Substituting on Tasting Menus in Vegas

[kungfugirl]

Hi all. I am heading with my boyfriend to Vegas in October for his birthday. While not my first trip to Sin City, it is my first trip with any cash flow. We are both closet foodies and are currently living in Montana where the "fine dining" is few and very far between. I have already chosen our restaurants based on countless reviews:
Thursday: Spago
Friday: lunch at Mesa, dinner at Tableau
Saturday: Guy Savoy

My question to you is this: I love tasting menus and always want to get the most comprehensive culinary experience I can at restaurants. Problem...I only eat chicken, turkey and fish. Of course Tableau has a vegetarian tasting menu and lunch at Mesa shouldn't be an issue. But from what I've read the other two restaurants (Guy Savoy and Spago) do not. Does anyone have any insight on their menus and more importantly, will they ever entertain a substitution on their tasting menus?

I appreciate any and all help. This is my first post and I feel lucky to have such a great resource!

[ciaobelly]

Is Tableau still open? You might want to check on that one.

Restaurants are extremely accomodating, especially since every guest these days has food "issues" (i.e. no nuts, no shellfish, vegan, vegetarian, pregnant, gluten allergy....ahhh!) The best thing to do is call and let them know of any allergies, afflictions or dietary restrictions you may have so that they may alert the chef.

[kungfugirl]

I made a reservation at Tableau yesterday so it is still open. Thanks for the advice.

[uhockey]

Interestingly we are exactly the same, though I'll occassionally eat pork (no beef.)

I'm currently planning a trip, as well, and EVERYONE except Alize has said substitutions to tasting menus would be fine (including Le Cirque, Alex, Mix, Aureole, Savoy, and L'Atelier.)

IMO, skip Spago in Vegas and save it for a trip in the future to Cali. Vegas has plenty of cool places and the scene at Spago is like a mall-eatery whereas the Beverley Hills version is more like its 2-Michelin star ranking.

[kungfugirl]

Did you call ahead for the substitutions? And I get the feeling that Spago will not be the same as the LA superstar version, but I am a bit torn as to where to go instead. Any recommendations? I would like to eat at a different hotel then the Wynn even though I know Alex is great.
Thanks!

[fdb]

Guy Savoy is my all time favorite restaurant (both Vegas and Paris). It'll be a grand finale for your trip. Enjoy! As for your Thursday night dinner, I would suggest you check out Bar Charlie. I'm sure you won't find anything like it in Montana.

[uhockey]

You do not have to sub before going, you can do it on the fly. I've done this at EMP and Gramercy Tavern in New York, as well.

I'd do something exclusive to Vegas over Spago. Perhaps MiX, Restaurant Charlie, Alize or Andres, L'Atelier (not exclusive,) Table 10, or one of the Michael Mina restaurants. Perhaps Picasso?

I'm travelling with a total non-foodie and meeting with a few different people during Olympia weekend, but current plans are:

Weds: Lunch @ Table 10, Dinner @ Michael Mina
Thurs: Lunch @ Enoteca San Marco, Dinner @ MiX (not my choice, but the group wants a view and a club and I've never had Ducasse)
Fri: Lunch @ Delmonico, Dinner at Alex
Saturday: Brunch @ Bouchon, Dinner at Craftsteak after hockey game at MGM.

[kungfugirl]

Thanks for the suggestions. Since you are often in the same boat i'm sure, what do you recommend based on the fact that my boyfriend is a meat eater? Most of the menus say "the entire table must order" for the tasting menu. I don't want to deprive him of food and at the same time can't eat a good portion of those dishes. Basically, have you ever ordered the regular tasting menu for the table then asked for your substitutions? These probably seem like redundant questions but I want to be sure we have a great time.

[uhockey]

Did so at Gramercy Tavern w/o problem.
Never tried in Vegas, though I did E-mail MiX to make sure and they stated one person can get the tasting while others don't.

You may want to call ahead on that one.

