Restaurant reviews: Bellagio and Terrible's Las Vegas Buffet reviews

We recently went to Las Vegas with my sister in law and niece along with my in-laws. Instead of frantically trying to see every site we went to a few things and it was nice and definitely less rushed. I have always wanted to try a lavish Las Vegas buffet. I spent several weeks researching prices,locations, and menu items. (side note, it would have been way easier if the buffets listed their menus online)

to left: The Bellagio




to left: Terribles  
I had considered doing the buffet of buffet passes but after eating two buffets in two days I don't if my body would have been able to contain any more food.


Bellagio Buffet Review:   The Bellagio offers the classic Las Vegas Buffet experience. It is not cheap and neither is the food. The variety and quality of food was great.  Some of the entrees included were prime rib, Kobe top sirloin, Beef Wellington (surprisingly good), King and  snow crab legs, Maple ravioli( disappointing use of maple) Lobster ravioli, Shrimp and pesto stuffed shells, quail, turkey,smoked salmon, sushi, and many many more foods. They did not have a lot of the classic comfort foods served at regular buffets but I think that was done on purpose. Many of the complaints online were of long lines and slow service. We did not experience any of that. We went on a Thursday afternoon around 330 pm. It took maybe ten minutes to get thru the line to pay and were seated promptly.  Most of us ordered chocolate milk and juice.  I think Addy was the only one who ordered  a soda. The server acted like we were little kids. I doubt in a buffet in Las Vegas that serves free beer and wine that Chocolate milk is the most ordered drink by adults.  She was good at clearing our plates but a little slow at refilling drinks but for the amount of people there the service was adequate.  The dessert looked amazing but tasted good. I had an assortment of cheesecakes, vanilla/chocolate domes, tarts, and custards.The fruit tasted very good for not being in season. I did not have any of the green salad as I opted to focus on the non-common foods. Everyone else in our party that had some thought it was good.  The fresh breads and rolls were out of this world. They were baked perfectly.

Grading Scale (out of 5)
Ambiance: 5 functional presentation. Lines moved quickly, food was displayed attractively and spaced well.
Food: 4.5 large variety of exotic and high end foods. lack of comfort food and food that appeals to younger people was lacking.
Price: 3.5 very pricey but to have a single plate like that at a normal restaurant it would cost roughly the same.
I will give it 4 stars. It is not an everyday meal but once a year to go all out it is worth it based on the variety and selection of foods as well as the high quality.



Terribles Buffet Review
     It is much better than the name implies. We went there the following day for lunch. I was still fairly full from the bellagio. We ended up being there in between breakfast and lunch so we got a good mix of stuff. Terribles is your basic golden corral type food. The cost was great we were able to get b1g1 coupons for the six of us. They had a taco station which was good. The guacamole was fresh and tasty. I was impressed with quality of the beef brisket. Very tender and juicy. The roast beef was poor. I've cooked better cuts of meat at my own house.  The Asian station was good.  I liked the fact that you could put as much whipped cream as possible. Their pie was nasty. Very dry and clumpy.  Salad and fruit were good.  Its a good inexpensive place to grab a run of the mill buffet. I'd go again for the price but its not anything that I can't get at any another buffet.

Ambiance 4   clean. had an old-world style theme. Food was displayed pleasantly.  Organized efficiently. Workers kept the counters wiped clean and were hands on. Drinks were filled quickly
Food  3.5   lots of comfort food but nothing exciting or "looking forward to". Nothing to distinguish itself from any other buffet. Food was warm and no trays ever looked empty.
Price 5   for 6.99 all you can eat lunch you can't really beat that price. unless you get b1g1. for the quantity food its a great price.

Anasazi Steakhouse

A few weeks ago Addy and her cousin went and Stayed a week with their Grandma and Grandpa:)  We went down the next weekend and picked her up and stayed the remainder of the weekend. 

While we were there we went to a fun restaurant with our parents and our Aunt and Uncle.  It was so good! It is called Anasazi Steakhouse:)

First we got salad and then they brought out our cheese fondue!

Then they brought out the main course on a hot rock that cooked the meat in front of you and you could take it off when it was done to your liking!

Next up the dessert! Chocolate Fondue! SOOOOO delicious!

Addy with Grandpa under the tunnel at the park:)

Bucco Di Beppo

Last weekend we went to with our Cousin's, Jared and Kristi and their kids to Bucco Di Beppo for dinner! 

Addy loves Paige

Paige, Addy, Krisi, Chase, Jared, Ashley

(Not Pictured: Jason)

Ashley and Jason

They serve family style there but to experience the different dishes all the adults ordered something.  They say it feeds 2-3 people each dish...they were huge!

They had a lot of funny signs outside. Here is Chase pretending he is in the sanitary bathroom:)

The Pope

Here is the statue pretending he is in the sanitary bathroom:)

After we went back to their house and played games!  It was a lot of fun.

Restaurant Review: Christophers steak and seafood

It seems like forever since I've done a blog post and it really has been. I attribute it to school being back in session.

