Back on May 21st I attended the Epicurean Affair at the Palazzo. It’s an annual poolside food festival with local Vegas restaurants. For those willing to deal with the crowds and the heat, it’s a good way to sample bites from many of the cities best spots and catch glimpses of their chefs. Jose Andres was the featured guest this year, with his newest restaurants Bazaar Meat and Ku Noodles represented, along with his other Vegas spots Jaleo and China Poblano.
There were plenty of great dishes to be had like braised beef from Delmonico, a well composed and savory pork cheek benedict from N9ne Steakhouse, meatball panini from Nove Italiano, a beautiful garlic sausage en route from Bouchon, and a spiced pork sandwich from Bazaar Meat. My two favorite dishes were from the same restaurant — Cleo at the SLS. The depth of flavor from the spice in both the chicken shawarma and mushroom shawarma had me begging for more.
I’m typically not a fan of food festivals because my lazy ass prefers sitting down for a proper meal at a single restaurant. But, if you want to experience dozens of the the best that Las Vegas has to offer, the Epicurean Affair is the place to do it. And, if you can afford it, the VIP tickets are the way to go. They allow you in an hour before the general admission tickets, giving you enough time to sample many of the better spots before the onslaught of crowds come in.
3.5 Stars
The Palazzo
3325 Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109
