Archive for the ‘Dining’ Category

 

Veloce Cibo – More than a room with a view

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

VeloceDiningblog

M Resort does indeed have “a room with a view” and it’s called Veloce Cibo. Perched atop the tower, spanning the entire length of the 16th floor, Veloce’s view is not only spectacular, it’s unique. Take a look up and down the Las Vegas Strip and you’ll find property after property staring East or West across the famous boulevard at one of its neighboring competitors, the glare of their marquees proudly invading each other’s hotel rooms. Not here at M – here we’re nestled some 400 feet above the Strip; take an elevator to the significant heights of Veloce and you’re offered a commanding South to North view, those marquees now a twinkling delight for your dining experience. 
 
Veloce_Chilled_Oysters_1blog
It’s not just the view that’s going to entice you however. Veloce combines an extensive menu of appetizers, entrees, sushi, sashimi and nigiri, as well as satisfying desserts, and pairs them with a range of hand-crafted cocktails and specialty drinks at Bar Veloce. Maybe the Chilled Oysters to start, then the Grilled Porterhouse with Tuscan Herbs, garlic and artichokes paired with the Yukon Gold Mash? Finish with something sweet, the Bobolini or Coconut Lollipops. Been to Hostile Grape? Tried the Enomatic wine dispensers? You’ll find more in Veloce and your wine card works here too. 

But there’s even more to Veloce than the view and the great food. The space itself is something to take notice of. Veloce Cibo translates roughly to “velocity of food.” You’ll find dark woods accented with polished metals, reminiscent of those classic wooden motor boats from makers like Chris Craft, Lyman’s and Century – speed, beauty and class personified. The large terracotta louvers offer a taste of something traditional with a dash of something contemporary. 

You won’t find one dining room here. Veloce offers a terrace and bar at one end, which flows into another room with a sushi bar, into another dining room with private booths and open tables, the next room with another bar and on. Your surroundings are such an integral part of the dining experience – Veloce offers choice and variety, though each environment is complimented with that view and yes please, that food. 

Still not enough to get you up there? Okay – how about sushi or dim sum for two, just $10 Sun-Thurs? Believe us, this “room with a view” is definitely worth the trip.

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Tell Us Your M Fantasy

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

CasinoFloor5blogIt was M Fantasy Night down at the Hostile Grape last night (wine deals, buy one, get one free specialty martinis and $5 all-you-can-eat appetizers in case you were wondering!) and it got us wondering what your M Fantasy might be. Post a comment on our blog telling us what your M Fantasy is (inappropriate content will be removed!) by Friday, February 26 at noon PST and the Social Media Team here at M will select the top three fantasies and post them on the M Resort Spa Casino Fan Page on Facebook where you can vote for your favorite. If you’re not yet a fan of our page, become a fan so you can vote! The person with the most votes by Friday, March 5 at noon PST will receive a $20 wine card to use at the Hostile Grape.* 

loft_0279blogSo what is your M Fantasy? Perhaps it’s a high-roller night to remember, with limo service from the airport, warm handshakes and cold champagne on arrival, cocktails at M Bar, dinner at Veloce, a spectacular run on the casino floor and a night with someone special in a loft suite.

 Are you the shooter at the craps table who throws that perfect pair of dice, everyone wins big and the crowd goes crazy? Maybe it’s putting everything on that one lucky number at the roulette table and watching that ball drop right where it’s supposed to. Flopping a royal flush? Hitting that mega-jackpot on a progressive? 

Would you like to get up in front of a live audience in the Studio B kitchen like Chef Tini Martini, with the bright lights and cameras focused on you? Showing off your culinary prowess and sharing the fantastic recipes you’ve been sharing with family and friends for years? 

Terzetto_Tomahawk__Ribeye_1blog

Maybe your M Fantasy is something as simple as dining on a perfectly prepared steak at Terzetto, paired with that cabernet from the Russian River Valley you’ve always wanted to try while sitting out on the terrace – a desert breeze on your face while watching the poolside frolickers. 

Remember we’re in Vegas, a place where fantasies can become realities. Get creative and share your M fantasy with us.

 *Must be 21 or older. Management reserves all rights to alter or cancel this promotion at any time.

