On My Plate

Dining in Vegas: Rosemary's Restaurant, Pt. 2

Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday to me...

Dessert at Rosemary's Restaurant deserves its own post. For one thing, I was really surprised when the dessert I ordered came out on a plate with birthday wishes inscribed in chocolate. And with my name actually spelled correctly. Aw, thanks guys. Although the restaurant didn't have my first choice of dessert available (Rustic Apple Tart with Caramel Sauce, Candied Walnuts & Cinnamon Ice Cream), luckily my second choice was delicious. Coconut Bread Pudding with Coconut Sorbet & Dark Chocolate Sauce. Although I've never been a fan of bread pudding, this was beyond just simple bread pudding. It was rich and flavorful with coconut and cream, and with the chocolate it was simply unforgettable.

Lemon Ice Box Pie with Raspberry Coulis, Whipped Cream & Raspberry Sorbet

The Lemon Ice Box Pie was wonderfully tangy and light. I loved the bright colors of the dish and the clean flavors. The pie was as thick as cheesecake but not as heavy, and the sugar cookie was a fun touch.

Chocolate Flourless Cake with Scotch Caramel Sauce & Vanilla Ice Cream

Dining in Vegas: Rosemary's Restaurant, Pt. 1

Hugo’s Texas BBQ Shrimp with Maytag Blue Cheese Coleslaw

Forget the Strip. There's only so much hotel craziness I can take. So when it came time to celebrate a belated birthday in Vegas, I knew I had to find somewhere different and tasty. That's when I heard about Rosemary's Restaurant. Located in an unassuming strip mall nowhere near the Strip, you'd be surprised that such culinary yumminess lay behind the tinted windows. After all it was the middle of nowhere. Okay, the suburbs. Steinmart is literally its neighbor. But when I learned that the restaurant has accumulated accolades over the years from Vegas locals and critics alike for their delicious food (rated #1 according to the Zagat survey), I knew this place would be something special.

The kitchen is led by chefs Michael and Wendy Jordon, who provide an eclectic menu described as French-inspired, creative American cuisine with regional twists from New Orleans, the Deep South and the Midwest. The place is warm and inviting, with original art decorating the brightly colored walls. Inside its hard to believe that you're actually in Vegas--gone are the bling lights, the constant drone of the slot machines, the crowds. Rosemary's provides a comfortable, relaxed setting that's perfect for an elegant date or a family outing.

We had made reservations for lunch and decided for the prix fixe menu--which is basically an appetizer, entree and dessert. You can choose anything off of the lunch menu, and since we had a large party, we had an opportunity to try everything.

Pan Seared Hawaiian Mahi Mahi on a Bed of Julienne Vegetables with Fresh Citrus Salad, Riesling Gastrique & a Creamy Passion Fruit Vinaigrette

For appetizer, I chose the BBQ Shrimp (pictured above). The blue cheese cole slaw provided a perfect counterpart to the smoky sweet sauce. The shrimp was cooked perfectly--very juicy and tender. It was an unusual combination for me since I never thought of combining blue cheese with barbecue sauce, but it worked here.

For entree, I got to try everyone's dishes. They were all very tasty and very different from each other, which I liked. While the Mahi Mahi entree (pictured above) sounded super sweet, the flavors of the passion fruit vinaigrette and citrus salad were just right. The Duck Confit was deliciously tender with a lovely crisp outside, and the lentils flavorful with the addition of the green peppercorn sauce.    

Posole Rojo

The Bay Area chill has come back--cold, rainy, shivering. Been pulling out the soup recipes but sometimes I want more than just a simple broth. Tried this hearty recipe for Posole Rojo, pork and hominy stew with red chiles, from FoodNetwork.com. Oh yum. It was definitely worth the time and effort. I used a whole boneless pork shoulder, and should have cut it up first but I was lazy. I boiled it in broth until tender, and in the meantime I soaked the red New Mexican chiles in hot water, then whirled it in the food processor with other goodies to create a bright red paste. The hominy was canned, but not as bad as you think. We topped the stew with chopped radishes, avocado, red onion, and shredded cabbage. A bowlful of this stew is quite a nice way to end a long cold day!

