Remember how I was raving about Italian Night each Thursday at "It's Vegas, Baby!" at Blue Chip Casino and Spa in Michigan City, Indiana?
Well, just when we thought it couldn't get any better, it got way better - orders of magnitude better as a matter of fact (assuming you're engineer enough to appreciate that phrase).
First of all, Sunday evening was their regular menu, which we'd accidentally seen once, but never ordered from. It contains a large array of selections, from appetizers, to hand made pizzas, to sandwiches, to home style cooking, to significant seafood and steak offerings. There were also specials. We started with the best jalapeño poppers we've ever had.
I have cat-like curiosity about meatloaf, so I just had to know. It came with mashed potatoes, those curly, fried onion thingies that are a bit like loose Christmas tree garland, and sliced, cooked carrots. Just the right amount of a fine mushroom gravy coated the top of the meat. And I'm sorry, mom, but this was far and away the best meatloaf I've ever had. It was a solid inch and a half thick, and more on the meaty side than the bready side, which is how I prefer my meatloaf.
My partner ordered the seven ounce filet special, which included green beans and garlic mashed potatoes. She said it was to die for and, indeed, my taste buds crossed through this veil of saliva to awaken in a more heavenly place after sampling it.
Courtesy of the casino's generosity in the form of food comps, we were there to sample. To that end, we also ordered the margherita pizza, which wound up being best of class as well. We had just enough funds to order the chocolate silk pie, which was essentially a fireworks climax to our gluttonous foreplay. We should have eaten only half of it (isn't it great when you have to look either over or around your dessert to see the rest of the room?), but (sing the rest of this to Don McLean's "American Pie") Satan was laughing with delight, the day, the waistline, died.
But that wasn't all. The $23 bottle of wine we selected was fantastic *and* we stayed on for the free comedy show (a Sunday night feature, I believe), ordering a couple more bottles of the same along the way. I suppose three bottles of wine for two people sounds excessive but, hey, we're talking about a five hour period on an extremely solid base of memorable food, and a couple comedians whose material would have leveled us even without Bacchus' ecstatic blood coursing through our own veins. As a matter of fact, the final comedian Vince Carone was so spot on regarding what's wrong with America that George Carlin had to have been hovering somewhere in the room, flashing two thumbs up while grinning from ear to ear.
Our server Heather was a real delight. She was warm and attentive, her timing impeccable. If the kitchen was the orchestra, she was the conductor shaping the phrasing, the balance, the overall experience. Bravo, maestro Heather! Bravo!
Make haste to this incredibly versatile eatery. The menu has you covered across a broad spectrum of prices. Did I mention that they even have a "make your own mac and cheese" offering? I mean, need I say any more?
Showing posts with label It's Vegas Baby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label It's Vegas Baby. Show all posts
Monday, July 14, 2014
Thursday, July 10, 2014
It's Redemption, Baby!
Oh, for the love of the difference a couple weeks makes!
We rode into "It's Vegas, Baby!" at Blue Chip Casino and Spa in Michigan City, Indiana a couple winners. Okay, the ride was a little bumpy on the video poker machines before that, despite lucking into a four-of-a-kind. But I had an hour of fun for not too much. And it hardly mattered, because food comps and some luck in the Thursday night "Cash Grab" had us eating and drinking free anyway, which is the way it ought to be in such environs, no?
Not sure what happened to the usual staff, but it was as though they'd cleaned house - only one familiar face. But the new hostess was prompt and courteous. Our waiter Rudy was great the entire meal, checking on our satisfaction frequently, remembering that people might like ground parmesan *and* ground pepper on their soup and salad. He even poured our wine bottle on repeat visits, something we'd never experienced there before. Thanks, Rudy!
The food was better than ever. We dipped bread in fine olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I had the pasta fagioli, easily the best I've ever had anywhere. The house salad had wonderfully fresh greens, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes - fantastic and radiating a sense of eating right under blue cheese dressing and the aforementioned ground garnishments.