Anyway, Ashley took me for a night out on the town last Friday for my birthday. It was sad not hanging out with Addy but I did enjoy eating at a restaurant that didn't have a kids meal or a placemat to color.

Christopher's is conveniently located in downtown Salt lake in the Historic Perry Hotel. Its right next to Macaroni Grill and Ruth Chris, also fine eating establishments. The main reason we went was of course we had a coupon for $50 off our purchase. The atmosphere was nice, the lighting was just right, the temperature was perfect, and the place looked clean and well taken care of. We were treated very well, with the manager personally stopping by twice to check in on us. Our meal was almost perfect, the lone drawback being the presence of my food archenemy, the dreaded asparagus. We shared an appetizer of crab stuffed mushrooms which came topped with a great Parmesan sauce. Ash had the prime rib with mashed potatoes. I had a filet Mignon topped with king crab and Bearnaise sauce over rice. Guess who's cost more? The meal was cooked to our specifications. I give the restaurant a 4.32 with the drawbacks being the price and asparagus. They do offer an early bird special for 19.99 giving you a salad, choice of prime rib, salmon, or halibut with a side of ice cream. For 34.99 you can upgrade to a 4-course with more options. It is a great place for a romantic getaway.

Movie Review: IRON MAN 2

As long as I can remember, I've been a comic book reader. Both my brothers had collections and started me with my own. I still collect them but mostly to complete sets now. Marvel Studios has capitalized on the current technology and has successfully adapted several of the main storylines into profitable( why they still make them) movies. I love watching them in theaters and listening to people who have no concept of why things are and what the directors are setting things up for. Ash usually gives me puzzled looks when I talk about the ten rings or who Stan Lee is playing in the movie. It gives me a chance to remember being a kid and reading all the super hero stories. Enough of that on to the movie. I give IRON MAN 2 three stars. I didn't like it as much as the first but I felt that it accomplished what it is trying to do. For those of you who don't know the summer of 2012 will feature the release of the AVENGERS, a team of superheroes. All Marvel movies are tying into it and setting the background for the heroes. This film featured Thors Hammer Mjlonir and Captain America's shield. This is smart because it means the avengers movie will not have to spend time explaining how they got their powers and abilities. I loved the special effects in Iron Man 2, I think the casting was excellent and think Don Cheadle was an upgrade over Terrence Howard. I think Black Widow is kind of a two-face. Some movies she looks really hot in and others not so much. She lookedgood in this one. The storyline was ok, not a whole lot of depth but it kept me interested. Probably my biggest dislike was the anti-climatic ending, Whiplash went down way too easy, they could have stretched it easily another five minutes or so. It was a fun date and I'm looking forward to the next ones.

restaurant review: Brixton Baked Potato

Last Saturday we decided to try Brixton's Baked potatoes located at the Junction. We took Ash's parents as well as Stephanie and Erin. I love trying new restaurants and new experiences. I generally don't like baked potatoes but I thought it was a clever concept. When you go, you choose how your want your potato served either traditional, sliced, or smashed ( I don't why they didn't say mashed but I'm not the owner) then you choose a set of toppings such as Memphis pulled pork, curry, pot roast, Hawaiian, pizza, or just plain sour cream and chives. Its a neat twist to move the potato from the side of the plate to becoming the center. I was also surprised that the meal filled me up for several hours. The price was reasonable ranging from between 2.49-7.99. While I will not frequent it regularly, it definitely is a good adjustment from the standard fare at restaurants. I rate it 3.5 stars. The food was hot and quickly prepared, its innovative in its concept, and they serve apple beer. My only concerns is that they charge 15 cents for a water cup, you don't get to pick your potato and while there is ample seating, I don't think its enough for sustained growth. I liked that we went with a big crowd who ordered multiple items making my sample size bigger.

movie review: Clash of the Titans (1981/2010)

Ash and I were able to sneak away for a quick date Friday afternoon to go and watch Clash of the Titans. Kudos to Erin to watching Addy for us. We will continue to let her live at our house for free. We had originally planned to watch it in ST.George but due to intense amounts of fun and general lack of sleep it didn't happen. We had watched the original a few weeks ago so Ash could grab the storyline and main characters. After watching the original, I wondered why my parents let me watch it at such a young age because I wouldn't let Addy watch it. That being said, I have not made up my mind as to which version is superior. Both have very good elements in each. I definitely loved the updated special effects. Pegasus, the Kraken, and Medusa were very well done especially Pegasus. The storyline thought changed somewhat was fast moving and didnt seem to drag. Its very rare for a remake to have less nudity than the original. I think Sam Worthington played a great Persesus ( he hasn't been in a movie yet I didnt' like) while Liam Nesson did a great job as Zeus. The fight scenes were good and I liked how they tried to incorporate many of the original elements into the new version. There were a few things I didn't like. One that owl was awesome! I realize it might not have a huge spot now in action movies but I did like it. Andromea in the new version was nowhere near as hot as the original but Io made up for it. I also enjoyed the original costume of Callaboss. All in all i give it three stars.

