At the end of the last report we were leaving the Barbary Coast and heading across to Paris (that sounds kind of strange doesn't it?) which is located on the next block. Before I start on Paris I want to mention that the Barbary Coast was recently purchased by Harrah's and is to be renamed (gag) Bill's Gamblin' Hall.
That sucks. The name and the fact that Harrah's (curse them forever) has bought it.
Okay, on to Paris (also owned by Harrah's).
Paris is a great place for a couple to stay although it is pricey to gamble there. I've stayed there a couple of times with my wife and have always been pleased. If you look carefully, you can find a $5 table there sometimes, but most of them are at least $15 and the great majority are $25 and up.
One of the irritating things about Paris is that all of the employees are apparently required to use a lot of French words and speak in a French accent. I understand it is a "theme" but I'm pretty sure all of the noise from the slot machines prevent anyone from thinking they are strolling through the City of Paris.
Still, it is a very nice place and I highly recommend anyone visiting the strip, stop by and have a look. The waitresses' outfits are worth a trip by themselves.
One place to visit while you're there is Le Creperie, for one of their...guess what?....crepes. Whether sweet or savory they are excellent, maybe a little pricey, but in my view worth it.
Our next stop was to see The Producers, the Broadway musical written by Mel Brooks. I have seen the movie starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick several times and was looking forward to seeing it live. If you've seen the movie, then the stage production is almost identical, just slightly shorter as a couple of the songs have been removed. The actors are different than the movie but are great. The part of the gay director is played by David Hasselhoff, which is the real reason I wanted to see this live version. I couldn't imagine him in the part but he did a great job. He was certainly willing to stretch for this role and for that alone I'd give him 5 stars. The show definitely gets a thumbs up as it is funny, well done, the acting was excellent overall, and you will find yourself humming some of the songs when the show is over.
We grabbed a cab to the Mandalay Bay for our 10:30 reservation at Fleur de Lys.
This restaurant is owned and operated by Chef Hubert Keller. Anyone who has watched the Top Chef show on Bravo TV has probably seen Chef Keller appearing as a guest judge.
Usually when we do a guy trip to Las Vegas we eat at steakhouses and buffets, with the occasional cafe thrown into the mix. This time we decided ahead of time to put a French restaurant onto the list. I was curious about French food and had read several places that Vegas was one of the better locales to find excellent French cuisine. We chose Fleur de Lys based on the menu selections, price, and online reviews. For a sample menu from Fleur de Lys, not the one we chose from, click here.
Tumerica had suggested that we opt for the multiple course tasting menu as opposed to selecting an entrée, which we did.
We chose the five course menu, along with the suggested wine pairing. There was a very interesting Vegetarian Feast on the menu that I was tempted to try, but opted for more conventional fare.
We made our menu choices (more below on that) but before they started serving these we were brought an amuse bouche, which is simply a small taste of something designed to stimulate the palate. In this case, it was smoked salmon tartare arranged in such a manner as to artfully suggest a crustacean. Very tasty.
For the appetizer course we each had a choice of Jumbo Lump Crab, Burgundy Escargot with garlic and Parmesan Gnocchi, Artisan Foie Gras "Au Torchon", Seared Ahi Tuna, Smoked Salmon Raviolis with Guacamole, Salad of Mache, Oven Roasted Boneless Quail Breast, Chilled Maine Lobster Salad, and, for an extra $70, Caspian Sea Osetra Caviar.
It was a hard choice but I chose the Foie Gras and HH (my buddy) chose the Lobster Salad.
The Foie Gras was served with a Quince Compote, Honey Grenadine, Micro Greens, and Fresh Brioche bread. The Lobster Salad was served with a watermelon granite', Balsamic Vinegar Reduction and Vanilla Oil.
I had tried Pate de Foie Gras in the past and never cared for it, but wanted to give it another try in a real French restaurant before giving it up for good. I'm glad I did.
The medallion of foie gras was roughly that of a silver dollar, maybe slightly larger and about a quarter to a half inch thick. I was a little shaky on how to eat this, but I finally took a portion of the brioche bread (cooked in jigger sized porcelain cups to make the whole loaf about two bites, very nice) smeared the foie gras on it and then chunked it into my mouth. The foie gras totally surprised me. It was rich, creamy, and yet extremely delicate in flavor. I tried the next few bites adding the compote, the micro greens, etc. The portion size turned out to be perfect because it was so rich I really was finished one bite before it was all gone.
HH's lobster salad was also excellent, although neither he nor I could taste any vanilla. The wine chosen for my foie gras was sweet and matched perfectly. Unfortunately, I didn't write any of the wine names down and will just refer to them as I can.
