Monday, 530PM

As per Daddy's pleading, I tried not to leave any detail of the meal out...

It was supposed to be just me and the Prof, but with a few of our flights leaving late in the evening, dinner turned into a family affair.

The day started not so bright-and-early in the race book at the Plaza, when Derek, Pauly, Al and Eva, and April stopped by to get in on the thoroughbred action.

Actually, just prior to their arrival I found a solid play in the fifth at Finger Lakes that looked due to spike a good run. With four minutes to post he was at 14-1, and I put $10 to win on him. Two minutes later he dropped to 7-1, and I nearly ran up to the counter to put another $20 on the horse.

Wish I had. When that kind of late money comes in on a horse that's been in the mid-teens for twenty minutes, you know that's the kind of late money that has some inside info. My horse went off at 6-1, and I ended up +$30 for my selection.

When the rest of the crew arrived shortly thereafter, we opted to goof around on selections instead of having me give a ten minute how-to-read-the-form seminar. With the ladies in the house, one wouldn't expect a scientific or statistical approach. However, there were enough aptly named horses running to keep everyone interested. A quick recap:

GAMBLEN DEREK: Loser
GIFT OF APRIL: Loser
APRIL AFTERNOON: Loser
MT. PAULIANO: Winner

Mt. Pauliano paid April $18 on her $10 win bet, which I spun for her into the heavy favorite in the next race, LUNES GRITO, who ended up in third.

Mrs. Can't Hang, however, hit the biggest score of anyone in the group. A $5 to win bet on a horse she said was "pretty" at Mountaineer (DYNAMITE DEVIL, who ran an unbelievably strong race) in the first paid $40.40 to win on a $2 bet. This, of course, meant she was cashing a hundred dollar winner. She then decided to lay off the next race, but mused aloud that she "liked the three," which was named FURIOUS CHAD. She didn't bet him, and he took first paying $11.30.

I'm pretty sure I've never been two-for-two with winners.

With 530PM approaching, and a promise to meet Prof at the "Animatronic Zeus" in the Forum Shops, we picked up, met Grubby, lost Geek to an afternoon flight, and were on our way.

Shortly after the Pete Rose fiasco (see Tuesday's post), we hooked up with Prof and wandered the shops until we stumbled upon an empty but fancy looking steakhouse called BOA. Darkly lit, and stylish with the stainless steel accents playing well off rich amber woods, Boa also featured floor-to-ceiling windows at the back of the dining room that lead out to a terrace overlooking the big Caesar's sign, Paris, and beyond.

We were seated quickly, and as the only table in the house for nearly the whole first hour of our dinner, we received a spectacular amount of attention. As I took my seat, I noticed the steak knife placed horizontally at the top of my reeded placemat, and saw what looked to be a button of some sort at the top of the hilt. Aloud I mused, "What are these? Switchblades?"

"Those are (some French name), and were made for Napoleon. The button you're seeing is actually a little bee." I turned the knife in my hand to find that it was, and turned my head to meet Victor, our server for the evening. Victor was equal parts Paul Lynde and Mother Hen, and greeted our seven top warmly despite our too-casual dress (not to mention the presence of Al).

Victor asked if we had visited the flagship Boa in Los Angeles, to which we all replied no. He gave us a quick rundown of the recent press the restaurant had received, having been written up in a fresh Vanity Fair issue, and then mentioned Ryan Seacrest was a part owner. Instantly, Prof threatened to leave, but Victor kept going, also dropping co-owner names such as Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz, to which I replied, "But you drop Ryan Seacrest's name first?" Everyone had a good chuckle out of that one.

I think I won Victor over when he took our first drink order. As is my custom when having a dinner of this potential caliber, I try to trust my server as much as possible to help me enjoy both the food and the drink in harmony. But I was absolutely going to start with wine. "I drink mostly Italian reds - Barberas, Brunellos, the full-bodied ones. I trust you, go ahead and bring me a glass of whatever you recommend." Derek and Prof, however, both jumped in with the same, so at that point it made sense to get a bottle.

Now, I know just enough about wine to not look stupid. I'm not very good at picking out the leather, tobacco, boysenberry, and belly button lint flavors, but I know what I like, and I have a pretty decent grasp at the differences between a Chianti, a Pinot, and a Priorat. Thankfully, Priorat is where Victor immediately steered the selection. Sizing up the group correctly, Victor artfully moved us towards some of the less expensive wines on the menu. He suggested the 2003 Las Rocas Garnache, which was $36 ($12 in stores) and well recommended.

From what I've had personally (which isn't a wide catalog), the Grenache and Priorat varietals from Spain are really quite terrific for the price. I have yet to buy a bottle over the $15 mark, but what I've had under that number have invariably been solid and tasty wines. The Las Rocas was solid and unspectacular, but was fruity and full-bodied enough to be well worth what we paid.

The highlight of the meal were the appetizers. With true community spirit we ordered a few different ones and passed them around. Al, in a shocking development, ordered the Foie Gras. Eva and Prof got the Escargot, Grubby the Oysters Rockefeller, and I the Ahi Tuna Carpaccio.

Now, we all now how fond I am of meats that end in vowels, and this one was no exception. The Carpaccio was expertly sliced and delicate, but may have been just a little too well bathed in a lemon-infused olive oil. Much of the flavor of the tuna was buried. Still terrific, although I might have added capers for an additional flavor. I had never tried Foie Gras before, and was neither impressed nor aghast at the flavor. I didn't have any expectations before I tried it, and wasn't sure what all the hubbub was about. That being said, the Escargot was terrific. I can't imagine an easier dish for the kitchen to whip up than Escargot, as it is simply snails in garlic butter. But awesome snails in garlic butter.

