Literally, A Food Trip. A 15-day Account Of My Food Binge In The West Coast

I recently went on a West Coast trip in the US.  First stop was Las Vegas.  Then San Francisco and then went on a road trip to the lousy LA and then back to San Fo (as what Pinoys would call it like in Bora and Mega and Galle) for the trip back home.

My primary purpose for the trip is to attend the NAB conference in Vegas.  It's kind of a work trip.  Although the main hidden agenda, after "work", is to go around the West Coast trying out as many restaurants that I can possibly get my stomache on.

Call it bragging but literally, it may be the food trip of a lifetime.  And it will be the first in a series of culinary trips of a lifetime that I intend to fulfill before I turn to dust.

THE PLAN

1)Book affordable dream restaurants by famous chefs.
2)Try different cuisines that are highly rated in food blogs.

There are just too many restaurants in the US that are must eats.  And sifting through that long, long list is just both tidious and fucking depressing.  There is just so much meals I can pack in a day.  Breakfast is one meal I keep missing since I really am not a morning person.  So that practically leaves me with brunch or lunch and dinner to schedule in a day.  Two meals to assign hundreds if not, thousands of high rated restaurants in the US in two weeks time is not enough.

Top of my list to book on is French Laundry by Thomas Keller.  Named the best American Restaurant several times, it would be the meal to die for...if I can book a table.  Of course I wasn't able to book one.

Hmmm, doesn't seem like a good start for what I claim to be the food experience to die for.

Some people go out of their way to get an autograph of Sarah Geronimo.  Some would die to watch Asaytono play basketball live.  Me?  Well, I almost wet my pants standing in front of James Gandolfini once but aside from that and sex, a Third World brown monkey like me find it at times better than sex to be sitting in a table getting ready for the memorable meal of a lifetime.

Well, everyone, brace yourselves for the barrage of food spots that me and my friends booked ourselves into.  You be the judge if indeed it is worthy to be jealous for.  WARNING:  THE FOLLOWING ENTRY IS FOR FOODIES ONLY.  READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.  FASHIONISTAS AND DIETERS ARE NOT WELCOME.  Everyday I will post a blow by blow, bite by bite account of one food day we spent there.


LAS VEGAS


1st NIGHT. APRIL 9, 2011


We arrived in Vegas after a gruelling 20 or so hours of plane ride from Manila to Hongkong, Hongkong to LA and LA to Vegas.  We were dead tired after checking into our hotel.  But we are hungry as hell too.  I didn't book any restaurant on our first night because we were not really sure what time we'll get to Vegas.  But when we were still on board the plane from LA, we were already unanimous in the decision that we were going to eat dinner after we check into our hotel.  And we decided, as Bourdain would describe it, "no other food is so American that embodies the beautiful and the bad", on THE PRIME RIB.  Not steak, but PRIME RIB (spoken in modulated voice like that of God talking to the puny, weak humans)

At 10 pm in Vegas, where can we get a PRIME RIB(modulated voice again)?

Lo and behold, like in an Elizabeth Gilbert novel, where the world conspired to give you what you want(that's Paulo Cuelho too), directly in front of our hotel (cue angels singing and with heavenly rays coming out from behind the restaurant), the famous LAWRY'S PRIME RIB(this time, in Peter Rabbit arrogant ABS CBN announcer tone).  Highly rated with $$$$ dollar sign to describe to probable customers to order with caution.  It is as Americana as you can go.  Cigar room, oakwood bar, American colonial pillars, dimly lit where you think some Redneck Congressman in some dark corner is planning a conspiracy to bring down Obama, all American clientelle na kulang na lang naka-argylle socks and naka-piloka with the checkered vest, loafers and bow tie.

What an intro to an American trip.  A restaurant more American than America!

Now, on to THE PRIME RIB!  What is, THE PRIME RIB?  In Manila, only Gulliver's offers this and no one else.  In a steakhouse, they broil or grill slabs of beef and serve it to you.  In a Prime Rib resto, they wheel around this Terry Gilliam-esque looking broiler and they have in there whole slabs of beef that they cut for you.  They slap it on your plate, plus mashed potatoes and your choice of creamed corn or spinach as sides and then pour a generous helping of beef au jus plus some horse raddish sauce on the side.

Enough english, Puuuuuttta!  Never eaten beef this good!  Normally, I can't finish a whole slab of those 1/2 inch steaks that I order.  But this one, with an inch and 1/2 or 2 thick cut and the size of my thigh, I practically devoured it.  Nilamon baga!  Puta!  And the cliche, "melts in your mouth" is never more apt in this.  Nice bloody meat, just enough fat to call it beef, perfect sauce!

If a vegetarian dies without tasting this?  I'm sorry but I don't think they've lived THE  life at all even if they died at 124 years old healthy and all!