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Betting on Michelin Stars: Amazing, Awe-inspiring Aureole!

by: atdleft

Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 17:31:11 PM PST

(Also at Nevada Progressive)

When my father's birthday was approaching in December, I knew I wanted to do something special to celebrate. So what to do? Where to go? What should we eat?

Then all of a sudden, I had an idea. Yes, this was the place. ;-)

atdleft :: Betting on Michelin Stars: Amazing, Awe-inspiring Aureole!

And quite simply, this is the one of the best restaurants I've ever been in so far! I knew this would be special, but I never expected the spectacle we would find inside. We started off with wine in the bar before moving to the main dining room.

The design inside is just stunning! The wine tower is the centerpiece, and for good reason. There are thousands of fine wines stored inside, and it was fun to watch the "wine angels" climb up and down to retrieve our wine!

Oh, but don't worry... The food is just as stunning as the ambience! My dad and I both ordered the baby iceberg wedge salad with blue cheese and "bacon vinaigrette". I'm obviously not a bacon person, but I very much enjoyed the flavor of everything else... And I'm not even an iceberg person, either! My dad also enjoyed the salad.

We constantly received fresh bread service, and all the breads were soft and tasty. The focaccia was my favorite, but the pretzel and baguette were also delectable.

Next up was the main course. My dad ordered the mahi mahi, and he said it was the best seafood he's ever eaten. I did the ricotta ravioli with a light spinach and red bell pepper sauce, and I was blown away by the delicate flavors all working together in harmony.

And finally, dessert! Both my dad and I did the caramelized banana bread pudding. He found it a bit awkward, but still enjoyed it. I, however, was really digging the flavors and the "just right" sweetness. We were also served a complementary dish of petite mini cookies and petit fours, and all tasted wonderful.

This was one of the best experiences of my life, and I was so glad to treat my father to a spectacular birthday dinner at this marvelous restaurant! And believe it or not, for a big, fancy Charlie Palmer steak place, there were some simply fabulous vegetarian dishes. Oh, and what's even better is that they're now serving $55 prix fixe menu specials... So eating here is more affordable and approachable than ever before!

So what are you waiting for? Wouldn't you like a taste of what makes Las Vegas so amazing? :-D

Tags: Las Vegas Dining, Aureole, Mandalay Bay, MGM Mirage, Arts and Entertainment, politics of food, Betting on Michelin Stars, luxury travel, Las Vegas, Nevada, Community, (All Tags)

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Betting on Michelin Stars: Amazing, Awe-inspiring Aureole! | 15 comments

Tips for your hungry traveler? (4.00 / 3)

And btw, yes, Aureole is in Mandalay Bay and "M-Bay" really is that close our world famous "welcome mat". :-D

Act on Principles and make equality happen.

by: atdleft @ Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 01:40:10 AM UTC

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that banana bread pudding (4.00 / 2)

oh my god. YUM.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

by: Jill Richardson @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 04:18:17 AM UTC

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Oh, it tasted just as great as it looked... (0.00 / 0)

I still fantasize about it today. And with the chocolate ice cream, that dessert was all around divine! :-D

Act on Principles and make equality happen.

by: atdleft @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 04:48:25 AM UTC

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by: you @ soon

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Little known fact! (4.00 / 2)

2/3 of all wars in world history have been ended by both sides getting together and deciding that sharing meals containing blue cheese is better than fighting.

That's what The War of 1812 was all about, actually. The British were routed in New Orleans after the war had officially ended only because Andrew Jackson wouldn't share his troops' blue cheese provisions. So the British attacked. They wanted Po' Boys and Muffuletta, too. But that was secondary to the blue cheese, of course.

Coming soon to a Philadelphia near you!

by: JayinPortland @ Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 19:33:31 PM UTC

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Very little known fact! nt (4.00 / 2)

by: count @ Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 19:45:43 PM UTC

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Indeed... (4.00 / 2)

I learned it in A Cheesemonger's History of the United States of America.

Coming soon to a Philadelphia near you!

by: JayinPortland @ Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 19:47:29 PM UTC

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Wine Tower... (4.00 / 2)

Any good Willamette Valley rieslings in there?

I know I'd find my own personal heaven if I ever walked into a restaurant with a Beer Tower, focusing heavily on Oregon craft brews...

;-P

Holy menu prices, Batman!

I could never afford to eat there. I just hope their sourcing at least justifies that. Niman Ranch on the menu is a good sign, though.

Funny that I just got around to checking out the menu there, right after I spent a few minutes on the Portland Chowhound board and read a comment which basically summed up our whole food thing here. One random throw-away comment on some post was something like, "but even our highest-end places here aren't even that high".

I love the fact that even your typical barely-employed (i.e. - me!) Portlander can still regularly enjoy some of the finest locally-produced food our region has to offer, and still have enough change left over to catch the bus home...