By the way, we got April to eat a snail. Considering her dinner order (Filet - WELL DONE), I consider that a major victory.

The best of the bunch, however, were the Oysters Rockefeller. In most restaurants in which I've ordered these, I believe what the cooks do is pile spinach atop an oyster, steam it briefly, then melt cheese over the top under the salamander. Not here. The spinach was likely - and only briefly - sauteed in butter, placed in an empty oyster shell, the oyster returned, and a very small amount of cheese broiled atop. They were perfect. So many times the spinach is an unrecognizable mess, but in this case the individual leaves were discernable and just expertly prepared.

The oysters too were so good I nearly ordered three raw on the spot before dinner. Thankfully, I didn't. We had dinner coming.

Victor's second recommendation from the wine list was a bottle for which he got very excited. I had mentioned I drink Brunellos and Barolos, which are often referred to as SUPER TUSCANS. There is something about that region that breeds some of the most unabashedly frank and brutal wines (in a good way) on the planet. From Blanchard's Liquor dot com:

What is a “Super-Tuscan?” It’s an elite, small-production Tuscan wine usually styled for international palates, with oaky character from aging in French oak barriques, and fairly pronounced fruitiness for a European wine. It’s usually a wine that goes by a special, proprietary name, and it often contains internationally fashionable grape varieties, especially Cabernet Sauvignon—although some Super-Tuscans are made entirely from Sangiovese. It’s a wine made from the grapes of a producer’s best vineyards. Like all great wines, it’s ageworthy, usually needing at least ten years from its vintage date to mature, just like Barolo and Brunello.


Another way to define a Super-Tuscan wine is by its price; any wine from Tuscany—other than Brunello di Montalcino—that costs over $50 retail (and some can go as high as $150 to $200 a bottle, especially in great vintages) is a Super-Tuscan wine.

In this spirit, Victor suggested a Montellori Castelrapiti 1995 from Tuscany. While not technically a "Super Tuscan" (by price or reputation), I hoped this woud be a good companion to my meal (I'm getting there), and a chance to introduce Prof, Grubby, and Derek to one of the world's great wine regions. Victor got us an $8 break on the bottle, and brought it to the table.

I'm going to let this site's tasting notes describe their experience with the same bottle. It's dead on to my review:

The Italians have taken a freewheeling, experimental attitude, eschewing DOC guidelines in favor of creating a proprietary moniker that garners its own reputation for excellence. The first of these was the “Castelrapiti” of Fattoria Montellori. Sangiovese had the upper hand here in a rather “harsh and aggressive” style, “lacking complexity”. It was at somewhat of a disadvantage being a ’95 tasted against younger, brighter group of “96s. One taster liked its hint of rosemary and sweet spice in the nose but objected to its Brunello-like tannin on the palate without any depth of fruit to warrant it.

Granted, they probably tasted the wine five plus years (1999) before it was due, but what I should have realized is that opening a wine like this in a restaurant and drinking it ten minutes later is an enormous mistake. Tuscans generally need time - a lot of time - to breathe. Last year on my birthday I had a 1996 Brunello which I tasted the moment I uncorked. I then let it sit open and breathing for nearly fifteen hours, and it mellowed into something with astonishing depth and complexity. This wine could have used time to aerate, and was a mistaken selection for the $60 we paid.

Miraculously, Gracie and Pablo managed to track us down just after appetizers, and joined us for the main course.

Dinner, of course, was next. Despite April's briquet, I think everyone did a good job of ordering medium-or-better steaks and chops. I had a bleu cheese encrusted veal chop, which I ordered rare, but received no better than medium-rare. Despite the mistake, it was still flavorful. The sauce accompanying the chop was a sort of basil/garlic/olive oil thing that really gave the steak a nice finishing touch. For side dishes we again took the community approach, with everything from wasabi mashed potatoes to broccoli and apricot rabe to black truffle macaroni and cheese. I again had a culinary first, trying the mac and cheese to experience black truffles for the first time, and was again underwhelmed. I'm sure there's a better way to savor that flavor, and I'll find it at some point.

After dinner, I had Victor bring me a Southern Comfort Manhattan (Al, I swear to god...), and he offered to set us up for dessert out on the main terrace. The Vegas evening was descending, and with the temperature and the sunshine both in retreat, the terrace promised to be a beautiful way to finish both the meal and the vacation.

The view was spectacular, as seen in pictures on Gracie's blog, and so was the conversation. I continue to be amazed and impressed at the warmth, intelligence, and personalities of my fellow poker bloggers, and I couldn't imagine spending my last couple hours in better company or in a more engaging fashion.

Dessert was non-descript. I ordered warm doughnut holes with a toffee sauce, which were exactly as you're imagining. Grubby, Gracie, and Prof went for the Creme Brulee, which I believe is the most grossly overrated "fancy" dessert out there. Derek had three scoops of various sorbets, and that looked pretty terrific.

All in all, there's nothing like being surrounded with good friends, good food and good drink while watching the lights on the Strip come to life for the evening. Thanks to Prof who was gracious enough to turn "taking me out to dinner" to the last of the WPBT events for the weekend, and thanks to Victor and Boa for a memorable experience.

We'll have to do this again for sure next time.