The Foodie Awards: 2010 PART I

If it's FEB, it must be awards season, so it's once again time to give out some Foodies! If you're familiar with this blog then you know I visit a mind-numbingly, how-can-you-afford-that, dude-do-you-ever-NOT-eat-at-Michelin-starred-places number of restaurants during the year - it's just how I roll (c.f. NomNomNom 2010 and Foodie: A to Z). And, just like last year, awards are for restaurants The Foodie dined in in 2009 EXCEPT for The French Laundry. TFL is in a class by itself. The whole bringing-a-knife-to-a-gunfight thing. It just wouldn't be fair. Also, restaurants that received Foodies last year CANNOT repeat in the same categories this year. We want new blood...

This week I'll be posting an award in a returning category every day, and the following week will feature posts in all new categories. So, if you're the type of person who likes checking blogs daily for new stuff, you're in luck. If, however, you think it's a lame gimmick well...come back in a couple of weeks :p

HOTTEST HOTTIE HOSTESS AWARD:

WINNER: STACK

It should come as no surprise that a corporation that operates some of the hottest clubs in Vegas (The Bank, Haze and Jet among others) stocks their restaurants with some of the hottest front of the house personnel known to man. And this award could pretty much go to ANY of The Light Groups dining properties (particularly Fix) but since Stack is where we went, Stack gets the award. I could talk about the smoking hot blonde cocktail waitress that was 'filling' in as the hostess until the actual smoking hot brunette hostess showed up and the, third, equally hot front-of-the-house-manager-type who moved at speeds normal humans should never reach in heels, but I'll just leave you with this quote from the ZAGAT guide (circa 2009, since ZAGAT bailed on LV for 2010), “...service is mostly 'helpful', though some wondered if 'stacked referred to the hostesses' and not the layered mahogany decor”

FIRST RUNNER-UP: SIMON

Frankly, last year, it was a bit of an upset that NEITHER the Winner or First Runner-Up in this category was from Vegas. No such upset this year and, if you've EVER been to a Kerry Simon restaurant you know that, like The Light Group, you're going to have sleek, modern décor a kewl, club-like atmosphere and a young, hip staff. We went there twice last year and even though the hostesses were different both times, they were ridiculously hot both times. It's worth pointing out that for their SUN Pajama Brunch (where the staff all wears pajamas and the customers are encouraged to do the same) that the hostess outfit is an oversized mens dress shirt, tiny boxer shorts...and pumps. Now, either this offends you or makes you go “!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”. Either way, now you know and...wait for it...wait for it...Knowing is half the battle.

MOST BANG-FOR-YOUR-BUCK:

WINNER: JARDINIERE (MON PRIX FIXE DINNERS)

I'll admit it...I've been holding out on you. Not intentionally, mind you, but for some reason I've gone to at least a half-dozen of Jardiniere's “Themed” Monday Dinners and never really mentioned it in the blog. My Bad. There are a lot of things to like about these dinners, but number one with a bullet has to be the price: Three courses, $45 and that INCLUDES a wine pairing with ALL three courses (yes, even the dessert) from their extensive cellar. The bizarre thing is that this is a place where a main EASILY runs $30-40 on a regular day and I'm not talking a kobe beef or lobster main either. I'm talking Steelhead Trout with Savoy Cabbage, Rose Finn Potatoes and Rock Shrimp - $36. And since you'd be hard pressed to find ANY decent wine for nine bucks, that one course with a glass of wine is going to cost you more than the ENTIRE three-course menu on a MON. I'm honestly not sure how they do it.

The other kewl thing is that it's the ONLY menu they have AND they always have a “theme”. To give you an idea, I've been to a Tiki Dinner (with Smuggler Cove's Martin Cate as guest bartender), A T-Day Dinner (described as a “Plymouth Dinner”...but it was Thanksgiving), A Swedish Holiday Dinner (that coincided with St. Lucia Day) and a German Dinner that was paired with rare, obscure beers instead of wines, among others. So, basically, you're trying a lot of stuff that has NEVER been on the Jardiniere Menu and won't EVER be on the Jardiniere menu. It's almost like being in an Iron Chef/Top Chef event where you have top flight chefs doing things out of their comfort zone...and it's awesome! How many other times are you going to get the chance to see a chef the caliber of Traci des Jardin's re-create a Pu-Pu Platter?

Anyways, it's a steal, It's got a Zagat , it's a gorgeous Pat Kuleto designed restaurant AND since they don't serve anything BUT the $45 special on MON, there's zero chance of feeling like you're a bottom feeder that the help will look down upon – EVERYBODY'S having the exact same thing :D

FIRST RUNNER-UP: ONE MARKET (THE WEEKLY BEAST)

So in contrast to Jardiniere running their special menu on the s-l-o-w-e-s-t night of the restaurant week, One Market has their steal on the BUSIEST nights: FRI AND SAT. The Weekly Beast features “Dining from Head to Hoof” of a different animal each week with five courses for $49 (and a mere $20 more for wine pairings). They haz a . It's a steal. Make your OpenTable reservation now...I'll wait...

…

Anyways, even though five courses of a single animal (and, yes, even the dessert) might sound overwhelming, it's not. While some courses will feature the protein front and center (like Spit Roasted Leg of Lamb with a Coffee Rub and Black Trumpet Mushrooms) others will use the animal in a more supporting role (Sheep's Milk Ricotta Gnocchi or a Sheep's Milk Ricotta Tart with Mandarin Honey Gelee). I've personally had the Lamb and Pig but the promotion also includes boutique beasts from local ranches and farms including Duck, Rabbit, Goat, Suckling Pig and Steer. Now aren't you glad you've made your reservations already?