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Posted in Dining, Entertainment, Gaming, Studio B, Uncategorized | 12 Comments »

 
 

New Hostile Grape Specials – Get Social & Get to the Grape

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Why is the grape hostile? Wouldn’t you be a little angry if you were being crushed to produce a beverage? (Albeit a spectacular beverage!) Maybe you’d be happy though, since you’d be providing the world with something wondrous. 

While the grape may be hostile, the Hostile Grape is anything but. It’s inviting. It’s sexy. It’s chic. It’s happy. That’s right, things just got a little happier in our stunning wine bar with a new array of great happy hours. For you bloggers, Tweeps, Facebook Fans and social media mavens in general, we’re having a couple nights right up your alley…or cellar as the case may be. Did I mention $5 all-you-can-eat appetizers? 160 wines by the glass?

 *****

The new happy hour specials begin Tuesday, February 16:

HG Tuesdays

Tuesday’s Turned Social
Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m.

Get social on Tuesdays for great wine deals, those delicious all-you-can-eat appetizers for just $5 and hip tunes at HG. Twitter users can enter to win special wine giveaways just by following @mresort on Twitter. (Requires log in)

 

Twitter Followers: We have something special for you. Here’s how it works:
1. Start following @mresort on Twitter if you’re not doing so already.
2. To enter to win for a free bottle of wine: using Twitter, re-tweet SOCIAL TUESDAYS at the Hostile Grape @mresort $1 selected wines & all u can eat appetizers for $5 from 6-8 pm #HG
3. Every Monday, we’ll randomly select five (5) winners and notify them via Direct Message (DM) from @mresort with a phone number to call. Details (name, phone number, email address) will be requested from winners via phone and instructions will be given to claim the bottle of wine at the Hostile Grape.
4. Winners must present valid ID at Hostile Grape to claim their bottle of wine.
5. Bottles of wine will be available for pick up at the Hostile Grape  only on the Tuesday after Monday’s selection between 6-8 pm.

Must be 21 or older. Management reserves all rights to alter or cancel this promotion at any time.

 HG Wednesdays
M Fantasy Night
Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m.

BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE Martinis, all-you-can-eat apps for just $5 and sexy mayhem every Wednesday night. The ultra sultry scene is set by a live DJ and great wine specials.

 

HG Thursdays

Sips and Smooth Grooves
Thursdays, 6-8 p.m.

Felling like something sparkly? Buy one, get one free Bellinis or Mimosas, wine specials and all-you-can-eat appetizers for just $5. Smooth sax sounds create a sexy groove every Thursday night.

 

 HG Fridays
All Things “F”
Fridays, 6-8 p.m.

Take flight to Hostile Grape every Friday during our end-of-the-week happy hour celebration including everything “F”. Wine Flight specials and yes, all-you-can-eat appetizers for just $5. M Resort Spa Casino Facebook Fans can win weekly wine giveaways just by being a fan. Meet JC of MIX 94.1 for flight specials, fun and a DJ spinning the hot house sounds that will make this your new Friday retreat.

 

Facebook Fans we’ve got a Friday special for you! Here’s how it works:
1. Be a fan of the M Resort Spa Casino on Facebook  if you aren’t already.
2. Every Friday, we’ll randomly select 10 of our fans to receive a bottle of wine when they come to Hostile Grape that night.
3. We’ll post the names on our status update to notify the lucky 10 fans that they have a bottle of wine for them at the Hostile Grape. We’ll include a phone number for winners to call. Details (name, phone number, email address) will be requested from winners via phone and instructions will be given to claim the bottle of wine at the Hostile Grape.
4. Bottles of wine will only be available for pick-up from the Hostile Grape on that Friday between 6-8 pm.

Must be 21 or older. Management reserves all rights to alter or cancel this promotion at any time.

***** 

I can almost taste the Prosciutto Wrapped Melon, that delightful Sonoma County Pinot Noir, the Grilled Veggies Skewers….But nobody likes “almost,” so why don’t you join us next week at the Hostile Grape at M Resort – get a real taste, get social and get happy.

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Valentine’s Weekend at M – Wine & Dine, Flirt & Fun

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

We’re fairly certain that come January 2, the grocery stores and mall shops had already sprouted a plethora of Valentine’s Day goo-gaws. From aisles dedicated to teddy bears, heart-shaped chocolate boxes and the latest and greatest Twilight-branded expression hearts, to cleverly worded “Roses are red…” poem greeting cards and a million online links to “Romantic Gifts for Him or Her,” Valentine’s Day is most definitely upon us.

