Posts Tagged ‘wild mushroom risotto’
Our first dinner was at Todd English’s Olives inside the Bellagio hotel where we were staying. The restaurant had a great ambiance, and perfectly dim dinner lighting. (I think lighting plays a huge part in a dining experience, and good lighting is always a treat that I appreciate.) This was where Pete had a fabulous Salmon BLT (pictured at left) and I had the Sea Scallops with wild mushroom risotto and spinach. The Salmon BLT was so pretty, and Pete said the fish was perfectly cooked. He also really enjoyed the flavorful heirloom tomato, much different than the unripe tomatoes we get in B.F.C., and the apple wood bacon was the perfect topper. My scallops were also perfectly cooked, tender and moist, and the wild mushroom risotto was delicious. I have not had a good risotto since I worked in West Hollywood and was eating at all the wonderful restaurants in the area. It made me remember how much I like risotto, when it is made correctly, and mushroom has always been my favorite. The spinach was slightly wilted and tossed in champagne vinaigrette; it was wonderfully light and fresh tasting.
The next day we took a drive through Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, about 20 miles northwest of the Strip. It’s a 13 mile scenic loop, and costs $5 to enter but it is well worth it if you have never been there before. Of all the rocks I have seen and taken photos of I have never seen rocks like these before. We stopped at the first view point where the sign was to find out what these rocks were all about. It turns out that about 180 million years ago the area was one of the largest sand dunes that has ever existed on earth, and covered almost the entire Southwest. Over time underground water washed away the red color and left calcium carbonate, turning the sand into rock. The plant life was also very interesting; desert plants that look like they lived under water at one time and even pine trees in one area of the park. Pete and I both really enjoyed the time we spent at Red Rock Canyon, where I took lots of photos of rocks that you can see here, but we were getting hungry so we headed back into town and had lunch at a local sushi restaurant called Yama Sushi. It was really good; we especially enjoyed their house special Harry Potter roll. There were other great names like Hand Job, Who’s Your Daddy, Happy Ending, and Strip Tease! (I’m not kidding, just take a look at their menu.) They also had a yummy spider roll (soft shell crab), and an excellent unagi roll (barbequed eel). Mmm, makes my mouth water just writing about it. Okay, I have to stop now. Next up: Mesa Grill and Yellowtail.
