Vegas food, for real*.

* or about as Vegas as this 29-year-old-Mom gets.

Two of my very best high school friends visited Vegas this weekend with their significant others. I've been looking forward to this weekend for weeks, knowing that we had enlisted our childless friends to take Mia (and who Mia loves, though mostly she loves their cat) for Saturday night. We exchanged quite a few emails planning things out, and in the end, it was a weekend that went by in the blink of an eye, though much fun was had.

To kick things off, Mia and I ventured to the Strip on a beautiful 65 degree day to have lunch and hang out. We had lunch at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill at Ceasars Palace. It was brunch, so they brought out the most delightful bread basket I've ever tasted. Scones with nuts and unidentifiable dried fruit, corn bread muffins with chunks of corn and black beans and jalapenos, a spicy cheese mini-biscuit that was insanely delicious, and some blueberry coffee cake which Mia ate three slices of. Next up, a pork tenderloin sandwich with southwestern fries. I have no idea what was on the tenderloin, but it was amazing. Mia highly approved of the southwestern fries, and didn't even blink at the spice. On the table was also a very delicious looking lamb Cobb salad. When it comes to Strip restaurants, I'm always pretty hesitate to dine-in somewhere a bit more upscale with my lively toddler, but they were actually very friendly and accommodating. The hostess took my stroller into what looked like a coat-room for me, and we got very few dirty looks. So, Mesa Grill at Ceasars. Thumbs up for food, and thumbs up for toddler-friendly, though I wouldn't push it for dinner.

waiting patiently for our table. Patient only thanks to the raisins.

A quick trip back to our little suburban neighborhood for a costume change (for me), a husband to pick up and a baby drop off, and we were back to playing tourists at the Cosmopolitan. We had dinner and drinks at Jose Andres' Jaleo, a Spanish Tapas restaurant. B and I shared a carafe of Sangria, some chorizo wrapped in potato, bread with tomato puree and Serrano ham, chicken foie gras covered in melted cheese that basically looked like very upscale enchiladas, shrimp and dessert. I also sampled some fried squid ink paste off someone else's plate, and I have to admit that was probably the best thing on the table that night. It was also delicious, though I will admit to having higher expectations, both because it was in the Cosmopolitan and because it was pretty high-priced. The Sangria, though, did not disappoint one bit. 

at the Bellagio's Chinese New Year display

Later, we headed to a lounge in the Cosmopolitan's lobby called Vespers. Their specialty is old-fashioned speakeasy-type drinks, and I had a Moscow Mule, followed by a cocktail called "One Night in Bangkok", which had coconut milk, lime rind and egg whites in it, and was better than it sounds. I definitely recommend this bar to anyone in Vegas who wants a place to sit down with your drinks and hear your neighbor talking. Also, a great place to people watch. I was highly distracted by many "Las Vegas Outfits", meaning dresses and shoes these girls would never wear back home.

Our last Vegas meal was off-strip, but most likely my favorite of all. We went to an unassuming Italian Restaurant called "Parma" which is in a strip mall and looks like a small deli from the window. Our food was delicious, fresh Italian food with homemade pasta noodles (Mia also very much approves of this, and I'm sure her daycare friends will be very jealous when she finds that she has the leftovers of her meal in her lunchbox today). I had the linguine with red clam sauce, and B had the biggest chicken parm I've ever seen. This one will definitely stay on our go-to list whenever we have special occasions or out of town-ers. 

It was a weekend completely void of the South Beat Diet's rules, and though I did not step on the scale this morning, I found that I was actually looking forward to the salad I had planned for today's lunch. We had a great time, and it awesome to feel like tourists in our own town. 

Show me some appreciation. PLEASE!

