Drink This Now – Germain-Robin Absinthe at SAGE

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Germain-Robin’s Absinthe Superieure, is so herb-y, sweet and floral, you hardly need to add the sugar to it.

But G.M. Mike Shetler and his crew at the bar at Sage do such a nice job with the presentation, it’s a shame to ask them not to perform their alcohol alchemy.

Besides, the little extra sweetness is a good way to introduce novices to the wonders of the green fairy, and a good way to sweeten up your date for a little sweetness later.

Because, as we all know, absinthe makes the heart grow fonder.

I’ll be here all the week.

SAGE

In the Aria Hotel and Casino

3730 Las Vegas Blvd. South

Las Vegas, NV 89109

1.877.230.2742

Eat This Now – Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad at SAGE

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Everyone who knows ELV knows he hates beets.

Because they taste like dirt.

Unless they’re pickled.

In which case they taste like pickled dirt.

Another reason we hate beets is because they’re actually quite pretty and look like they might actually taste a lot better than they do.

So beets both lie to you and taste nasty…in other words, they’re a double whammy of awfulness. Sort of the American Idol and Jersey Shore of edible eats.

But chefs love beets.

And they really love beets this time of year.

They love them because they are cheap and plentiful.

And they’re cheap and plentiful because they taste like dirt.

But you know what? Being a critic and all, we feel a certain moral obligation to constantly try whatever hideous beet concoction chefs are throwing at us. As a result, we order beets all the time. Even though we hate them.

And it was by following this moral obligation that we encountered Shawn McClain’s very beet-y but beauteous salad at SAGE some time ago.

And we actually like it.

Sort of.

Just thought you’d like to know.

ESQUIRE’S Best New Restaurants of 2010

BEST NEW RESTAURANTS OF 2010

By John Mariani




For the 26th year, I’ve been compiling Esquire‘s “Best New Restaurants of the Year,” and the competition only gets better, my narrowing down of choices tougher and tougher. Here are this year’s picks, which appear in the November issue, followed by a “Man About Town” report on the gala awards party in NYC. Continue reading “ESQUIRE’S Best New Restaurants of 2010”