Aqua Seafood & Caviar Restaurant By Chef Shaun Hergatt

Okay, we've had some pretty good eats at 3 of Buddy Valastro's restaurants, but it was time to change it up.  Oh and did we ever...  We went bougie with a visit to Aqua Seafood & Caviar by Chef Shaun Hergatt.  Yes, that is quite the mouthful, but with a Michelin chef in its namesake, Aqua definitely has cachet.  The restaurant is tucked away in the new Resorts World just North of the Venetian (former Stardust location).  It certainly looks the part of a high-end establishment and we were also very excited to dine there.

Without further delay, we got to the main event immediately with a 50g tin of Caspy Osetra Caviar with all the condiments including homemade blinis, crème fraiche, chives, capers, shallots, egg white and egg yolk.  Oh this was such a treat where the caviar was briny without being overly salty or fishy.  The blinis were fluffy and light while the condiments added the necessary textures and complimentary flavors to each bite.  I could've eaten this all-by-myself but sadly, I had to share!

Onto some smaller bites, we had the Beggar's Purse containing shrimp mousse, avocado mousse and caviar.  The whole thing was wrapped in a folded crepe and served atop a lime wheel.  These precious creations were delicious where the shrimp mousse was delicate, sweet and aromatic.  The addition of caviar provided the unmistakable brininess of the fish eggs while adding the necessary saltiness to give the bite impact.  The crepe itself was soft while offering up some texture.

If that wasn't enough caviar already, we were treated to more with the Wagyu Toast.  Served on toasted brioche, the thinly-sliced wagyu was buttery soft and super beefy in flavor.  That in itself was a textural delight, but they had to add some black olive spread to kick it up a notch with salty tanginess.  However, the generous amount of Caspy Golden Osetra Caviar on top was the proverbial icing on the cake.  It added pops of briny goodness. 

From this we moved onto the Hamachi crudo dressed with Satsuma vinaigrette, ninja radishes, citrus segments and rhubarb.  This was a beautiful plate of food that was a feast for the eyes as much as our taste buds.  Supremely fresh being buttery and sweet, the hamachi benefited from the acidity of the vinaigrette as well as the citrus.  This kept things bright as well as making the dish appetizing.  Loved the texture of the rhubarb where it added a textural contrast.

Now I don't usually talk about bread, especially bread that comes with a meal, but this has to be talked about!  The Brioche Buns were super soft, airy and served warm.  Beyond the texture and aromatics of the bread, the accompanying butter was fantastic.  It was creamy and not salty while super spreadable and melted nicely within the steaming warm layers of the brioche.  We really didn't want to fill ourselves with carbs, but it was irresistible.

Onto the mains, we had the gigantic Kataifi Scallops with green coconut curry sauce and kaffir lime oil.  First off, these are the largest scallops that I've ever laid eyes on.  They were literally the size of a roll of scotch tape.  Beyond that, they were prepared perfectly being rare in the middle and buttery soft.  The sweetness was quite apparent and even though the scallops were beautifully seasoned, we could taste the natural flavors.  Loved the texture from the crispy kataifi on top.  Aromatic and mild, the curry helped compliment the scallops without overwhelming them.

The hits kept on coming with the Lobster Potato Gnocchi with shaved black truffles.  Normally, we find only claw meat used in such a dish, but not here.  There was a bevy of tail portions found throughout the dish.  Furthermore, the pieces were beautifully cooked being moist and bouncy.  Again, the natural sweetness came through and accented by the woodsiness of the truffle.  The gnocchi came in fairly large pieces which were pillowy soft yet retaining a minor bite.

All of these dishes were excellent and the Alaskan Black Cod was no exception.  I mean, look at the dish, it was so appetizing by its appearance!  Well, eating it was even better with its buttery texture and caramelized glaze.  This was served with sweet potato & ginger puree, baby bok choy, garbanzo beans and yuzu beurre blanc.  Personally, I would've liked to see a different vegetable other than the bak choy, maybe pea tips perhaps because it would be less clunky in appearance.  Other than that, the ginger and yuzu kept things bright.