I started to post the following on Facebook and it got way too long and personal. I must say it's late though and my eyes won't stop closing, so we'll see how long I can hold out. Anyway, it's pretty self explanatory, but if you find yourself with any questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment. Thanks! :)

"Have you ever had such a roller coaster day that ended in a plummet, not a fun uphill climb or wacky twist? And you went for support from a particular loved one but they just zoned out in their own little world? Usually its innocent enough, but I just can't take it tonight! So here's what I hope can happen to get me out of my funk:

Who in Vegas and Henderson loves sushi like I do? Join me! I am gonna waste away if I don't get a fix of 808 Sushi and it's owner Dean soon! Hopefully this weekend. Hoping for happy hour when it's cheaper. Any takers? Frenchie? B? DG? JG? (Or girls night out and boys play with the kids?) But sadly happy hour menu is just rolls and apps, and I know how you four love your Nigiri. (And I like some of it there too actually.) You could also to buy that at regular price or choose AYCE. And I mean I'm not opposed to going for regular AYCE time too. Someone just has to volunteer to call Romeo and convince him to take me out. Extol upon him my superb qualities. That I'm a wonderful wife and the best mother ever and I deserve a night out on the town, at least a night with friends and sushi. Still no luck? Let's all hang this weekend but call it a cheepo lazy ass weekend and not do much of anything but let the kids play and order cheap pizza and drink cocktails, wine, and beer, yes? No? If you can twist my hubby's arm, I can even volunteer the house for the gathering. Do you think you could try to convince my man of that? Whatever you do--penalty of death if you reveal to him that I put you up to this! But what are friends for? In my case I need them to convince my husband how f-ing great I am, all I do, and that I deserve a night of raw fish and friends. (Or at the very least board games, movies, and friends. Are we too old for a retro sleep-over? The kids could sleep in Tybalt's room!) Help me get this off the ground with him! Oh, and now that my ramble's over, really, any local LV or Henderson friends who like sushi are welcome to come and make new friends with us and enjoy good food!"

"I probably need to clarify. I love my husband more than life itself. And most times he is a saint. But sometimes he is a saint to everyone else around us and can get too busy and caught up to remember me. Today was a big scary doctor appointment for me. It ended up going better than anyone could have expected, and I thought when I told him he'd jump for joy. (This is a serious issue with my health that we have been battling together for a couple years.) Instead I got a half-ear listen as he had some action movie on the tv, volume raised to a ridiculous level for early evening.

I now expect some flack regarding venting my frustrations. (Possibly here, but a reminder this was originally a fb post and we have hundreds of mutual friends on there. I have edited the entry there but part is still up. So we shall see.. what kid of crap I have to defend on fb after this. :( ) And I could honestly see why one might berate me--He is the best guy ever--no argument there. So while I concede to take your and their comments warmly and will mull them over and not dismiss, please try to give me an equal chance and respect, keeping in mind that being his wife and son's mother is a different skill set and a whole new ride. When you live with someone 24/7 sometimes you just see things others don't. Some of those are awesome and you feel blessed that only you bear witness to the moments, and some are the nitty gritties that you just need to vent and release so that you can start fresh and anew, which of course is healthy. Romeo is a blessing from God to all in his life. I won't discount your fond stories. 99.9% of the time mine are fond as well, I just ask a favor that you don't attack me for feeling tired and vulnerable and having to admit that I wish there are some things he could work on. He is my everything, but sometimes I wish he'd realize that in these last 2 years we are not just a family of 2--Him and Ty, but rather a family of 3 that includes me. (And in that way, sometimes I have needs and desires that mean he better find a sitter so we can spend time fostering the relationship that is just us.)"

"Yeah Boooooyyy!"

I love Las Vegas. But what has come of my wonderful town when jumbo-sized-clock-necklaces-wearing-rapper Flavor Flav has opened up his own take out fried chicken restaurant?!?! And it's called, you guessed it-- Flavor Flav's House of Flavor. On top of that, what has my home life come to that my hubs, Romeo says he would definitely like to check it out!?!?

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/VlnOGlkwsWaWqyzDxvMMMA?select=ynb0QoBJK17zuA56GtMEMA

On top of the ludicrous idea, I have heard the following: it is getting high praise on Yelp.com and supposedly because the chicken is great--not just the hype and celebrity worship, Flav really does work at the store and cook, two large intimidating men stand guard and only let about two customers in at a time and then the door is locked behind you, there are no set hours of operations (at least for this grand opening period), and they open when Flav reports to the restaurant, and close when they are either out, have a problem with cooking supplies or ingredients (like substandard fry oil one night), or just when they "are done."

His catch phrase is "Yeah Booooyyyyy!" Right?