[emmaAmethyst]

I would absolutely call ahead & discuss your preferences/restrictions, regardless. Think of it this way: You'd like to have a great time, & any good restaurant would also really like for you have a great time. That's what they're in business to do. And if you can give them any advance "heads up" about what it will take for that to happen, the more opportunity they have to make it happen. Making them aware of reasonable dietary constraints (like the ones you outlined) in advance isn't being a nuisance; it's giving them a fair chance to please you.

(And, if you don't get a satisfactory response from the reservationist, ask politely to chat with a manager. All that failing, IMO, they don't really care about taking care of customers. There's plenty of other options, especially in Vegas. Let us know -- we'll send you elsewhere! :-) )

[uhockey]

Just an update, but I've found that the people at Bellagio are especially helpful (Le Cirque, Circo, Michael Mina) whereas the e-mail / phone attendants at the Palms are much less-so.

The persons manning both the phones and E-mail at Guy Savoy are stellar, as well.

[kungfugirl]

When you email restaurants do you go through the concierge or directly to the restaurant? And again, I really appreciate everyone's advice!

[uhockey]

Concierge

[kungfugirl]

Great. Is it ever to early to contact them? And uhockey I checked your profile and found out you are a fellow Ohioian. I am originally from Toledo. But the big quesiton...are you a Buckeye?

[uhockey]

How odd......I grew up and went to medical school in Toledo.
I went to undergrad and now practice at OSU Medical center.

I don't think it is ever "too early," but the tasting menus do change frequently.

[Bill Hunt]

This has never been a problem for us. Each offending dish is substituted with no problems. As we often do the sommelier's wine pairings too, this also means different wines with many of these.

I'm big on letting the restaurant and the chef know beforehand. It gives them more latitude, especially as some do "themed" tasting menus, and it's nice when they can keep to that theme.

On most return trips, as soon as I call, they pull up our dossier and ask if it's still correct, that wife cannot do bi-valves. Most really good restaurants keep notes on return patrons.

Hunt

[Bill Hunt]

Kungfugirl,

I'd contact the restaurant and mention the dietary requirements. I have never encountered a chef, who would not accommodate us, and this is around the globe. I'm an omnivore, but wife cannot have bi-valves of any sort: scallops, clams, mussels or oysters. She can eat mollusks with only one shell, like limpets and abalone - go figure and she grew up in New Orleans eating oysters in everything. I let the front of the house know of this problem and we never miss a course. Now, I make out like a bandit, 'cause I get to taste her "substitute," and the wine paired for it.

Just give them some time (please don't spring this on them, when seated) and I'll bet (hey, you're going to Vegas, right?) that they will be glad to accommodate you. If not, post who was so churlish, and I'll avoid them on our 4x/year trip to LV.

Good luck and happy b'day to BF. Enjoy and report back,

Hunt

[kungfugirl]

Thanks Hunt I appreciate it.

[kungfugirl]

You were all correct. I contacted Guy Savoy and they were fabulous. Also canceled Spago and went with Michael Mina instead. I'm already thinking of not eating until the trip just so I have room for all the amazing food!

[uhockey]

Awesome choices. :-)

Report back.

I'll have reviews of all my selections around the end of September.

[kungfugirl]

Update: So I have been to Vegas, lived it, loved it and can't wait to get back. I will be posting my reviews. Not as technical as some others and certainly not as specific, I hope that they will help others make their Las Vegas dining decisions. Thanks again to everyone who helped make my decisions so much easier!

Below is the review for our dinner at Michael Mina.

Thursday, October 9th Dinner-Michael Mina at the Bellagio

Service: friendly but not overbearing
Atmosphere: modern but comfortable
Only issue: tables were too close together and there were quite a few people there. The servers often had a hard difficulty reaching us after others were seated next to us.

Cookbook Tasting with Premium Wine Tasting:
**Note: I really enjoyed all of my food in Las Vegas. That being said, the reviews I am submitting lack the exact names of some of the dishes and most of the wines. I would apologize but I am still too full and happy.

