Just when I thought the meal couldn’t get any better, we received our “adult milkshakes.” My Bourbon malt was a yummy concoction with Jim Beam and salty caramel. The perfect accompaniment to those salty fries and that juicy burger.
We finished our meal with beignets and dipping sauces. My husband was very understanding when I claimed the dark chocolate sauce. Of course, he was still sipping on his rum raisin milkshake, so he was enjoying his own wow moment.
For more about the Bourbon Steak’s Bourbon Burger Bar, click here.
If you go…
Bourbon Steak, A Michael Mina Restaurant
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
7575 E. Princess Drive
Scottsdale, AZ
480-513-6002
http://www.michaelmina.net
Burger Bar hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 6 to 10 p.m.
Tags: Bourbon Steak, Fairmont Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Truffles
Me with my grandson at JW Marriott Desert Ridge
A couple of weeks ago, I spent the weekend at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa with my 4-year-old grandson, John. We were there as guests of the resort to experience the Nickelodeon Getaway and stayed in a beautiful suite overlooking the pools. While we enjoyed every moment of our stay at the luxurious resort — Arizona’s largest — it was one afternoon of innocence that captured the spirit of the entire weekend for me.
There are several pools at the resort — 4 acres of them, to be exact. It’s an incredible playground. We found one that the staff referred to as “the kids’ pool.” It was a little calmer, only 3 feet deep, just a stone’s throw from the outdoor cafe and the restrooms. What turned out to be the biggest advantage, though, was that it was right across from this massive, flat fountain area.
My grandson was as impressed with this fountain as he was with the pool (although the Lazy River still probably won the overall prize). The fountain is a flat area with maybe an inch of water in the bottom and water shooting into the fountain from jets lining each side. That afternoon was definitely one of those moments to remember.
John was laughing almost hysterically as he ran from water spray to water spray, then threw himself with abandon to the bottom of this shallow fountain. Playing with a couple of other kids, ranging in ages from about 4 to 8, they flitted from fountain to pool and back again.
At first a little wary of the pool — he’d earlier only gone in hugging tightly to my neck — he bravely ran to the stairs and descended into the pool’s clear water, following the “big kids.”
JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa. Photo courtesy JW Marriott Desert Ridge
I rested on my lounge chair about 3 feet away, the Arizona sun warming my skin, a cool breeze tickling away the heat. John turned and waved at me as he bounced in the water and splashed around after the other children. As he made his way out of the pool and back to the fountain — taking a detour to sip the raspberry and cream smoothie I’d had delivered poolside — he cackled with the delight that only a 4-year-old can produce.
In that moment, sharing that afternoon with him at the Desert Ridge Resort, I was totally relaxed, completely enjoying my grandson’s innocence. It was a moment of wonder that I’ll hold close for a very long time.
Of course, we were soon out of the pool, on our way to the grand Nickelodeon sliming, but more on that later…
If you want to go…
JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa
5350 E. Marriott Drive
Phoenix, AZ
480-239-5000 or 800-835-6206
http://www.jwdesertridgeresort.com
950 guestrooms, 10 dining experiences, Revive Spa, 8 tennis courts, 4 acres of pools and waterways including the Lazy River, and 2 golf courses.
Tags: Arizona, Desert Ridge, Family Travel, Phoenix, Staycation
Vagabond Bag by Eagle Creek. Photo courtesy Eagle Creek
I traveled to New Mexico with my Eagle Creek Vagabond bag and really loved its versatility, design, and comfort. This day bag turned out to be one of my favorite accessories.
The Vagabond has padded compartments at the back for all my electronic gadgets – phone, iPod, digital camera. There is even an audio port so I could listen to my iPod at the airport without having to take the unit out of the bag. There are two other compartments inside that area, one zippered mesh for money, receipts, and small personal items. The best part about this large back compartment is that it features Smart Travel Security™ with the Secure Zip™ toggle closure to help prevent theft. There is also another small zippered pouch on the outside rear of the bag.
The front has a vertical zippered compartment that I used for a small wallet and my passport. The larger front zippered compartment includes a waterproof mesh pocket and a slip pocket. I even had room for my paperback novel.
