Bardot Brasserie

I have been a Michael Mina fan for several years now so when I heard that he had a new restaurant coming to Las Vegas I was all ears. Done in the style of a traditional French brasserie, Bardot Brasserie at the Aria does not disappoint. Walking in you are immediately face to face with the extensive bar. The combination of brass and glass sets the stage for the vibe of the restaurant as a whole. It's like stepping into another era complete with French jazz and uncovered wooden tables. Sitting in one of the booths in the back gives you a front row seat to witness the action in the kitchen, complete with the large wood burning oven.

After making some careful choices, honestly it was difficult to decide with so many delicious options, I somehow ended up with a multi-course feast of red meat. At the recommendation of the waiter I started things off with the steak tartar. While the crisps provided proved difficult to eat, the steak itself was decadently rich and delicious. With a creamy texture provided by the quail's egg yolk the meat was well spiced and an excellent start to the night.

Seeing bone marrow on the menu that was the one pick I had in mind from scoping out the menu online in the days leading up to my reservation. This was easily the standout dish of the night. Hearth cooked to achieve the perfect sear each bone was a balance between crisp and melt-in-your mouth goodness. Paired with bordelaise onions, whose tart sweetness cut through the heavy fat of the marrow, and bread for layering this dish is a must have.

Having had such a wonderful experience with the steak at Michael Mina over Thanksgiving I decided to keep it traditional with the Ribeye Steak Frittes. Especially for the price tag, the steak was generously portioned even though I did find the fois gras butter to be a little too earthy for my taste. The frittes themselves, fried in beef fat, were the surprise of the night. I am rarely wowed by fries, but the flavor from the beef fat paired with the still fluffy potato was a winning combination. I would order this dish again if only to enjoy the fries.

After such a heavy meal I decided to end things on a lighter note with the mille feuille. Boasting a caramelized puff pastry as its selling point I enjoyed the sweet, crisp layers though the caramelization process did leave the layers sticking to my teeth.

Final Verdict: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
With generous portions of solidly prepared, flavorful food with a twist Bardot Brasserie is a must for any fan of French food. Whether you're looking for a romantic date or a fun night out with the girls there is something for you here. Step out of your comfort zone to find the real standout dishes from the bone marrow to the escargot (which were the hit of the night for the tables around me, they are definitely on my list for my next visit).

Wild Ophelia Chocolate

I was wandering the aisles of the grocery store the other day and these chocolate bars stopped me dead in my tracks. I am an absolute sucker for interesting chocolate pairings. I picked these three up on the spot! I was even more excited to try these after noticing that Wild Ophelia is related to Vosges, one of my favorite chocolatiers.

Wild Ophelia pairs all natural ingredients from farms and artisans across the USA with chocolate. Each bar features a short bio of the artisan or farmer they partnered with, along with details about what makes their product special. I love that they've woven in that extra layer of connection with their ingredients.

The Peanut Butter & Banana milk chocolate bar features the Williams Banana from Uncle Mikey's Hawaiian Foods.

Flavor Profile: A Sweet, mild flavored banana with a honeyed smell, blended with roasted peanut butter and rich milk chocolate.

Peanut butter and chocolate are the key scents after opening the wrapper. I was (pleasantly) surprised by the lack of large pieces of the dried banana, instead they are a subtle crunch that adds a nice texture to the bar. While the peanut butter was a key scent, there isn't a noticeable peanut flavor to the bar, though the salt adds a nice depth to the chocolate flavor. Overall this is a well balanced chocolate bar that would appeal to just about anyone with a sweet tooth.

The Smokehouse BBQ Potato Chips dark chocolate bar features chips from The Billy Goat Chip Company.

Flavor Profile: A sweet, savory and spicy warm-the-back-of-your-throat chip is entrenched in dark chocolate.

You can smell the spice as soon as you open the wrapper, though thankfully it wasn't as spicy as the scent implied. The flavor on these is... unusual. The bitterness of the dark chocolate does interesting things with the smoky BBQ spice and the crunch of the chips is a little more aggressive than the previous bar. I would like to see a little more salt to balance out the bitterness and the smoke. While this wasn't love at first bite, the bar did grow on me after a little while. Definitely something for the more adventurous chocolate lover.

The Beef Jerky milk chocolate bar features jerky from the state of Idaho.

Flavor Profile: Natural smoked fruit woods and peppered spices perfectly match our smooth milk chocolate.

Of the three, this bar was the one I was the most skeptical to try. The peppery smoke is the first scent note after opening the wrapper, giving the bar an almost savory feel. I was again pleasantly surprised about the lack of large pieces of jerky in the chocolate. The pepper pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the milk chocolate. The use of smoked fruit wood lightens the smoke on the bar, it becomes a pleasant aftertaste rather than an overwhelming note of smoke. The texture of the jerky itself is barely noticeable, making for a smooth bar that's easy to eat. If you're a fan of the bacon and chocolate pairing, try this for a new twist.