Here's the thing. By the time you've had the bread, soup, and salad, you'd have to be Rocky Balboa to honestly have room for more. But, believe me, you make room, because you've only just begun.
My linguini and pomodoro was spectacular. I'd never had it before, actually, and although it's a huge helping, you're looking at it and all you're seeing is the pasta and some diced tomatoes with a nearly invisible sauce. But the moment you put a forkful in your mouth, you realize you were the victim of a wonderful optical illusion, because that transparent sauce packs an shockingly immense amount of flavor. And since you can hardly see it, it feels as though you're going rather low cal while "getting away with something" due to the intensity of flavor running roughshod over your tastebuds. I ate about half of mine, despite knowing the kind of abdominal tightrope I was walking, because there was still dessert to contend with.
And for me, it's always the spumoni. Such a perfect finish, served in a pleasantly lush state between solid and melted.
The bottle of Italian red we enjoyed throughout the meal was just $14.95, a steal for its quality, and in a fine restaurant. The five course (including the bread) meals were a paltry $12.95 a piece. Feeling as though you've taken the house is a good thing, and we're looking forward to feeling that again next Thursday. You should too.
We rode into "It's Vegas, Baby!" at Blue Chip Casino and Spa in Michigan City, Indiana a couple winners. Okay, the ride was a little bumpy on the video poker machines before that, despite lucking into a four-of-a-kind. But I had an hour of fun for not too much. And it hardly mattered, because food comps and some luck in the Thursday night "Cash Grab" had us eating and drinking free anyway, which is the way it ought to be in such environs, no?
Not sure what happened to the usual staff, but it was as though they'd cleaned house - only one familiar face. But the new hostess was prompt and courteous. Our waiter Rudy was great the entire meal, checking on our satisfaction frequently, remembering that people might like ground parmesan *and* ground pepper on their soup and salad. He even poured our wine bottle on repeat visits, something we'd never experienced there before. Thanks, Rudy!
The food was better than ever. We dipped bread in fine olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I had the pasta fagioli, easily the best I've ever had anywhere. The house salad had wonderfully fresh greens, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes - fantastic and radiating a sense of eating right under blue cheese dressing and the aforementioned ground garnishments.
Here's the thing. By the time you've had the bread, soup, and salad, you'd have to be Rocky Balboa to honestly have room for more. But, believe me, you make room, because you've only just begun.
My linguini and pomodoro was spectacular. I'd never had it before, actually, and although it's a huge helping, you're looking at it and all you're seeing is the pasta and some diced tomatoes with a nearly invisible sauce. But the moment you put a forkful in your mouth, you realize you were the victim of a wonderful optical illusion, because that transparent sauce packs an shockingly immense amount of flavor. And since you can hardly see it, it feels as though you're going rather low cal while "getting away with something" due to the intensity of flavor running roughshod over your tastebuds. I ate about half of mine, despite knowing the kind of abdominal tightrope I was walking, because there was still dessert to contend with.
And for me, it's always the spumoni. Such a perfect finish, served in a pleasantly lush state between solid and melted.
The bottle of Italian red we enjoyed throughout the meal was just $14.95, a steal for its quality, and in a fine restaurant. The five course (including the bread) meals were a paltry $12.95 a piece. Feeling as though you've taken the house is a good thing, and we're looking forward to feeling that again next Thursday. You should too.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
It's Vegas Baby, revisited
Well, the difference a week or two makes.
I know it's probably not fair to be comparing William B's to It's Vegas Baby. After all, William B's is essentially as good as it gets. The staff is beyond expectation from top to bottom, the top being Patrick Cullars, the bottom... well, there truly is no bottom. The staff reflects and clearly respects Patrick's vision. There's no discontinuity between portrayal and enactment. Our latest experience was guided by the 17 year veteran Katherine, a consummate professional, whose admission of 17 years of devotion to impeccable service suggested she began her tenure as roughly a 13-year-old, which of course couldn't possibly be. I'm just trying to do the math backwards from her youthful appearance and demeanor.
Anyway, back to It's Vegas Baby.