restaurant review: Farrs ice cream cafe

Farr's ice cream is almost synonymous with going to the Ogden Temple. I can't think of a time I've gone there when it wasn't after doing baptisms for the dead or a session. There was a coupon recently for 50% off their new store or "cafe" in the paper. Given the fact that Farr's despite popularity was always reluctant to franchise themselves, I was interested in trying it. I was blown away by how much fun the place was. It is a self-serve ice cream station where you pay by the ounce(39 cents or 6.24 Lb). You can choose from frozen custard,frozen yogurt, or ice cream. I assembled a mixture of brownie batter ice cream with a splash of blackberry yogurt. The toppings were plentiful, fresh, and delicious. They have a wide assortment of fresh fruit including kiwis, raspberries, and blueberries as well as several others. They have all the regulars topping as well as a huge assortment of candy bars. They even have cereal. I've never tried that as a topping but am planning on next time. It was great to have the variety and fun of making it. The lone drawback was the noticeable absence of whipped cream which is one of my main food groups. I was able to survive though with a few extra cherries. I also learned that ice cream weighs a lot. We ended about nine bucks for two big bowls of ice cream and some spring water. Was it worth it? Would I take visiting family and friends there? of course. It's a great experience and fun time. We then finished our date by going to Lowe's and getting paint swatches to redo our bedroom. Ashley is definitely feeling pregnant as after eating dinner she devoured the ice cream and then after Lowe's, she wanted a bag of bread sticks and a smoothie. I'm hoping her cravings will include bread and water.

movie review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

I would like to start off saying that if this was a stand-alone movie and not from a book then I would recommend it even higher. That being said, as an adaptation, there are several things that were done wrong. I think the director seriously doubted the ability that would be able to to do all six books and instead of focusing on character development and setting the stage for the future movies, he decided to go all in on this one trying to make it appeal to all people and milk revenues. Side note the director is Chris Columbus who did the first two Harry Potter's. Ash totally loved the movie( she hasn't read the books) and there were parts that I truly enjoyed. I liked the casting of Medusa and Luke, the satyr was the classic sidekick role. All in all I give it a 3+. I liked it but prior knowledge knocks it down. It still falls short of the bar that previous movies such as Clash of the Titans, and Jason and the argonauts met. The kids were way too old for their roles. But it was great to spend some time with Ash on a date and her company made it all worth it.

Valentines Day 2009!

I had such a wonderful Valentines Day:) Jason puts a lot of thought and always goes the extra mile to make special occasions so fun and meaningful for me...for instance here is the creative thing he did for me last year...

This year he suprised me with a new dresser. Also, he gave Addy and I some beautiful flowers. Addy's dresser basically fell apart so we gave her my dresser and I have just kept all my clothes on the shelves in the closet. He also put one or more items of clothing in each drawer. Thank you Jason! Here are some pics of him and his little helper putting it together! On Valentines day we had some of our siblings that could be there over for dinner and games. Jason made some good food...of course because when Jason and food are in the same sentence it is always good:) Also, Steph and Josh brought a green salad and Erin made Snicker Salad! It made for a good meal! We missed you Dad, Mom & Ryan! Wish you could have made it too! After dinner we played Bohnanza a game I mentioned in a previous post that our cousin Luke had and we learned how to play. We loved that game so much I got it for Jason for Valentines day along with a new wallet. Addy also was my big helper and picked out a shirt and tie for her daddy and a new loofah. She said she would be a big helper around the house so she could earn those things to give to her daddy:) she is such a good helper:) Of course, Addy is our little Valentine too and we gave some fun things and she also got some fun thoughtful things from other people! Thank you everyone! Here is a picture of her when we had a Valentine photo shoot! We hope you all had a wonderful Valentines Day as well!

best friends=cousins

So tonight around 9:30 Addy puts her coat on, fills her backpack with diapers and wipes, puts on Ashs shoes and a hat and tries to open the door to leave. We asked her where she was going and she said she was going to her best friends house. I asked her who that was and she said Lexie. She then kept trying to open the door. I asked her if she was going to walk there, and she said no, then she would start running and ran around the room. It was really funny to see her get all ready to go. Its nice for Addy for to have family close by and that she likes being with. except of course when theres only one toy that both of them want.

SUPERBOWL

We had a fun night with yummy food, football and company last night! Here is a couple pics of the delicious feast! Jason made a lot of yummy food and our bro's girlfriend Callie brought her amazing bread dip! Another hightlight of the night was I won free Dockers for Jason! This website I LOVE called Hip2save mentioned this contest so that is how I knew about it. When you saw a certain commercial for DOCKERS you were supposed to sumbmit this form filled out and the first 2,010 people could win free pants! They emailed me today saying I won and gave me a promo code to their site to order them for free! It was so cool! What did you do for the Superbowl?

Future Photographer????

Last week we were at our parents house celebrating our BIL (Josh's) BDAY:) Addy decided to take some pictures with her grandma's camera...only it was turned the wrong way so she ended up taking them of herself:) I thought I'd show you some samples of her work!

Our Weekend Travels

We had a fun and relaxing time in St. George this weekend! Here are some pics to illustrate our travels! Friday: We went to a place called "The Narrows"...I've also heard it called "The Squeeze".