For dessert, we shared the Dark Chocolate Cake with edible gold on top.  Sure, this was probably the least IGable item of the meal, but in reality, it was really good!  The cake was super moist and semi-sweet.  It was still rich, but definitely a great way to end off a memorable meal.  Wow.  Really, this was such a treat!  Honestly, if we weren't hosted at Aqua, we would've never even had it on our radar.  I really hope that with more fanfare, this place gets its due.  The food is just plain excellent while made with quality components.  Put this on your list for Vegas if you want eat well!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:
- Oh that caviar!
- High quality eats
- Exceptional execution

The Bad:
- A bit farther off the main portion of the strip, worth the trip though

Buddy V's Ristorante

Doing the trifecta of Buddy Valastro's restaurants, we hit up Buddy V's in the Venetian for their buffet Sunday Brunch.  We all know that buffets are still the thing in Vegas despite a bunch of them closing up shop in recent years.  Unlike the main hotel buffets, the one found at Buddy V's is in a proper sit-down restaurant and features an American Italian menu.  The selection is more focused and hence, in theory, the food should be composed and delicious.  I guess we were about to find out as we went in with hungry appetites.

As mentioned, Buddy V's is an actual full-service restaurant, so the buffet is only available during Sunday brunch.  We found several stations throughout the restaurant including a selection of Antipasto.  There was a delicious Tomato Soup with croutons and cheese.  It was smooth, tangy and sweet.  Also found nearby was a large platter of Smoked Salmon, Meats, Cheeses, Salads, Crudites and Cocktail Shrimp.  Loved the selection of meats and cheeses as they were a cut above the standard stuff.

Onto some hot food including typical Breakfast items including Scrambled Eggs, Roasted Potato Hash and Applewood Bacon.  Beyond that, we found Italian Sausage, Frittata, Sausage & Broccolini Orecchiette and Roasted Mushroom & Truffle Pizza (the last 2 are in the picture 2 below).   I really enjoyed the frittata as it was fluffy, cheesy and well-seasoned with a slightly crispy top.  The orecchiette was excellent being al dente and full of impact from the meaty sausage.  Pizza was on point too with a thin crispy crust while exhibiting the umaminess of mushroom and truffle.

The next section of hot food included Hot Food with Chicken Parmesan, Mac 'n Cheese Carbonara, Meatballs and Hoboken Wings.  Once again, the eats were solid as the chicken parm featured a breaded tender and moist chicken breast with a tangy tomato sauce and plenty of cheese on top.  The mac 'n cheese was definitely cheesy and moist while the tubes of penne were still fairly firm.   Of course Buddy's bacon didn't hurt the dish either.  Meatballs were also solid being meaty yet still airy and not dense.  Tomato sauce was tangy with a balancing amount of sweetness.  Just like the Hoboken wings at Jersey Eats, these were tangy and a bit spicy.

There was also a Carving Station featuring Roasted Maple-glazed Ham and Grilled Peppercorn-crusted steak with all the condiments including chimichurri, horseradish crema and whole grain mustard.  Ham was good being tender with a good amount of sweetness from the glaze to counteract the saltiness.  As for the steak, it was cooked to medium to medium-rare.  I could pick which piece I wanted based on my preference.  The steak was super tender and well-seasoned.

In addition to the buffet stations, there was also made-to-order Omelettes.  We had 4 choices including the Jersey Boy, The Lisa, My Cuz Vinny and Fredo's Kiss.  First off, the eggs were still fluffy and a bit runny on the inside despite the sear on the outside.  My favorite of the bunch was the Jersey Boy due to being meat focused with ham, sausage, peperonata, cheddar and mozzarella.  A close sedon was Fredo's Kiss with ham, mozzarella, parm and truffle Alfredo.  This was aromatic and creamy.