The large central compartment isn’t so large as to feel bulky, but large enough to hold everything I needed. It can fit a 12″ laptop, but I used it during travel to hold my chargers, that quart-size bag of liquids, a magazine, and my makeup. There’s a small zippered pocket that held my lip gloss and a couple of bucks easily at hand to use for tips.
The most fun compartments are on the sides. One is for a cell phone (which I didn’t use because I preferred the inside compartment for mine) and the other unzips to reveal a pocket that tucks into the bag’s main compartment. I used it as a great protected spot for my sunglasses, but it’s designed to hold a small water bottle.
Once I arrived at my hotel, I removed the cosmetics and toiletries from the center and used the bag for items I needed for a day of taking in the sights.
With the long, padded strap, I could easily put it across my body and I traveled in ease and comfort. Made from ripstop material, I know it will stand up over time, despite how often I travel and abuse my bags.
The overall bag measures 11″ x 12″ x 3″ and weighs just over 20 oz. The MSRP is a reasonable $65, which I think is a great deal given the versatility and sustainability of the bag.
For more info: Eagle Creek.
1-800-874-9925.
http://www.eaglecreek.com
Note: We gave away one free Eagle Creek Vagabond bag during the month of July. The contest ended at 11:59 MST on July 25, 2010. The lucky winner was Sharon Drechsler of http://socialmediaservicing.com.
Even though the contest is over, we’d still love to hear about your favorite thing to pack in your bag when you travel.
Tags: Eagle Creek, Reviews, Travel Accessories, Travel Bag
Tuna Tartar Cocktail at Marssa Restaurant. Photo courtesy Loews Lake Las Vegas
Dinner at Marssa Restaurant at Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort will provide an exceptional culinary experience. There’s no better way to start your dinner at this renowned sushi restaurant than with the trademark tuna tartar cocktail served over dry ice, Midori liqueur and fresh onion roulade. Not only is this an intriguing dish to look at, it offers a taste that can’t be rivaled.
Marssa, located in the breathtakingly beautiful Loews Lake Las Vegas with views of the lake on one side and the Las Vegas strip off in the distance on the other, features a fresh mix of Osaka style cuisine and western flavors.
Under the direction of Master Sushi Chef Fuji Fujita, diners can enjoy Pacific Rim cuisine in an elegantly casual atmosphere. Pair the dinner with a Nigori unfiltered creme de sake and move on to such specialties as white truffle edamame dumplings, hamachi, yellowtail, tiger rolls, and the unique eel boxes, featuring layers of barbequed eel, snow crab and sushi rice.
The perfect way to end a dining extravaganza at Marssa is with the chef’s seasonal dessert. Using the inspiration of the season, it’s sure to be the perfect end to a world-class dinner at Marssa at Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort.
Marssa Restaurant
Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort
101 MonteLago Boulevard
Henderson, NV 89011
http://www.marssalv.com
http://www.loweshotels.com
702-567-6125
Open Tuesday through Thursday 6 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 6 to 11 p.m.
Tags: Japanese Cuisine, Las Vegas, Sushi
St George Island on the Gulf side. Photo by Pat Canova
The Gulf oil spill is an astronomical environmental disaster. Yet there are miles of pristine Florida coast untouched by oil. Some of the most breathtaking and tourist-friendly are the beaches of Franklin County, Florida. NOTE: The conditions are changing daily and the winds are now bringing the oil closer to the shores, although they have still not impacted the beaches or the fishing of Franklin County. Booms are being placed as a precaution and you can check out the map to see where the booms are placed. NOAA has cleared the area at least through Saturday, June 26, 2010.
You’ll find sugar-white sand beaches, plenty of great seafood still rolling in daily, water sports, shopping, and miles of animal preserves and state parks. There incredibly beautiful rental properties and hotels, and some of the most welcoming folks anywhere, This makes Franklin County an ideal vacation spot on Florida’s Gulf coast – and it remains free of any residual damage from the oil spill.
St. George Island
Four miles off the Florida coast, accessible by a massive span of bridge from Apalachicola, St. George Island is a pristine strip of land that offers a unique piece of Florida coast. There are 20 miles of beach on the Gulf side and many more miles of marsh, inlets, and oyster bars on the bay side.