I give this an "Oh Booooooyyyyy..."

Whatnot Wednesday #2

Not much to talk about today, but I promised a "Whatnot Wednesday," so I'll take a deep breath and see what comes out...

• Tybalt is sick.  Sick babies/toddlers suck.  Period.  He HATES having his nose wiped, with a passion.  And right now he needs it wiped about every 10 minutes.  On top of that, he has an eye infection and needs eye drops.  1 drop in each eye, 4 times a day.  The first day he had no clue what he was in for, and so because of that it was actually much easier than I expected.  Since then?  For crying out loud!  The kid squeezes his eyes shut so hard that when I try to pry his lids open they flip inside out.  It's gross, makes me feel mean, frustrates me, etc., all at once.  And can I ask, why are Moms the ones just EXPECTED to give the medicine?  For all of Romeo's good qualities, on this one he doesn't even offer or try.  Tybalt's been sick more than once and every single time I'm the "pharmacy."
• I'm still sick.  Ugh.  Taking my meds, so shouldn't be contagious anymore, but still don't feel well.
• I'm reading a "new" book right now.  I wish I could just curl up in bed, start reading, and not stop until it's done.  It's the first in a series that Romeo and his roommate discovered in college--this one is called "Big Secrets" by William Poundstone.  There is also "Bigger Secrets" and "Biggest Secrets."  It's really interesting; all about trade secrets.  Like the first section of chapters is on highly classified recipes such as KFC, Coca-cola, etc.  Now I'm in the "Money" section that reveals how money is pressed, what secret messages are printed on it, and such.  There are upcoming sections on popular magic tricks, hidden messages in music (i.e. records due to when the book was written) and other neat things.  The book was written in 1983 which also provides some chuckles because not all the products are still available, or like I can't compare the U.S. currency as it describes it because there have been quite a few revisions since then.  But it's still a very good read.
• I do believe I'm addicted to Macaroni and Cheese.  Specifically Kraft.  I hate myself for it, because it's steering me WAY off my diet, but in the last few weeks I've had it at least once a week, and the last 3 days I've had it every day.  Do I get a pass because I'm sick and/or dealing with a fussy sick kid?  I hope... but I doubt.
• Side note--the best version of Kraft Mac'n'Cheese hands down is any of the "shape" versions, like Disney Cars or Sponge Bob Square Pants.  I don't care which shape version I buy, but the shapes both sauce and noodle consistency is much better than the plain old stuff.  Runner up is "spirals."  No matter what, Kraft is the best.  Only in a pinch will I do store brand, I have learned during this kick.  I bought it once a couple weeks ago for the price difference--not worth it.  Now mind you, this is just comparing the box make-at-home stuff.  Country Crock pre-made tubs in the refrigerated section are in a different class all to themselves (though I still think Kraft "shapes" win with an ever so slight margin, but it's like comparing apples to oranges) and of course I'm not even going to get into restaurant Macaroni and Cheese.  Any food that I don't have to make myself probably wins no matter what, simply for that fact, lol.

Sigh, it's time to be done when I'm assessing carbs so strictly.

"See" ya later.

Ah, what a refreshing feeling!  My brain has been cleaned out a bit!  Interested in participating in "Whatnot Wednesdays" yourself?  Follow the hyperlink button at the top of this entry to link to E at her blog "Every Day The Wonderful Happens," and find out more!

Tell Me About Yourself Award

The above is an award currently circulating among bloggers, and it was recently granted to us here at "Mommy and the Sin City" by our "bliend" (blogging friend?  anyone?  no?  well, I tried, lol) "E" at "Every Day The Wonderful Happens."  I recently wrote about her, but if you missed it, she is a blogger who writes about her two pre-school aged sons, pets, faith, husband, and everyday life.  I was led to her blog a couple of months ago while perusing adoption blogs and she is one of the most entertaining, and honest(!), writers I have found when it comes to blogging about their experiences with adoption.  (One son is biological and one is adopted.)

