Brio at Town Square - Food and Whine

A few coworkers and I went to Brio, a Tuscan-themed restaurant in Town Square in Las Vegas.

Overall, the ambiance is very nice. It has very high, impressive ceilings, but that feature contributes to an echo-y (such a word?) character to the ambient noise. Because of that and because of the way that the booths and tables are laid out, it is not the place to go for a romantic dinner.

Which was fine for us. We weren’t interested in romance!

Of course the first thing I looked for was the wine list. The wine list is pretty typical for a restaurant; i.e., big and largely overpriced. But I didn’t expect it to be anything other than overpriced, so I can’t pretend to be shocked. I ordered a glass of 2007 Sketchbook Pinot Noir – Mendocino, which was $7.50. Not too bad, I guess. It came in a Chardonnay glass. More on that little bit of annoyance later.

We were served the customary crusty bread and butter. The butter was especially delicious, and I wish I knew why. My coworker Andrea and I looked at each other wide-eyed when we tasted it. This was a great start.

I ordered just a couple of things. The Zuppa Del Giorno (I think that means “Soup of the Day”) was Cream of Morel for $4.95. Yes, I heard angels sing. Drizzled with olive oil, the earthy mushrooms in the creamy soup were absolutely delicious. I will go out on a limb and say that was the best mushroom soup I’ve had, well, *ever*!

Unfortunately, the Pinot Noir was far too fruit forward to really enjoy with the soup. The soup needed a Burgundy or an Oregon or New Zealand Pinot Noir to complement its beautiful character. The wine was bright cherry rather than black cherry  and it had some berry notes. I was hoping for some earthiness that would pair better with the mushrooms in my dinner selections, but this was a bright, fruit-forward and one dimensional California Pinot Noir. Pinot is usually such a classic pairing with mushrooms, I have to admit to being somewhat disappointed. Not so disappointed, however, that I didn’t drink all of the wine!

The other item I ordered was Brio’s Steak Salad for $14.95. It consisted of mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, Gorgonzola, mushrooms, spicy pecans, creamy horseradish, and it was topped with grilled Filet with balsamic glaze. My only criticism of a salad that was otherwise yummy was that the pecans were actually quite sweet rather than spicy and were therefore distracting. Once I carefully separated them from the rest of the dish, I was able to finish it with gusto.

Other items ordered by my group were the Pinot Grigio, Peroni Italian beer, and a Dirty Martini. The food items included Mushroom Ravioli (looked small on the plate but was delicious and surprisingly filling), several pasta dishes, side of grilled asparagus, and lamb chops. The overall consensus was that the food was really good.

We passed on dessert EVEN THOUGH they had several types of crème brulée (regular, pumpkin and eggnog among others), tiramisu, tiramisu cheesecake and more! We were that full.

And now for the wine rant.

My biggest beef is that despite having a big, diverse, and overpriced wine list, luxurious appointments, and an authentic ambiance, they did not have red wine glasses. Apparently, they think that having only Chardonnay glasses is enough. With the prices they charge, that type of arrogance is enough for me to take my wine drinking elsewhere. Not that they would care. After all, my budget adventures are legendary by now!

I did not really expect them to have Pinot Noir/Burgundy glasses – they only have a couple of Pinots on their list – but even a nice Bordeaux glass would have allowed some of the tannins and acidity to blow off of the youthful Pinot Noir, allowing for better appreciation with the food.

I’m guessing that they don’t have a sommelier or wine specialist on staff, or else something as basic as having correctly-sized, appropriate wine glasses available for their wine customers would be a given. And yes, I asked for a red wine glass. As did several other people within earshot. Too bad the embarrassed waiters didn’t have anything to offer other than “the company” only has these glasses available. That’s showing incredible conceit and complete disrespect for their wine customers. I’m pretty sure they aren’t serving, say, Highballs in Martini glasses or Cosmos in Iced Tea glasses. Some knuckle-dragger who has no respect for wine drinkers made this decision and, dammit, they’re going to stick with it. And with the size of the wine list and the prices they charge for their wines, you’d think they’d make the extra effort. I guess not.

