June 2016 - Life is My Oyster

Eating My Little Heart Out in Vegas

June 25, 2016Oyster 9 Comments

Oh Vegas! You fill my belly with such joy! I eat my little heart out and there’s always more out there to try! What can a girl do? Keep eating? Perhaps.

La Cave at the Wynn Las Vegas. I went with some of my girlfriends to brunch a while back at La Cave, it’s a beautiful place with a balcony overlooking the outdoor grounds at Wynn Las Vegas. The concept is very interesting because you don’t quite order from a menu. Waiters come around with trays of food and you can take a dish if you like or pass if you don’t. Most of the dishes come in tiny cast iron pots and pans, so adorable! And the food was delicious! Pictured here are the Eggs Benedict, the Tater Tots, Pancakes, and Heirloom Tomato Salad. There was so much more, but the hunger was more powerful than the need for picture taking, you’ll just have to take my word for it, delicious!
Glutton. For some time now, I’d been wanting to try this restaurant. I’d heard great things! And a friend of mine pretty much guaranteed they have the best burger in town! I had to see for myself. Luckily, she joined me on this delicious date! It did not disappoint! The burger is juicy and soft, with all the usual flavors of a classic burger! Excuse me while I wipe the delicious juice running down the sides of my mouth! Located in Downtown Las Vegas, and I can safely say this is one of the better options out there. I vouch!
Japañeiro Asian Fusion. This restaurant was recommended by the Chef at Guy Savoy, so I had to try! Pictured below are the Rock Shrimp, the Bone Marrow, the Lamb Chops, the Scallops, and the Fried Rice. The Bone Marrow was perfectly buttery and full of flavor! The Rock Shrimp were tangy and delicious as well! I have to say that the rice was a bit underwhelming. But frankly, I’m more about the meat and the fish anyways, and I can say that I’ll definitely be coming back for more!

When it comes to food in Vegas, you’ve got your vacation planning cut out for you with these tasty recommendations!

Miami in Full Color

June 18, 2016Oyster 10 Comments

Graffiti is truly an art form! Whether you love it or hate it, you can’t help but admire the beauty and talent behind it. And in Miami you can see it in full color! You can find these beautiful works of art in the Wynwood neighborhood, located North of Downtown Miami. It is a neighborhood sprinkled with galleries, museums, and cute bars. Most of these pictures were captured by walking the exhibit at Wynwood Walls, and then some were captured on my way there.

The artworks are absolutely mesmerizing! There’s pops of color everywhere. Every corner you turn, every new block, or any side of an unsuspecting building can be secretly hiding a beautiful masterpiece. And if you’re lucky, you may just get a sneak peak at private banquet rooms that look like this:

and like this with the lights off:

Artists come from all over the world to paint the walls of Wynwood. Take for example, the first picture featured at the top of this post, it was painted by French artist Vanessa Alice Bensimon, a.k.a. Miss Van. Or even local artists (as in nationals), hailing from Brooklyn:

And on the sidewalks, as you walk under the Miami sun, searching for the next piece of art to point and shoot, your feet step all over funny and beautiful quotes sprinkled throughout the neighborhood.

If you are planning a trip to Miami, consider visiting Wynwood Art District. Perfect place to get some good food, maybe an ice cold beer for those hot Miami days, and take in all the sights. I also hear that it is absolutely beautiful at night. Spotlights light up the beautiful works of art, and they probably stand out beautifully in the dark of the night.

If you’d like more information about the art works and the talented artists behind them, visit The Wynwood Walls.

Eat Vegas – Restaurant Rundown

June 12, 2016Oyster 11 Comments

Oh yummy and delicious food, come to me now! Vegas is always sprouting with new and exciting places to eat, and when one embarks on the journey to try it all, it becomes a never ending journey to bankruptcy, haha! I joke, I joke! I eat Vegas all day, every day!

But in all seriousness, on my way to bankruptcy court (for work) I did observe as a lady who emerged from a car with a foodie logo walking into court. I guess this vice, like any other, can be financially crippling. But at least we are well fed! Cheers to that!

But this post is not about finances, it’s about food! So let’s eat Vegas! Here are some delicious finds in the Vegas food scene:

Le Pho Vietnamese Kitchen. The menu is choc-full of Vietnamese staples. It’s got your pho (duh!), it’s got banh mi, it’s got the Vermicelli bowl, and so on. It’s a recent addition to the Vegas food scene, but the owners are seasoned pros, hailing from local favorite joints Le Thai and District One. I haven’t tried everything on their menu, but I can certainly vouch for the wings, the banh mi, the pho, and the vermicelli bowl! Delicious goodness that has had me coming back, sometimes numerous times in the same week!
Itsy Bitsy Ramen & Whisky. The first few minutes of being there, I was ready to jet. It was empty! And there was a bit of an awkward mood about it. But we decided to stick it out, and we were pleasantly surprised. I did not have the ramen and whisky, sorry! I was lured to their establishment with promises of a sushi burrito, and although their build-your-own-ramen menu was tempting, I stuck with the burrito! I was a bit skeptical at first, would it be wrapped in a tortilla? how is this going to work? is it just a sushi roll? It truly is just a beef sushi roll, but it’s good!
Harvest by Roy Ellamar. This place is delicious! The only way to describe my experience. I went for restaurant week, and I am certainly coming back for more! The menu for restaurant week was perfectly balanced. We were a party of four, so it was perfect for trying almost everything on the menu. And did I mention? Everything was delicious!!! The heirloom tomato salad was nice and light, and the spinach soup perfectly creamy with bursts of savory smoked ham hidden in every bite! But the pork belly! Oh my food gods, the pork belly! It was perfection! And check out the cute cocktail (first pic above)! Can’t go wrong. Note to self: must go back and try the snack cart, the smell of it was irresistible every time it rolled past our table (and from the looks of it, it has raving reviews)!