I'm not sure exactly what happened at the front desk, but despite having made a reservation, others who hadn't made reservations were admitted before us, despite our standing right out front in clear view. Not sure if that sounds like a typical snafu to you, but it felt that way to us. And despite having made that reservation merely 15 minutes in advance, the hostess still needed to ask my name, which is a rather easy name to remember for most people ("Champagne").
After that, we had excellent service from Andrea, who has impressed us before. But it seemed a bit odd to hear that the wine we ordered - a staple on the menu - wasn't available because "it still hasn't been loaded off the truck". Um... really? So we said we'd wait for that unloading to take place. But it wasn't available in the 15 minutes wait time projected, and there was no attempt to coax us into an alternative for the same price, so we bailed on that portion of our order.
As usual, the food was great, and the portions generous. But you know how it is when you feel like the theme from "Twilight Zone" should be playing? That's how the experience played out. Perhaps Rod Serling would have felt at home, but we felt as though we were extras in a B movie.
I know it's probably not fair to be comparing William B's to It's Vegas Baby. After all, William B's is essentially as good as it gets. The staff is beyond expectation from top to bottom, the top being Patrick Cullars, the bottom... well, there truly is no bottom. The staff reflects and clearly respects Patrick's vision. There's no discontinuity between portrayal and enactment. Our latest experience was guided by the 17 year veteran Katherine, a consummate professional, whose admission of 17 years of devotion to impeccable service suggested she began her tenure as roughly a 13-year-old, which of course couldn't possibly be. I'm just trying to do the math backwards from her youthful appearance and demeanor.
Anyway, back to It's Vegas Baby.
I'm not sure exactly what happened at the front desk, but despite having made a reservation, others who hadn't made reservations were admitted before us, despite our standing right out front in clear view. Not sure if that sounds like a typical snafu to you, but it felt that way to us. And despite having made that reservation merely 15 minutes in advance, the hostess still needed to ask my name, which is a rather easy name to remember for most people ("Champagne").
After that, we had excellent service from Andrea, who has impressed us before. But it seemed a bit odd to hear that the wine we ordered - a staple on the menu - wasn't available because "it still hasn't been loaded off the truck". Um... really? So we said we'd wait for that unloading to take place. But it wasn't available in the 15 minutes wait time projected, and there was no attempt to coax us into an alternative for the same price, so we bailed on that portion of our order.
As usual, the food was great, and the portions generous. But you know how it is when you feel like the theme from "Twilight Zone" should be playing? That's how the experience played out. Perhaps Rod Serling would have felt at home, but we felt as though we were extras in a B movie.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Cool Runnings Jamaican Restaurant Comes to Michigan City
The rich ethnic flavor of Michigan City, Indiana continues to grow with the newest addition to the community. This ethnic explosion, just might be the thing that sets us apart from some of our surrounding areas. The heart of the community is becoming quite International. Please read on...
It all began when a sweet voice with a heavy Jamaican accent said, "Ms. LaLuna, my family is opening a restaurant Saturday, and I work there." With a cute shyness she handed me the brochure from the restaurant with as much care as a someone would pass a baby. I asked her more about it and she was beaming with pride over her family's accomplishment. I promised her that I would visit the restaurant on the "birth" of this new endeavor.
As promised, I arrived about 12:30 and walked in to find 2 smiling faces welcoming me into the restaurant. The lovely lady at the counter said, "you are Kayla's teacher? She said to expect you." Never before have I been so happy to have fulfilled what I said I would do. We began conversing about Jamaican cuisine as I have never really indulged in it before. Immediately she shares with the chef, a man filled with pride over his fair and ability to deliver top-notch cuisine that I am Kayla's teacher and that I need to sample "jerk chicken." Together they scrambled to get me a tasty portion of a wing. Immediately as the meat touched my palette the herbs and spices took me to a whole new place. I was no longer in a quaint little shop on 11th and Franklin, but, rather I taken to balmy breezes, rich accents, beautiful color and alive with a feeling that I had become a part of their world. To my joy and satisfaction another patron walked in and shared that he had never delighted in Jamaican food before and said, "I want to eat, but, do not know what to order." Again the dance began with the owners reaching deep into their Jamaican hospitality to educate him as well as to the flavor of "Jamaica Man!"
