I really dislike Chpiotle. Their salsas are just yucky, IMO. I prefer Qdoba, or even better, Freeb!rds.

 

Just rolled in from Vegas and boy are my ribs sore. ( ba dum bum)

Anyway........ Had dinner at three very expensive places. The point of the trip was to go out there with my dad and live it up a bit. Went to TAO, one of the hotter restuarant on the strip and according to a recent article the highest grossing joint in the world. It was good. Real good, but not much better than finding a top notch mom and pop chinese place. I did like the Peking Duck fried rice but the edamame needed more salt. Bill was $350 for four with the tip. I could have had the same quality meal at my favorite gem of a chinese place in Minneapolis for four for about $60 with tip.

The next two places I won't mention but one was fair and the other I have eaten at three times but this time was flat out AWFUL and at the Bellagio. Absolutely sucked.

Have I had expensive meals that were worth it? Many times. Have I had expensive meals that were highly overated and had me stop at Taco Bell on the way home to get some food? Yes, probably more often than the expensive meals that were worth it.

My favorite place on the trip was lunch at Burger Bar in Mandalay's shopping plaza. Had a kobe beef burger pepper jack, gorganzola and prosciuto for $20. Damn that was good.

 

[QUOTE=vader1,Aug 9 2007, 04:04 PM] The next two places I won't mention but one was fair and the other I have eaten at three times but this time was flat out AWFUL and at the Bellagio.

 

My definition of expensive probably differs from most people's, but I consider anything over $30/plate "expensive". With that said, I don't eat expensive food often, but I've never been dissatisfied with the expensive food that I have eaten. The ones that come to mind:

The Oak Room (at the Plaza Hotel, NYC). At about 130/person (including wine), this was my most expensive meal I've ever eaten. I had a steak, asparagus, mashed potatoes and chocolate cake for dessert. It was awesome.

The restaurant at The Balzac Hotel in Paris. I think dinner for two including wine actually came in at around $150US, and was one of the most unique meals I've eaten with a great combination of flavors (I guess those French guys really do know their food).

Other 'expensive' meals that I've eaten and enjoyed:
Reunion Tower in Dallas. About $50/person for a steak dinner that I enjoyed.
Kirby's Steakhouse in Dallas.
Dan McClusky's, steak in Austin.
Ruth's Chris, steak in Dallas.


I generally try to ask around before I try something expensive (at least the local stuff). I don't go to places where people say "It's a nice restaurant." I go to places where people say "The food there is awesome!".

 

that's what i'm saying, better have been some gold nuggets floating around in there for $250 boil-it-yourself shit

 

Well, to clarify. I've had cheap Shabu Shabu here that was pretty good.

The meal I was referring to was in Tokyo. It was Kobe beef. We had a private room with our own geisha to pour our sake. It also included a slice of the hand raised honeydew, which is about $40 a slice over there. Before you say that's insane... that melon is, to this day, the most perfect thing I've ever tasted. I'd pay $75 a slice if they could be found here.

 

And I'm just the opposite.

I was at Qdoba last night just to refresh my memory and it is a wanna-be with no real clue as to what type of restaurant they are or the focus of food. Freebirds is just plain bland (and usually dirty).

I do like the fact you can get different sizes of burritos at Freebirds but heavily tatted and pierced servers picking at sores and dropping scabs in the food is not my idea of sanitary. (and apparently the health department's either because they get hit over twice as much as Chipotle.)

EVERY Freebird's I have been in has had multiple servers with fresh and inflamed tats &/or piercings. They actively recruit the "alternative" individual.

I love Chipotle's HOT sauce mixed with their corn salsa on top of their salad made with the grilled chicken. None of their salad dressing for me. The salsa and guacamole is sufficient.

Chipotle has great guacamole! They also mix in hot jalapenos for an extra bite!

Their salad is just a burrito without the tortilla and with more lettuce.

 

so how much is it for a tank of gas? would you spend that on a friday dinner?

 

A tank of gas lasts longer. Well that is unless the food gives you a tank of gas.

I guess our Hondas eat at the expensive restaurants since they require Premium.

 

Picasso was bad. My brother and I were served a couple pieces of meat that were all fat. Nasty. We did not make a big deal out of it and they comped the price of one meal, but I am surprised they even tried to serve it to a customer.

The place that was average was Aquanox, a fish place in Venetian.


And to think we went to Picasso instead of the all you can eat meat skewers at the Rum Jungle in Mandalay. The menu looked very good for a person who likes a giant gut full of meat.

Try Burger Bar if you are near Mandalay around lunch time. Second floor shopping district. Yeah, its just a bunch of burgers, but they are good and you can put anything you can basically imagine on them. Service is slow though.