Also, we had fresh off the griddle Ciabatta French Toast and Lemon-Blueberry Pancakes.  Being made-to-order, these were at their optimal state and I enjoyed these greatly.  Properly soaked with egg, the French toast was moist and fluffy while sporting a well-seared exterior.  As for the pancakes, they were surprisingly crispy on the outside while fluffy on the inside.  These, including the omelettes, were limited to one order a per person.

The selection of Desserts was quite substantial.  For one, the Croissants and Pain au Chocolate were good having a crispy exterior that shattered.  They had a St. Patrick's Day-themed Donut that was pretty sweet.  I scooped up a portion of fruit salad to stay somewhat healthy.  Onto the real desserts, the Cannolis were familiar (since we had the one from PizzaCake), but these had chocolate chips and pistachio on each end.  Loved the Lemon Tart as it featured a crispy shell with tangy lemon curd inside.  The Tiramisu was semi-sweet with hits of chocolate and espresso.  The small piece of Banana Bread (or cake) was moist and aromatic.

The last batch of sweets consisted of Donut Holes, Cookies, Chocolate-Covered Strawberries, Cheesecake and a selection of packaged candy.   Of course these were sweet, but I did enjoy the creamy cheesecake that was not too heavy.  I really liked the packaged candy as we took some to go.  Overall, the Sunday brunch at Buddy V's was solid with composed dishes, even though they were served as a buffet.  It really helped that the omelettes and pancakes/French toast were made to order as they were delicious and served in their optimal state.  Buffet wasn't cheap per se, but the quality was there and since it was an actual restaurant, the food selection was good while the crowds were minimal.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:

- Well-prepared food

- Focused theme of American-Italian

- Made-to-order items

The Bad:

- Maybe lacking in seafood options for the price

PizzaCake by Buddy Valastro

We moved from one Buddy Valastro joint to another in the nearby Harrah's.  Located within the casino, PizzaCake offers up, you guessed it, pizza and cake.  In addition to whole, really large NYC-style pizzas, you can get them by the slice as well.  That goes for the cake offerings too.  Naturally, we tried all the available slices of both pizzas and cake.  Much like Jersey Eats, PizzaCake is open late until 4:00am on weekdays and 5:00am on weekends.  Therefore, it is a great place to grab a bite after some clubbing or gambling.

Before we get to the pizza (and cakes), we had the Garlic Bites first and I really enjoyed them.  They were essentially pizza bread triangles tossed in herbed garlic butter and parm.  A few of us thought they were a bit salty, but for me, they were super garlicky and the saltiness of the parm was quickly doused by the side of tangy marinara.  The pizza bread itself was soft and airy while crispy on the outside.

As for the pizza, we tried every available slice and I had my definite favorites.  I thought the Boss Slice was the best with cup & crisp pepperoni, sliced sausage, meatballs and bacon crumble.  Yes, this was a meat heavy pizza, but that is what I like!  The crust was classic NYC thin and crispy.  Toppings were considerable and hence, the flavor was intense.  I also enjoyed the Chicken & Bacon Alfredo Slice (love Buddy's bacon!) where it was creamy and meaty with the aforementioned bacon.

Onto some sweets, we tried the Cannoli and it featured a thin and crisp shell while the ricotta filling was creamy and fairly light.  It was sweet, but not overly so.  The show stopper of the bunch was the Rainbow Cake with 6 layers of colored sponge cake.  The cake itself was airy and light while not overly sweet.  However, the icing was definitely sweet.  I believe you need a sweet tooth to properly enjoy this!

They also have a Peanut Butter Cookie Cake as well as a S'mores Cookie Cake.  They at very much like how they appeared being sweet and candy-like.  I much preferred the peanut butter one since I personally love the flavor.  Moreover, it had a bit more variation in taste other than being just sweet like the S'mores.  Both featured a cookie base that was somewhat soft with a crunchy edge.  So there you have it, a spot that serves both pizza and cake...  until 4:00am!  Well, we were here much earlier than that and the pizza was great with a thin crispy crust.  Cakes were good too, but you need a sweet tooth!