The rules of the award are as follows:

1. Thank the person who gave you this award.

2. List seven things people may not know about you.

3. Pass it on to 15 (or so) other bloggers.

So, I'm actually going to "pass" it next (just in case I lose anyone during my 7 personal tidbits and you don't read until the end).  Frenchie and I put our heads together and wanted to pass this award to those fellow bloggers that we thought would appreciate it most and want most to get in on the fun so we don't have 15 names, but still, we are passing it to: "The Lawyering BeeBeeZfa", Cristy @ "Happily a Law Mama"/"Is There a Doctor in the House?" (She has recently changed blog titles.), and "But I Do Have a Law Degree."

Now, finally, for my personal tidbits:

1. I greatly appreciate Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Disney Junior.  Admittedly, Donald Duck's and Goofy's voices are like nails on a chalk board to me. And the repetitive songs and sayings, "Everybody say, 'Oh, Toodles!" while I know are exactly the point of the show and what gain the interaction of children in homes everywhere, can be irritating as well.  But man, how it shuts up my kid!  Okay, let me put that in more sensitive terms: Tybalt loves the show and whenever it comes on his attention goes straight to it, so it has saved me and my sanity more than once.

2. I have a secret paralyzing fear of potty training my son.  In all honesty, it was the main reason I was scared when I found out it was boy.  Boys and their "little bits" make me uncomfortable.  I can't explain it, because I know it's natural and nature and all that stuff, but I really think I'm going to squirm and giggle uncomfortably when the time comes to "teach" him.  Plus, who am I to "teach" him, when I know nothing about how a man uses the bathroom?

3. Sometimes, I still cuddle with and talk to stuffed animals like a child does.  Okay, there, I admit it.  I have had the same beloved teddy bear since I was born, a blue and white little guy named Bruno.  And I have others.  Quite a few.  Though those have all gone into Tybalt's room at this point and are considered his.  But Bruno is tucked away in my closet, comes out when I'm having the worst of days and really need him, and will never go to Tybalt.  Sorry, son.

4. I got mad at Romeo the first year we were together when he gave me chocolates for Christmas.  Two years ago when I wanted nothing but Godiva chocolate for Valentine's Day, it really threw him for a loop.  I tried to explain it: a) I didn't like the chocolate when we were "new" to each other and I felt that you got it because you just couldn't think of anything else, and that made me also feel like you looked at your plus-sized girlfriend and thought, "Well, she probably would like something to eat." Now I'm  your wife (and I was pregnant at the time), and I'm okay admitting when I do want some junk food. b) Come on, Godiva is Godiva!  Let's face it, he got me the cheap stuff before.  Lol.

5. Probably as little as 5 or 6 years ago I had never even tried sweet potatoes.  Now, I really like them!  Especially sweet potato fries.  Yum.  Same with sushi--my first experience with that was probably only 3 years ago.  And, well, okay, Frenchie can attest that my kind of sushi is basically maki rolls and only cooked items, but still...I consider that being more open-minded than when I had never even wanted to try a California roll!  And last week I did try [raw] yellowtail nigiri (Hamachi?).  So yes, I say points for me! Whatever you consider it, my tastes have definitely broadened since high school and college, that's for sure.

6. Speaking of food, I have a super power that I have never heard of anyone else having: I can distinctly smell lettuce.  I don't like lettuce.  Yes, I know it's practically tasteless, but it's the texture I don't like, same with cabbage, grape leaves, etc.  Anyway, when I order a burger or taco from a fast food joint, I order them without lettuce.  As soon as the bag is in my car, I can immediately smell if the restaurant screwed up my order and included the lettuce.  It's a sweet, grassy sort of smell.  And I've never heard of anyone else that can smell it, but I definitely can.

7.  My thumbs bend backwards.  I can bend them about 90 degrees back if I press on them, but even naturally, if I just give someone a "thumbs up" or the "hitchhiker's sign," both of my thumbs automatically bend about 45 degrees backwards.  I didn't realize it or know it was strange until I was in junior high or so and a friend at church asked me where someone or something was and I gestured with my thumb.  I remember her doing a double take and crossing the room quickly to ask me to do it again, and showing me it wasn't normal by showing me her thumbs and how they only go straight up.  Then she went up and down the hallway looking for people to show my thumbs to and get an opinion from. I forgot about it for years though, until Romeo got freaked out by it upon his first time seeing.  It still freaks him out to this day.  We've been trying to see if there's any chance Tybalt picked up this strange genetic party trick from me.  Can't tell yet, but sometimes I swear I see his thumbs flex backwards!  :)

Well, there you have it!