Amuse: Butternut squash soup
Creamy deliciousness with a gorgeous color.
I could have eaten an entire pot of this soup.

Bread: Black pepper and red plum roll
Peppery in the front and sweet in the back.
Served with the most airy and delicious whipped butter.

Course 1: Tartare of Ahi Tuna
-with sesame oil, toasted pine nuts, garlic and chiffonade of mint, with a quail egg perched on top and toast wedges on the side
Combined by the server at the table after presentation.
I don't usually do raw fish but I had about half of it. The mint really helped. Marvin, who had the same thing said the tuna was fabulous.
Wine served: a German Riesling

Course 2: The tasting menu called for Lobster Pot Pie and I substituted a Salad with Ricotta Salata dressed with a red wine vinaigrette
Marvin did have the pot pie and said the best part was the pearl onions. His only compliant was for the dish was he wished there was more.
The salad was the least favorite of my dishes. The lettuce was mostly of the weed variety. However, the ricotta was salty and yummy.
Wine served: a white Burgundy from new oak

Course 3: Miso-Glazed Black Cod
-in a Shitake consomme with shrimp and scallop raviolini.
The fish melted in my mouth like butter. The broth was seasoned perfectly and while not a fan of shellfish, I could have eaten an entire plate of the raviolini. They were homemade and laced with ginger. A very satisfying dish.
Wine served: served with a very mild sake and I believe the sommelier used the term "droplets" when describing it.

Course 4: The menu called for a beef dish but I substituted their take on fish and chips. Or as they call it "Chips on fish".
It was a John Dory fish with thinly sliced potato circles, salted and browned to ridiculous perfection.
It was placed upon an onion sauce with a side of tartar sauce. I did not use the tartar sauce at all, nor do I think it was necessary.
This was by far my favorite dish. It is on the regular menu and if I go back I would seriously consider just ordering it on it's own.
Wine served: a red from Washington, perhaps called Sorello

Course 5: Tasting of Michael Mina Desserts:
Mini Root Beer Float, Butternut Squash Cake, Chocolate Pot De Creme
They were all very good. The root beer float was made with a root beer sorbet and the maple cream that accompanied the squash cake was excellent.
Wine served: port

A final treat of ice cream bon bons-one orange and one mint.

Overall I would recommend Michael Mina to anyone wishing to find a decent tasting menu at the lower end of the cost scale. I did not call ahead for any of my substitutions and they were very accommodating since Marvin wanted to have the regular tasting menu. The only thing they didn't do that the other restaurants did was to give me different wines when I substituted dishes. It wasn't a huge deal, but would have been a nice touch.

More reviews to come...

[Cookiefiend]

Sounds so good!

I love the miso glazed black cod, I think that might be my favorite preparation.

Looking forward to the rest of your reviews!

[kungfugirl]

I chose Mesa Grill because I am obsessed with the Food Network and love all things spicy.

Friday, October 10th Lunch

Mesa Grill at Caesar's Palace

Service: Quick and efficient but nothing too extraordinary.
Atmosphere: kind of loud with the casino in the background but good enough for lunch.

I started with a bowl of Roasted Corn Soup with Smoked Tomato Salsa. I could have licked the bowl. Actually, I kind of did with the jalapeno bread they gave me. It was creamy and delicious.
Next I tried the Cornmeal Crusted Chile Relleno filled with roasted eggplant, manchego cheese with a sweet red pepper sauce and balsamic vinegar. I felt that the cornmeal crust could have had a lot more seasoning. I was fully intending to need a water refill but was sorely disappointed in the spice level. Thechile was as fresh as they get and the manchego was gooey goodness.
I washed that all down with a Widow Mojito, which seemed to be dark rum and cola instead of white rum and seltzer. It hit the spot.
For dessert we got the sampler which included:
Warm Cornbread Pudding with pear-apple compote, pear butter sauce and ginger- molasses ice cream (my favorite part since Marvin ate all of the pudding).
Profiteroles with cornflake crunch vanilla ice cream and a warm Mexican chocolate sauce.
Warm Chocolate Cake with Dulce de Leche and toasted pecan ice cream. The cake was extremely rich but excellent.
Marvin did have a margarita and an apple martini (which was rimmed with cinnamon sugar) and was happy with his cocktails.

