Cheer Up With Food

When I heard that my friends wanted to meet up at the new local lounge,  Elixir  to watch a football game, I assumed this place would be like some neighborhood bars - a lot of drinks, but with subpar food... I was completely wrong!  Elixir had modern decor: Interesting drinks: The Elixir - This house specialty combines Absolut Citron Vodka, PAMA Liqeur, fresh lemon and Marasca Cherry Juice w/ candy garnish.  And foods that are made in-house including the breads, and their meats are never frozen: Buffalo Chicken Sliders w/ Fries - mildly spicy and a nice light meal to watch during the game. If you're looking for a different bar to watch a sports game, I recommend going to Elixir!  This lounge has a nice, chill atmosphere.  Also, their Happy Hour Specials have a lot to offer (there are new items that aren't in their site yet).

I finally had some time out of my busy schedule to read  Bless This Food by Adrian Butash .  This book shows various types of prayers/graces said about food from around the world.  I feel one should have an open mind when reading this.  Although cultures and religions differ from each other, one commonality that they all share is giving appreciation for the food that they eat.  Food nourishes our bodies, souls, and brings people together.  For that, we should be thankful!  What I like about this book is how the author wrote short backgrounds about most of these graces.  They all may be short in description, but very interesting... Especially if you're a history buff like me!  So if you have as much appreciation for food as I do, I highly recommend reading Bless This Food .

A breakfast/lunch joint that's worth giving a try is  Eat.  in Downtown.  This place caters to those who prefer traditional meals and to those who are adventurous.  Either way, these meals are wholesome!  Also, Chef Natalie adds a French culinary twist to her foods, using the freshest, sustainable, and locally-sourced, organic ingredients, whenever possible: Fresh-Brewed Passion Fruit Iced Tea- the flavors were wonderfully blended together. Beignets w/ Homemade Jam and Vanilla-Scented Mascarpone- our waitress suggested us to try these popular delights.  They were fluffy, not greasy, and the jam and butter complemented these beignets .  These are a must-haves! Downtown Benedict - poached eggs , turkey bacon, spinach, tomato and herbed hollandaise on a whole wheat muffin.  This is a healthier twist to a traditional dish! Huevos Montuleños - two eggs over easy with red and green chili, black beans, peas, feta, and sauteed bananas on a corn tortilla.  This br

For Las Vegas Restaurant Week '13, my husband and I decided to go eat at  Michael Mina  in the Bellagio . Eating here was a wonderful experience!  Other than the food, the service was exceptional. For example, I liked how our waiter and servers told us the ingredients in each of our dishes.  I also preferred this menu instead of the a la carte menu.  Luckily, our waiter informed us that is menu always available as the  Sunset Menu .  This is a fine dining restaurant that's worth eating at on The Strip! Clockwise: Market Greens- This salad came with goat cheese , hazelnut butter, and pear.  The goat cheese stood out in a good way, it was delish! Heirloom Tomato  Soup- This soup was rich and tasted great with the toasted brioche , which I think had white cheddar cheese and prosciutto  on top of it. Phyllo  Crusted  Sole - This simple-looking dish came with  crab brandade , pea shoots, sauce dijon, and mashed potatoes.  When tasting all the ingredients toge