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| - This meal began well with an excellent meaty Shrimp Cocktail with zesty Cocktail Sauce. And we were graciously accommodated with well-cooked Calamari Fritti prepared without Cherry Peppers (since Diane likes nothing spicy at all), and supplied with delectable specially requested Lemon Aioli in addition to Marinara Sauce. The complimentary Bread Basket was also enjoyable, with lavosh liberally included in it.
After first being startled with a cup of French Onion Soup instead of the large crock I ordered, the understandable mistake (since I ordered so much food) was quickly remedied by our server, and to Diane's delight I ultimately received a vessel of cheesy soup overflowing with rivulets of Havarti Cheese. The broth was bitter on top but sweet on the bottom. Although she hates onions, Diane loves to peel off and eat cheese that runs down and congeals on the sides of ceramic containers holding French Onion Soup. A Wedge Salad slathered with Bleu Cheese Dressing and peppered with fresh tomatoes seemed almost endless, and took over five minutes for me to fully consume.
While the Filet Mignon was well seasoned and prepared medium rare as ordered, its pairing with Butter Poached Lobster was a distinct disappointment, because the lobster was very tough and not at all sweet. Grilled Asparagus was well cooked but quickly became cold, while sauteed Wild Mushrooms were a welcome accompaniment, and excellent Bearnaise Sauce was complemented by a just as tasty Red Wine Reduction. A large Baked Potato with chives and chunks of pork belly was nicely seasoned and perfectly cooked, but I would have greatly preferred real bacon pieces instead of the squishy pork belly.
I almost resisted dessert but ultimately failed in my resolve, and compromised on Seasonal Mixed Berries with Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise. The mixed berries were fresh but not that sweet. Overall, service was good, but Diane had to continually ask for water refills.
Usually the culinary experience here has been topnotch from beginning to end. But this time the tough, tasteless lobster ruined the outing for me--especially for the high Strip prices of over $100 per person (even without alcohol) charged.
So, this time XXX-1/2 stars overall.
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