Aureole - Las Vegas, NV

Famous New York chef Charlie Palmer brings his creations to Las Vegas. Aureole offers something a little different. The first thing you will notice at Aureole is the three story wine tower. “Wine Angels” move through the tower on harnesses to retrieve your bottle of choice. The tower is made of glass so diners can watch the angels flying up and down the tower as they enjoy their meal. There is also a pond inside the restaurant that is home to its very own swans.


A pretzel roll started off the wonderful meal. There was bread service and this little delight was the star. Competing against it was a piece focaccia - it was also good but did not compare. I have one beef, why is the butter served ice cold? It needs to be served a smidge warmer please, makes spreading easier - thank you! I had a small portion of the Caesar Salad wedge served, complete with anchovies served on the side! Fishy, salty and oh so delicious.

My entree was the Cod served along side pea shoots and sauteed summer squash peaking underneath. The fish was cooked perfectly! I was served a pretty hardy portion and made my way through it as the best I could. You eat a lot in Vegas!

Aureole was an amazing place, sooo Vegas.... The restaurant is a complete dining experience that is like non-other on the Strip. Elegance, class, and cuisine that is considered “approachable French” will leave you with a dining experience that you will never forget. Would I return? Sure. Try something new on the menu? Of course. Maybe leave room some in my tummy to order dessert? YES! It was a tad pricey, but was very much worth it. Two thumbs up!

Mix, The Hotel - Las Vegas, NV

Drinks and appetizers are what we had in mind. Nothing that was too heavy, or too potent. We made our way to Mix at The Hotel. Go way, way up to the 64th Floor and there you will find not only a cool lounge, but a beautiful restaurant as well.

Pretty futuristic setting right? It was hot out so they of course had the balcony closed but the view from the wavy bench seat was still pretty amazing. The strip at sunset is pretty darn cool.

Mojitos for everyone! Or just for me... Anyhow, they were cool and refreshing. Just what the doctor ordered from a long day - dealing with horses and setting up camp. The right balance between tangy and sweet. An excellent Mojito.

Not totally starved, we first ordered the Tuna Tartare. It came with a glass filled with won ton crisps that seemed to be a little fragile. Despite that, the actual tuna was to die for. Very fresh and just the perfect bites.

Ok. So the Tuna was delicate and light but after drink number 2 we were starting to build up an appetite. We heard the waitress say... "cheese"... "pancetta"... - It was loud in there so we only heard parts of the description and so we say, "Ya-ok" over the beats of the music. And out comes... Macaroni and Cheese. We laughed and ate it anyway. It was so Kraft style, but it didn't matter. Still tasty and comforting.

Neat place to grab a drink, an appetizer and do some serious sight seeing of the the strip. I had heard that the actual restaurant in the Mix was good. Maybe next trip I will check it out. As for the coolest part of the time at Mix, it was the bathroom! The toilet faces out to the Strip and the wall facing it is all glass! WOWZA! Talk about scary! Take a picture of the view in there - it is really one in a million! 1.5 thumbs up for being what it is supposed to be... just a stop on on the fun train! Wooo woooo......

Oyster Bar, South Point - Las Vegas, NV

While in town for the NCHA Cutting I made my way through the lovely South Point Casino. If you have never been it is a wonderful facility. Full on Equestrian Center, with a wonderful set up - air conditioning to the extreme. The horses probably thought it was winter! Not bad for the middle of summer in Vegas!

If your hungry and wandering around the casino, The Big Sur Oyster Bar is always a good place to grab a bite. In a hurry? You can almost always grab a seat at the bar and order your food right from the place mat.
Crab Cake? Well, don't mind if I do. Super good. very impressed for quick, casino food. Very impressed.

CATCH OF THE DAY! Orange Roughy that was yum, yum, yum. A very large portion and maybe too much rice. I ate what I could and left the rest. The cream sauce on the fish really sealed the deal. Stir it up with some rice, add a bite of fish and you have got Heaven on Earth.

Was the Big Sur Oyster Bar the dining experience everyone dreams about? No probably not. Was it handy, quick and delicious? By gosh it was. Would I return? In a heart beat. Melissa Good Taste approves this message. 1.5 thumbs up for great taste and relative price.