Wine Tasting with Grown Ups

Yesterday, I was invited to attend a Wine Tasting. I like wine. A lot. But I usually taste it, decide it's good and drink it. Yes, I have my preferences. I like Malbec, and I generally don't like Shiraz (although I do like its non-Australian counterpart, Syrah. Mostly, I like it to drink it with dinner.

Anyhoo. My "cousin" has been inviting me to this Wine Club of hers for a while now, and finally, I peeled myself off the couch after work, left the baby with my Mom, and met B one his way home. It was at Fogo de Chao, which is one of those Brazillian steak houses with the gauchos and meat on a sabre. They had a location in Chicago which B and I went to on one of our very early dates. We knew the food would be good, which definitely motivated us to shake things up on a weeknight.

It turned out that it wasn't so much a wine club, but was a radio show called Wines Du Jour. Basically, every week, they feature a different vineyard (or a different brand) at a different restaurant in Vegas. The host chats with the wine rep (in last night's case, the owner of Bridlewood vineyards) and then directs everyone to swirl and sniff and taste. For $20, you get three wines, along with three food pairings. A Chardonnay paired with bacon-wrapped chicken breast, a Cabernet Sauvignon paired with linguisa sausage, and a Syrah paired with filet mignon. I was too excited about all the sophistication to take pictures of every course!

I listened and learned, B chatted with the people seated next to us, and we generally had a great time. The radio show itself is an hour long, and about two hours in, we were on our way home. While our wine was winding down, we lamented about my Mom leaving and that we wouldn't be able to come regularly without her around. B even asked the hosts whether it would be inappropriate to bring a baby with us sometimes. They hesitantly said it would be fine, so long as she didn't make a lot of noise. I think B was mostly joking, we've got enough people to watch Mia for a couple of hours once or twice a month. I'm thinking Juliet and I leave the babies with Romeo and B next week, if the restaurant sounds good. You in??

My Vegas Vacation

It was a big (extended) weekend at the Frenchie house. It was one of those extended weekends that you look forward to for weeks, and while its happening you just know how brutal Monday is going to be once it rears its ugly head.

It started on Wednesday (don't you love weekends that start on Wednesdays??) when B was off work, and I only went in for a couple of hours in the morning. My Mom arrived from China that afternoon, so I wanted time to finish up the obligatory let's-pretend-we're-not-slobs cleaning. B, Mia and I were still able to get some final moments of family relaxation in before we all piled into the car for the airport. Mia put on her best behavior for her Lola's (Filipino for Grandma) arrival, curiously staring at her for an hour or two before becoming smiley and adorable, and fell (and stayed) asleep without a fuss.

My Mom, Mia and I had a jam-packed Thursday. Whenever my Mom comes back to the U.S. after a long absence, there is always a lot of "business" to take care of. We had to go to the Bank, the supermarket, Target, and of course, the yarn store (Mom crochets about as much as I knit). Mia again behaved herself nicely, sitting on the desk at the Bank making smiles at the Banker, making quite a spectacle of cuteness while eating her peaches at Panera, and trying to grab at all the balls of yarn.

On Friday we met up with one of my best friends from high school and her boyfriend (J&J), who were in town for the long weekend. Mia, B and I spent Friday being tourists on the Strip and had an awesome day. We started out with lunch at the Border Grill (made slightly famous by Susan Feniger's appearance on Top Chef Masters) and had an amazing lunch. I had their grilled fish tacos and two hibiscus margaritas, totally worth the fairly elevated price tag. The bill was made slightly easier to swallow when they informed us that there is a 15% discount for locals. Mia sat in a high chair next to me and charmed the waitress into bringing her a complimentary scoop of banana sorbet. We then walked around a couple of casinos and stopped to visit the MGM Lions. Someone had the brilliant idea of visiting the Coca Cola store, which I initially thought would be super lame and a tourist trap, but it turned out to be totally worthwhile when we got to the second floor and say that there was a Coke Bar, where you could order all sorts of Coke products from around the world (B had Mexican coke - made with cane sugar instead of corn syrup) or get flavored Coke (I had a Diet Cherry, J had Diet Chocolate) or Coke Floats (other J had Coke with Vanilla ice cream). Mia, B and I went back to our apartment and left J&J to have kid-inappropriate Vegas fun.