Will I go back? Eventually, I’m sure I will, especially if I’m in the area and have a taste for Italian food. The noise, the unusual seating arrangements, and lackadaisical corporate attitude about the wine won’t persuade me to make a special trip. I can go to Mezzo, which is right around the corner – so to speak – from my home, and enjoy great Italian food, luscious, sanely priced wines, and can be sure that my wine will be served in a glass that will enhance my enjoyment and enhance the probability of my returning to the establishment. Maybe just for a glass of wine or two. That will never happen with Brio.

With that being said, I’d give Brio about a B-/C+. Would I recommend it to anyone? Absolutely. In spite of my wine rant, reread what I said about the food. It was yummy.

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Tropical Fruit and Toe Jam - A Yummy Combo?

 

After a long afternoon at a convention at – where else – the Convention Center, Zach (of 2BC fame) and I met for dinner at Mainland, a newish Asian noodle restaurant located in the Palazzo. I will write about the overall restaurant and food experience during another post, but I want to focus on one item we tried during this meal

Durian. The fetid über-fruit of tropical legend.

Yes, folks, they have shakes on their menu, and one of them is Durian.

After all of the hubbub I’ve heard about it, I finally gave in to my curiosity and decided that I just had to have this shake. After all, I reasoned, how bad could it be?!? Apparently, pretty bad.

The bartender sent our waitress Mayela back to us to make absolutely sure that we had indeed meant to order the Durian shake on purpose. Oh yes, we assured her, absolutely. She said that the bartender just wanted to be certain. The Durian has a way of making impressions on people that aren’t always positive, the curious have ordered in the past and not been aware of its, um, *characteristics.*

The shake arrived in a beautifully tapered, Pilsner-like glass. It was the rich color of buttercream frosting, and it was topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Two black straws poked out of the shake and it made a lovely presentation.

That’s where the fun both began and ended.

With a happy smile, I had to sniff it to see if the smell is as bad as “they say.”

You decide.

The nose is somewhat reminiscent of mildewy laundry, faintly funky armpit, inside of an old attic, toe jam, and gym socks. Used. So why would I even be remotely tempted to try to drink something like this? Because I could! And, unbelievably, this was great fun.

The flavor is the dichotomy. The flavor was like vanilla and buttercream pudding with a hint of banana and pineapple. The finish was a little funky (big surprise), but if you didn’t breathe while drinking it, it wasn’t too bad. However, the funk has a way of wafting through the olfactories. It’s absolutely unavoidable.

And then there are the burps.

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Iron Chef America Rant!

First and foremost, it’s important to understand that I LOVE Iron Chef America. While the program is laregely recipe-free, it does showcase some incredible food creativity and never fails to generate ideas for me to try in my own kitchen. Overall it far superior to its predecessor, the original Iron Chef from Japan.

A friend of mine was recently a judge on ICA which I wrote about on Vegas Wineaux. This was a party, and we had a great time.

With that being said, I have to say that this year, the Food Network has added a couple of elements that I find incredibly annoying. Irritating, even.

Whose idea was it to have the 70s-bad-kung fu-movie sound effects attached to the “Chairman” every time he moves a body part? It wasn’t like that before, and the addition of the noise this year adds nothing but ickiness. Did someone actually think that this was a good idea?!?

The other addition this year is the extended hangtime between “in the words of my uncle,” and “Allez Cuisine!” Once again, that extra time adds nothing to the show. It appears to have been added so that when the Chairman looks at the contestants, it’s a way to showcase the whooshing sounds his head makes as he looks back and forth.

I just don’t get it. They finally got it right - great chefs, incredible competition, amazing production values and attention to detail. Then someone with a Bruce Lee fetish added the sound effects. Maybe somebody in the know can tell me why it was oh so important to add this element of tackiness this year.

