champagne

A French 75 at French 75

The French 75 at French 75

When all else fails, have a cocktail.

If the city of New Orleans ever needed a new tagline, that could be a strong contender. Appropriate for a place where there are daiquiri bars with drive-thru windows. A city known for it’s passion of the never-ending party has an equally impressive number of bars, restaurants and signature drinks to indulge in.

Ever striving for the quintessential experience, I try and hit Crescent City landmarks on every annual trip with my mom. Thanks to the He Said/She Said NOLA blog, I can now cross #30 off the Only in New Orleans: The 100 Essential Experiences list.

Following a long day of shopping on Magazine street, po’boys at Parasols and a heart wrenching Saints football game at Pat O’Briens, we were dragging our feet but didn’t quite want to call it a day just yet. Meandering away from the loud, neon noise of Bourbon street we ducked down a dark street in search of a cocktail.

Adjacent to Arnaud’s restaurant, French 75 bar is the perfect quiet side-stop to sip on it’s namesake drink, the French 75. Having no knowledge of the actual ingredients,  it includes champagne which is all I needed to hear. It was delightful, bubbly and just sweet enough topped by a twist of lemon.

There are two window tables, mirrors lining the walls and a very polished, classy bar feel. We slowly savored our drinks with a cone of salty, warm gougères. The cocktails aren’t cheap, but in lieu of a beer on Bourbon I’d take a French 75 at French 75 any day.

To learn more about the French 75 cocktail, read the articles below:

• French 75 history and recipe: Esquire
• French 75, a little history and basic recipe: Gourmet magazine
• French 75 recipe: Epicurious

French 75
next to Arnaud’s restaurant
813 Rue Bienvilles
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone 504-523-5433
http://www.arnaudsrestaurant.com/french-75/

Bellagio Weekend Champagne Brunch Buffet

You bet I took that adorable jar of jam.

Being on my first trip to Las Vegas and celebrating my thirtieth birthday, I wanted to have the quintessential Sin City adventure.

By Sunday we had already racked up a huge cab fare to Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana, club hopped at the Palms, stuffed ourselves at Hash House a Go Go, walked the Strip, watched the fountains, indulged at Nobu, danced on the stage at Tao and hit up Tryst.

After another late night (early morning) we made our way to the Bellagio for our one and only buffet experience.

We weaved our way through the hotel and casino to The Buffet and stepped in line around noon, which is very poor planning. The line was already extremely long, like they were giving away Justin Bieber concert tickets at a middle school, and snaked around many turns. Having no other plan we sucked it up and waited. I had disregarded one of my own buffet tips.

Once in awhile I would forlornly glance at someone in the parallel line marching straight up to the front. We weren’t staying there, didn’t gamble or have any connections so I never asked for a line pass, but it would have been worth the question. If at all possible, get a line pass from the hotel. Another buffet tip.

We stood in line for about an hour until we reached the cashiers to pay for our meal.

Unable to resist the temptation, we upgraded from the regular weekend brunch buffet ($24.95) to the weekend champagne brunch buffet for $5 more. At $29.95 a person we felt obligated to graze over a leisurely meal.

With receipts in hand, we waited about five minutes for a table to open up in the dining room. Just like a regular restaurant you have a waiter or waitress who brings you silverware and drinks. It took awhile for our waitress to appear and then it took even longer to receive our beverages. Nevertheless she continually topped off our champagne and brought orange juice for mimosas.

The buffet has many stations featuring cold seafood dishes, breakfast items, fruit, sushi, a salad bar, soup, pizza, carved meats, pasta, omelets, breads, desserts and too much to name. I took a lap to see all the available options and then decided what to eat.

Everything I spooned on my plate was of premium quality, fresh and ranged from good to terrific. A few items that stood out were perfectly cooked garlic broccoli rabe, a couscous dish, a fresh mixed greens salad, the beef tenderloin and the bacon. My friends raved about the prime rib and went back for seconds. The desserts were perfectly proportioned and we chose a number of them to share, but none of them were remarkable except for the chocolate chocolate chip cookie.

I would love to know the champagne they serve because it was dangerously smooth. We ate, laughed and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

There are countless buffets in Las Vegas open at all hours of the day, covering different genres of food. But for our one meal and money, I’m happy we ended up at The Buffet in the Bellagio. Just be sure to spring for the bubbly.

The Buffet in the Bellagio
3600 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Phone 888-987-6667
http://www.bellagio.com/restaurants/the-buffet.aspx

Read my Thirtieth Birthday posts

• Gidget Turns Thirty
• While I’ve Been Gone
• Table 100
• Parlor Market
• Las Vegas Dining and Buffet Tips
• Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana
• Hash House a Go Go