Germany 2012: Wiesbaden

I LOVE Wiesbaden (pronounced VEE-Spa-Den)!  Last year, I stayed in Frankfurt (huge financial city), but this lovely suburban town just outside of the busy city was just my cup of tea.  From the traditional and modern architecture, cute cafes and deliciously decorated restaurants,  to the clean streets and sidewalks, and town squares filled with people speaking in different tongues, everything in this town just made me fall in love.

 I love the town squares in Germany!

Cathedral on a gorgeous, brisk, fall day in October

 Der Andechser Im Ratskeller

This was one of my favorite eating spots for dinner because inside, you just feel like you've been sent back in time to old Germany (not that I would know what old Germany's like). I was told that there are many Ratskellers around in Germany and they are always located in the basement. I dined here two nights in a row  with some colleagues and seriously could not get enough of their huge portions of MEAT! That's one thing they're not stingy about, and to see the abundance of beef, lamb, and pork was just unreal. Oh yeah, and their beer. I actually made the mistake of asking for iced tea and the waiter yelled at me, "Iced tea?! No iced tea here, only water or BEER!" Right, I'll take a beer then. Now on to the amazing Bavarian dishes!

Vegas Lunch: Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina

Even before I stepped onto the plane for Las Vegas, I was already daydreaming about eating at a Wolfgang Puck restaurant.  I just knew it would be amazing, no matter what I order or which of his wonderful establishments I visit.  And I was right.  I call myself a foodie and enjoy blogging about food, but now I can officially call myself a food snob after being spoiled by the infamous Wolfgang Puck!  We went for lunch on Sunday (my last full day in Vegas) after an epic night of dancing at Rain in Palms Hotel/Casino.  Some friends suggested a local diner or Hash House A Go Go, but the wait for Sunday brunch was about 45 minutes, and we were starving!  I couldn't give up my dream, so I took the liberty of looking up information for WP's Pizzeria & Cucina and called immediately.  Just our luck, there was no wait and it was not a far walk to Crystals at CityCenter from our hotel on a nice Sunday morning!

When we first got to Crystals at CityCenter, I got distracted by luxury brands calling my name to spend $$$$ on materialistic items that I don't need, but the group's stomachs brought me back to reality.  Food comes first, naturally.  Shopping can wait.  We were extremely lucky to have been seated at a long round table that was located off to the side, isolated from the rest of the restaurant and bar area.  No reservations, yet we got our very own private dining area to enjoy a fabulous lunch.  Again, we're just a lucky bunch.  The service was superb, waiter looked out for each and every one of us, the food was amazing, and even the bathrooms were a wonderful experience!

For starters, we ordered...

*Calamari "Fritto", Garlic Aioli, Lemon, Paprika

*Tomato Bruschetta, Basil, Parmesan

*Steamed Mussels, Chorizo, Marjoram, Grilled Ciabatta

I highly recommend all three appetizers, best of each I've ever had.  The calamari was lightly battered/fried, not greasy by any means, nor chewy/tough.  So what happens when you dip the perfect calamari in the most delightful garlic aoili?  You get a match made in heaven.  If you've ever had a bad calamari experience, this will convert you.  I always hesitate when ordering bruschetta because in previous experiences, they've been too small, bread rock hard, too few chunks of mushy tomatoes... but what I've captured (above) obviously shows the opposite.  The tomato bruschetta was lightly toasted and adorned with loads of tomato chunks & cheese in every bite!  As for the mussels, no words can really describe how the meat just melted in our mouths.  It was lovely.  Everyone loved the sauce at the bottom of the pan as well, great for dipping complimentary bread!

Next are the salads for those who eat lightly.  The Caprese and Asparagus salads were both beautiful (sucker for presentation) and delicious.  I ordered the Caprese salad and as a tomato lover, my tastebuds almost jumped onto the plate when I saw how big they were!  The heirloom tomatoes were large enough to share, were so juicy & flavorful, and couldn't have been complete without the soft mozzarella that sat on top.  The Asparagus salad seemed more like a starter than an actual meal, even for lunch, not too much food on the plate.

 Caprese Salad

*Asparagus Salad, Parmesan Panna Cotta, Proscuitto

The rest of the group ordered various pizzas for everyone to have a little taste.  They were more satisfying for the stomach compared to the salads (above) and were just the perfect amount for sharing (swapping pizza slices).  My favorite had to be the Mushroom, but I'm biased since I enjoy eating fungus.  The Duck Confit was a close second favorite as the taste was very unique, a special surprise unlike the other classic pizzas on the table.  Having said that, I do wish the other pizzas had more unique flavors, but maybe some people like to stick with the classics.  To each their own.

Duck Confit Pizza

Mushroom Pizza (*Bechamel, Fontina Cheese, Thyme, Arugula)

Proscuitto Pizza (*Basil Pesto, Kalamata Olives, Parmesan)

Margherita Pizza (*Mozzarella, Tomato Sauce, Basil, Parmesan )

Finally, we arrive at the sweetest part of this dining experience, the desserts.  Of course, I shouted tiramisu when I saw it on the menu before we even ordered the main meal!  Sadly, it was not real tiramisu, but a modern version of it with chocolate chips mixed in.  It was a different twist on tiramisu, but in a good way.  The Italian Doughnuts were little bites of absolute goodness!  The insides of each were so fluffy and warm, but once it is dipped in the caramel & gelato, your tastebuds will go insane because of the warm, cold, sweet, salty explosion in your mouth!  If you dine here with a party of six, and only choose one dessert (not possible but let's pretend), these doughnuts are perfect as you each get one.  And then there was the Hazelnut Mousse, which was not too memorable compared to the first two. 