But don’t take my word for it; mosey on over to YouTube, do a search on Iron Chef America, and look at last year’s episodes and compare them to the current crop.

My opinion - for what it’s worth - is a single world. Ew.

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Raw Milk Nation

I realized during my trip to California that just because I live in a different state, that in no way absolves me from getting involved with important issues that affect me directly.

One of those issues is the continuing availability of Raw Milk.

Why Raw Milk? Because it’s extremely natural, the only dairy many otherwise lactose-intolerant people can drink without problems, and it’s healthy. Very healthy.

Just to save you a little time … if you’re anti-dairy, don’t waste your time writing me. I’ve heard all of the arguments. And those arguments have nothing to do with this issue. And most are specious and not based on a Raw Milk model. So spare me. And take a look at the Weston A. Price Foundation website. You’ll learn a lot of information about dairy and of the dairy industry. Read Dr. Price’s book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration and learn a lot more.

There is a continuing battle - and I use the word in the same way as describing full out war - to keep clean, certified Raw Milk available to customers who want it in the state of California. Unfortunately, it has been banned in here in Nevada. You can get a gallon of vodka, a carton of cigarettes, a box of bullets and get an abortion on the way home, but if you want Raw Milk, you gotta travel to California, you gotta know somebody (wink wink), or you have to mail order it. Stupid. It’s unfortunate that such laws are made by those who are influenced by those in an industry - where mass, factory production of antibiotic tainted and hormone enhanced milk from cows who don’t have to be certified - whose financial self-preservation comes before consumer choice. Make no mistake about it, the powers that be are influenced by those who have the most to lose - the very powerful dairy industry.

I mean, if they suddenly saw people getting healthy because of drinking fresh, raw, clean milk, then they would lose customers. They would - at the very least - start using better sanitation practices. They may even have to stop the routine antibiotics (which have been accused of causing the alarmingly high rate of antibiotic resistance in humans) or the bovine growth hormones (which have been accused of causing the alarmingly high rates of hormone-sensitive cancers and early puberty in American children) and actually have to start using real husbandry to care for their herds. Just like the Raw Milk farmers do.

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On the Road to Slow Food Nation

First, we had a day of travel and a day of wine. And then we went to Slow Food Nation ‘08.

We were only able to attend one day of SFN, but that day was packed with interesting things to do and see.

Slow Food? What exactly is “Slow Food”? It is diametrically opposite of “Fast Food,” which is being shown to be a major contributor to many of the chronic, epidemic health issues that Americans face today.

Slow Food Nation is a non-profit organization based in San Francisco and was founded in 2007. It is a subsidiary of Slow Food USA and part of the international Slow Food movement, which was founded in 1989 in Italy.

Slow Food Nation aims to inspire and empower Americans to build a food system that is sustainable, healthy, and results in delicious food. It is a grassroots movement with members internationally that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.

Slow Food wants to reconnect Americans with the people, traditions, plants, animals, fertile soils, and waters that produce the food that we eat. It seeks changes in food policy, production practices, and market forces so that equity, sustainability and pleasure exist in the food we eat. And contrary to popular opinion, “pleasure” is a part of natural food consumption. We are so accustomed to the taste of over-processed, over salted factory food that we’ve lost the ability to enjoy the pleasures of real food.

Slow Food’s members include culinary professionals, food enthusiasts, farmers, food producers, educators, and students. Slow Food USA aspires for a world in which all people can eat delicious food that is good for them, good for the people who grow it, and good for the planet.

That’s a lot, and thanks to SF for providing the preceding information to share. By the way, we have a Slow Foods member in our community and that is Valley Cheese and Wine, which should not be a surprise to those who frequent it. Their selection of artisanal, small-producer, and raw milk cheeses (no Velveeta or “cheese food” here) and their relationship with organic producers in our region show their commitment to eating well.

But I digress.

