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Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill Restaurant – Las Vegas

16 Nov


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!


Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill on Urbanspoon

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Super Easy Beurre Blanc

18 Oct

Beurre Blanc literally means “white butter” in French. It is basically an emulsified sauce made by combining white wine, vinegar and cold butter. Vinegar is sometimes substituted for lemon. It is perfect for fish, or any seafood.

Classis French Beurre Blanc does not have cream, however many chefs prefer to add cream in order to “stabilize” the sauce, so it makes it last longer when serving it at a restaurant Just like any protein emulsion, it will quickly separate and break if overheated or solidify if too cold. So, it is always better to serve it immediately after preparing.

It can be modified by adding flavored vinegar to it. This is what I did. I had some Tahitian Vanilla Bean Vinegar home, and I decided to make a Vanilla Beurre Blanc to compliment the beautiful Langoustine tail I had. Vanilla blends perfectly with lobster, it is a marriage from heaven!

I bought some fresh Spaguettini from the pasta restaurant by my house (actually cheaper than buying Barilla!) and made a wonderful Spaguettini with Langoustine Tails in a Tahitian Bean Vanilla Beurre Blanc.You can find very affordable frozen Langoustine tails at your local Costco or Trader Joes. I know it sounds so fancy and elaborate, but it is not! It is a super easy recipe to impress your friends next time you cook them dinner ! Enjoy!

Tahitian Vanilla Bean Beurre Blanc

Ingredients

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup white-wine vinegar (or any other vinegar you have, flavored or seasoned is better)

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot ( or any type of sweet onions)

1/3 cup heavy cream; salt and pepper to taste

1 sprig of thyme

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces and chilled

Instructions

1) In a small sautee pan, boil the wine, vinegar, and shallot(or onions) over medium heat until liquid is reduced to 2 to 3 tablespoons, for about 5 minutes.

2) Add cream, salt, and white pepper and boil for about 1 minute.

3) Reduce heat to medium low, lift the pan from heat, and add one to two tablespoons butter, whisking constantly. Add remaining butter one piece at a time, whisking constantly and adding new pieces before the others on the pan have completely liquefied (the sauce should have a consistency of hollandaise), lifting pan from heat occasionally to cool mixture.
Remove the pan from heat, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4) Pour sauce through a cheesecloth on top of a strainer into a serving container, pressing on and then discarding shallot and thyme. Serve immediately.

Langoustine

I bought one pound of frozen Langoustine Tails and let it thaw on my fridge for a day. The next day I patted the dry with a paper towel, and quickly sauteed them with some butter and salt. No extra seasoning required, because you don’t want any other flavors clashing with your wonderful Beurre Blanc.

Cook the pasta according to directions but turn the oven off one minute before ready so it is al dente(to the teeth). Scoop the pasta out of its water and place it on the Beurre Blanc Sauce so it finishes cooking on it for about one or two minutes.

Add the sauteed Langoustine, some grated Parmesan, and Bon Appetite.

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