So many months have gone by since we have been able to enjoy fine dining. So we figured we would start back at the very top by having dinner at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Las Vegas.
The incredible view from our patio table at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Las Vegas
The Venetian Hotel
A visit to the opulent Venetian Hotel and Casino is like a trip to Italy!
Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Las Vegas is in the opulent Venetian Hotel. If you want to feel like you are taking a trip to Italy, the Venetian is the place to go. And bonus – no passport required!
Grand Canal Shops
The hotel is so vast that you could easily get lost. After we parked, we prayed we would be able to find our car at the end of the night. We arrived very early for our 8:30 reservation so that we could really tour the hotel. The beautiful high-end shops were closed so Steve didn’t cringe each time I admired something. But, when open, you could find almost anything you could possible want or need.
Restaurants galore
I couldn’t even name all of the restaurants at the Venetian. There are over 40 of them. I can tell you that in addition to Thomas Keller; Michael Mina, Buddy Valastro, Wolfgang Puck, David Chang and Emeril Lagasse have outposts at the hotel.
The Grand Canal
Just as in Venice you could ride a gondola on the Grand Canal
The tranquil Grand Canal meanders through “streets” lined with those beautiful stores. You can buy tickets and take an actual gondola ride!
Art and beauty
Steve is sending LOVE from the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas
Spring has sprung and Easter is on its way at the Venetian in Las Vegas
This beautiful sculpture had the feel of Lalique glass. It was so gorgeous!
Everywhere you look there is something stunning to gaze at. Frescoed ceilings, domes with beautiful sculpture beneath, a LOVE sculpture and gorgeous plants and flowers made us ooh and aah at ever turn. Plus there are not one, but two casinos!
Chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon
By the time we were seated for dinner at Bouchon we were exhausted and very hungry. We were seated on the patio just outside of the bistro. It felt like we were dining in a gorgeous piazza in Italy.
Service
Freshly baked rolls, sweet butter and pistachios served as we were seated.
We were immediately presented with menus, water and freshly baked rolls, sweet butter and yummy pistachios. Our server, Gary, was a delight. He too likes to camp and he’s a foodie. With his help we were guided to the best selections for our meal, cautioning us to save room for a couple of desserts. And I believe his wise words were “the more you share, the more delicious dishes you get to taste”.
The kitchen
Behind those masks are the Traveling Locavores in the pristine kitchen at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Las Vegas
The pristine, state of the art kitchen at Bouchon
The chefs at work
Before our meal came we were delighted to be treated to a tour of the kitchen. It was as large as I would have imagined, but it was pristinely clean. It was also very well organized and calm. The chef’s were working with masks on, which made us feel reassured that all precautions were being taking to keep us safe and healthy.
Starters
Soupe à l’mignon with lots of ooey gooey Comté cheese
As soon as I saw Soupe à l’Oignon (French Onion Soup) and Escargot Bourgogne on the menu, I knew what our starters would be. The soup had that deep richness of flavor that comes from caramelizing sweet onions very slowly for a long time. The onions were enhanced by beef jus, a crouton of country bread and a generous amount of nutty Comté cheese.
Escargot de Bourgogne
And those escargot!!! Immediately the garlicky aroma wafted in our direction beckoning us to dig in. The tender Burgundy snails were swimming tiny hot tubs of parsley-garlic butter and topped of with Bouchon Bakery puff pastry.
Entrées
Don’t you want to have a bite or two of our amazing meal?
For our entrées Steve chose the Steak Frites and I had the Poulet Rôti. Our yoga loving server advised us that the Pommes Frites with truffle that accompanied Steve’s Steak Frites would be more than enough to share.
Steve’s Pan Seared Flat Iron Steak with Maître d’Hôtel Butter
Pommes Frites with Truffle
The steak, in Steve’s Steak Frites, was a beautiful piece of flat iron steak that was topped with disk of butter seasoned with parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper. The heat of the perfectly cooked medium rare steak melted the butter to create a brilliant and flavorful sauce. The fries were sooooo yummy. And so abundant that we took more than half of them home to share the next night.
My Poulet Rôti
Now, I know roast chicken doesn’t sound so exciting. But when that half a chicken is brined first and the skin is rendered crisp as can be, it’s an exciting dish. The dish was beautifully presented. To keep the chicken skin crispy, the chicken was perched atop a bed of caramelized Brussels sprouts, bacon lardons and surrounded by a pool of Dijon chicken jus. It was fabulous. But knowing that desserts were coming I took half the chicken home.
Dessert
Chocolate Bouchons – warm chocolate brownies with house made vanilla ice cream, cocoa nibs and fudgy chocolate sauce
And speaking of dessert. OH. MY. GOODNESS. We were bordering on full when our Crème Brûlée and Chocolate Bouchons were presented in front of us.
Crème Brûlée
The Crème Brûlée was traditional vanilla custard with that iconic burnt sugar layer. There’s something so satisfying about shattering that sugar crust. The creamy custard with a bit of crunchy burnt sugar creates a little party in your mouth.
A closer look at those rich chocolate bouchons. So luscious!
However, as a pair of confirmed chocoholics, the Chocolate Bouchons stole the show. The bouchons were a trio of deep, dark, fudgy brownie bites topped with very creamy vanilla ice cream. And next to the ice cream topped trio was a swoosh of cocoa nib laced ganache. It was the perfect balance of flavors and textures.
The entire evening was perfect from start to finish!
If you are still wondering if we found our car, I can put your mind at ease. We did. At least we found it on our second try.
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