Sunday, August 25, 2013

Border Grill Las Vegas

My baby sister got engaged this weekend! Marta and Brooke are driving across the country to their new home in Chicago. Brooke popped the question off the Pacific Coast Highway in Big Sur before they embarked on their journey. Brent and I were in on the secret and part of the engagement surprise involved us joining them in Las Vegas to celebrate for a weekend. It is crazy to think that exactly a year ago Marta and I were in Las Vegas with friends for a girls weekend, and this time we were back to celebrate her engagement. Last year Marta suggested Border Grill for brunch and we instantly fell in love. A trip to Vegas is incomplete without its all you can eat small plates and bottomless mimosas. 


We are big fans of the Santa Monica Border Grill happy hour, and the Vegas Border Grill brunch is on my top three list of best brunch spots (Cheeky's in Palm Springs and Angelos in Ann Arbor are on there too). The brunch served tapas style, and you order as much as you want from the menu for one fixed price. It is great for a group because you can sample a few bites of everything. We tried pretty much the entire menu. My favorites were the Skirt Steak and Eggs, Machaca Chilaquiles, Peruvian Shrimp and Grits and the Churro Tots. Ahh those doughy cinnamony churro tots. I was so full, but could not say no. The bottomless mimosas go beyond the regular orange juice and sparkling wine and include flavors like passionfruit, strawberry, watermelon and cucumber.

 If you time your meal well this meal can serve as your breakfast, lunch and dinner. With most all you can eat food options you really sacrifice quality for quantity, but not here. Every single dish is creative, celebrates Mexican flavors, and is carefully prepared. Our skirt steak was cooked medium rare at our request. I would drive to Vegas for this brunch. I used my new favorite app, Fuzel (thanks Alaina) to collage the many menu items we sampled. If you are planning a trip to Vegas, plan on visiting Border Grill at the Mandalay Bay. Congratulations Marta and Brooke! We love you!

Biscuits & Gravy,  Bacon Jalapeño PBJ, Frittata Tart, Skirt Steak & Eggs, Chilaquiles and Lobster Pancake


Breakfast Enchilada, Peruvian Shrimp and Grits, Pork Belly Waffle, Churro Tots and Banana Bread Pudding

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Heirloom Tomato and Smoked Mozzarella Salad

The Balsamic Glaze is my new favorite product at Trader Joe's. It's both sweet and vinegary, and adds great flavor to salads, meats, and fruits. I have yet to try balsamic glaze on ice-cream, but apparently it is quite tasty. After a busy week with school starting at KIPP and Brent adjusting to his new job at Focusrite, we decided to spend Friday night at home. I prepared grilled chicken and made this salad with our farm box ingredients. The salad was so simple to build, highlighted the fresh produce, and looked so elegant. To prepare the salad, slice a few fresh heirloom tomatoes, the top them with smoked mozzarella and avocado. Next, sprinkle the salad with julienned basil leave, drizzle white truffle oil and balsamic glaze and last add a pinch of salt and pepper.


Ingredients:
2 Heirloom Tomatoes, sliced
6-8 ounces Smoked Mozzarella, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
A few leaves of basil, julienned
Balsamic Glaze
White Truffle or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A pinch of salt and pepper