St. George Island is part state park, part resort, but you’ll find no high rises, no wild night life, no need to set your alarm clocks. Just a laid back beach life awaits visitors on the island. You can camp at the State Park, rent a hotel room, rent a home on the beach, reserve a gorgeous villa — the experience can be uniquely yours. Check out Resort Vacation Properties or Collins Vacation Rentals for complete rental information. [Resort Vacation Properties, 140 W. First St, St. George Island, FL, 850-927-2322, http://www.resortvacationproperties.com; follow on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ResortVacationProperties; Collins Vacation Rentals, Inc., 60 E. Gulf Beach Drive, St. George Island, FL, 850-927-5425, http://www.collinsvacationrentals.com]
The island offers incredible water sports, fishing, boating, and wildlife experiences. The St. George Island State Park includes nine miles of beaches, of which the eastern-most five miles are accessible only by foot. To experience the outdoors on St. George Island, be sure to visit Journeys of St. George Island for kayak rentals, bay fishing trips, off-shore fishing trips, guided boat tours, kayak tours, and kids camps, all offered from their own private dock on the bay. [Journeys of St. George Island, 240 E. 3rd Street, St. George Island, FL, 850-927-3259; http://www.sgislandjourneys.com]
What’s Up in Nearby Apalachicola
Coombs House Inn, Franklin County, FL Photo courtesy Coombs House Inn
The Coombs House Inn is an elegant historic inn set in the center of a quaint seaside village on the Florida coast in Franklin County. The town of Apalachicola is just minutes from the pristine white sands of St. George Island. The regal Coombs House Inn provides the perfect respite for visitors to Florida’s true natural escape in Franklin County.
This elegant inn, carefully restored to its turn-of-the-century elegance, is filled with antique furnishings, oil paintings, oriental carpets, and fifteen of the original fireplaces.
The 23 guest rooms and suites at Coombs House Inn are divided between the Mansion, the Villas, and the boutique Veranda Suites, and each room is uniquely decorated.
Every room features four-posted beds, luxurious bedding, and private baths. Many offer over-sized whirlpool tubs. After a day of enjoying the sand, sun, and water of the lush nature of Franklin County or exploring the nearby boutiques of Apalachicola, guests of Coombs House Inn can enjoy complimentary afternoon tea and fresh baked cookies.
The stay at Coombs House Inn also includes a breakfast, beach chairs, towels, umbrellas, and bicycles for exploring the area. On weekends and holidays, there are wine tastings for guests before they head off to experience some of Apalachicola’s world famous oysters at one of the nearby award-winning restaurants.
Coombs House Inn is a AAA three diamond property, an American Historic Inn, and a member of Select Registry. Click here to read more about the activities in Franklin County, Florida.
For more information:
Coombs House Inn
80 Sixth Street
Apalachicola, FL 32320
850-653-9199
http://www.coombshouseinn.com/
Rawhide Western Town and Steakhouse in Phoenix, AZ. Photo courtesy Rawhide Western Town
Rawhide Western Town and Steakhouse has long held a presence in the Phoenix area, but today it embraces its location on the Gila River Indian Community as the “new Rawhide”.
Although the menu at Rawhide still caters to hungry cowboys and cowgirls visiting from around the globe, it now goes beyond that under the guidance of consulting chef Michael Cairns and Executive Chef Jon Anderson. The chefs use many indigenous ingredients to pay homage to all who shaped the history of the area Rawhide calls home.
The luxurious Rawhide menu features a variety of mesquite-grilled steaks and prime rib. For even more excitement, diners can select cut-to-order portions from the Town Butcher from the comfort of their dining room chair. Other offerings include Snake River Trout, Mesquite Roasted Colorado Lamb Chops, Baby Back Ribs, Slow Roasted Sonoran Chicken and Tequila Lime Grilled Salmon. Farm-to-table dishes are seasonal and might vary from a Sweet Corn Polenta Cake to a Grilled Summer Squash with Roasted Peppers. Entrees at Rawhide range in price from $13 to $27.
Rawhide Western Town and Steakhouse. Photo courtesy Rawhide Western Town
Don’t rush into anything, though. Take your time with some appetizers and a few good drinks. Appetizers include western favorites such as Rattlesnake and Rocky Mountain Oysters. The Golden Belle Saloon also offers entertainment all evening and some signature beverages that’ll be sure to kick-start your evening.
