Notes from the Road - Summer Update
Summer greetings to everyone! I hope you’ve all been able to take some time out, relax and get away while the weather is hot and the season is here. As always, adventures have found a way into my life with travel and daily occurrences here in Las Vegas, which you’ll find below.
Also, recently The Nyman Group has been in the trade journals lately, namely Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN). I was interviewed and quoted in the July 18th edition, for an article titled, “Infused – Adding a mouth-watering mix to your menu,” this piece focused on the relativity of having/adding a variety of beverages to your restaurants’ menu which had fresh ingredients or flavor infusions. Additionally, our President, Robert J. Nyman, had a Letter to Richard Martin, Executive Editor of NRN, published speaking towards an industry-wide adjustment that must occur moving forward overall. This letter appears in the July 28, 2008 issue
Wednesday evening made for a quick trip to the Las Vegas Strip for a night out on the town. We started with Chef Hubert Keller’s Burger Bar (http://www.mandalaybay.com/dining/burgerbar.aspx), a true temple to ground meat with every topping under the sun available, including shaved black truffles, lobster tails and the like. I chose to stay a little less adventurous (this time) selecting a Turkey Burger with Pepperjack and sautéed onions on a wheat bun – outstanding!
Then we continued over to LAX Nightclub (www.laxthenightclub.com) to enjoy a surprise performance by Fat Joe (www.Fat-Joe.com), one of New York’s finest rappers. The club was packed to the gills on LAX’s Industry Night – quite an evening out. Before the evening was over we continued downstairs/next door to the exclusive and reservations only, Noir Bar to imbibe in the talents of the finest mixologists in Las Vegas. I stayed classic, ordering a Pimm’s Cup, while friends enjoyed a variety including a champagne cocktail and a raspberry mint smash.
Later in the week, we strayed off the Strip, heading over to the Hard Rock Hotel (www.hardrockhotel.com) for the Pepper (www.PepperLive.com) and Slightly Stoopid (www.SlightlyStoopid.com) concert at The Joint. While the concert as a whole was outstanding, the energy of Pepper truly shone through that night. These guys have a new album that has just came out, Pink Crustaceans and Good Vibrations, make sure to head out and pick it up. The crowd was extremely into both bands and it made for a great night out. After the show we continued over to one of my favorite spots in Vegas, Dragonfly an Asian Joint (www.DragonflyLV.com), for Asian Tapas. This restaurant continues to get it right with their service and delivery, as well as their varied Asian flavors menu. Such dishes that night were the Triple Tuna Roll (Tuna Tempura, Tuna Tataki & Spicy Tuna) with Asian pesto, Crispy Salmon with Shiitake Mushroom Sushi Rice Risotto and Bok Choy as well as Asian Chicken Nuggets (trust me, they’re damn good!).
Saturday night started mellow with a simple dinner at home. I had discovered at the market earlier in the day some fresh Copper River Chinook Salmon, much to my surprise and excitement. I brought the fish home, rubbed it with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, salt and pepper, then right onto the grill. We cooked the Salmon to a beautiful medium rare, finishing with a little fresh orange and lime juice for added flavor. The fish was outstanding, rich with Omega-3 acids and mellow in flavor profile.
After dinner we continued to the Strip, heading to Las Vegas’ newest Nightlife destination, Christian Audigier The Nightclub (www.AudigierLV.com). This hot spot is decked out black leather booths, walls featuring tattoo skins on display and a gigantic patio which fronts the famous Las Vegas Strip. The club definitely attracts the beautiful people – both guests and staff, who are prominently attired in Christian Audigier dresses and shirts. The evening was an absolute blast, catching up with old friends from Vegas and making new ones, as only one can do in Sin City. If you’d like to head over to CA, let me know next time you’re making it down to Las Vegas; it is definitely worth the trip.
As life continues here in the desert, the temperatures are about 107 today – good reason to stay inside! Stay tuned for upcoming travel I have planned to Los Angeles, San Francisco/Napa, Scottsdale, New York City and Miami. Also, there is a rumor about experiencing harvest up in Paso Robles! Be sure to remember; Keep eating and drinking!