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| - out of all the food network chefs, i wanted to try mario batali's restaurant first from the las vegas area. and he did not disappoint us!
wifey started off with a drink made from fresh strawberries and raspberries, a splash of sparkling water, and grappa. YUMMY!!! it was very refreshing and perfect for a lunchtime beverage.
we started off by ordering a cheese platter consisting of 3 different types...instead of choosing, we asked our server to pick out her top 3. i have no clue what they're called...but all 3 were awesome! we were also served focaccia bread with 3 sides...brandied cherries, truffled honey, and dried apricots with chile. the truffled honey was my absolute favorite! i wanted to order a carne platter also...but that would just be too much food for us...i couldn't help but stare at the other tables around us that did order the variety of meats...and i loved how the workers in the middle of the restaurant were slicing cheeses and meats right in front of us. that definitely made it a very personalized experience!
so we decided to order one pasta platter...and one meat platter. we ordered the veal bolognese which was the special of the day...and i'm such a sucker for meatballs...so we ordered the veal meatballs also. my goodness, the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente...olive garden, macaroni grill, and all those other chain pasta restaurants need to learn exactly what al dente is...mario's definitely mastered the art of cooking the perfect pasta. the sauce that came along with it was perfect...light, simple, and flavorful...pretty dang close to what they serve in italy. the veal meatballs were the best meatballs i have ever had!!! they were moist, seasoned perfectly, and the duo of sauces on the plate complemented them perfectly. gosh. everything was so yummy.
for dessert, we ordered the china ranch date...tempura dates, vanilla bean gelato, and local honey. i've never had fried dates before...and i was sooooo sad when we ran out! the gelato is made fresh at the restaurant...perfect consistency...
the service was perfect. our server had personality, suave, and was definitely on top of things. kudos to her.
i am now on a mission to try all of mario batali's restaurants...he is truly...an iron chef! haha.
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