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Lip Smacking Foodie Tour:
A Special International Gastronomical Experience
by Pat Lindsey
You don’t have to be a self-proclaimed “foodie” to enjoy a foodie tour–you just have to like to eat. Lip Smacking Foodie Tours in Las Vegas has created four well-planned tours for brunch, lunch, or dinner that offer an array of delectable dishes from some of the world’s finest chefs at some of the best international restaurants in Las Vegas. The price range is $125 to $199. It’s also a nice way to meet new people while dining like the rich and famous.
My husband and I chose the dinner tour because we wanted to have one big evening with a show after dinner. At $199/person, we experienced three hours of gastronomic delights at four outstanding restaurants located in the gorgeous 16,797,000 sq. ft. City Center on the Las Vegas Strip. The weather had turned unusually cold while we were there, so we were thrilled to learn that the restaurants were within walking distance of one another and under one roof, for the most part.
Our tour for ten adults began with appetizers in Bardot Brasserie in the Aria Resort & Casino, where Executive Chef Michael Mina prepared Escargots Bardot, King Crab Caesar, and Roasted French Chicken Dip for us. Mina is a James Beard and two-time Michelin Award Winner, which was evident with every bite. There has never been a time when I would have ordered and paid for snails, but the foodie tour allows diners to be adventurous and discover that unappealing foods can be quite delicious.
The main course was served at Julian Serrano Tapas, home of Julian Serrano, another Michelin Award Winner. Before opening this restaurant at Aria, Serrano was Executive Chef at Picasso at the Bellagio.
He only agreed to open his own restaurant if he could prepare his favorite dishes from his childhood. For us, he prepared four varieties of tapas and and an enormous pan of paella. Bomba rice is the key ingredient that makes his paella so outstanding.
After the main course, we were beginning to feel full, but we still had two courses to go. Fortunately, the offerings at Estiatorio Milos in the Cosmopolitan Resort were primarily vegetable-based, except for the grilled octopus. Milos is known for its beautiful tomatoes, which are not only prominently displayed in the restaurant, but also served in large portions in their Greek Salad. The $29 lunch special at Milos is one of the best kept secrets in Las Vegas, because the fish it contains can cost upwards of $100 in other restaurants.
Our expert tour guide Steve was very wise and considerate to give us a break after the third course by making a stop at RetroSpecs & Co. for an interesting presentation on the history of eyeglasses and the huge safe in which they are stored. From there, it was off to Wolfgang Puck’s Cucina, for dessert.
At Cucina, inside The Shops at Crystals, those of us who were celebrating birthdays or anniversaries were presented with our plates of desserts first.
