. "2017-04-19T00:00:00"^^ . "0"^^ . "4"^^ . "2"^^ . . "Meal #2 of 2017 Las Vegas Trip\n\nEven though this is a review of the Caesars Palace Border Grill at lunch, I first want to recommend that you go to Mandalay Bay for brunch. Lunch at Border Grill is good but the brunch we had at the Mandalay Bay location (probably the same as the one at Caesars Palace but with improved ambiance) is AMAZING. Best meal of our trip.\n\nThe Caesars Palace location isn't as nice as Mandalay Bay's. While the Mandalay Bay restaurant has a patio and energy, the one in Caesars Palace is at a dead spot in a mall. When being seated, I think everyone passed up the empty interior in favor of the patio area, but this \"outdoor\" area was still in a mall so it still had that annoying echoing mall effect.\n\nThe complimentary chips with three salsas were quite good. However, I wouldn't order the appetizer sampler again. The highlight was the quinoa fritters. They were yummy but the downside was that we were able to eat them in one bite. (I took two bites to savor them.) The green tamale bites had good flavor but they were less like corn cake and more pasty like creamed corn. I was not a big fan of the plantain empanadas. I couldn't identify the odd flavor when I tried them and had to be reminded of the filling (ah yes - plantains). Still, they were only okay.\n\nThe ceviche changed everything around. Well, the good ceviche did anyway. The Peruvian one with albacore, coconut, and plantain chips was one of the best I've had. The Caribbean one with mahi mahi carpaccio, shaved celery, and cilantro was only okay and paltry on the fish.\n\nThe crispy potato rajas tacos were pretty good but not amazing. I recall mostly just tasting the chipotle crema.\n\nOne of my kids got a cheese quesadilla and the other fried fish. I was disappointed that the fish came with ketchup and there was not even a tartar sauce option. I really don't like kowtowing to the lowest common denominator for kids' meals. At least make them a little more challenging than the usual ghetto of kid-friendly items on every kids' restaurant menu.\n\n\nOur Las Vegas 2017 Trip\n\n5 Stars\nBorder Grill, Mandalay Bay (brunch)\nGrimaldi's, The Palazzo\nBouchon Bakery, The Venetian (snack)\nEggslut, Cosmopolitan (snack)\n\n4 Stars\nPayard, Caesars Palace\nBORDER GRILL, CAESARS PALACE\nShake Shack, New York New York\n\n3 Stars \nTournament of Kings, Excalibur\nBruxie, New York New York\nTherapy, Downtown"^^ . "0"^^ . .