We took BART to the Civic Center station in San Francisco. When we arrived, we walked the block from the BART stop, hoping we were going in the right direction. We knew we were in the right place from the signs and Slow Food Nation banners everywhere. Because of our schedule, we wouldn’t be able to attend the events that would be taking place over the weekend, so we enjoyed the Market which had farmers, vendors, producers, and food artisans purveying their wares. Here are some that made a big impression on us: Read more

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They Don’t Care if You Die as Long as You Eat Their “Food”

Don’t for a moment believe that the brightly colored packages and boxes lining the supermarket shelves are filled with healthy, nutritious food that is good for you and your family.  They’re not.  This shouldn’t come as a surprise.

The advertising gymnastics that the big factory food giants perform daily are amazing to me.  It begins in the morning with ads about “fiber.”  This fiber you can stir in water and it will disappear, and, therefore, you don’t have to worry about actually eating or chewing something that will be good for you.  This way, you don’t have to be bothered with using your teeth to eat, say, an *apple* that will take care of what ails you.  They apparently want you to believe that their concoctions are better than Nature. And it gets worse.

A quick perusal of just about any label on just about any package will present you with a laundry list of ingredients that you would never put into your own recipes if you were preparing the food at home.

For instance, let’s take a simple protein bar.  You can make them at home with whey, nut butter, egg (yolks and/or whites), nuts and seeds, natural sweeteners, and oats. Natural, delicious ingredients that won’t hurt your body.  It may take a little time, but a quick trip to the natural foods store will supply the ingredients.

On the other hand, Slim-Fast Protein Bars contain the following:

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The Loveable Gordon Ramsay

Actually, I feel that I’ve been living in oblivion for quite a long time. I hadn’t really heard of Gordon Ramsay until I switched to satellite TV and caught him on Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares on BBC America. I was instantly hooked.

Imagine my surprise when I realized that this SOB was the same chef on Hell’s Kitchen, which I had watched once and felt the chef guy was a jerk and who the hell was he anyway?

Gordon is not your kinder, gentler chef. Far from it; he’s abrasive, brusque, profane, and curt. He doesn’t suffer (cooking) fools lightly. His lack of patience is legendary. He’s often disrespectful of other professional chefs, thinks vegetarians and vegans suffer from psychoses, and holds very few people in high esteem.

I think he’s great. Why? His standards. Period.

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Margarine - Plastic on our Bread?

Margarine is undeniably unnatural. Its popularity soared years ago when people started worrying about eating saturated fat from animal sources. Since butter contains saturated fat, it became a nutritional bad guy, and margarine - made from “healthier” vegetable oils - took its place.

The problem is, however, margarine is hydrogenated, which converts it to an unnaturally saturated fat, which is a definite no-no. Unnatural saturated fats are full of trans fatty acids, and those are dangerous to your health. Margarine dramatically increases the risk of coronary heart disease as compared to butter. In fact, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53 percent over eating the same amount of butter.

Let’s take a look at the chemical makeup of margarine. Is it made of good, healthy, natural ingredients? Are the ingredients blended in a form that will be beneficial to your health?

Of course not.

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Why I Hate Martha Stewart

Okay. Technically, she’s not a “celebrity chef,” per se, but she’s famous. And she cooks. And she’s on TV. But! She doesn’t have a restaurant with tiny portions at exorbitant prices, which, therefore, doesn’t make her an official “chef.”

But because she’s famous and cooks, she’s landed on my “Celebrity Chefs” page. But I hate her. Why?

It all began in the 1930s.

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A Taste of Africa - Merkato Ethiopian Cafe

In order to continue the African theme I’d started on wines at Vegas Wineaux, I decided that I needed to experience genuine African cuisine. I am in the early planning stages of having an African-themed wine tasting, and – while it is some months away – figured that this is as good a time as any to begin research.

Las Vegas is blessed with an abundance of restaurants showcasing international cuisine, and they range from small neighborhood restaurants to top-dollar venues in the Strip properties. I found Merkato in the pages of one of the local weekly newspapers and decided to give it a try.

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