Match in South Norwalk.......This place lights up

Last weekend found us in South Norwalk CT (SONO) dining with our good friends the LeBeau's at Match.  Executive Chef Matt Storch has put together an excellent menu that has had him at his current location for almost 10 years.  We have been there a few times before and enjoyed the meal each time and this visit was no different.

It was a nice night out so they had the large doors open in the front which had some small tables that spilled out onto the side walk for a little alfresco dining.

I wasn't able to take photos that evening so my words will have to do for this review.

The LeBeau's (who own the wonderful Marly's in Wilton) are good eaters like us so we enjoyed perusing the menu.  It was pretty obvious that the menu was strong with the appetizers so we quickly decided to have a completely shared meal.

We started off with some drinks. I don't remember what the others got but I got the Cucumber lemonade Vodka martini.  It was ridiculously smooth.  Served in a chilled glass I looked like the complete idiot drinking it. There is no masculine way to drink out of those glasses.  No matter what is inside the rim, men look like schmuck's drinking out of them.  But after two drinks, who the hell cares what you look like, right?

So our first round of plates came out. Short rib nuggets were served first.  The menu describes them as glazed with pomegranate, orange and 50 cloves of garlic.  Now you put 50 cloves of garlic into anything, it's going to be a strong tasting dish.  It was strong tasting but not from garlic.  The glaze was delicious and the meat was tender.

The second dish was the spicy sausage pizza.  In the back of the dining room is another bar area that houses a large wood burning oven specifically designed for pizzas.  They have Five pizzas to choose from and we made a good choice with the Spicy Sausage.  Jalapeños and chili oil give the pizza the heat.  It would be good as a lunch portion of to share as an appetizer as we did.

The third dish was Tuna Tartar Cracker.   Three large crackers had two generous scoops of raw tuna.  Onions and capers added some excellent flavor to the dish.  Again, the portions were very generous here so sharing was very easy.

The last of our first round was the Scallop Special.  Three large Sea Scallops were seared to perfection and served over a salad of Frissee lettuce that had a lemon vinaigrette.  If this ever comes up again, please get it.  it should be put on the regular menu it was so good.

Next came two salads that we ordered to split up the meal.  Both salads were also very generous so it gave each of us an ample amount of roughage to share.  The first salad was the Arugala salad.  The best part of this was the large pieces of shaved Parmesan cheese.  The second salad was the Steakhouse salad.  huge pieces of bacon and feta cheese covered a nice hunk of crisp and crunchy iceberg lettuce.  The balsamic dressing was drizzled all over the salad and mixed nicely when you dove in to get a big bite of everything.  Again, portions very generous.

Trying to figure where to go from here, we went with two orders of the sliders so that each of us had a little burger.  The menu calls the Banh Mi Sliders which is Vietnamese for a pulled pork sandwich that was topped with Hoisin sauce, spicy mayo and cucumbers.  The buns were soft and the sweet potato chips that accompanied the dish were excellent.  I have a soft spot for sliders.  Something so cute about a little burger.  it's like going to a seafood restaurant and getting that little fork.  I could eat a whole meal with that thing.

The last dish as the Forest Pizza.  Sautéed mushrooms with spinach and garlic topped with Mozzarella and goat cheese. It was a perfect way to end the meal.

Well almost the perfect way.  We got a dessert sampler that was pretty good too.  

Match can be found in South Norwalk CT and can be found here: http://www.matchsono.com/index.html

Rao's in las Vegas.........The Last Supper from this latest Las Vegas trip

I put together a group of friends for our final meal in Las Vegas and we all decided after a few suggestions to go to Rao's.  This was the same group pretty much that went to Mesa Grill so I knew we all would have the opportunity to try many different dishes.

The New York Famed eatery is located in Caesar's Palace on the strip and is decorated from what I'm told, similar to the New York landmark.

We had all heard about the famous Meatballs and the simple order of 6 went out.  These massive meaty spheres came to us bathed in their famous sauce.  Top it off with some fresh grated cheese and you have an appetizer worth oohing and aahing about.  I think at that point was the quietest our table was the entire evening.