The Range - Santa Margarita, Ca

The Mid State Fair brought us to town and I was showing, once again. Hungry after riding all day, we headed north to Santa Margarita (population 2,333) just off the 101 freeway only eight miles north of San Luis Obispo.

Great red wine! Au Bon Climat is my new favorite! ABC SB Pinot is simply delicious. There is nothing pretentious here, just well balanced, nicely textured, brightly fruity wine that seems to go with everything.

The crawfish cake -- make that cakes, two of them, plump and full of that crawdad flavor -- are served with vinegary crisp, pickled okra and a punchy, orange Tabasco sauce.

I ordered the San Dabs and they were awesome! Lightly fried, with a a nice creamy sauce that wasn't too heavy. Nothing revelatory, just plain good, especially with a big heap of those fine mashed potatoes.

Plan this one right into your Google map. The outside patio was beautiful and the weather was great! Prepare yourself before your visit, they are cash only and a tad pricey. 1.75 thumbs up for a wonderful experience.

Mama Cass's Kitchen - Tres Pinos, Ca

Tres Pinos is full of great places to eat! A new pizza joint has sprung up and was just waiting for me to come and try it! Mama Cass's Kitchen, located next to the Tres Pinos Store, has transformed the small space into a cute little pizzeria.

You walk in and have to order first before finding a seat. The wall has options of many things to order. Pizzas of all varieties of course - Hawaiian, Combination, Vegetarian, BBQ Chicken, Pinwheel, Taco, Cheese and Make Your Own. Besides Pizza, the Luncheon Menu includes Tri-Tip Sandwiches, Meatball Sandwiches, Hamburgers, Polish Sausages and BLT's. They include french fries on the side. A great meal deal is the Pizza Lunch Special - an individual sized one topping pizza, side salad and fountain drink for $5.99. Appetizers include: Deep Fried Ravioli's - Sausage or Spinach and Hot Wings - mild and hot.

I ordered a side salad with Ranch and a side of Spinach Ravioli. The salad was lovely. Fresh tomatoes, crisp lettuce, shredded carrots and roasted almonds really made this a lovely non-pizza option. Now for the deep fried goodness - the Ravioli. So good! The spinach is great, I want to try the sausage option next time. Amanda had the Lunch Special, the Pepperoni Pizza and a salad with Italian. She felt the same way I did about the salad, great. I tried a slice of Amanda's pizza and was very impressed. Tasty crust, savory sauce and the right amount of cheese.

Mama Cass really has transformed this little spot into a great destination for meeting up with friends and family. Grab a beer, order pizza and watch some sports on their large screen televisions located throughout. They are open Wednesday - Thursday from 11am to 9pm and Friday - Sunday 9am to 9pm. Be sure to get to Mama Cass's early on the weekends and try their breakfast. Chicken Fried Steak, Breakfast Burritos and Short Stack Pancakes with bananas and walnuts can be found here! Yummo. 2 thumbs up for another great place to eat in Tres Pinos.

Jack in the Box - Taco Nachos

James and I had a glamorous lunch out today... Jack in the Box Drive-Thru. Lovely. I have been to the Jack in the Box many times but have never heard of Taco Nachos. So by gosh I ordered them.

They couldn't look any more god awful if they tried! Ha ha. What a calorie bomb this was. So basically they are the regular tacos from Jack in the Box, sliced into triangles placed on a bed of lettuce, with a lava of nacho cheese sauce swimming on top - with a delicate placing of a few jalapenos. So gourmet. I feel a tad ill after eating this. Have a great afternoon.

Happy Birthday Blog!

Today is Melissa Good Taste's first birthday! Yay.

Chile Verde!

I am currently obsessed with ordering Chile Verde at any Mexican food restaurant I can get my hands on! So Kathy Good Taste, aka my mom, went with me to a Mexican joint and sampled the Chile Verde I had ordered. We decided then and there we should try making our own! So, she took the matter into her own hands, found a recipe online, tweaked it and talked to an experienced source. Kathy Good Taste made her own Chile Verde and it was surprisingly great! The meat is so tender, it falls into pieces at the touch of a fork. The "gravy" had just the right amount of tang from roasted tomatillos. A recipe is being perfected and as soon as we get it just right, I will share it with you all! Yum...