Giada's in the Summertime - July 2014 meal recap

It's almost time for my next trip to Vegas (tomorrow, as a matter of fact), and I said I would post about my fantastic meal at Giada's and never got around to doing it after my July 2014 trip.  Here it is, December 19, 2014, and I'm getting ready to go to Vegas AND have another meal at Giada's, so I'd better get going!

Elevator entrance

My dinner reservation was at 5:30 p.m., and I walked right up the escalator to the seating hostess.  She turned me over to ANOTHER hostess, who took me on a little "tour" of the restaurant on the way to my table.  She showed me where the fresh pasta is made every day, the pizza ovens (the smells were heavenly there!), the lounge area, and finally took me to my table by the window, overlooking the corner between Caesars and Bellagio, so I could actually watch the fountain shows while I dined.  

Restaurant view from my table.

Looking around the restaurant, there are some really great seating areas, including booths for larger parties and small, intimate, two-top tables everywhere.  The decor is simple and understated, yet very pretty.  The tables are all decorated with simple cork placemats, flowers and candles.  Very pretty.

My waiter, Frederick, was a very talkative guy and very entertaining.  We discussed many topics over the next couple of hours, and he was never intrusive but very interested in everything I talked about, so that was a great change to the usual waitstaff.  He took my drink order first and brought me their bread appetizer.  I do mean BREAD APPETIZER.  There were three bread selections, including thin, crispy breadsticks, a flat bread that was almost like a cracker topped with parmesan cheese and salt, and a little crock pot of yummy garlic bread.  Alongside the breads were little bowls of red pepper flakes, hand-churned butter, capers, onions and thyme.  So delicious!  I ate every bit of everything.

Delicious carbs!

The drink I ordered was called the Barbarella: Tanqueray, orange spice, ginger beer, lemon and basil foam.  So tasty!  Trying to order unusual-sounding drinks is not difficult, but I do also try to read the ingredients and make sure it's something I would really WANT TO try.  It was tempting to just drink the whole thing down quickly, but I managed to sip on it throughout my meal.

Barbarella on a creative placemat.

After discussing the dishes with Frederick, I opted to try three appetizers instead of one larger entree, which I think turned out to be a great idea and let me sample bits of everything without either over-eating or being stuck with just one thing.  I ordered Wild Mushrooms, Mascarpone and Tarragon Shrimp Scampi, and Orzo Meatballs.  While I was waiting on my meal, Frederick brought me a small glass of prosecco "to welcome me to Giada's home".  I do believe I love prosecco now, too!  It is such a sweet wine that it is very easy to drink.

I found myself trying the Orzo Meatballs first and eating all five of them before I tried the scampi or the mushrooms.  The meatballs came with a red sauce that was really good on the garlic bread (mmm hmmm!), and hard to put down, so I didn't.  The wild mushrooms were fresh, firm and covered in a delicious garlic butter sauce and herbs.  The Mascarpone and Tarragon Shrimp Scampi was equally as delicious as the meatballs, but it included a small "cake" of polenta that looked like a small corn on the cob, but was actually just a crispy polenta cake that I think was actually just supposed to be a decoration on the plate but was SO GOOD that I ate every bite of that, as well.

Bread, prosecco, meatballs, scampi, and wild mushrooms - delish!

I went with the intention of eating smaller plates so that I could enjoy dessert, and I did accomplish this, but when the beautiful, heavily-laden dessert cart comes around...prepare yourself to be advised on every aspect of every dessert by a capable young man who really knows the desserts and knows how to sell them to you in multiples.  You will buy them.  Yes, you will.

He walked me through about 12 different desserts, trying to talk me into the cakes and the other larger desserts, but I ended up with a ricotta cookie (the Giada signature cookie), a blackberry/peanut butter cookie, and two Capezzoli de Venere, or "Nipples of Venus".  I got the Capezzoli just because I was fascinated by this dessert in the movie Amadeus, and I was not disappointed.  These are filled with chocolate ganache, chestnuts, and truffles, and they are so soft they seem to melt in your mouth.  Very good choice, and I would have them again.  The ricotta cookie was light and delicious, a bit lemony, with a slightly crunchy "crust".  The blackberry/peanut butter cookie was different, an unusual flavor combination to be sure, but I was not a huge fan of it and don't really know why I chose that particular cookie in the first place.  Maybe because I like blackberries?  Not sure on that one.  

Ricotta cookie (top), blackberry/peanut butter cookie (left),
and the Capezzoli de Venere (right)

After all was said and done, I spent two hours enjoying my meal, talking with a great waiter, and watching the fountains go off while the sun set behind Caesars Palace.  There are worse ways to spend an evening in Vegas.  My total bill was $76.75+tip, and worth every penny.

I plan on taking my mom and my daughter as a Christmas present on our trip this week.  I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.