Of course, no trip to Rawhide is complete without a stroll down the Old West 1880′s-style Main Street, watching the Wild West mayhem of the Rawhide Roughriders, gold panning, visiting Sweet Sally’s Confections, or taking a period photo at the Old Time Photo Emporium. There are enough activities to keep the family busy for the entire evening.
Special events include Friday night bull riding at 7:30 and 9 p.m. and Sundown Cookouts on Saturday nights (October, November, March through May). Cookouts are $48 for adults and $20 for children.
Rawhide Western Town and Steakhouse. Photo courtesy Rawhide Western Town
When you want a special evening that reflects the blend of Old West and the New appreciation of the treasures of Gila River Indian Community, you’ll not want to miss an evening at Rawhide Western Town and Steakhouse.
Rawhide is open Thursday through Sunday from 5:30 p.m. and available every evening for private functions. There is no regular admission fee. Interactive attractions are $5 each or $15 for a town pass for the evening. Dinner is priced separately.
For more info:
Rawhide Western Town & Steakhouse
5700 W North Loop Road (I-10 and Wild Horse Pass Blvd)
Chandler, AZ 85226
480-502-5600
http://www.rawhide.com
Signature Roasted Beet Goat Cheese Salad. Photo courtesy Spago Las Vegas
Wolfgang Puck’s Spago at the Forum Shops at Caesars in Las Vegas offers what is undeniably some of the best food in Las Vegas. Executive Chef Eric Klein cooks memorable dishes, pouring his heart and soul into every Spago specialty. He puts his passion — and the best fresh, organic, made-from-scratch ingredients — into creating a one-of-a-kind dining experience.
While Spago offers more casual seating on its patio, for an unforgettable treat opt for the more formal dining room. Dinner is an occasion you won’t soon forget.
Surrounded by the warmth of a dining room designed for comfort and style, you can best experience Spago by ordering the six-course tasting menu for $95 per person. For $155 per person, you can include wine pairings with each course. The wine pairings are spot-on and are well worth the extra cost.
Spago’s menu is seasonal, enabling Chef Klein to use the freshest ingredients from the region. In addition to local vegetables and produce, he makes weekly excursions to the Los Angeles area to shop the farmers markets and seafood markets. The way Chef Klein blends tastes and brings out the best in even the simplest ingredients is truly an art. He touches every sense with a dish — you see the gorgeous fresh food and smell the enticing aromas, leaving your mouth watering before you even take that first magical bite.
The tasting menu changes depending on what Chef has in the house at the time of your visit, and offerings depend on what’s in season and the current restaurant menu. A recent six-course tasting menu at Spago Las Vegas featured the following culinary masterpieces:
- Flatbread with figs, house-made Burrata cheese, and a 25-year balsamic
- Yellowfin sashimi, avocado, Daikon radish, Yuzu-Wasabi, and Hamachi on a crispy rice cake with marinated cucumber and hearts of palm with a soy ceviche-ginger vinaigrette
- Bartlett pear and fig with house-made cheese, prosciutto, balsamic, olive oil, and baby arugula
- Hand-rolled ricotta gnocchi in a black truffle butter sauce (Click here for more on the gnocchi experience at Spago)
- Halibut with basmati rice and coconut-infused vegetables
- Oregon free-range pork, New York strip with bone marrow crushed fingerling potatoes and Armagnac peppercorn sauce, along with red wine braised short ribs with roasted vegetables
- 15-layer mocha cake for dessert, served with Kiralyudvar Tokaji Cuvee, a 2002 Hungarian dessert wine
Dining Room at Spago Las Vegas. Photo courtesy Spago Las Vegas
Wolfgang Puck’s Spago opened in Las Vegas in 1992 and quickly set the trend for fine Vegas cuisine, impeccable service, and the Wolfgang Puck signature style. Today, Spago continues to offer some of the best cuisine in Las Vegas. That Wolfgang Puck style, along with Chef Klein’s expertise and passion, puts it over the top.
While Wolfgang Puck’s Spago is definitely a place for celebrity watching, it is more than just another “hot spot” with a view. The food is phenomenal and the service is outstanding. There are some signature cocktails that can’t be missed, including the Spago Cosmo with muddled raspberries.
If you are lucky enough to meet Chef Klein, you’ll understand immediately why his passion, combined with Wolfgang Puck’s epicurean flair, provides one of the best dining experiences anywhere.
Tags: Las Vegas
