Bouchon

I am about to commit foodie blasphemy.

While I was preparing for my business trip to Las Vegas, J mentioned to me that Vegas is home to Bouchon, one of Thomas Keller's sister restaurants to the famed The French Laundry. Recently, T&M went to dinner for T's birthday at Per Se. I suppose one might be able to relate The French Laundry as the daddy, the original. Distinguished and well respected. Per Se would be the snooty older sister, and Bouchon the tomboy little sister. At least, that's how I see it. You can feel free to correct me.

Anyhow, after I heard about the magnificence that is Per Se -- and also blinked in shock at the prices of the tasting menu -- I was really looking forward to my dinner at Bouchon. I went with one of my colleagues, A, who was nice enough to join me. Bouchon looked way more accessible to a poor slob like me than Per Se and The French Laundry.

Both of us started off with excellent wines by the glass: she with a Cabernet/Pinot Franc (I think) and me with a tasty Pinot. Then we had the escargot appetizer. I think I wrote in my experience at Les Halles that I've only heard that Thomas Keller uses fresh snails for escargot instead of canned. While I really have no way of knowing that, these escargot were three times the size of the ones at Les Halles, rich with butter and garlic, and topped with a little puff pasty that added a nice texture. For my entrée, I had the rack of lamb special. A lamb chop, probably an inch thick, with a side of braised lamb meat in a rounded mold that seemed to be coated in a light coating of bread crumbs and lightly fried. Also in my copper All-Clad serving platter were swiss chard, stewed prunes, and a sweet carrot sauce. My colleague had the tasty steak frites. A side of escarole had probably two full heads of garlic chopped in. Not for the weak of heart. For dessert, I had the crème caramel and she the vanilla crème brulée, and decaf cappucinos all around!

Now for the blasphemy. I had a good meal, and I had a good time. But when the ~$175 bill came, I realized that I am spoiled by living in Atlanta and I found myself thinking about the decadent dinner that I might have had at Woodfire Grill with my favorite menu items like quail, venison, and salmon tartare.

I'm afraid T will never talk to me again!