The Divine Dish

Mobil Travel Guide Gives Highest Ranking to MGM Skylofts and Joel Rubuchon at MGM Grand

Posted on Jan 26, 2009 under Archives, Food and Travel News, Las Vegas | No Comment

Mobil Travel Guide announced its highest accolade, Mobil Five-Stars, to first-time recipient SKYLOFTS at MGM  Grand and three-time winner Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand.

With only 44 Mobil Five-Star hotel winners for 2009, this rating distinguishes SKYLOFTS at MGM Grand as one of the top hotels in the United States and Canada.  Unveiled as a rare and private sanctuary of sleek, elegant two-story accommodations high above the Las Vegas Strip, the sophisticated SKYLOFTS offer discerning visitors the quintessential Loft environment harmonizing design, technology, decor, vistas and service.

Culinary history was made in Las Vegas in September 2005 when legendary Chef Joël Robuchon opened his first fine dining restaurant in the United States at MGM Grand.  Since opening, his eponymous restaurant has received the Mobil Five-Star, Michelin Three Star and AAA Five Diamond Awards – the top accolades for each of these organizations.  Joël  Robuchon is one of only 20 Mobil Five-Star restaurants.

New Menu at Citron Palm Springs Adds Zest to Desert Diningaol

Posted on Jan 22, 2009 under Archives, Food and Travel News | No Comment

The Viceroy Palm Springs is the perfect location for a weekend tryst.  Grecian urns, classical statues, marble covered surfaces and floors and a crisp white, black and vibrant yellow color scheme run throughout this 68-room boutique hotel.  The best rooms for getaways are the white-washed villas featuring brick fireplaces, abstract paintings, black and white gingham sofas,  bold geometric wallpaper and large extra-comfortable beds with Italian linens, situated around the stunning lawns and poolside cabanas.

The signature restaurant, Citron, is vibrant yellow and white with French windows opening to the main courtyard patio and pool.  I recently had the pleasure of staying at the Viceroy and dining (with my friend Paul) on a tasting menu from new Executive Chef James Bailey.  Here is the delicious menu that Chef Bailey prepared for us:

I started off with a Bellini and Paul chose the restaurant’s signature drink, Le Citron Blue, made with Hypnotic “Tiffany blue” liqeuor and Ketel One Citron, shaken and served in a sugar rimmed glass.  Both were tasty.

Chef Bailey then brought us a nice amuse buse of a single oyster with leeks and topped wit caviar.

Next we sampled a delicious roasted baby beet salad with arugula, pine nuts and a nice sherry vinegar.

Then came a small cup full of potato leek soup with truffle shavings on top.  We really loved this soup.

Next we sampled a seared scallop with squash puree and a brussel sprout salad.  Paul and I both aren’t fond of brussel sprouts, but we loved this dish.

This beautiful dish was almost too pretty to eat.  We marveled at the chef’s chopping skills, with each layer having uniform shaped pieces of each component.  The stack includes yellowtail tuna, red onion, hearts of palm and avocado.  It comes with some fresh potato chips.  This was also very good.

Next came this tasty seared bass with asparagus and hen of the wood mushrooms and bacon. yum.

Then we sampled this perfectly cooked New York strip steak, which came with blue cheese, Swiss chard and some tasty french fries.

Our favorite of the night was the veal cheek, which was similar to a short rib but more tender.  It came with a wonderful potato risotto, watercress salad and a truffle veal reduction.  At this point we were getting pretty full, but we ate every last bite of the plate.

Out came dessert, a homemade vanilla ice cream with berries.  Chef Bailey came out and poured balsamic vinegar over the dish as a sauce.

The waiter brought out Citron’s signature dessert, the Kit Kat, which features lots of chocolate and strawberries.  It was also delicious.  We thought we were finished, but one more surprise came out:

Out came this grand plate of beignets and a lovely strawberry soup.  I ate most of the soup and Paul tried to finish the beignets, but at this point we were stuffed.   The entire meal was the best I have eaten in the desert and the service was excellent.  I highly recommend visiting Citron and experiencing Chef Bailey’s delicious food and the new menu.

Viceroy Palm Springs (415 S. Belardo Road, 760.320.4117, www.viceroypalmsprings.com, rooms range from $289 – $569)

Interview with James Bailey, Executive Chef at Citron

Posted on Jan 22, 2009 under Archives, Chefs, Interviews | No Comment

Executive Chef James Bailey was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia.  He received a Pro Chef degree at the esteemed Culinary Institute of America and quickly ascended to Executive Chef status for a number of prestigious venues, most recently at the Sheraton Delfina – a Kor Hotel Group property – where he developed a profound appreciation for the diverse food culture of the west coast.  Prior to his work at the Delfina, he was Executive Chef for the Richmond Country Club in Richmond Virginia.   He is currently the Executive Chef at Citron at the Viceroy in Palm Springs.   I sat down with Chef Bailey to discuss his cooking philosphy and  the new menu at Citron. 

Cafe Amuse Provides A Bit of France in Palm Springs

Posted on Jan 15, 2009 under Archives, Food and Travel News | No Comment

The smell of fresh baked scones hits you before you enter the patio at Cafe Amuse.  This casual restaurant serves simple dishes with a French flair.  The decor and music also lend a Parisian ambiance, with indoor and outdoor seating.  I visited the restaurant last weekend while doing a story on the Palm Springs Film Festival.

Here are some pics:

I ordered the Pan Roasted Alaskan Halibut, with came with a saffron risotto, sauteed spinach, asparagus and a champagne beurre blanc.  Very tasty.

My dad had the Amuse Veggie Napoleon which featured portobella mushrooms, pequillo pepper, eggplant, herbs de provance, mozzarella and a port onion reduction.  Also yummy.

We ended with the carrot cake – Chef Wilker’s mom makes this fresh daily.  It is really good and it doesn’t last long, so if you visit Cafe Amuse make sure to request it early.  I didn’t include any family pics here because unfortunately we were all still under the weather with nasty colds.

The food was so good that I met my friends Chris and Paul (owners of Palm Spring’s The Green Guys) for breakfast the next day.  Here are some pics:

Chef Wilker gave us this lovely plate of house cured salmon with huge caperberries, tarragon cream cheese and regular size capers.  So good I had to also include a close up of the caperberries:

Chris ordered the French Scramble, three eggs with Borsin Cheese served with breakfast potatoes.

Paul ordered the poached eggs on toast which came with some nice heirloom tomatoes.

I ordered the Sunny Side Up-Town, a corn pancake with munster cheese, black forest ham, vermont maple syrup and two sunny side up eggs on top.  Delicious!

Yes, we ate all of that food and also had the beignets (we didn’t order these, Chef Wilken brought them over so we had to finish them off – they were yummy).  The beignets came with a cardamom creme anglaise and granny smith apples

Cafe Amuse is located at 241 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way and is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Friday from 11 am to 9 pm, Open Saturday for brunch, lunch and dinner, 9 am to 9 pm, and Sunday open for brunch and lunch, 9 am to 3 pm.  Reservations are recommended at 760/322-8880.