The next course was the Fish, Crustacean, and Mollusk course. I was disappointed to hear that they Monkfish was not available and has to rethink my selection. Our other choices were Slow Roasted Alaskan King Salmon, Pan Seared Diver Scallops, and Roasted Maine Lobster. HH chose the Scallops while I went for the Lobster this time.
The Scallops were served with Porcini Lasagna, Wild Mushroom Tea, and Black Truffle Chantilly.
The Lobster was accompanied by Bamboo Rice Risotto, Glazed Carrots and Zucchini, and Lobster Mint Sauce.
Excellent all the way around. The scallops were cooked perfectly, as was the lobster. The risotto was one of the best dishes I have ever had anywhere. In my opinion, the risotto was so good it put the lobster into the background. The flavor was delicate yet distinctive and the texture of the risotto was perfect, creamy yet still granular.
HH was a little surprised when he bit into a hunk of truffle, he found the piece to be a little big and thus almost overpowering.
The wine chosen for the lobster was a nice chardonnay, again a perfect match.
The next menu section was entitled "Steaks and other Proteins". The options were Le Steak 12 oz Aged Prime Rib Eye Steak (for an additional $10), Filet Mignon topped with Sauteed Foie Gras (for an additional $25), Filet Mignon with Braised Oxtail Tortellini, Kobe Beef FleurBurger "Rossini" (for an additional $25), Roasted California Squab, Roasted New Zealand Venison Loin, Colorado Lamb Loin and Shoulder Canneloni.
For this course I strongly considered the Kobe burger, the Filet toped with the Foie Gras, and the Squab. I chose the Squab first because I have always been curious and second because HH was leery of trying it. He chose the Venison instead.
The squab was cooked medium rare and was served with Parsnip Tortellini, Daikon, and Ice Wine Vinegar Raisin Sauce. The wine choice was a very heavy Cabernet Sauvignon, a California if I'm not mistaken. I was a little skeptical when I first sipped the wine, before the course was served, since it was a fairly heavy red and I'm not a big Cab fan anyway. But, once I tried it with the Squab I have to admit the wine was again a perfect match. For those of you who have not had it, the taste of Squab was a cross between duck, chicken, and dove, leaning more toward the duck end of the spectrum. I passed a small bite to HH, who agreed it was very tasty. The Parsnip tortellini was an excellent accompaniment.
The venison was likewise perfectly cooked and extremely tasty, no wild taste at all. The fig compote served with the venison was the only item HH didn't care for.
Our next course was the Artisanal French Cheese course, consisting of four cheeses along with a few side items. The cheeses ranged from a creamy brie to a very hard orange cheese. All were excellent. The wine pairing was again a sweet wine. Again I failed to get the names of the cheeses but since this is really a restaurant review as opposed to a cheese review I would jusy say that if you visit the Fleur de Lys, the cheese course is a must.
The dessert menu is a full page and includes, a Citrus Trio, Chocolate Feast, Fresh Fruit Minestrone, Caramel Variation, Quince Baekoff, Assorted Sorbets, or a choice of three souffles (at an additional $5), Chocolate, Pistachio, or Grand Marnier.
Even though the portion sizes had been small the food was so incredibly rich and flavorful I wanted a light dessert and after extensive waffling back and forth I chose the Citrus Trio. HH chose the Chocolate Souffle.
The Citrus Trio was described as Lemon Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta, Orange and Grape Fruit Tarragon Gelee, Citrus and Thyme "Tart", and a Mandarin Orange Sorbet. When it was delivered there was also a Meyer Lemon compote.
The flavors were very intense and, with the exception of the Panna Cotta, very tart. This is not a complaint but just something of which you should be aware. I had never had a gelee, and it was much firmer than I expected, landing somewhere between jello and gummy bears. My favorite was the Panna Cotta, which was lightly and delicately flavored and a perfect finish to this meal. The wine was a tawny port.
HH was disappointed in his soufflé finding it to be more "puddingy" then he would have liked. When that is your worst complaint about a meal, you know you've been somewhere special.
To our surprise Chef Hubert Keller was actually at the restaurant and visited the table to ask if we were enjoying our meal and to speak with us for a few minutes. He was a very gracious and kind host and made the experience that much more enjoyable. The ambiance of the restaurant matches the meal perfectly, and meeting Chef Keller only added to the experience.
The meal was expensive, but certainly worth every penny. I give the Fleur de Lys my highest recommendation and suggest that you enjoy the meal as we did, by selecting the five course tasting menu with the wine pairing chosen by the house.