:)

Coming soon to a Philadelphia near you!

by: JayinPortland @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 01:08:34 AM UTC

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Yep, The Pacific Northwest wasn't forgotten! (4.00 / 2)

Your region gets a shout-out on the wine page, and considering how many wines they carry I'm sure they must have at least a few Oregon bottles. ;-)

And yes, Las Vegas has really become an expensive dining town. Not that long ago, we were mostly known for lousy buffets and crappy "$5.99 steak & eggs specials!" But these days, it's more about who won how many Michelin Stars, who got featured in which luxury travel guide, and who will get featured on national TV, and who will get the big spreads in "Bon Appetit" and "Food & Wine".

Even with the recession bringing us crashing back down to earth, the dining scene in Vegas is still hyper-competitive... And believe it or not, a $55 prix fixe menu is considered a fine dining bargain here.

Are you telling me I won't have to spend that much on a nice dinner in Portland? :-D

Act on Principles and make equality happen.

by: atdleft @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 03:12:16 AM UTC

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D00d! (4.00 / 2)

$55 in Portland would cover two for dinner easily, even at the fanciest-pantsiest places...

And the secret is that those places aren't even our best for food. Those places are really just for folks who don't want to eat with families or with people wearing jeans.

The mid-range places are where it's at for sit-down restaurant food. At those places, $55 would cover dinner and local brews for two.

But of course, if you ask me? The food carts are really where it's at. Even at the high end, $18 covers two people. Take your food, and walk down the block to a bar and add another $8 for a great local brew to wash it down with...

Coming soon to a Philadelphia near you!

by: JayinPortland @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 03:48:10 AM UTC

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OMG, for real??!! (4.00 / 2)

$55 in Portland would cover two for dinner easily, even at the fanciest-pantsiest places...

OK, I'll have to check my schedule and see how soon I can book a flight. Does Jet Blue or Southwest have nonstop Vegas-to-Portland flights?

And how did I know this would creep in?

The food carts are really where it's at.

Cheese louise, I just HAVE to taste what you're talking about! You talk about these food carts like all my hipster LA friends tweet about their food truck happenings. And if your food carts are like LA's food trucks, then I'll finally see the light and embrace the cart. :-D

Act on Principles and make equality happen.

by: atdleft @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 04:10:33 AM UTC

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Heh... (4.00 / 2)

I don't know much about flights, besides the odd stroke of luck for me and my mother that Continental offers direct flights between Portland and Newark.

Heh.

Trains, though. Amtrak's Coast Starlight'll get ya between Oakland and Portland in about 18 hours, so I'm thinking the train's maybe just a little over 26 from LA to PDX?

Infinitely more fun, too! The train is where it's at. :)

Coming soon to a Philadelphia near you!

by: JayinPortland @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 04:30:39 AM UTC

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Re: planes... (4.00 / 2)

I should also mention that I never flew on one until long after I moved to Portland!

I originally moved from Jersey to Portland via Amtrak. NE Corridor to DC, Capitol Limited from DC to Chicago, and Empire Builder from Chicago to Portland...

Coming soon to a Philadelphia near you!

by: JayinPortland @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 04:40:46 AM UTC

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I guess I've been too used to flying... (4.00 / 2)

The last time I took a long train ride was when I was going to school in San Diego and commuting back to OC for weekends with the family. It might be nice some time to take Coast Starlight all the way up the coast... But how do I get to the coast from Vegasland?

Act on Principles and make equality happen.

by: atdleft @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 04:53:53 AM UTC

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Good question... (4.00 / 2)

But how do I get to the coast from Vegasland?

...and one we should be asking our "leaders" these days.

I took the Coast Starlight from Portland to Oakland in 2007, and wow. Nothing quite like waking up to the Golden Hills and Sparkling Bay between Pittsburg and Martinez, especially over the spots where the train is like 10 feet from the water.

Holy. Shit.

The stuff of dreams, something you never forget.

I've had quite a few of those experiences on Amtrak, actually.

Small Appalachian towns on the Capitol Limited. Dusty and beautiful mid-summer North Dakota mornings through Fargo, Minot, Rugby, etc...

Lake Pend Oreille in Idaho at dawn. The Columbia River Gorge and the Eastern Oregon high desert on the Portland leg of the Empire Builder on a brilliantly sunny late July morning...

Coming soon to a Philadelphia near you!

by: JayinPortland @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 05:19:46 AM UTC

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We are, we are... (4.00 / 2)

...and one we should be asking our "leaders" these days.

And hopefully in the coming years, we'll finally get an LA/OC-to-Vegas high-speed rail line. But until this is finally built, we don't have anything. Amtrak ended its LA-to-Vegas service 13 years ago.

So for now, it's either McCarran or the 15. But yes, I can hardly wait to see rail service return to town.

Act on Principles and make equality happen.

by: atdleft @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 05:37:06 AM UTC

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