To all of our loyal food fans: Please be advised that ELV’s self-imposed sabbatical will soon come to an end, and he shall resume posting articles this weekend.
As for the reason for said sabbatical, we can only say that making a living had something to do with it, and sometimes the drudgery of everyday life gets in the way of our eating….and sleeping.
Now that we’re caught up on the latter, we can resume the former.
Be talkin’ to you soon.
Best and bon appetit,
ELV
Anything too stupid to be spoken is sung. – Voltaire
ELV note: Yours truly is often accused of hating music. This is not true. ELV doesn’t hate music, he hates trite, tuneless, sappy, commercial, derivative, copycat, not-an-original-thought-anywhere music. Music that sounds like everyone else’s music. And jazz. ELV really, really, really hates jazz. And Guns ‘n Roses. He really hates Guns ‘n Roses. Other than that, he loves the stuff. Sort of.
THE TOP 66 JUKE BOX SONGS OF ALL TIME*
You know the drill.
You’ve been there a hundred times.
You’re in some bar with a friend or three. You’re a little drunk, but not too. You might be hitting on new meat or playfully noodling your significant other. Everyone’s happy and chattering away. Tunes are playing on the Rock-Ola or Wurlizter, but no one’s paying close attention.
Over in the corner, there might even be a few people boogieing away and singing along to some mildly inoffensive ditty from J. Geil’s, Billy Idol, Chili Peppers, Violent Femmes or Smash Mouth. Good times.
Then, just when things start peaking (a buddy has you in stitches, someone buys a round, she touches your knee/licks your ear/gently brushes the Amazing Python of Love, etc.) some punk-ass, lame-dick, shriveled-gonad pussy (or, even worse, some brain-dead, seen-better-days-bimbo) proudly strolls to the juke and punches in an hour of musical shite like Depeche Mode, “Satisfaction,” “We Built This City on Rock and Roll,” or anything from the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac or, heaven forbid, the Eagles (Joe Walsh excepted).
And do you know what happens next?
You know what happens next, don’t you?
Continue reading “I Saw Him Drinking a Pina Colada at Trader Vic’s”
Over the past couple weeks, as is our position, Mr. Curtas and I have eaten out on our own, and have noted some new dishes of the season’s menu change that deserve their due recognition. We’ve taken the best of the best and are bringing to you those that really struck a chord with us.
For anyone wanting to take up the fun little occasion of a “Dine Around”, this would be a great guide for it. Why did I do a top 9 instead of a top 10? Well, you could say that last spot is for YOU, dear reader, to tell me in the comments your top pick in new spring menu items. I look forward to reading it, and maybe even trying it out for myself…
Curry Scallops with Cauliflower (Les Saint-Jacques au Chou-Fleur et Curry) – Le Cirque in Bellagio:
New Executive Chef Paul Lee is making full use of his new position as “fine dining guy to keep your eye on” by really veering away from the commonplace, the expected, and the national dining character itself. While everyone is tripping over themselves trying to chip this and gelee that, Chef Lee is de-complexifying things. These scallops were indeed scallops, but the specter of a spicy green curry and nutty roasted pistachios added to its natural sweetness and buttery flavor. Each bite (I took mine with the endive salad) finishes off with nutty roasted Sicilian pistachios and tangy, umami tamarind vinaigrette. It wasn’t in your face, but it was really in your head. If I had to really describe it, it would be the difference between a pretty lady coming up and ripping your shirt off, and the same just giving you a wink from across the room. Paul Lee is really exemplifying the maxim “Less is more”.
Foie Gras with Rhubarb compote – Public House in The Venetian:
Danged near everywhere, I’m seeing this massive influx of rhubarb, especially rhubarb and foie gras. I think I’ve seen four in the past couple weeks that all had that same formula. I think this was the best example of it (I have yet to try the Foie Gras w/ rhubarb 3-ways by John Courtney at Pinot Brasserie.) because of simply the quality of the brioche, the range in flavor of the compote and jus, and the technical precision of the foie. Each bite had that livery richness, a perfect level of salt, not too much sweetness, and a beautiful blend of spice notes from the jus. While I usually prefer to err on the savory side of the foie gras spectrum, this was a wonderful example of the sweet side.
Continue reading “Spring Menu Highlights: Starting Off 2013 Right”