We made plans to go to brunch after our church service (Spring Meadows Church http://springmeadowschurch.org ) . Since our church services are held at a high school theater that is about half-way to the Strip, we headed to the Venetian Resort and Casino to Bouchon.

Thomas Keller, the chef who is famous for his famous restaurant, The French Laundry, in Yountville, California and his famous, meticulously written, beautifully photographed book, The French Laundry Cookbook,  is  the originator of Bouchon.    Unlike the ultra gourmet, ultra expensive French Laundry (last I read, you’d pay $240 per person for the chef’s menu.  No drinks. Just food ), Bouchon is French bistro food, casual and tasty.

Inside Bouchon facing the bar

To get to Bouchon, we walked through The Shoppes at the Palazzo which were gorgeously designed to display all of these high end stores, from Fendi to Barneys New York.

The Shoppes at the Palazzo

Bouchon was all tile, glass, zinc bar tops, mirrors and wood.  The weather in October is still beautiful so we asked for a table outside.  This was the view from our table.

We were facing the pool behind the wall

The bakery is justly famous and the Pan d’Epi which came out with butter and strawberry preserves looked like an illustration in a book.  Maybe like an illustration in, say, The French Laundry Cookbook.  It was warmed and beautiful looking, although a little too salty for my taste.

Pan d'Epi

The waiter described the special as  lamb Rillettes  and talked about confits, reductions, au jus and how he ate it that morning and it was , “Magnifique!”  So I ordered it.  Maren had a cheese plate, three cheese tastes plus a piece of honeycomb for $15.25.  A Reblochon, a Red Hawk and a Vermont Shepherd.

Cheese Tasting

Vic ordered corned beef hash which came  with two eggs and brioche toast.

Corned Beef Hash & Poached Eggs

My Rillette was good, if also just a little too salty.  Deep lamb flavor.  Layers of flavor in the sauce.  I found that I couldn’t sop the sauce up with the bread because of the amount of salt they both contained.  So I used a spoon.

Lamb Rillette

Maren loved two of the cheeses, but gagged at the Reblochon. 
Reblochon is a cow’s milk cheese that has a creamy, softer-than-Brie texture; a nutty after taste; and a strong herbal aroma. This is a stinky cheese when overripe. It has a rubbery off tan rind that is sometimes wet from age and a little ammoniated.
This piece was definitely ammoniated.  She passed it to me and I finished it.  I should not have because afterwards Vic & Maren complained all the way home that I smelled.

Vic loved his corned beef & hash at $16.95.  He said it was some of the best he’s had.  Not cooked too long so that the corned beef chunks were solid and meaty and not a mush (as corned beef hash can often be).

So our food, plus coffee and iced tea was $48.92.  Worth it, really.  Food wasn’t perfect but the setting was pretty, the weather wonderful and the company great.  We left content.

Just for comparison, here’s a review of Bouchon in Eating Las Vegas that you can read.

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