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| - I. Can't. Say. Enough. Good. Things. Here. Let's start with OVER 2000 wines in their Wine Bible!
Ahhh, Valentino, why do you have to be so very far from my reach on a regular basis? Oh, I know, because you are meant for special occasions and that's what brought us to you in the first place!
We were celebrating a WIN in Vegas....no, not cash, silly....a DIFFERENT kind of win - the end of a productive and promising Trade Expo that left us hungry for good red wine and unparalleled vegetarian fare in a refined yet comfortable atmosphere.....cue Valentino! Our server, Adrian, a Johnny Depp-esque creature with immaculate timing and menu advice, helped us put together a trio of pastas that delighted us to NO END....seriously, one bite was bliss, knowing I had a whole plateful was HEAVEN. The fresh ingredients were so obviously abundant in each flavor combination, yet all blended together so well in the various sauces and pasta fillings. The gnocchi, in particular, was so silky smooth and perfectly sized to mix with the fresh pesto sauce, that I would still be dragging the meal out now, a week later, if I thought I could be away from my family for that much longer! This all followed a scrumptious appetizer-gone-spunky version of eggplant parmesean that was topped with fresh curly, peppery herbs. This ALL was accompanied by a merlot that was suggested by the sommelier after we had deposited our request for woodsy-earthy-cheesy-veggie items....he found a perfect match!
I would be leaving you without a kiss good-bye if I didn't take a minute to explain just how a fabulous dessert followed this amazing meal. Picture rich-without-overpowering chocolate, nutty yet mild hazelnut, and silky essence of pistachio all meeting up to delight the senses in the form of mini-2-bite nougat desserts (there were other varieties available...I think a creme brulee and a fruit tarte among other things...but these morsels we decided on were a perfect compliment to the sparkling rose that was suggested by none other than Johnny Depp himself! (Okay, maybe it was Adrian - he knows this is all in good fun and filled with love - and, yes, he was pre-warned the review would include the reference!)
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