*All food was complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Lots of pizza slices

- That crust was excellent!

- Open real late

The Bad:

- Cakes and desserts were pretty sweet, but no issue if you have a sweet tooth!

Buddy's Jersey Eats

So I've been to Vegas quite a few times, but each time, it has either been with my guy friends or with my family.  I'm sure you know what a guys trip to Vegas would look like and what a family trip to Vegas would entail.  Both are great, but they limit what I truly want to experience in Vegas.  So imagine my excitement when we planned a foodies trip down to Sin City!  Yep, Roanna, Jacqueline, Eileen and I traveled down for some fun and most importantly, to eat!  Finally, 4 people with the same goal and none of that other stupid stuff that costs me too much money... 

Our first top was Buddy's Jersey Eats located in The Linq along the Promenade.  It is a quick counter-service joint specializing in hot dogs (Jersey Rippers), chicken sandweeeches, waffle fries and wings.  They are open late (like to 4:00am) and is a great spot for a casual bite that is not a chain restaurant.  We sampled almost the entire menu with the Wings coming up first.  We had the Buffalo and the Dry Rub.  Loved that these wings were quite large and were still juicy inside.  The skin was well-rendered and crispy.  I actually preferred the lemon dry rub as it was flavourful and tangy while the skin was crisp.  Buffalo was good too, especially dipped into the blue cheese dressing.

We can't forget about the Hoboken Chicken Wings either and heck, the Hoboken Chicken Sandweeech.  These were totally different than the Buffalo and Alfredo.  This was all about the spice and tang which added a considerable impact to the chicken.  For the wings, it was a bit less apparent since they were tossed and topped with the peppers.  For the burger, it was right in there, so you got a burst of everything with each bite.  Of note, I would've liked to see the bun toasted (or toasted more) as it was a bit stiff.

Onto the other sammies, it continued a familiar theme with the Buffalo Chicken Sandweeech as well as the Alfredo Chicken Sandweeech.  Consisting of the same crispy chicken patty (with moist chicken meat), the buffalo was similar to the wings with a tangy spice cooled down with the blue cheese dressing.  The Alfredo was predictably creamy and cheesy with the same delicious chunks of meaty bacon.

Onto the Waffle Fries, we had the Disco and the Alfredo.  The fries themselves were crunchy but with some potatoey goodness left inside.  With the gravy on top of the disco fries, the waffle fries ate a bit softer, but were still crispy.   Lots of salty goodness here along with plenty of cheesiness.  A bit like a poutine.  I liked the Alfredo more due to the considerable amount of that same meaty bacon.  They were in large cubes that had much more meat than fat.  Hence, they were a nice little snack that I could pick off and go with my beverage.

With some of the same toppings, we had the Jersey Rippers (aka Hot Dogs).  Naturally, I gravitated to the Alfredo due to that awesome bacon.  I think that the bacon not only added the usual smoky saltiness to the dog, but the textural aspect was even more impactful.  It gave the hot dog more body and made it more fulfilling.  Not to mention the cheesy creaminess made this a rich concoction  Now the Hoboken ripper was even more flavourful due to the spicy tanginess.

We ended off strong with the Italian Donuts and they were served hot out-of-the-fryer being crispy with a warm soft interior.  It was dusted in powdered sugar and drizzled with nutella.  Pretty delicious way to end the meal.  Overall, the food at Jersey Eats is not complicated.  They have a few options with similar toppings/flavors.  However, the food is prepared properly and I found it impactful and yummy.  Prices are reasonable for the strip and it is a great place to grab a quick bite whether it be for lunch or late into the night (or early morning).

