Items Selected:
Spinach & Artichoke Dip with Toasted Pita
Muffaletta Pizza - Cappicola, Mortadella, Salami, Tomato, Mozzarella, Olive Salad, Pistachio
Foie Gras Burger - Half Pound Blended Angus topped with seared Foie Gras, Sauteed mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, Foie Gras Black Truffle Aioli with Truffle Parmesan French Fries
Emeril's Free Range Buttermilk Fried Chicken - Coleslaw, Mashed Potatoes, Whole Grain Mustard Sauce
Jalapeno Cornbread
Sweet Potato Fries with Cinnamon Sugar Dipping Sauce
Emeril's Banana Cream Pie - Graham Cracker Crust, Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Shavings, Whipped Cream
New Orleans Bread and Butter Pudding - Whiskey Crème Anglaise, Whipped Cream
My history with Emeril Lagasse dates back as far as my interests in fine dining, a meal at his eponymous Orlando restaurant serving as a gift to my mother long before I had the finances or background to explore things more extravagant, and as much as years have passed while palates have evolved the quirky celebrity chef has always held a place in my heart - a Saturday evening visit to his branded Stadium and Sports Book again proving his recipes despite limitations of venue and service. Chosen for dinner during Kings vs. Blackhawks Game 3 it was with friends that I found myself seated on the Strip-side patio of The Palazzo property and with low tables arranged around individual LCDs as a sub-60 degree cross-breeze rendered things quite chilly our meal progressed in three courses, the plates themselves thankfully arriving from the white toques of the kitchen while beverage refills and service languished at the hands of unapologetically undertrained staff. Formerly visited as Jay-Z's 40/40 Club many years prior and largely unchanged in theme or décor since it was MMA and NBA that dominated the warmer indoor seating and admittedly a bit perturbed to begin my mood soon changed as Los Angeles took the lead and food began to arrive, an opening volley of creamy $10 Artichoke Dip and an $18 golden disc spot-on for the flavors of NOLA's signature sandwich both delicious and big enough to share. Shying away from items like shrimp and grits previously experienced at other Emeril locales round two of the meal continued the bar-food trend and while the liver on the burger was overcooked and meager the patty, fries, and aioli all shined - a compliment even more befitting the juicy fried chicken whose crunchy batter and hefty spice profile rival the best in the Valley. Ever happy to indulge in dessert, even after the sinful frosting-paired sweet potato fries, it was midway into the third period that I finally placed an order and arriving just as the horn sounded the meal ended just as it did over ten years prior - an ethereal bread pudding rife with vanilla and booze alongside a slice of the Banana Cream Pie equally responsible for building an empire as the word Bam!