Tiramisu

*Italian Doughnuts "Zeppole", Caramel Dipping Sauce, Vanilla Gelato

*Chocolate Glazed Hazelnut Mousse, Frangelico Cream, Chocolate Shortbread

3720 Las Vegas Blvd

Las Vegas, NV

$$

Overall Group Grade: A-
The average rating among my gluttonous friends on this wonderful Sunday lunch in Vegas 

*Descriptions taken from Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina's website

New Years Eve 2012: Girasole Ristorante Atlantic City

While 2011 introduced me to many delicious and unique bites, it ended rather perfectly and sweetly at Girasole Ristorante & Lounge in Atlantic City. Let me start off by saying it was not my first choice when looking for a special New Years Eve restaurant. I had my mind set on Cuba Libre, but they required credit card information upon reservation. To my understanding, they do this to prevent no shows, especially on a busy night like New Years Eve, but the bf did not feel comfortable with that policy. It was a week before NYE, so I frantically searched on OpenTable and Yelp for a special, classy restaurant that did not break the wallet. I was craving good Italian. Arturo had more reviews and they were consistently good on Yelp. I still hesitated because it was tucked away inside Bally's and I wanted to enjoy my dinner outside of the casinos. Luckily for me, there were no tables available before 8pm. I say luckily because Girasole was the only choice left and it was one of the best Italian rest. I've ever tried!

From the outside, you cannot see anything since they close the curtains on the tall windows and keeps the romantic, elegant dining area private. They do have tables outside as well and at night they had a nice fire going to keep you warm. The entrance includes a small bar with a whole wall of fine wine and a lounge with comfortable couches that gave me a mediterranean feeling. There were sunflower paintings and decor everywhere as Girasole is Italian for sunflower. For NYE, they had made it extra special with white balloons floating in the candlelit restaurant and strings of white lights neatly placed around. It was very romantic and classy, not overwhelming. As far as the service goes, Yelp reviewers warned me waiters would be slow and are not good hosts. It did take us a while to be seated, even though our reservation was at 5:45pm and we were on time, with barely anyone else in the restaurant. The host was seating a big party and told us to wait, but she seemed to have been distracted and forgot about us until I got her attention again. The service could have been better, but we did not mind because it was an early dinner, we were not starving, or in any rush to leave. Waiters were hustling and bustling to the quickest of their abilities because after we ordered, the restaurant quickly filled with 6pm guests. They were completely booked from 6-8pm that night, but it did not get loud or noisy.

Now to the heart of the evening. Girasole had a special NYE menu, but being a prepared foodie, I had already taken a long look at their regular menu online (click Dine). Their pastas are under $20 and the Farfelle al Salmon naturally sparked my interest. But since the bf was going all out with Filet Mignon ($36), I also wanted to indulge as well, so I ordered the Agnello: New Zealand Lamb ($36).

Before I could whip out the camera, DB already cut into the filet and was munching away, hence no picture.

It tasted as good as it looks. I wonder if the lamb really was from New Zealand...

Excellent, amazing, delicious! Need I say more? The lamb was so tender and there were many more bites to come after my first taste. This was not overpriced meat, it was $36 worth of delicious lamb! I was worried the portion would be small having experienced let downs of few pieces with only two bites of meat on each bone (you would think it was a lamb on a diet!). But there was plenty of meat to munch on, enough that I could give the bf a whole bone and not feel stingy about it. The filet was medium rare and melted in our mouths. It actually was a whole lot of cow, maybe an 8 or 10 oz? It didn't look like much, with truffles scattered on top and a thin aoli sauce surrounding it, but that's all that was needed. DB said it was so good, it made it to his top 3 best filets, after Wolfgang Puck and MGM's SeaBlue in Las Vegas. Normally, he does not wipe his plate clean (never finishing big burgers...) or even like mushrooms... but he ate all of it and would have licked his plate clean of the aoili if we were not in a classy restaurant. The portions were just right, leaving you happy and satisfied, with a bit of room for dessert.

One of the things that I was excited for after making a reservation for Girasole was their tiramisu! With no sweet tooth, I do not care for dessert and rarely order it. But the only one that makes me weak and I have cravings for is my beloved tiramisu. My love affair dates back to high school when I thought it was Japanese and saw a picture online with a caption "Tiramisu too!" I used to rave about Olive Garden's pre-made, frozen & thawed tiramisu, but I have grown and matured after tasting real authentic tiramisu a couple times in London, but this one was love at first sight.

Here it is, my one & only, in all its beautiful glory

::Credits to DB Photography::

(for this magnificent piece of art that has become my blogger, twitter, yelp icon)

The sight of it took my breath away. I could hardly contain my excitement and had to slap DB's spoon away so I did not miss a shot of this beauty, which he took. It was perfection. You can taste every layer, from the cocoa to the light, fluffy cream (not sure what kind of cheese they used), to the ladyfingers that were soft and moist (not soggy like some), and the dip of chocolate sauce on the plate. It was everything I wanted from a dessert. I enjoyed the bitterness of the espresso that was not overpowering, but lingered like 72% dark chocolate. The balance of bitterness and sweetness was about 60:40 with a hint of liquer, which I think is perfect. It was without a doubt the most perfect ending to a crazy year, bittersweetly.

A toast to 2012! I have a feeling it will be one to remember, filled with lots of joy and happiness with friends & family, eating better & healthier, and hopefully a better economy so those currently unemployed can start fresh with a new job!

Happy New Year everyone!