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Has a focused menu and does it right

- Food is flavorful

- Reasonable pricing

The Bad:

- Limited seating

- A few repetitive flavors

 

H2 Kitchen + Bar

I have fond memories of the Westin Bayshore as it was "the" hotel back in the 70's.  It was originally The Bayshore Inn before Westin bought it in 1981.  Everyone knew about Trader Vic's, the Polynesian-themed restaurant located within.  Fast forward to the recent past and the present, Westin is now owned by Marriott and their current flagship restaurant, H2 Kitchen & Bar has gone through a few iterations.  They have been featuring a Southern-style menu for quite some time and also a Sunday Supper Series, which features a 3-course meal for $40.00.  I've been here on many occasions including their wonderful Mother's Day brunch.  But this time, I came back with the fam to try out their current Sunday Supper feature in addition to their Smokehouse favourites.

Before we got to the mains, we decided to start off with a few appies including the Baked Spinach Dip featuring a 4-cheese blend, pimento, pico de gallo and caramelized onion with corn tortillas.  This was pretty typical with a creamy mix of cheese and spinach with tomatoes and onion.  I felt that they was pretty flavourful and full of textures.  Although they were pretty generous with the melted cheese on the top, it was probably a bit too much as it made the dip heavier.  However, what do I know?  A lot of melted cheese and chips?  I'm sure many people would love that!

One of the best items we had was the Bison Tartare served atop smoked bone marrow topped with pickled mustard seed and aioli.  This was accompanied by house made waffle chips.   As for the tartare itself, it was buttery soft (despite being lean) and well-dressed.  The whole mix of ingredients was creamy and slightly tangy.  Combined with the fatty bone marrow, the little bite atop each chip was sinfully delicious and silky.  Loved the crispy chips as they were the perfect textural contrast for the tartare.  I only wished that the chips were slightly larger in size as I wanted more of the tartare on top of each piece!  Lastly, the whole thing was brought to the table underneath a glass cloche with an intoxicating amount of smoke.  Nice presentation and added even more smokiness to the tartare.

Our last starter was the Chicken & Corn Chowder, that was included in the Sunday Supper Series 3-course meal.  This was an enormous portion that ate much more like a chicken pot pie than a chowder, especially with the piece of puff pastry on top.  The viscosity was of the chowder was on point as it coated the spoon without being clumpy.  There was an abundance of natural chicken flavour in the thickened broth as well as being properly seasoned.  There was no absence of tender chicken and soft potatoes (that were still in one piece).

Onto the mains, the featured dish for the Sunday Supper Series was the Smoked Picanha with roasted carrots and broccolini, red skin mashed potatoes, burnt onion jus and chimichurri.  This was one big plate of food where the picanha was medium-rare and sliced thin.  As such, the meat ate fairly tender despite having an inherent chew.  Thick and silky, the onion jus was full of depth and intense smoky sweetness with a bite.  Those roasted veggies were perfect where they retained a fresh crunchiness.  The chimichurri was bright and garlicky, which lightened up the richness of the dish.

Just because he loves burgers, my son ordered the Whiskey BBQ Beef Burger with cheddar, bacon and all the produce on brioche.  This was a well-constructed burger where the Prairie Ranchers beef patty was thick and fairly moist while sporting a nice char outside.  The bacon was supremely crispy and the thick slice of melted cheddar coated the whole patty.  Naturally, the whiskey BBQ sauce took centre stage offering up a smoky sweet tang with the unmistakable bite of whiskey.  Good balance on that.   He subbed the waffle fries with yam fries, which were uniformly crispy served with a spicy chipotle mayo.

For Viv and I, we had to try their Date Night Meat Sweats that included 1/2 lb of CAB Smoked Brisket, 1/2 lb of Smoked Pulled Pork, half a rack of St. Louis Ribs, Cornbread, House Pickles, 2 Sides (Mac & Cheese, Ancho Creamed Corn) and choice of Sauce (OG H2 BBQ Sauce) for $68.00.  Considering the amount of food, we felt this was a very well-priced platter.  Moreover, the components were good too.  The brisket was fatty and buttery soft while the pulled pork was tender.  There was a balanced smokiness to the meats as well.  As for the ribs, they were large and meaty while tender enough.  I liked how the meat still had a chew and wasn't completely melting.  Yes, these were legit smoked ribs (not par-cooked and then BBQ'd).  Loved the BBQ sauce as it was tangy, smoky and sweet.  Oh that cornbread was fantastic as it was moist with a firm texture.  The spiced butter only helped elevate it.  For our sides, we chose the Mac & Cheese and it was excellent being cheesy and creamy with al dente noodles.  The Ancho Creamed Corn was also creamy with a bite.