IN THE CONVERSATION: MICHAEL MINA (PRE-THEATER MENU)

DON'T MOVE MY CHEESE AWARD:

WINNER: JOEL ROBUCHON

The Hottie has this habit of saying “I'll take one of each, please”. It doesn't matter if she's in a Tory Burch Boutique, Sephora, Bouchon Bakery or BevMo. When the help asks her what she'd like, more often than not, that's her joking response. So when we were @ Joel Robuchon in Vegas with The Meat Guy and our server brought out the cheese cart that had 26 different french cheeses (which he described each in detail – what region of France it was from, what type of milk, how it was made, etc.) The Hottie gave her “normal” response. Except we were @ a restaurant so he thoughtfully laid out the cheeses on multiple plates, organizing then by their type and we tried twenty-six different french cheeses in the middle of a tasting menu. I couldn't make this sh|t up if I tried!

FIRST RUNNER-UP: MADRONA MANOR

Honestly, I though that Josef had this one in the bag UNTIL The Hottie pulled her little “I'll take one of each” stunt. Seriously though, if you should ever have the good fortune to find yourself @ Madrona Manor do NOT opt out of the optional cheese course. Not only is their resident cheese expert a character-and-a-half but he is RIDICULOUSLY passionate about his cheese. I'm talking about a wide variety of domestic and imported cheeses and insane knowledge behind them. He||, he even had a wheel of cheese that the local artisanal cheese-maker made exclusively for him (that, of course, he was sharing with his guests)!

IN THE CONVERSATION: GUY SAVOY, QUINCE, DINING ROOM AT THE RITZ-CARLTON, CYRUS

RESTAURANT THAT MOST DESERVES A MICHELIN STAR (BUT DOESN'T HAVE ONE)

WINNER: BOTTEGA

I like this particular category because, frankly, I nailed it last year by calling on Luce to get a Michelin Star...and it did! I also called for Bouchon (Vegas) and B&B Ristorante to get stars but, since Michelin bailed on the Las Vegas guide this year, we'll never know if I was right about them as well. No matter, I can happily rest on my Luce laurels for now.

To me, Bottega is an easy call for a star and, frankly, I was surprised they ended up with merely a mention. Granted, Michelin isn't big on giving out stars right out of the gate, BUT that didn't stop them from giving Commis a star in it's first year of operation. Anyways, the chef has a pedigree, it's located in the epicurean center of the Wine Country (if not all of California), has a solid wait staff, interesting and colorful décor and, most importantly, incredible cuisine that elevates antipasti and pasta to something otherworldly. It's the Adriana Lima or Marisa Miller of the Italian Food Scene – it's what all the other Italian Ristorantes and Tratatorrias want to grow up to be.

FIRST RUNNER-UP (TIE): MADRONA MANOR & QUINCE

Yes, they both ALREADY have stars but, dammit, they both deserve more! I'm not saying they're French Laundry/Joel Robuchon level, but they both need that second star. I've been to more than enough starred places to have a good feel for what separates a one-star place from a two-star place and both Madrona Manor and Quince have “it”. Superior fawn-all-over-you service (which isn't supposed to play a part in the rating...but it does) and breathtaking locations (Quince is now in the old Myth space on Pacific and Madrona Manor is a gorgeous mansion built in 1881 on 8 acres of grounds in Healdsburg) certainly help the cause, but both feature the type of refined, creative, OMGBBQ cuisine that The Guide tends to drool over. Seriously, if either place DOESN'T get a second star in 2011 I'd be surprised.

IN THE CONVERSATION: THE DINING ROOM AT THE RITZ-CARLTON

MOST DISAPPOINTING DINING EXPERIENCE:

WINNER: THE BAZAAR

If you read my rant back in June, you could see this one coming the proverbial mile away. I was really, REALLY excited about going to Jose Andres' L.A. Hotspot, but it blew chunks. Not the food, mind you. What little of it I had was tasty and inventive, but virtually EVERYTHING else was a pricey (but really pretty) clusterfuck. From seating us an hour after our reservations, to there being nowhere to sit while we were waiting because there's a club in the middle of the restaurant, to closing the kitchen on us because we had to wait so long and service was slow (and inaccurate) on top of that. Worst of all, we weren't an isolated case. There were plenty of other people with the same experience which simply says to me that they think they're hot sh|t and don't really care. I'm quite happy that they didn't get a Michelin Star or I would have had to change the name of the blog to I Can Haz Good Yelp Ratingz and that name sucks almost as hard as their front of the house.

FIRST RUNNER-UP: CYRUS

It pains me to say this because, much like The Bazaar, I really, REALLY wanted to like Cyrus, but the experience simply didn't match the hype – and that was the crux of the problem. Now, don't get me wrong, Cyrus is an awesome restaurant that deserves to be mentioned among the best restaurants in NorCal, the problem is that SO many people talk about it being the equal (if not superior) to The French Laundry that, well, I expected something the equal to TFL and it simply wasn't there. And since this isn't the 'Worst Place I Ate' but, rather, 'Most Disappointing', it sadly qualifies. The champagne/caviar cart that started the meal was awesome and the flaming rum sauce that got tossed on the first dish was a spectacular touch but, after that, the courses were either unmemorable or what I DO remember was bad (like the Kobe Beef dish that was a total waste of Kobe Beef). Sorry, but at least I'd go back and give it another shot (unlike, The Bazaar which The Hottie wants to Die In A Fire).