Fave Bites & Sips from Vegas, Dec. 2013

With T-24 hours before I head to Las Vegas, so Sin City's definitely been on my mind lately — and it's a good a time as any to reminisce some of my favorite bites & sips from my last excursion there... a month ago.

I know, gussied up burgers aren't anything new - but I definitely dug Bachi's Mr. Ho's burger, when the burger was given an Asian treatment with garlic, ginger, sauteed mushrooms and lop cheong (Chinese sausage) - the last ingredient, with its sweet-savory fattiness, is what made it extra memorable. And kinda makes me want to buy some and put it on everything!

We also tried their famous foie-gras Shogun burger too, while that was good too -- the foie totally got lost within all the other ingredients.

Drinks-wise, a return to Cosmpolitan's Vesper Bar was a must. While the near-unanimous favorite with my friends is the One Night in Bangkok from a former menu (a refreshing Thai twist on a Ramos gin fizz), from their current menu I loved their Moscow Mule spin -- the Garden of Hermitage with Enlightened Spirits' Rosemary-Lavender vodka, Thai basil eau de vie, basil, ginger & lemon. I was afraid it'll be too perfumey at first, but the aromatics were nicely balanced and gave this effervescent drink that uniquely fragrant je ne sai quoi.

Other modern interpretations there that I love: The Last Samurai (a Rob Roy twist with Japanese whisky, punsch & amaro nonino) & Chai One On (Brandy milk punch given a spicy twist with chipotle, Masala & even a Yogurt liqueur!)

Off the strip, I loved the intimate (six seats!) Scarlet Bar at the Palms Resort, even if the red lighting made it tricky for photography. Their had a plethora of interesting (& ever changing) infusions, and playful cocktail list to match. I particularly enjoyed their Rock 'n Rye, an Old Fashioned variation with rock sugar and their pecan-infused Bulleit Rye. Sugar & spice is already nice in my book, but the toasty nutty aroma made it all the better.

In downtown, (which Conbon calls "the Silver Lake of Las Vegas"), I really dug the ABLT sandwich at Eat, which had the perfect combo of crunch lettuce, crisp bacon, ripe tomatoes and creamy avocados, perfect for dipping into their garlicky tomato soup. I even liked it more than my own chicken fried steak & eggs (which was solid too, if a bit overindulgent for one person to eat.) Oh yeah, they brew some pretty wicked coffee too from Mothership Roasters.

And yes, since foie is legal here, I partook in that too. Of the classic preparations, I really liked the version at Fleur -- not least because you get both a seared lobe & a terrine for $27 (as opposed to one or the other for about the same price.) The side of sauteed wild mushrooms was amazing too. Combine the two with a glass of Alsatian wine and you got a nice little meal.

For something more unusual, I enjoyed Andre's foie gras martini. Grittier than I expected, but it did have a noticeable foie flavor, and it was fun mixing and pairing with the assorted accompaniments (my fave was the brulee'd pineapples.) Their usual foie gras preparations were decent too, and I absolutely love their cigar bar & lounge (which faces a massive wall of vintage Cognacs & Armagnacs!)

On the low key side, I checked out Crown & Anchor, which turned out to be one of most British pubs I've ever encountered. They had a great selection of UK & European beers on draft (I got a pint Bombardier) and tasty pub grub too. Including my first ever Scotch egg, with an almost hard-boiled egg covered in sausage, then deep fried to a golden crisp... and worth every artery-clogging calorie.

Last but not least, my oh so familiar Combo Pan Roast at The Oyster Bar in Palace Station . . . hearty chunks of crab, lobster & shrimp in an intoxicating delicious sauce of tomato, brandy & cream - kicked up a few spicy notches (I'm a 8 on their 1-10 scale.) Even though several pan roasts shops have opened up in SoCal, the ones I've sampled still haven't come close to this one.

And despite my next few days in Vegas will be uber jam packed (especially since I have to prepare for a Phoenix excursion immediately afterwards!), here's hoping I get to revisit some of these gems... and discover new ones too.