Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Restaurant – Las Vegas

at Ceasars Palace
877.346.4642

I recently went to Vegas with the hubby to celebrate my B-Day. We had a blast, and of course, great food, since Vegas has becoming one of the best spots for foodies. The majority of the best chefs in the world have restaurants there. That is why I was not planning on eating at Mesa Grill. I had a huge list of places I wanted to try, and to be honest I was never too attracted to Bobby Flay’s Southwestern Cuisine.
But we were at Ceasar’s, and starving when we walked by it, so I decided to look at the menu, and I was delightedly surprised.
The restaurant was quite empty for lunch. It has a very colorful decor with an open giant grill and a partially visible kitchen, which made me happy. I love to watch how different kitchens work and their dynamics…every kitchen builds its own ecosystem!
The service was excellent, the only thing I was not very happy about was the proximity of the tables, we could hear our neighbors’s conversation.
Well, our food was so amazingly perfect and delicious that I have to admit that I became a Bobby Flay’s convert, yes, I did! I loved everything about it; the presentation, flavor profiles, and taste.
I just wish I wasn’t so full so I could have tried one of his scrumptious desserts…

Bread Basket

Blue and Yellow Corn Muffins and Asiago Jalapeno Sourdough Bread

The bread basket was so delicious I had to control myself and stop eating those warm and delicious wonders before it was too late. We still had appetizers and entree ahead of us. The corn muffins are made with layers of blue and yellow corn, and have red bell peppers and cheese inside. The sourdough bread had just the right amount of asiago cheese and diced jalapenos.

Appetizer

Tiger Shrimp Tamale

Wow!! I love tamales! It reminds me of something we have in Brazil called Pamonha, witch comes from the Tupi language pa’muña which means sticky. The recipe is pretty much the same, corn based dough wrapped in corn husks and steamed or boiled. In Brazil it has been prepared by native Brazilian Indians for hundreds of years, even before Brazil was discovered by the Portuguese in the year 1500. You can buy it on the roadside straight from the Indians. Also, people sell homemade Pamonha on the streets and they drive by neighborhoods and yell from a megaphone,letting everyone knows they are on the area.So everybody comes out of their houses to buy them, kind of like the ice cream trucks and their music here in the U.S.
In Brazil, pamonha usually is made in only two versions; sweet or savory without any fillings, while in Mexico you can find a wide variety of fillings going from pork to pineapple and raisings.
They are near and dear to my heart, so I am always on a quest for the perfect tamale.
Bobby Flay’s tamale had just the perfect ratio of dough, filling and dressing. The dough was fluffy, not super dense and heavy like most tamales out there. The shrimp was cooked to perfection and the cilantro dressing gave it a nice finish. Do I have to say more? It was love at first bite.

Entree

I know, I know, Could I have been any more daring to try new dishes? Cheeseburger? Let me tell you, when I saw that ginormous grill and the burgers on other guest’s tables I could not resist the temptation and order one. It was worth it! One of the best burgers I have ever had in my life, and believe me, I have eaten burgers everywhere.
And the Southwestern Fries were beyond spectacular: crispy, not oily, hot, and sprinkled with yummy spices.

Dessert

It made me so sad I was full and had to skip dessert, because they all looked phenomenal! So, I took a picture of the menu to keep it in mind the next time we go there.

Overall it was a great meal where everything was perfect from the ambiance, to the service and food. I can say I am now a Bobby Flay’s convert and I will be coming back for more!

Tags: Bobby Flay, Burger, Caesars Palace, celebrity chef, Las Vegas, Las Vegas restaurant, Mesa Grill Restaurant, southwestern cuisine, tamale