For GNO (girls' night out) we ate at LAVO Italian Restaurant & Nightclub. I had always heard good things about this restaurant! Out of all the other restaurants that I had complimentary dinners at, LAVO gives the most generous servings and one free drink! I started off drinking a Sicilian Sun - Charbay Blood Orange Vodka, orange, and lemon juices. It was mixed well and it wasn't drenched in too much alcohol. From what I remember, they gave us, a party of 8: salad, pizza, spaghetti with peas (my favorite dish), cheese sticks, Crispy Zucchini, Crispy Fried Calamari (I could tell it was fresh), and Chicken Parmagiano! When our waiter found out one of the girls just turned 21, he brought a big slice of a chocolate cake! Some of us came starving and still couldn't finish everything! I love LAVO!
I had to save my best dining experience in Japan for last at Sushi Bar Yasuda ! When my husband and I entered the small, intimate restaurant, we saw Chef Yasuda standing alone at the bar. He had no facial expression (maybe he was getting into the zone?). As everyone sat down, he was preparing our foods and began talking to us in a calm, friendly manner. As the night progressed, we all were having interesting conversations with Chef Yasuda from his life back in New York (he was the former owner of Sushi Yasuda ), sushi making techniques (and secrets!), him getting to know a bit about his patrons, and so on. I had told him that we were from Las Vegas, NV and he made fun of how it was impossible to get great sushi to the desert. Well, after eating my omakase meal, I would have to agree with him! Now onto the food, if you haven't recognized him yet, Chef Naomichi Yasuda is featured in CNN's Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown episode ...