The Sunday Supper Series also included Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert.  We enjoyed this as the cake itself was soft, fluffy and smoky.  It wasn't overly sweet, but the actual caramel sauce underneath was plenty sweet.  However, we liked how we could regulate how sweet we wanted it by either soaking it in the sauce or not.  It was topped with creamy vanilla ice cream and a crunchy brandy snap.  We also added another dessert in the Apple & Caramel Cheesecake.  This ate more like a crumble with a cheesecake crust.  In that respect, I really enjoyed it as the apples were sweet and tart while the cheesecake was classic New York-style being firm and rich.  Overall, the food was just as good as the previous visits we've had at H2.  The best part is their reasonable pricing given that they are a Downtown hotel restaurant.  You can really eat here and not break the bank.  Something that cannot be said about eating out these days.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Generally well-prepared eats
- Menu is focused
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Maybe less choice for the people who don't like BBQ

L'Epicurieux

Although our itinerary said that we were visiting Nice for a few days, we were actually staying a bit aways in Sophia Antipolis.  We had a car anyways, so there was no need to stay in any city centre.  We were actually closer to Cannes than to Nice, so our first day in the area, we made our way to Cannes for some lunch.  Naturally, parking was hard to find and even their free parking lot was totally full.  We did some driving around looking for parking to no avail, so we ended up in a pay lot.  By then it was 2:00pm and we just made it before our restaurant of choice, L'Epicurieux, closed for their afternoon break.

We ended up sharing 2 appies including the Escargots which were tender with a nice rebound texture.  But we all know the best part is the garlic butter and this one was delicious.  It was buttery (of course), garlicky and bright while being perfectly seasoned.  This was excellent with the snails, but really, it was great for soaking up with the bread.  We got more bread to not waste any of the liquid gold.

We also had the Terrine Maison that was meaty with plenty of aromatics.  This featured tender nuggets of meat mixed with just enough processed meat and fat to create a texture that was both appealing to be eaten by itself or with bread.  We enjoyed how this was obviously fatty without it tasting nor feeling like it was fatty.  Rather, the fat was a great binding agent and provider of aromatics.

For our mains, we shared them all including the Beef Tartare that was served with frites.  This was the the most flavourful dish of the meal with plenty of tang and acidity.  It also benefitted from enough olive oil to give it some moist texture and separation (rather than being clumpy).  The ample red onions gave the dish some bite and brightness.  The accompanying frites were crispy and aromatic due to being cooked in beef fat.

We also had the Grilled Pork Spider with chorizo, baby potatoes and meslun greens.  Although this cut of pork generally has striations of fat, this was cooked pretty aggressively.  There was a hard sear on the outside that was well-seasoned, yet it made the pork pretty firm.  Understandable because you can't undercook pork.  It was still tender though with a chewier exterior.

My favourite dish was the Roast Seabass Filet with Marseillais Panisse and Pesto.  The fish itself was cooked beautifully where it was tender and flaky.  The skin and the fish itself was seasoned enough while the skin was seared until crispy.  Not just sitting there as a side, the panisse was quite delicious.  They were not overly dense while the exterior was crispy.  They were also well-seasoned.

Somewhat of a surprise, the Fiocchietti with gorgonzola cream was only mildly sharp with plenty of mild flavour.  The sauce was creamy, but not too creamy while perfectly seasoned.  The pasta itself was thin and delicate while still a dente.  The ricotta filling was moist and mildly-seasoned.  So in the end, this was a delicious lunch that was reasonably-priced.  People are super nice there too!

The Good:

- Well-executed dishes

- Super-nice people

- You have the option of A/C inside

The Bad:

-Seating is a bit tight