Nobhill- Las Vegas

After renting a car just to drive to Rosemary's, we decided to take advantage of the dining options offered by the MGM Grand. In a perfect world we would have eaten at Joel Robouchon, but we had neither the attire nor the capital required to sit for his $250 six course or $385 16 course tasting menus. Not to be defeated, we walked further down the casino floor and explored Nobhill, one of two Michael Mina restaurants in the Grand.

They had no trouble taking our reservation for the next day or for honoring our table request for a private booth. The booths ran parallel to the bar and we were seated in a perfect one between the bar and dining room.

We already knew we were ordering the tasting menu, so our only real decision was about Chrissie's choice of drink. After some deliberation, Chrissie decided to order her first ever wine pairing. To spice things up, she ordered the standard sommelier's and I, for the sake of comparison, ordered the premium pairing. In general terms, I liked only one of wines noticeably more than Chrissie's and she preferred her own by a wide margin. I got the sense that two of my glasses were a bit oxidized, possibly left over from bottles opened during the weekend, but I couldn't tell enough to say something. There was no flaw detected at all in Chrissie's glasses.

The meal began with glasses of champagne and a caviar parfait. The parfait itself was huge, with a shallot-potato cake base, layers of creme fraiche and smoked salmon in the middle, and a frosting of caviar lining the top. The entire dish as a whole was great, but I would have preferred it to be deconstructed so I could better control the ratios of each mouthful. Chrissie did not finish hers because she wanted to save room for what most reviews said was a heavy meal.

The second dish was the signature lobster pot pie that began with a table service from beautiful copper pots. The lobster may have been a little tough, but Chrissie and I both though the dish was fine, but again, overwhelming in its size and composition. One could argue that a diner is definitely getting his money's worth, but we would both prefer to recoup our expenses in other ways than quantity.

I was beginning to get nervous because our next dish was essentially fried chicken served over mac and cheese, but this course turned out to be my favorite of the evening. Everything, from portion to texture, of this dish was perfectly executed. In fact, I could argue against my previous statements and suggest they provide more of the truffled macaroni and cheese. The chicken was exquisitely cooked and seasoned. The crust was delicate and thin. The truffle flavor of the macaroni, along with sauce, provided an earthy anchor for an ethereal plate. After the first two courses I was almost shocked by this dish.

The meal continued to progress beyond the competent, but uninspiring, first two courses with the Kobe beef main course. The meat was perfect and was served with seared foie gras that Chrissie deemed the best in texture and flavor since Gary Danko. She was so enamored by her foie gras that I was able to trade some of mine away with her so I could enjoy more of the beef. Presentation, flavor, and perfect cooking made the last two dishes the most successful of our Vegas trip.

By this point, Chrissie and I were both incredibly stuffed. We're not big dessert people. We would usually rather have another course over dessert, but the Banana Tarte Tatin at Nobhill was one of my favorite desserts ever. I could feel a layer fat growing beneath my chin as I ate, but I was powerless to not finish the plate.

High Points-

• The meat dishes and the dessert
• A perfectly paced meal from the service and kitchen
  
• The private booth was quiet and romantic

Low Points-

• Low value rating (I don't believe the experience met with the promise of the price)
• Very heavy first two courses
• I would like to see bottles opened, or at least clearly fresh, with a one hundred wine pairing. I'd also like to see the sommelier taste the wines to guarantee quality.

Would we go back? If we are ever in Las Vegas again I don't think we will return to Nobhill. The meal was very good, but for the price, there are other restaurants I'd like to experience. We had some great dishes, but for a week's salary I need to be awestruck to contemplate a return visit when there are so many other options. That said, I in no way regret the dinner and I would suggest to anyone in a similar situation that they try this restaurant.