Bouchon (Las Vegas, NV)

Strawberry Croissant. . . Oeuf Au Gratin du Jour. . . The Bakery. . . The Selection. . .

It was almost on a whim that I said “to hell with the budget, let’s go to Bouchon”. That would be true, if the breakfast prices weren’t so reasonable. Unless you’re taking in the casino sponsored $1 shrimp cocktails or one of the fast food giants then you’re going to be paying a lot of money to eat anywhere near the strip. For breakfast/brunch the prices at Bouchon are cheaper than some of the run-of-the-mill hotel restaurants. With that in mind, there’s no reason not to eat at the french bistro helmed by the most revered chef in America. But budget is no reason to eat at a Thomas Keller restaurant. The real reason to eat there is because the food is amazing. It was a tough decision but I passed on my dream dish, the Croque Madame, and ate the Baked Eggs – a dish I had never tried before. Kate had the Breakfast Jardinière. Both meals were more wonderful than I had imagined, and the pastries were even better than that. Add to the fact that the experience and ambiance are highly finished and you’ve got something worth going to Las Vegas for. My one regret is that I didn’t eat there every day during my stay there. I’ll try and catch up on the Croque Madame in Beverly Hills on my way out of the states. It’ll be my treat for sticking to my budget for the next 7 weeks.