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| - If you want a less than stellar meal, a poolside hotel restaurant offers pretty good odds. Jardin strives to beat those odds but, like most of the players in the casino, it falls short.
First, the good. The space is quite lovely, with a tasteful floral motif. We sat on the patio, and the heaters kept us comfy, even on a cool January day in Vegas. The patio was even far enough from the pool to keep you from getting drenched by overly enthusiastic kids doing cannonballs. But that's where the really good part ends.
My wife and I both ordered Eggs Benedict, and we agreed that we have had much better. The eggs were perfectly cooked, but the hollandaise was skimpy and the English muffins were dry and a bit hard. The hash browns were definitely second rate - sort of a brick of (riced?) potatoes that elevated creativity over flavor. And by "creativity," I mean I have never seen anything quite like it. Also, while $20 is not totally outrageous for Eggs Benedict (especially at the Wynn/Encore), for that price couldn't they have put a little slice of orange or sprig of parsley on the plate to dress it up a bit? It all seemed kind of sparse. Our friends both ordered omelets. I didn't see them projectile spitting their meal across the patio, but they weren't exactly raving about the dish either. And both of them left their "hash browns" untouched.
Since this was to be my only meal for the day, I also ordered a bowl of the roasted tomato soup (my attempt to convert breakfast into brunch), which was just fine. Good tomato flavor, and a touch of tasty garnish.
Our server was very pleasant, when she was visible. Which was not often. It took much too long from seating to taking our order, and from clearing the table to bringing the check. Fortunately, our friends are exceptional conversationalists. But as it turns out, the fact that they were staying at the Wynn was the only reason to eat at Jardin.
No, I didn't try the buttermilk chicken sandwich, or some of the other dishes that get good reviews here. But if you want a better Eggs Benedict, go off-Strip to Hash House A-Go-Go, or Black Bear Diner, or really just about anywhere.
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