After we devoured the meatballs and mopped up all the sauce, we waited patiently for the mains.  Two of us got the Chicken Scarpariello that had tender chunks of Chicken laid next to hot and sweet sausage.

My friend Roger had mentioned to me when we talked about coming here that Uncle Vincent's famous Lemon Chicken is supposed to be really great.  I'm not one for ordering chicken when I go out for a meal just because I make it so much at home.  But this Chicken was so delicious.  It had a refreshing flavor that wasn't sour which is what you might expect from lemon chicken.  Charbroiled chicken sat in a shallow layer of lemony broth that kept the whole dish moist.  If you are a chicken fan, you must try this.

One of the things I really love about a restaurant like this is that if there is something that you want and don't see it, just ask and more times than not, you'll get it.  Such was the case with the Veal Piccata that made it to our table.  Not on the menu, the caper dotted dish was a welcome addition the well rounded selections that we had chosen.

One of my friends who had come here a few days later said that the Osso Buco was over the top.  And I had to agree with him because it was my dish.  Problem is with this dish is that you really need a completely empty stomach to finish this dish without feeling over full when you finish it.  The problem is that it tastes so good that you don't want any of it to go to waste.  leaving any of this dish not eaten is food abuse.  The fork tender veal sits on top of risotto which is bathed in a veal reduction sauce.  Yeah, it's a little rich.

Finally I'm sorry to say that I didn't take a photo of the Veal Parmesan.  This dish is the most popular and after trying it, I can see why.  The door mat size of pounded Veal came to the table hanging over the plate.  This is not an exaggeration.   It was huge.  As was the flavor.  Next time I'm here, that is what I will get.

If you love old school Italian food and happen to be going to Las Vegas, make a reservation and prepare your stomach for a great meal.

For information about Rao's and to see the menu please go here: Rao's Las Vegas

Mesa Grill...........The Southwest Grill Master finds his home in Las Vegas

Bobby Flay as many of you know specializes in southwestern cuisine. His Charismatic dance around the grill makes you want to be his best friend.

Bobby found his Las Vegas home at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and is showing everyone that visits that he knows what he is talking about when you see him on TV.  His menu is all southwestern with a good mix of burgers, steaks, salads and anything grilled.   We went there for lunch and were at a table that expanded from 5 to 7 as we were joined by our friends.

I started out with a drink that turned into two as it was delicious. I'd love to learn how to make the Cactus pear margarita.  It was sweet but not too sweet.  It went down way too easy as I said I had two.

We decided to get some apps to start our meal and with the help of the server at hand, we decided on the Queso Fundido which is basically cheese dip.  But not any cheese dip.  Goat Cheese dip.  For many, goat cheese is not tops on the list.  For me, it is.  I have really learned to love the stuff.  As you can see below, it's served with blue corn chips.

The other Appetizer that we got was a Shrimp Tamale.  I'm also a sucker for Tamales.  When they are done right, there is nothing more comfort food like.  It is hearty and warming and you can sit in front of a fire with two of them and be so satisfied.  Instead, I was surrounded by 6 close friends.   Fire has nothing on that.

The great thing about our group was that we all really enjoy food.  I think everyone got to try everyones dish. forkes were being passed around with things to try.  we were all oooh-ing and aaaah-ing over the meal.  A big surprise in the lunch was the pressed Cuban burger.  Tender burger topped with ham and swiss cheese with a pickle.  It was really delicious.  The Mesa burger was also really good as it was served with Vidalia onions and a horseradish sauce.

I don't know why I can't turn the picture.  turn your head.  It tasted as good as it looked.

There were three of us that got the lamb cobb salad.  Instead of the traditional turkey, we got grilled lamb.  The lamb was so good.  It had no gamey taste that you sometimes get with lamb.  The best is that it sat along side two thick slices of hardwood smoked bacon.  I just can't get enough of that stuff.

If you have ever watched him on TV and said, "I'd love to try what he cooks" you would be happy if you went to his restaurants.  Bobby Flay does a good job of creating a great atmosphere and a fabulous menu.  I looked at his Dinner menu and it looked great too.

Mesa Grill can be found at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.  For more information go to www.mesagrill.com