The Chocolate Vacation That Wasn't
I've been in hardcore vacation mode for the last ten or so days and have been ignoring anything that didn't involve total leisure. Just really needed a break from everything and couldn't wait for November and the New York Chocolate Show to roll around. So I decided to go to Vegas. The cost of a three star hotel in New York in November is still more than the cost of a larger room at a five star hotel in Las Vegas. So off to Vegas I went with all these ideas for chocolate stuff to do while there. There was the Jean-Philippe Pâtisserie, the Ethel's Factory Tour, The Chocolate Swan, Vosges Haut-Chocolat, a Teuschers, and probably a couple of others that I'm forgetting. So I go to Vegas and of all of the places on that list what do I hit? Jean-Philippe since it's in the Bellagio where I stayed and Vosges. I had big plans to take all sort of pictures on the Ethel's tour and to review some of the chocolate from there, but in the end I just succumbed to the siren's call of relaxation. A very nice way to go.
So most of the chocolate I had was just stuff that happened to be on the dessert menu wherever I was dining. That and a chilled Bianca from Vosges (very yummy - the spices go very well with the white chocolate). I just didn't feel like going to the effort to find chocolate. I never got around to trying any Ethel's until I was in the airport waiting for my flight home. Still a really great vacation even if it was light on the chocolate.
And just for fun I'm going to hit a meme I ran into on Columbus Foodie. But that goes after the jump since it's pretty big.
The Omnivore's 100
*der schnippe*
Here’s what I want you to do:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.
The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses (apparently the king of cheeses?)
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese (I like to think I'll try anything once, but this I might not)
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda (never heard of it, but a little research has me interested)
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant. (aim to do this next time I'm in Vegas - I had thought I had this covered this week, but they're stingy with those stars)
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare (does rabbit count?)
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake
Not terrible coverage, but I got some work to do. Not that I totally agree with everything on the list or anything, but there are some things on there that I really want to try.
More chocolate this week!
Comments
Beth Said:
Hi,
I'm very fond of Vosges Chocolates but haven't heard of Teuschers.
I've been doing a survey of chocolatiers in Denver--it's been fun to discover how much creative chocolate there is in my home town.
Posted by: Beth | September 12, 2008 5:33 PM
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