I had this thought about three weeks before I left for Vegas that I should go to the gym regularly between then and the trip. Not that I was going to affect any miracles in three weeks of working out, but maybe I would feel a little better in my clothes, you know? I ended up going not once in that time period (to be fair, I did walk some), and in the last week I decided that it really didn’t matter because, as is my way, in the never-ending battle between my appearance and my palate, food wins out every time.*

Here are details about the three notable meals I ate while I was there:

Friday night part of the group was  going to a concert, so we had drinks and appetizers in the bar at Daniel Boulud Brasserie at the Wynn. First, the Wynn is gorgeous. Definitely a worthy foil to the Bellagio in terms of beauty (even though it’s not like Steve Wynn is trying to compete with himself). We split a bottle of champage, and my end of the group split a charcuterie platter and a cheese tasting. The charcuterie plate had two types of pate, some various hams, and a really great duck with a chipotle seasoning. There was only one stinky cheese on the tasting, and two kinds of bleu cheese. And I think I was the only one who liked bleu cheese, because I basically ended up eating both chunks myself. SCORE! There was a nice wheat loaf and a fig bread, some pickles and dried apricots and figs and walnuts. Very simple, very good.

Saturday afternoon we ate at Burger Bar at Mandalay. I had been craving a really good burger for a while, and this definitely fit the bill. You could choose from various types of beef as well as turkey and buffalo, and every possible topping combination. I ordered it medium-rare, of course, and it was juicy and perfect. The fries were good, and with a couple of pints of Shiner, it was a highly satisfying way to end my craving.

Saturday night, we had reservations at Mesa Grill. I have much love for Bobby Flay, and I was really really looking forward to this meal. I wasn’t exactly disappointed, exactly, just… well. We started off with a goat cheese queso with tortilla strips. It was good, and surprisingly mild. I am a notable spice fanatic, but in this case I enjoyed the lack because it let the cheese shine through. It was an unfortunate tease for the meal, however. I ordered the pork tenderloin, which the waitress said was their signature dish. It came with a sweet potato tamale, and then one of my traveling companions asked if I wanted to split a twice-baked potato with horseradish. I did, and I also ordered a chile rellano side because it came stuffed with black beans, brown rice and white cheddar.

The rellano was very good. We grew some Anaheim chiles in the garden this year, and I want to try the rellano myself. It was very spicy and I’m curious to see if it was made that way by seasoning or if the Anaheims really were that sharp. The twice-baked potato - meh. Not really worth mentioning, honestly. The tamale was surprisingly good, because I hate sweet potatoes. It had a pecan butter on it, and something about the masa counteracted and balanced out the starchy sweetness that makes me despise sweet potatoes.

And the tenderloin. That was maybe the most beautiful piece of pork I’ve ever seen.** The waitress suggested it medium, and while one of my dining companions cringed at that and ordered it medium well, I had recently read a story about how you really don’t have to worry about undercooked pork as much anymore, so I took the plunge. I am so glad I did. The pork was juicy and moist and gorgeous. Which made the seasoning all the more tragic. It was just over the line of being overseasoned. I am a spicy freak, as I mentioned, but you use that level of seasoning to hide flaws. Don’t get me wrong, I ate almost the entire plate (and it was a lot of pork). But I found myself trying to cut it in a way to maximize the amount of inner pork I got, and minimize the outside with the rub so I would get a better balance.

You know what the crazy thing about it is? (If anyone comes here looking for a review of Mesa Grill, take note.) I would tell anyone who asked to order the pork tenderloin. I have to assume that I just got too much seasoning, that it was a fluke, and that it was only by accident that someone made that delectable piece of meat so questionable. Please order the pork. Tell me in the comments how fabulous it was. Tell me mine was just a mistake. I beg you!

All in all, it was a lot of good food. But as I always feel after I eat like that for a couple of days, I came home craving simple food. Tonight I cooked some couscous and then grilled some grape tomatoes in olive oil with garlic and lots and lots of basil. I mixed it all together with chunks of fresh mozzarella, and it was good and uncomplicated and also made me very happy.

*It should be noted that this is not a character flaw; I am not one who eats to compensate for some perceived emptiness in my life. My job had me severely stressed out about six weeks ago, and I lost seven pounds. I do not eat to fill voids. I eat for one simple reason. I love food, and I want what I eat to deserve that love.

**Several years ago, my friend Cindy and I volunteered at the TSF golf tournament in Kansas City. They let us drive the beverage cart. The dinner at the end was pork chops that had been prepared by an outfit called Big Butt Barbeque, based out of Archie, Mo. Those pork chops were three inches thick. They were amazing. They were the only thing that could even compete with the Mesa Grill tenderloin in terms of pure pork quality.