Monday, July 21, 2008

Gourmet dinning in a strip mall (Rosemary's, Las Vegas)

Can you believe it? Another top-notch gourmet restaurant off the strip. Rosemary's totally solidifies my notion that the best dining experiences are not necessarily the most well known or on the strip in the mega casinos and hotels. Just like Lotus of Siam, Rosemary's is way off the strip in a non-descript strip mall. I would definitely have to say that my favorite restaurants in Las Vegas are off the strip. Hands down! A couple of years ago, on the Zagat guide, their were only two restaurants that were rated a 28. One was Lotus of Siam and the other was Rosemary's. Can you believe that? I could. The food here is simply delicious and the service is impeccable! Living in the Los Angeles area, I've grown accustomed to eating at fine dining restaurants that look like a fine dining establishment. Rosemary's truly is a hidden gem. Chances are, if you drove past it, you probably would have kept on driving, passing up a wonderful dining experience. On this particular occasion we were dining with business associates and we definitely got down to business... the business of eating that is. Luckily for me, practically everyone ordered something different, so I got to sample a little of everything :) Unfortunately, I forgot to photograph everyone's entree. I guess I got too excited.

Amuse BoucheThe night started off with the Amuse Bouche. This was a delightful start. An asparagus souffle that was a nice warm treat that started the night off right.

Cream Corn Soup
As far as cream corn soup goes, this one was okay... nothing to write home about. It was your standard cream corn soup, but nonetheless it was delicious.

Hugo's Texas BBQ Shrimp
I've tried this particular appetizer quite a few times now and it has yet to disappoint. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and the BBQ sauce was finger licking good!

Panko Crusted Crab Boulettes
Hands down the best appetizer of the night. I would have to say that these are the second best crab cakes I've ever had. The best one being at my sister's friend's restaurant up in Mammoth Lakes called Alpenrose. In the near future I'll post a blog on his restaurant. But these crab cakes are not too far behind. It was nice and crispy from the panko (Japanese bread crumbs) crust on the outside and nice and light on the inside.

Pan Fried Milk Fed Veal Sweetbreads
This was the first time I've tried sweetbreads. For some reason or another I had always thought that sweetbreads were the brain of a cow, until recently. So when someone on our table ordered this, I was eager to give it a try. I have to say I was surprised. It was not as fatty as I had envisioned. I thought it would be like eating bone marrow or something similar. It was definitely very good, but I'm not too sure if I'd order it for myself. Maybe to share, but not solely for myself.

Grilled Prime Flat Iron Steak
I believe this might have been the second time I've ordered this dish. I guess my eye and stomach tend to gravitate towards meat dishes on the menu. But I have to say, this entree was perfectly cooked to my liking and the meat was very tender and tasty. I'd order it for a third time!

Complimentary Desserts
Not only is this dessert good because it was free, but it was also pretty good on it's own merits. It consisted of a chocolate truffle, lemon dessert, and peanut butter ball with crispy rice. I have to say, the peanut butter one was my favorites!

Coconut Bread Pudding
I don't typically like desserts with coconut or breading puddings for that matter, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with this dessert. It had a texture of typical bread pudding with a hint of coconut.

Goat Cheese Cheesecake
I've had other desserts that incorporated goat cheese, so this time around I wasn't as skeptical as others may have been. The cheesecake was a nice and light dessert that wasn't overly sweet.

Flourless Chocolate Cake
I REALLY can't help myself. Whenever I see a flourless chocolate cake on the menu, I have to order it. As far as chocolate cakes go, this one was slightly above average. I am not too sure if I'd order it again though.

Apple Tart
The apple tart was definitely one of the better apple desserts that I've had in a while. The outside was nice and light, yet crunchy and the apple was deliciously sweet.

Lemon Icebox
This was the surprise dessert of the night for me personally. The last time I had tried this dessert I wasn't really impressed. I am so glad that someone had ordered this dessert. I think this has become my favorite dessert at Rosemary's now!


Definitely, this is one of my top restaurants in Las Vegas! Unfortunately, I did not picture the other entrees that were ordered. One of my favorite dishes here is the Crispy Skin Striped Bass. This dish is absolutely a must. One of the more unique dishes that night was the Baramundi. I have never tried this type of fish before and so I was excited to taste it. The fish was very light and moist. One thing that should not be missed is the specials that Rosemary's offers. For instance, Wednesday nights is ladies night and all meals for the ladies are half off. One way you could look like a big shot without spending the big bucks. Check their website for other specials. Rosemary's is definitely one of the best restaurants in the Las Vegas area for sure.



Rosemary's Restaurant
8125 W. Sahara Ave
Las Vegas, NV. 89117
702-869-2251

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