I would go back if only for the soup. When compared to the other restaurants we ate at it was not so impressive, but for a lunch place it suited the bill.

[kungfugirl]

Friday, October 10th Dinner

Tableau at The Wynn

Service: spot on. The timing between the dishes was perfect and are server was very attentive.
Atmosphere: French but not pretentious. We sat in the main dining area near a window which overlooked the pool.
I chose this restaurant over others at Wynn because it had a vegetarian tasting menu and no substitutions were needed. It was great.

Vegetarian Tasting Menu with Wine Pairings
Course 1: Heirloom Tomato and Roast Beet Salad
With hearts of palm, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and micro herbs.
I am not a huge fan of either tomatoes or beets. But the sea salt was wonderful and I cleaned my plate. Perhaps I am a new beet lover.
Course 2: Grilled Asparagus Salad
With seasonal greens, avocado and Sonoma goat cheese, dressed with a white balsamic dressing.
The goat cheese was by far my favorite part. It was fresh and tangy.
Course 3: Chickpea fries
This glorious dish was pureed chickpeas, dusted with chickpea flour and deep-fried.
I almost asked them to stop the tasting and just bring me a full plate of these.
Course 4: A fettuccini dish with chantrelle mushrooms, yellow beets and light oil.
I wanted to finish it, I even tried deep breaths to help make room, but I just couldn't.
It was a light pasta dish and well made.
Course 5: Cheese
We were served what I believe was a triple cream Brie with a side of currant jam.
I like strong cheese, but I could only take about three bites of this one.
It was too much for me.
Course 6: Dessert Tasting
Banana Bread Pudding
Strawberry Milkshake-creamy and delectable
Poppy seed berry shortcake-I almost ordered a full size one to go for a midnight snack.

And because it was Marvin's birthday we got extra chocolate mousse cup.
They gave these amazing chocolate caramels as a take home treat.

It was a good experience overall. There are other restaurants at the Wynn I would like to try so I probably won't go back anytime soon. But I would recommend for anyone looking for a vegetarian option.

[kungfugirl]

Saturday, October 11th Dinner

Guy Savoy at Caesar's Palace

Before I begin this review I need to say that I am in love with this place. If I could afford to eat there every weekend I would. It was pricey, but I would pay it again and again to have that fine of a dining experience. The only (and I mean only) thing that was wrong, was that I was way too full to eat every bite of everything! Frustrating but not such a horrible problem to have.
So service...untouchable.
I fully expected to have a little snobbery going on amongst the servers but I was mistaken.
From the hostess, to the sommelier, to our French waiter, to the bread cart server, to the petit fore server, to the lady that opened the bathroom door-absolutely down to earth and fantastic.
I love food, but some of the fancy French terminology is lost on me. All of the servers explained the dishes and wines in technical and proper terms then in a regular Joe sort of way. I could go on and on, but lets just sum it up by saying it was the best service I have ever received.
Atmosphere: clean cut, dark wood, beautiful view and a purse stool! I know this might not seem very important to the fellas out there, but a purse stool at your table is awesome for the ladies. It was a comfortable environment that made you feel incredibly special.
Food: I called and made the reservation letting the reservationist know that I did not eat red or pork. The server straight away asked about dietary restrictions and allergies. There was no problem substituting dishes in any of the tasting menus.
We both ordered the Prestige Tasting Menu with the wine pairings.
I must now apologize for my lack of detail and proper labeling.
I have no idea what the wines were named and frankly all I wanted to do was concentrate on tasting and experiencing. But here is what I do have:

Champagne: the sommelier has a cart of champagne of which he was pouring six champagnes that you rarely, if ever, see by the glass. I had a 1999 'smokin' champagne and Marvin had a Krug that was too die for.
*Note-these glasses of champagne are not included in your tasting and wine pairing menu and can be pretty pricey. Mine was $59 and his was $75. Worth every penny though.

