Foodie Finders NYC on the road to Las Vegas: Day 2

Welcome back foodies! Today I am going to share with you my second day in Las Vegas. Again I had an awesome foodie day and I am so glad to tell you all about it. For lunch the Foodie Finders NYC Crew and I stopped off at Pink's Hot Dogs. They were spectacular. We knew we were going to have an amazing and very big meal at Fleur so we just had one to share between a few of us. I wouldn't completely call Pink's a restaurant so I have decided to add a new page to the blog, Specialty Food Reviews. Places like chocolatier's, bakery's, and other specialty food destinations will be reviewed on this page. I hope you enjoy and here is my review on Pink's Hot Dogs.

Pink's Hot Dogs           3667 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV, 89109 (Planet Hollywood)

The most amazing hot dog you will ever have. At Pink's Hot Dogs even if you forget about all the great toppings, the hot dog itself is just so delicious. It makes my mouth water just to think about it. I ordered a chili and cheese dog. It was really delicious and the chili was very good. It was a little messy but I love that about a chili dog when you pick it up and the chili just comes out the sides and peeks over the top. Pink's Hot Dogs is must go to if you are in Las Vegas.   

• Location is very convenient since it is right on the strip and you don't have to walk a mile through a gigantic hotel
• Amazing hot dogs
• Recommend:

1. Chili Cheese Dog

After Pink's we headed over to the Cosmopolitan to look at the hotel and check out some of the restaurants. One of the restaurants in the Cosmopolitan is Scarpetta which is owned by Scott Conant. Scott is one of the judges on Food Network's Chopped. Anyway I walked into the restaurant just to look at it and to see the menu. I decided that I might as well ask if chef Conant was in town. To my surprise, he was. I was so excited. He came out and we spoke. Scott was very nice and was really interesting. I really wish I could have went to Scarpetta but the Foodie Finders NYC Crew and I already had reservations every night we were in Las Vegas. On the bright side there is a Scarpetta in New York City and I will definitely be there soon.
So after meeting Scott Conant we headed over to Jean-Phillipe Patisserie. There is a Jean-Phillipe Patisserie in the Bellagio and the Aria.We went to the one in the Aria which is the bigger one. It was so good and here is my review (Remember this goes on the Specialty Food Review page).

Jean-Phillipe Patisserie                 3730 Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89158 (Aria)

Jean-Phillipe Patisserie is one spectacular place. They have everything from fresh made bread and crepes to beautiful little chocolates. I ordered the exotic crepe with vanilla cream and pineapple on top. The whole thing was incredible and it came with a choice of gelato or sorbet. I really thought the crepe itself was delicious. I also got a few chocolates. My favorite was the Gringo chocolate which was blue mountain coffee infused caramel ganache and a dark chocolate coating. Jean-Phillipe Patisserie is a must visit even it is just for a piece of chocolate.

• Great chocolate
• Amazing crepes especially the exotic crepe
• Gelato is delicious

After Jean-Phillipe Patisserie it was time for our dinner reservations at Hubert Keller's Fleur (Used to be called Fleur de Lys but on December 16 it changed to Fleur and the menu is now all small plates). It was so incredible. Here is my review.

Fleur                3930 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV, 89119 (Mandalay Bay)

WOW! Fleur is one spectacular restaurant. The food was just amazing. There is so much thought and time, which boldly shows, put in every single dish. The menu is small plates so we got a lot of dishes. I am going to list my very favorite which is a hard thing to do. So my favorite dishes were the Truffle Onion Soup, Sliders, Avocado and Crab Sphere in a Watermelon Gazpacho, Skirt Steak - Chimichurri, Lobster Mac & Cheese, Hummus and Babaganoush, and the Maple Glazed Pork Ribs smoked to order. The Maple Glazed Pork Ribs were presented beautifully. It comes to the table in a glass dome filled with smoke. Then the server lifts the dome and the smoke comes up and there is your ribs smoked right in front of you. When you eat it, it has a slight smoky taste and it is delicious. Probably out of all of these the best was the Truffle Onion Soup which came in really cool soup shooters. It was warm and sent a wonderful sensation through your body, finished with the earthy truffle oil and you just sit back in your chair and let out a sigh of relief. For dessert the Cheesecake Lollipops were very good but the Creme Brulee trio and the Panna Cotta was even better. I absolutely loved Fleur and it is at the top of my list to return to.

• Good Service
• Atmosphere was very nice and the whole place was just beautiful
• Recommend:

1. Truffle Onion Soup
2. Sliders
3. Avocado and Crab Sphere in a Watermelon Gazpacho
4. Skirt Steak - Chimichurri
5. Lobster Mac & Cheese
6. Hummus and Babaganoush
7. Maple Glazed Pork Ribs smoked to order

• Wouldn't Order Again:

1. NOTHING

So that concludes my second day in Vegas. There was a lot of good food and I met Scott Conant. Check back soon for more on my foodie field trip to Las Vegas because trust me, there was a lot more great food and amazing chefs that I was fortunate enough to meet. Bon Apetit!


-Mike