Solid Pub Fare: Public House

Sometimes all you want is bar food, and, when that bar food is has some British flair, you have...pub fare!  Public House at The Venetian fulfills all your hangover needs deliciously and with style.

Want to drink some more?  More beer and wine than you can shake a stick at!

Poutine -- French fries, braised oxtail, cheese curd, gravy, fried egg ($12.50).

Best thing we had during the meal.  Golden, fried, meaty, cheesy, eggy heaven.

Pork belly, baguette, apple-fennel slaw, cider aioli, fries ($14).

This reminded me a little of po' boys at Parkway Bakery (even though it was a different meat), and you know that we loved those po' boys.  Loved.  Really awesome sandwich.

Buttermilk fried quail, waffle, bacon-braised Swiss chard, "moose drool" maple glaze ($26).

The quail was delectable.  The Swiss chard was fantastic.  The waffles sucked.  Unfortunate.

Quality meal for a decent price.  Solid and good for groups!  Woohoo!

Bonus pic.

The flowers between The Venetian and The Palazzo are always gorgeous.

And that was our March Madness weekend (of eating).

Brunch and Baked Goods at Bouchon

We had brunch at Bouchon at the Venetian during both our December and April trips to Las Vegas. This post memorializes both visits.

Note the Christmas tree in the background. Yes, it was December.

You will never forget where you are dining.

Every plate reminds you.

Beignets du jour -- house-made spiced doughnuts with Bouchon Bakery jam and Nutella spread ($7).

Enjoyable but nothing at all like the hot deep-fried wonders at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. As promised by the menu, these were "just" French spiced doughnuts. If that's what you expect, you'll be pleased enough. I used the Nutella liberally.

Omelette du jour -- spicy chorizo, spinach, cheese ($17).


Simple but lovely. No need for our usual Tabasco for this egg dish.

Steak and eggs Benedict ($26.95).

Morning decadence on an English muffin. Big fat meaty eggy yum.

Side of potatoes accompanying the Benedict.

As the Lucky Charms leprechaun would say, these were magically delicious. Like they're-always-after-me-lucky-potatoes delicious. Like oh-my-God-why-are-these-so-good delicious. Like facking-derishus delicious.

When the Oros said they had breakfast cravings during our April weekend together, we knew exactly where to go. Back to Bouchon!

Raspberry beignets ($7).


Fancy jelly donuts never tasted so good.

Omelette du jour -- Dungeness crab, cherry tomato, spinach, cheddar ($17).

Another hit, although Mrs. Oro did shake some Tabasco on it.

Breakfast Américaine -- two eggs any style served with bacon, country sausage, pommes frites, toasted brioche, choice of a breakfast pastry, fresh juice, and Bouchon blend coffee ($22). (Fries, juice, and coffee not pictured.)

Bouchon's version of a Grand Slam -- way more awesome than Denny's version, as it should be, given the price. We all shared Mr. Oro's strawberry croissant, which was more like a crumble than a croissant. Crumble, croissant, who cares? It was the equivalent of breakfast candy, and that made us all very happy.

Chicken and waffles -- roasted chicken, bacon and chive waffle, Tahitian vanilla bean butter, Sauce Chasseur, maple syrup ($25).

I liked Mr. Monkey's dish the most. The chicken was exquisite -- so juicy, tender, and well-seasoned. Loved it with the Sauce Chasseur, but it didn't even need it. The waffles were the star, though. Slightly salty and paired with Vanilla butter and syrup, they were perfection.

Oeuf du jour -- creamy grits, prosciutto, English peas, piquillo peppers, scrambled eggs, fine herb Hollandaise ($26).

When I see grits, I order grits. These may have been the hoity-toity-est grits I've ever had. And, in case you don't speak French, oeuf du jour means "egg of the day." Good stuff, but the chicken and waffles stole my heart.

Bouchon French toast -- bread pudding-style with warm layers of brioche, custard, apples, and served with maple syrup ($12).

You can get this as your meal, but we opted to share one for dessert. Genius! I think it would be far too sweet for a main course. Split between the four of us, however, it worked wonderfully -- a few sugary bites to cap off a splendid brunch.

After brunch, we headed downstairs to the bakery to pick up some goodies to go.

It's not hard to guess what was bought from this bakery.

French Laundry Lite

Behold the third Vegas installment! Those of you interested in our outlet purchases will have to wait awhile. I'm stretching this out, as I'm a bit short on entertainment this week due to things at work hanging over my head.

I also prefer presenting only one restaurant per post, so it's not just my workload that's delaying my shopaholic readers' gratification. But at least those who like to eat (i.e., all of you) will enjoy this entry.

We capped off Saturday by dining at Bouchon after 9 p.m. Why 9 p.m.? That's when the outlets finally closed and kicked us out.

Salade Maraîchère au Chèvre Chaud ($11). The mixed greens with red wine vinaigrette, warm goat cheese, and herbes de Provence were a great way to start the meal. Simple, fresh, inviting.

Soupes à l'Oignon ($9.75). I adore French onion soup. I think I could eat it every day, at least during fall and winter. Bouchon's version did not disappoint. Underneath that big blanket of bubbly fromage was a huge piece of fresh bread, swelled with savory broth and embraced by onions that melt in your mouth.

Moules au Safron ($28.50). Mr. Monkey really enjoyed his Maine bouchot mussels steamed with white wine, mustard, and saffron and served with pomme frites. The vessel was totally filled with garlic, which made Mr. Monkey very happy.

Epaule de Porc ($34.50). I opted for the braised pork shoulder with glazed root vegetables, celeriac remoulade, and pork jus. Fanfuckingtastic. So good that it requires profanity. So good that I need not say more.

When Mr. Monkey polished off his mussels, a busboy asked him, "Amigo, you want some bread?" Nevermind that Bouchon is a French bistro. Mr. Monkey replied enthusiastically, "¡Sí!" He used these warm crusty rolls to sop up the remaining garlic goodness of his dish.

Ok, I admit to swiping one and buttering it to my delight. The baked goods at Bouchon are excellent and not to be missed.

The dessert special of the night was a pear and ginger bread tart with cranberry sorbet ($9). The word "special" does not do this sweet ending justice.

In fact, this deserves a second photo.

Like all other Bouchon bakery creations, the bread tart was to die for. Soft, crumbly, buttery airiness topped with icy tartness. Nummers to the max.

This was our last decadent meal of the trip. Well, maybe. I'll let you be the judge of whether the next meal qualifies as further indulgence.