Olive crostini-Amuse
Eggplant soup with lemon confit, croutons and basil powder served in a wonderful dish, which hid a tuna tartare underneath it. The soup was creamy and combination of the basil powder (which you added yourself as it was part of the presentation) and the lemon confit was killer.
Oysters in Ice Gelee-I do not like shellfish. But I thought if I was going to try them this was the place. Unfortunately, I did not care for them. The taste was really fishy, which of course is what is supposed to make oysters tasty. I only ate one of the three and the server asked if I wanted something else instead. I refused, stating that I had had a feeling I wouldn't care for them but wanted to give them a try.
I then had the most delicious chestnut soup with porcini mushrooms. I have not had too much experience with chestnuts, but I am now a chestnut lover. It was amazing.
Marvin did have the colors of caviar for this course. He had strong reservations going in, but after the presentation and tasting, had only glowing things to say.
Next was Crispy Sea Bass with Delicate Spices. Two small pieces of flaky and mild fish. The crispy portion was actually sea bass skin. It freaked me out a bit but I did try it and it was tasty.
Neither of us were interested in the foie-gras. So the substitution was a Dover sole dish. Again, the fish could not be matched. By this time I was getting rather full, but the dish was awesome.
We moved on to the Artichoke and Black Truffle Soup with Toasted Mushroom Brioche and Black Truffle Butter. Decadent, velvety, rich and scrumptious. The brioche was flaky and the shaved black truffle and Parmesan cheese was just topping on the cake.
Did I mention that with every course we were not only given very generous tastings of wine, that changed with the substitutions, but also a piece of bread to pair with each new course? Well, we were and it rocked!
Back to the meal.
Next was Poussin Roasted a la Broche (on the bone), Chantrelles, Arugula and Potato Galette. I asked to have the bone removed before presenting and there was no problem. I was bursting at the seams, but the chicken was moist and delicious.
And with my stomach stretched to the max, cam e the glorious cheese cart. After explaining in detail every cheese on the cart at my request (not only to learn about them to make a decision, but to try to buy some time to get hungry again), we each chose 5 cheeses. I stuck with mostly goat cheeses, which were fresh and creamy. Unfortunately, I had to leave some of each on the plate because my eye caught the dessert cart.
First came the Summer Melon dish. Small shaped melons on top of what looked like a trivet over a bowl. Then came the spectacular presentation. Hot chamomile tea was poured into the bowl through the holes surrounding the melon hitting what we later found out was dry ice. The steam came up and the aroma of the tea was tantalizing as we ate the melon. It was an excellent palate cleanser and light enough to move to the chocolate course.
Next was Chocolate Fondat, Crunchy Praline, Chicory Cream. Yummy. I could have lifted the gorgeous plate and drank the chicory cream.
And just when you think it might be over...nope, here comes the petit fore cart.
I ordered a hot tea that came in a great yellow ceramic teakettle and Marvin got a cappuccino. The cart was full of small, dangerously sweet bites of mouth-watering goodness. We each took six at the cajoling of our server and were not disappointed.

The reviews I read prior to choosing this restaurant said one thing I want to echo as loud as possible. Expensive? YES. Value for the food, service, atmosphere and experience? ABSOLUTELY!
Go to Guy Savoy if you are looking for a beautiful and fantastic evening and want to be treated like a king and queen.

[fdb]

" If I could afford to eat there every weekend I would."

kungfugirl--if I could afford it I would join you every weekend. :) :) :) I'm glad you made it to Guy Savoy. It's really one of the most fabulous restaurants in the world. I can't wait to go back.

[mscherzberg]

At Guy Savoy they have an a la carte menu as well and are able to offer half-size portions of almost anything on that menu if you need to add to a tasting menu or create your own.