Time to get things started

So I wanted to start off with a bang, and to do so I wanted to talk about the amazing dinner I had at Alex.  My birthday was on the 14th so as any good 25 year old will tell you we were obligated to spend the MLK weekend in Las Vegas.  We got in on Friday so we could have a night by ourselves and not have to worry what our friends wanted to do.  That night we had gotten reservation for Alex at the Wynn.  If you haven't heard of Alex don't worry I hadn't either but when Joel Robuchon (three star Michelin and chef of the century) turned out to be a little two pricey we needed to fine a better alternative.  And did we ever?!  First of all Alex is a two start Michelin and a James Beard Foundation award winner for best American Chef - Southwest.  I was shocked that I had never heard of it.  Anyway, on to the food.  It was fabulous.  Best meal I've ever had.  The End.

Okay really we had the tasting menu, which by the time it ended had close to 11 courses.  It started off with canapés which everyone receives before the menu even comes.  Five little one to two bite diamonds that are to die for, our favorite was the tempura lobster (the one with the stick).  Personally I always enjoy crab over lobster, but if the lobster were always prepared like this I think I would quickly switch.  Now for the tasting menu:

Amuse bouche (little one to two bite course to prepare you for the meal): Prawn carpaccio which is a little 3 inch in diameter round of raw prawn meat, on top of another 3in round of parsnip and sandwiched in between is a little dollop of caviar all drizzled with a little olive oil salt and pepper.
First Course: Butter Poached lobster, black pasta, brussles sprouts, and sea urchin
Second Course: Seared Foie Gras in top of poached persimmons and apple compote
Third Course: Parmesan crusted dover sole, wild mushrooms, baby savoy cabbage with cabbage foam
Four Course: Flank waygu (Kobe) beef, parsnip custard with crispy marrow, arugula salad with shaved Parmesan
Pallet Cleanser: (a dish they serve that makes the transition from savory to sweet a little easier) Coconut panna cota with tropical fruit and dehydrated pineapple chip
Dessert: Vanilla Brioche on top of a brunoise (little tiny perfect cubes).  The brioche was topped with vanilla ice cream which was topped with a sugar decoration
Birthday Dessert:  Vanilla cake that said Happy Birthday
Petit Fours: 5 little one to two bite desserts like a mini apple pie, a pumpkin spiced cheesecake
More: Fresh baked, super warm Madeline’s
Even More: A little box of macaroons to take home.

 Easily the best meal I've ever had, I would recommend it to anyone I know, or don't know for that matter.  Butter poached lobster is the tastiest thing ever.  Let it be known that my husband has a problem with consistency, he doesn't like things that are creamy or smushy or sea urchiny, but the way it was prepared at Alex he ate EVERY bite of that dish.  We tried to rank which dishes we liked the best and couldn't agreed on an order or even a best dish.  Everything tasted amazing, I was really sad because I couldn't bare to eat my last bite of Waygu beef because I had failed to pace myself earlier in the meal.  For more pictures from the evening please click here.