Overall, I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed the two milk chocolate bars. I would pick up the Peanut Butter and Banana as well as the Beef Jerky flavors again. Especially to experiment with baking, I suspect the Peanut Butter and Banana would be excellent in pancakes.

Have you tried any of the Wild Ophelia chocolate bars? What are your favorite flavors to pair with chocolate?

Coconut Chicken Curry

There is a Thai restaurant just around the corner that some of my coworkers introduced me to a few years ago. I fell head over heels for their Massaman curry. Rich and hearty with potatoes and onions paired with the delicate sweetness of coconut milk and spice of curry. It's a dish that I knew I needed in my weeknight repertoire.

This dish is incredibly adaptable to your personal taste. While I prefer to use jasmine rice, use what you have on hand. Customize your spice level by using a curry powder with more heat, or adding some finely diced peppers. Don't want to use chicken? Substitute with your favorite protein! I love this dish with both pork and beef, and it can easily be made vegetarian to suit your needs.

Coconut Chicken Curry
Serves Four

1 1/3 cup uncooked rice, cooked
3 medium white potatoes
1 medium onion
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 13.5 oz. can of coconut milk
1 TBS and 2 tsp yellow curry powder
1 TBS canola oil
salt and pepper to taste
(optional) fresh flat leaf parley for garnish.

Set a medium saucepan filled with lightly salted water over medium/high heat. While the water comes to a boil, cube your potatoes, onion, and chicken into even pieces. Put the potato cubes into the now boiling water and cook for 12 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain and set aside.

While the potatoes are boiling, oil a heavy bottomed saute pan with canola oil and put over medium/high heat. Season the cubed chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Saute the onions just until they start to become translucent and add the chicken, browning on all sides. Add the can of coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Add the curry powder and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Gently fold in the tender potatoes and test the sauce, adding more salt as necessary.

To plate, spoon the curry over a bed of rice and garnish with fresh parsley.

Do you have a restaurant favorite that you've adapted to cook at home?

Wander About Town

Welcome to Wander About Town. If you've stopped by this week, or have seen me on social media, you'll notice some pretty major changes around here. One of my main goals for 2015 was to bring some focus to A Little Fancifully. I wanted to find, and stick to, a blogging schedule. I planned to put more thought into my brand, what was really driving my passion. The problem though, after doing some serious soul searching (and after talking with some trusted friends), A Little Fancifully just wasn't the right fit. As much as I love all things fanciful, that's not my driving passion, and my creativity was suffering.

Epiphany in hand, and hours later, Wander About Town started to take shape. Six months ago I started playing with this as a side project, but the longer I looked at it the more I came to realize that this is where my heart is. Wandering is about letting anything and everything be an inspiration. It's about adventures, both big and small. It's about finding joy where you are right now, and not waiting for the great someday. My passion is food, and Wander About Town is about savoring life one bite at a time.

I have so many exciting plans to share with you. From recipes to restaurant reviews and travel guides.  From the big celebrations of life, to ways to celebrate the bliss of the everyday. I'm excited, and I hope that you'll join me on this journey. Regular programming will begin on Monday with one of my favorite recipes.

In Miniature

Miniatures have always been fascinating to me. Growing up, my grandma had a shelf of miniatures that she had made on a shelf by the front door. Though she hadn't lived on a farm, the country motif was a common thread through her work so there were tiny butter churns and baskets of hand painted apples. I loved everything about it. I would take the little objects down one by one and admire the detail that went into them. My love for legos stems from the same place. The detail that can come out of those square and rectangular blocks blows me away.

Legoland as a whole is a dream come true for anyone who enjoys creativity, but their land of miniature towns and landmarks is by far my favorite spot. When I saw that Las Vegas was represented I couldn't resist spending some time and admiring the love put into getting the details just right.

From the Mirage with actual steam coming from the volcano to the towering MGM with signs advertising two of the hotel's iconic shows. I love the lion statue and the shimmering green, remnants of the days when the MGM was heavily themed after The Wizard of Oz.

Their representation of the New York, New York was another favorite for the sheer number of details alone. Even though I enjoyed playing with legos growing up, I never had the patience to see larger projects through. Looking at these buildings, which ranged from calf to knee height, I can't imagine the hours that went into crafting these near-perfect replicas.

Many of the displays even had moving parts! From the pirate show at the TI to dolphins jumping through hoops behind the Mirage, these buildings truly came to life. Miniatures are a fun way to gain a new perspective on the city you live in. Not only do they give me the desire to explore in a new light, but I really want to tackle my own lego project this year.

Do you have a dream lego project that you would love to work on? What would you like to see in miniature form?