Las Vegas and Lesbians

I left my beloved San Francisco for four days in Sin City – a town that doesn’t have too bad of a food reputation itself. The first few days I was shackled to my chair in the ballroom of the Wynn (not complainin', just sayin....), but stayed an extra night with G and did not let the opportunity for a good dining experience pass me by.

Sarah G, Scottie (one of my top go-to restaurant advisors), Kevin, and I decided on Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grille (by “we” I mean “me” – thanks guys :). The decision-making process was gut-wrenching… on the one hand, I’m not a huge steak fan and also didn’t want to spend $50 on a slab that I know I’d only be able to eat 25% of and logistically would not be able to doggie bag due to nightclub festivities thereafter. On the other hand, Bobby Flay = STEAK. I felt it’d be a slap in the face not to order one. After several under-the-table negotiations, I opted for the tuna steak (ordered “as rare as you can go but still legal”) on the condition I could sample the guys’ steaks. My tuna steak was perfectly grilled (it must have just barely touched the grill) and I got to sample some juicy, flavorful rib-eye. I honestly don’t think I will ever understand why folks cry tears of joy over a steak, but Bobby’s steak was a step toward compassion.

Sunday night called for a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner with my first SF love, Amber. After downing a flight of bubbly at CAV, we marched right on down to the Castro and fit right in with all the other lovebirds at Chow. Chow is related to one of my SF favorites, Park Chow. Just like Park Chow in the Sunset, the Castro location is fun and laid-back and serves decent food. I don’t think I’ll ever rave about these places’ culinary prowess, but I ALWAYS have a good time and would recommend either location to anyone. The servers are nice, the beer is cold, and menu is packed with pleasing comfort food. True love, indeed!