It's bombs away time folks..and we ain't talkin' chocolate. Here are my least favorite meals of the year; in inverse order...meaning I'm saving the worst for last, so hold on to your Maalox.
Let's begin with a place that isn't that bad....I just didn't find much at Hue Thai's Famous French Sandwiches-that seemed all that Thai nor very French nor all that Famous ....so I beat it to Summerlin and got beaten by :
Benedict's-Now I know Summerlin could use another spot to call its own---but this restaurant in search of an identity isn't it. Undaunted, I ventured to:
Ventano's-What can you say about an oyster bar with no oysters on display? I said fuggidabadit. Which is what my main man 'The Chicago Guy' said about this tepid Italian and:
Chicago's Own -A Taste of Class---You don't know what class tastes like? Well neither do I... and we won't find out here. Go only if you need to impress those who are easily impressed. Proving once again that Green Valley almost never disappoints in disappointing. And to complete this trifecta of terribleness there was lousy:
Lucille's-where there's barbecue for the candy bar lover in you. Then it was back to the west side of the Valley for a bummer of a meal at:
Bonito Michoacan-a generic Mexican joint that doesn't hold a candle to its big brother. Undaunted, I stuck with Spain and got my tongue spanked by the ho hum tapas at the
Tapas Bar With No Name-which'll get one once it gets some TLC in the kitchen. After that we tippled over to:
Tipp's Thai-a dressed up room (by Asian restaurant standards anyway)---with-dressed down Thai food.
And now for the two finalists. What can you say other than there is no excuse for either of them. Our first runner up for worst experience of the year is:
The Mesa Grill- Big Bobby Flays around Caesar's Sports Book to little effect at big prices. If he keeps this up his next cookbook will be called 'Boy Meets Dull'.
And for the worst experience of the year......the winner of the Food For Thought Rancid Headcheese Award is........(drumroll please.....)
Il Mulino-Yes, lots of pomp and little circumstance distinguish this overpriced outpost of New York's icon of Italian excess. Waiters are constantly swooping in and out with lots of seemingly free eats, the specials list is longer than my last divorce decree, and no one bothers to mention prices. It's all calculated to coax you into ordering one of those orally recited 'special dishes' that generally start at about fifty bucks a pop. Be forewarned that your ticker will flicker from the sticker shock of it all. Look around the room and you'll see what passes for the crème de la curdled crème of Vegas society--all feeding that nouveau riche need to overpay in order to feel they're getting their money's worth.
Now was that so bad? Well in 2004, if you had to eat there, it was.