Vegas for Oxtails

I recently spent some time in Vegas with the family, hence the absence of posts. Now that my parents live there, I have the opportunity to sample more of the local Vegas cuisine. Although I still consider it to be the culinary boondocks unless you go to the hotels (and don't get me started how we couldn't find miso paste anywhere for my fabulous Thanksgiving roast turkey), there are yummy dishes to be had.

A favorite of ours, and probably of most people who come from Hawai'i, is the Oxtail Soup ($5.99) at the California Hotel in downtown Las Vegas. Affectionately known as "The Cal", this hotel attracts so many Hawai'i locals, you feel like you're on another island--albeit a smoky, seedy, dark kind of island. Indeed, they are promoted as "the Hotel with Aloha Spirit." Their 24-hour Market Place Cafe serves many local Hawaiian dishes, and if you're lucky you'll often have a coupon for their goodies, allowing you to dine under $3. The oxtail soup is served only during the graveyard shift--from 11pm to 9am 11am. But be warned--if you show up at 9am, don't expect the Oxtail soup to be there--they often run out by the end of the shift. So go early, um, I mean late--start lining up at 1030pm if you can. You'll find a lot of other families have the same idea, and you'll be waiting in a long queue.

But the soup is worth it. More like a hearty stew, the beefy broth is full of chunky, boney oxtails. Chopped celery, carrots, and peanuts are also in the broth, and the soup is served with two scoops of rice on the side, along with a condiment plate full of chopped ginger and cilantro. What a bite! The broth is not too salty, and the oxtails are cooked so tender that they really do fall off the bone.

And when you're done, go ahead and try the penny or nickel slots, or take in the craps table and aim for the Golden Hand--the award you get if you hold the dice longer than what's on record. But that's another story.

Although the oxtail soup isn't as good as the one on Maui, it's definitely decent. Since we visit Vegas more often than Maui now, it's always a must that we end up at the Cal one night for the oxtails. It's tradition, ya know?

The Market Place Cafe, California Hotel & Casino, 12 Ogden Avenue, Las Vegas, NV T: (702) 385-1222

Miso-Rubbed Turkey

Up to my arms in miso-butter paste

We've brined it, grilled it, and almost deep-fried it. We've also injected it, rubbed it with herbs, and done nearly every preparation known to (wo)man. But this year, since I was in charge of the bird, I wanted to try something new. Everyone was all for deep-frying, but the thought of a large vat of oil wasn't that appealing (especially after having worked on a recent story about trans fats). So when I came across this recipe for Miso-Rubbed Turkey in Gourmet magazine, I knew this was it. It was a bit off the norm, but still accessible.

Since Thanksgiving was to be in Las Vegas, we had to purchase all the ingredients there. It wasn't that easy to find miso paste in Vegas (sorry, my parents live nowhere near Summerlin), but eventually my parents found a source--the owner of a local Asian grocery store, who didn't even have it on the shelf, offered to bring it in from "somewhere else." Well, at least we had it. Simple ingredients like butter and onion is all you need. First you create a paste with miso, butter, and onion in a food processor (luckily, I brought my own since my parents didn't have one), then you rub the paste all over the bird. Like really rub it in there, getting under the skin. Then you roast it as usual, basting every 30 minutes. As it roasts, the smell it imparts is amazing--sorta miso-ish, but more "hmm... what yummy-ness is that?" kind of smell.

As you can see, the bird came out nice and crisp, and an odd reddish color. Although we didn't brine the bird (not recommended because the miso is already quite salty), the meat was very tender and juicy. Carving it was a breeze. The juices also made quite a nice gravy. I didn't do the gravy that came with the recipe, rather, I made a Shiitake Mushroom Gravy that was quite a hit. Enjoy the feast!