United States

Bachi Burger styles itself the "best hamburger place in Las Vegas," and although I didn't get to try any other burger places in Vegas, I would probably venture to say they are pretty spot-on when they make that claim.

With a few locations scattered around Vegas, the one we went to was nestled into a little strip mall and looked pretty unassuming. The interior was pretty "hip" looking and the loud music playing confirmed that this was not just a burger joint. This was a Place To Be.

Truffle Parmesan Fries

The fires were hot and crispy, and the truffle salt (or whatever they used) was absolutely amazing. The parmesan added a nice nutty flavor and the sun dried tomato aioli had a nice amount of sweetness that offset the salty fries.

Kiki's Burger

I chose this burger for two reason. The first was pure-geekery, since we had just finished day one of a Modern Masters Grand Prix, and the name of the burger is very close to a well known magic card, I figured this was a good omen. The second reason, of course, was bacon.

Ever been to a restaurant, ordered a burger, and wondered to yourself, "why do they even bother to ask? They're certainly not going to cook this the way I ask." Well in this case, I was very wrong. The burger was a perfect medium rare. A beautiful pink inside greeted me as I cut my burger in half.

The burger itself was moist and well seasoned, and the mushrooms added a nice bouncy texture to each bite, adding a nice bit of spongy resistance before finally giving way and letting my teeth sink in. The onion marmalade was just sweet enough to make me forget I was eating onions, and helped offset the salty overdose of bacon.

Overall, this burger rocked. Now if it only had Kiki Jiki's ability I could copy it to make another that I could eat. Perhaps use a Zealous Conscript to do it all again and just go infinite on eating burgers for the rest of my life.

Restaurant Guy Savoy in fabulous Las Vegas is one of our favorite restaurants of the Top 40 restaurants in the US that we've visited. The first time we went we did their extended tasting menu (the "Innovation" menu). The catch was that we had a flight back home that evening and had to squeeze it in to a little under 2 hours. The most amazing thing was that, although the food came at a very good clip, we never felt rushed and the staff managed to really give us a phenomenal experience. The food was also amazing, so we just felt that the restaurant was firing on all cylinders.

This time around I was in Vegas on my own for the GP, but couldn't turn down an opportunity to dine here again, even if it was by my lonesome. I opted for a more reasonable amount of food this time, so I went after the Forbes tasting menu this time, paired with wine. Going down the list, one thing stuck out at me.

That's right, I got to try a port that was born around the same time as my grandpa!

Amuse Bouche

This warm soup was absolutely delicious, and the best part is that after you finish the soup, you lift up the cup and there's a little surprise underneath. I won't spoil the surprise, you'll just have to go find out what it is for yourself.

Langostine Tartare, Golden Osetra Caviar and Asparagus Bavaroise

The green mound was a sort of asparagus mousse, which on it's own was a little pungent for my liking. When combined with the delicate langostine and slightly salty caviar, it was phenomenal, though. The little red dots in the mist is a little bit of pureed red pepper that had a little bit of a kick, but didn't overpower the rest of the dish.

Line Caught Sea Bass, Crispy Scales, Tomato in Papillote

Prior to bringing out the dish, they bring out the pouch that the tomato is cooked in, and pierce it in front of you, letting all the wonderful aroma's wash over you. It smells absolutely amazing and it was all I could do not to just reach out and grab the tomato right then and there. I'm glad I waited, though, because when combioned with the seabass it was out of this world. The scales are flash fried and crisp up quickly, creating a very crisp texture that contrasts with the soft tomato very nicely.

Artichoke and Black Truffle Soup, Toasted Mushroom Brioche and Black Truffle Butter

As you sit there, staring at the plate, it feels like you've been packpacking for a week, living off of nothing but trail mix and granola bars for 3 meals a day the entire time, when you finally get back to civilization. Before dawn, you wander into town and from down the street, you smell a bakery. No one else is awake, but you can tell the baker is hard at work; the scent of fresh baked bread proof of his labor of love.

It's the best smell you will ever experience in your entire life.

For reference, there is no cream in that soup, but you'd be hard pressed to identify that fact after tasting it. It is incredibly rich and creamy, but somehow they do that just with the artichoke. The rich smell of truffles and sharp tang of parmessan cheese combine with the buttery, fresh-baked scent of the briche, making something truly exquisite. It's all I could do to keep from downing the brioche and soup in one go, and holding myself back from ravaging that bowl was the greatest amount of self restraint I've ever shown in my life.

"Sealand," Seared Japanese Wagyu, Maine Lobster and Stuffed Rigatoni

The wagyu beef disintegrated in my mouth.

The stuffed rigatoni exploded with flavor. 

The lobster oozed with buttery goodness.

This dish was phenomenally good.

Amuse Bouche

A little pallate cleanser after that incredibly rich dish was very welcome, and this slightly tart apricot preserve hit the spot.

All Black

I thought maybe there'd be a reprieve from the heavy dishes, finally, after that amuse bouche. I forgot that I was in a french restaurant.

This chocolate cake with chocolate ganache topped with chocolate ice cream was, I think, approaching the legal limit for the amount of chocolate allowed on a single plate.

We went out for dinner to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday and to put a nice cap on the baby shower that Amanda's family put together for her. The Copperhead Grille in Bethlehem, PA, a sports bar and grille. Owned by some foodies who apparently make regular appearances out on the floor of the restaurant, the Copperhead is not just your typical bar and grille.

The menu is pretty varied, with lots of sandwiches, appetizers, burgers, and entrees to choose from. Everything on the menu looked pretty amazing.

Spicy Bacon Mac n' Tater Tots

We started with the tots, and they did not dissapoint. They had a nice kick to them, and the crispy tots had a really satisfying crunch that offset the gooey, oozing, molten hot cheese sauce.

Sweet and Sweaty Wings

My father-in-law highly recommended the wings, and he was right in doing so. They were nicely fried and very crispy, despite being dripping with a tangy sauce. The sauce had a good amount of heat to it, but it did not distract from the deliciousness of the wings, and I didn't end up burning the taste buds off my tongue, which is always a bonus.

Classic American Burger

My father-in-law ordered a good old fashioned burger, which looked amazing. He kept on raving about the sweet potato fries, and wanted to order a side of those, but unfortunately they did not have any.

Copperhead Burger

Amanda ordered the namesake of the restaurant with a side of Yuengling onion rings.

Baby Back Pork Ribs - Full Rack

My mother-in-law ordered the ribs and was kind enough to let me have one. The sauce was very, very good. Slightly sweet, but not overly so. The meat just fell off the bone. Literally. She tried to cut a rib off to give to me and as she was passing it to my plate the bone slid right out.

Ultimate Pork and Kraut

One staple dish in our house is pork and saurkraut, so when I saw that they had a dish available with not only pork shoulder, but also kielbasa, I was so onboard to dive into this magnificent dish. The saurkraut was home made and had a perfect amount of tanginess to it. It wasn't salty at all, which was very nice. The pork was really moist and went well with the spicy mustard and saurkraut. 

No fowl language.