The next evening, Mia stayed in with her Lola and B and I had another instance of hyperactivity from being baby-free for the evening. We started with a drink at Diablo's (have I mentioned how much I love Margaritas?) for no other reason than it was conveniently located in their hotel. Then, we headed to Raku, a restaurant off the strip that J had found on one of his foodie blogs, for another amazing meal. It is in China town, sort of hidden in a strip mall, but apparently very well reviewed. According to J, it's open until 3 am because so many of the fancy Chefs go there after their Strip restaurants close. They serve non-sushi Japanese food in small plates, and each dish came out better than the next. Just to name a few, we had a Sashimi salad with spinash and a spicy dressing, grilled yellow tail belly, friend shrimp (no batter, and unpeeled - when instructed to eat it whole, we complied and were not sorry), grilled mushrooms, grilled duck, and grilled pork cheek. All amazing. We then headed over to catch the tail end of a party, but left once the Terror brought us down from our baby-free-high.

We tried to make the next day relaxing and low key, so the boys headed to a sports bar to watch the Bears game, my Mom, J, Mia and I had a quick meal at a Thai restaurant and bought some cupcakes for dessert. We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out at our apartment, and B drove J&J to the airport. When he came home we all sort of collapsed in front of the T.V. dreading our return to work. Mia seemed to have maxed our her good behavior for the weekend and screamed for a good 45 minutes, nipping our thoughts of having a relaxing evening in the bud.

Now, I'm at work sans-Mia, and I'm thinking I'll take advantage of this week to rest up for the next, when my Dad and Brother arrive for Thanksgiving and RV-palooza (to fulfill one of my Dad's bucket list items)!

Wine Novice

I would like to open this blog post to anyone and everyone who can be of help and offer their suggestions. I would like to know more about wine. Specifically what wines I might like best. I can tell you this--as of now my favorite wine costs about 4 bucks and can be purchased at the local grocery store.

I want to be a wine connoisseur. I wish I knew all about wines, or at the very least what all the common wines are (merlot, white zinfandel, etc.). But unfortunately, I've never learned much. Partly because the few pricey ones I've tried I just don't care for. And if you are repeatedly disappointed by something, where is the motivation to keep trying? But in all honesty I'd love to learn more and thus learn what my favorite wine or two really are. To be able to go into a restaurant, see the wine list, and pick out exactly what I want. To not be disappointed when I order based simply on the brief description, and then turn out not liking it.

What I can tell you is I like fruit, citrus, berries. I don't like licorice or wood. Okay, I actually don't know if I like wood or not, so I'd be up for experimenting in that department. But definitely no on the licorice flavor.

For right now, embarrassingly enough, my two favorite "wines" (I use that term loosely) are both Wild Vines brand: Strawberry White Zinfandel, and Blackberry Merlot. I believe I probably like these because they are so highly flavored--I've never been one who likes a strong alcohol flavor. And I do find most REAL fine wines taste strongly of alcohol, so, I guess if I want to like wine more, I might have to bite that bullet, but still...

Oh, I am also a fan of Sangria. Again, I'm betting that's because of all the fruit infused into the flavor.

But anyway, I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to what wines I might be interested in trying. Feel free to comment and ask me more questions about my tastes. All help and suggestions appreciated!

P.S. I just heard of a winery via the Food Network called Cupcake Vineyards, and they make a wine based on my all time favorite dessert--Red Velvet! It's description is: “Our first blended red wine for Cupcake Vineyards has over the top aromas of chocolate, deep rich blackberries, red fruits that follow through the palate to a creamy mocha finish that is unmistakable in its intensity and length, with a hint of coconut. It’s reminiscent of a blackberry chocolate cupcake with a mocha coulis.”

Um, can you say yum? :) Maybe that will be my first venture outside the "2 Buck Chuck" as my husband calls my cheap-o wine selections.