I settled on a quarter chicken all white meat with red beans and rice, smothered with gravy and steamed cabbage. Along with the meal came a plantain slice and a little extra jerk sauce. The reviews from Steven were, "this cabbage is spectacular!" "OMG, another favorite!" "another reason to say, Michigan City has the best food!" As for me, the delightful herbs and spices danced on my tongue and sent me into a succession of "mmmm!', "Ohhh, yeah!" "this is exceptional!"
I could see the care taken to chop up vegetables, and fresh herbs and spices. I tasted the careful melding of those ingredients with main ingredients so that it was a flavorful explosion. The care, quality, price and quantity of food is nothing short of Exceptional! We will be traveling to Jamaica by way of a culinary vehicle many times this summer and beyond.
Cool Runnings Jamaican Restaurant is tucked in a small strip-like mall right next to the South Shore train line, 11th St. Stop. Parking is available on the street and in a parking lot on the corner of 11th and Franklin. There is some room for dining in. Just imagine sitting in the window eating jerk chicken and plantains as the South Shore train pulls up in front of you. Rarely will you ever find a location anywhere else in the heartland of America that has window seating, quality ethnic food and a train going down the middle of the street.
Cool Runnings Jamaican Restaurant, 112 11th St. Michigan City, IN 46360 Telephone 219-210-3885. Offerings include, chicken, ox-tail, curried goat, fish, along with traditional sides: red beans and rice, macaroni and cheese, steamed cabbage, plantains, festivals, candy yams, sweet corn.
Some of our other favorites located in the heart of "City" include:
- The Pearl Chinese Restaurant
- Pickle and Turnip, Mediterranean, formerly Sahara's
- El Bracero, Mexican
- William B's Steakhouse
- It's Vegas Baby, Viva Italia (Thursday nights only)
Thursday, April 17, 2014
It's Vegas Baby, Viva Italia!
Champagne and LaLuna took a walk on the Italian side of this acoustic duet. Tonight in place of our traditional wedge salad at William B's which is outstanding BTW, we tried out the Italian night at "It's Vegas Baby" lounge. Typically this restaurant caters to what appears to be the younger set, or those looking for some single-like action. The promotional genius of Boyd Gaming and Blue Chip Casino, Michigan City, knew what they were doing in transforming the casino's hot spot in to a warm and cozy Italian Village flair. From the quaint red checked table clothes, to the "Rat Pack" stylings of Dean, Frank, Rosemary and the gang. To add to the charm, the video display treated us to images of Vegas and the days of glitz and glam that can only be found east of Hollywood in the heart of the desert.
Before getting into the food, I have to applaud our waitress, Andrea. She was not only glamorous,but, exactly what I would expect from a high end Vegas establishment. Lei e molto bella! She was graceful, attentive, and did I mention Showgirl Glamorous? She was lovely. Now on to the food.
For a modest price of $12.95 you receive your choice of zuppa, minestrone or pasta fagioli. Insalata of your choice, either house tossed or Cesaer. I recommend the tossed, with field greens, cucumber, tomatoes and onion, a pani basket with herb/olive oil and balsamic drizzle, your choice of pasta tossed with sauce of choice and for a modest additional price you can add a carne (protein). All of this is followed up with either spumoni ice cream or a cannoli.Do not forget to treat yourself to a wonderful glass or for the price go for the bottle of vino! We enjoyed a wonderful red, pictured at the beginning of this article. We will be back again, and next time, we will arrive a little later, so that we can hang around and enjoy the Dueling Pianos right out of Howl At the Moon in Chicago. Whether it is Vegas Baby in the dessert realm, or Vegas baby of the Chicagoland variety, Boyd Gaming knows how to do it right!
BELLA LUNA
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