Here at the M we’ve created specials for everyone – coupled or not. For the romantic twosomes, we have special Valentine’s Day menus in all our restaurants if you’re planning to celebrate with a dinner out. (Make reservations soon!) The food is divine and the views don’t get any more romantic. Check out our special Valentine’s Day menus here.

Now, for those unattached, we have a special party for you in Hostile Grape. It’s our As Single As I Wanna Be bash inside the Hostile Grape on Saturday, Feb. 13 and Sunday, Feb. 14. Wear your sexiest red stilettos ladies and go home with a complimentary bottle of wine while supplies last.

 HG-Lounge-3-MResort

*****

For those of you that want to prepare something at home for your special someone, check out Las Vegas’ only live cooking show – Martini Time with Chef Tina Martini. This week’s show is “Valentines for the Foodie,” and if you’re looking to impress with your own culinary stroke of genius, get down to the show to learn, laugh and taste too. Plus, enjoy a Chocolate Raspberry Martini and get the recipe to try at home.

If you can’t make it to the show, we’ve got a special martini for you to make at home or for you to try at one of our bars. Here’s our Valentine’s Day martini recipe:

White Chocolate Cherry Martini

Ingredients:

 .25 oz Cherry Brandy
1 oz White Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
.25oz White Crème de Cacao
2 oz Three Olives Chocolate Vodka

Preparation:

Shake all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with edible red rose (or petals), small chocolate heart, caramel spiral and a sprinkle of red sugar.

*****

And don’t you worry race fans and sports gamblers, we didn’t forget about Daytona so have no fear. There are plenty of screens around the resort should you need to sneak away and check out the leader board.

We hope you’ll join us at M Resort to celebrate Valentine’s Day weekend, but regardless of your plans, your status and your situation, we hope it’s a great one and wish you the best of times with your loved ones.

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What time is it? Martini Time!

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

A new show is cooking in Las Vegas and it’s ours!  On January 26, we’re debuting Martini Time with Chef Tina Martini. When it opens next week, it will be the newest live show in the city. This show is about feeding people’s desire to learn more about cooking and their desire to eat great food.

 This isn’t your typical over-the-top Vegas show.  Instead it’s a completely different concept – healthy entertainment – one that is unique and refreshing. There aren’t aerial acrobats spinning down from the ceiling, the studio “theatre” is likely the most intimate in the city with only about 50 seats and the “performer” well, she’s a chef and she’s interested in learning about you – meaning she takes audience questions and wants audience participation. She cooks and talks while you get to eat and if you’re lucky, be brought on-stage to assist with the preparation.  

 It’s hard to believe that in a city, which many people say is the culinary capital of the world, there are no culinary stage shows based here. A lot of places have celebrity chefs – it’s practically a staple in Las Vegas– which the Marnell family introduced when they owned and operated the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino – but not all these chefs are necessarily approachable. Millions of Americans watch shows on the Food Network, but while they’re sitting on their couch or following along and attempting to make the dish they can’t raise their hand and ask their TV questions.  Plus, we haven’t evolved yet for smell-o-vision. As an audience member at Martini Time with Chef Tina Martini, people can ask questions and even better yet – smell the dish as it’s being prepared. Let us be the first to say, you don’t have to be passionate about cooking to enjoy the show. After all, you still get to learn a thing or two, sample a dish or drink and enjoy the buffet afterward! We think that’s a pretty good deal.

 We’ll catch up with Chef Tina in a later blog post, but below are the details and a special promo video for the show.  Tickets go on sale tomorrow at noon. We hope you’ll check out the show.

It's Martini Time with Chef Tina Martini

Show Dates:  Sundays-Thursdays; Dark Fridays and Saturdays

Show Times: 10 am, 1 pm and 4 pm

Show Location: Studio B Buffet – cooking studio inside M Resort

Ticket Prices: $39.95, $49.95 and $59.95 inclusive of tax and fees. Ticket prices include a Studio B Buffet lunch or dinner (depending on show time) AND reserved seating at the buffet immediately following the show. If you’ve ever come to our buffet, you know that sometimes the line can be up to 2 hours long!

Ticket Sales: Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the iMagine Rewards Center between 8 am and 10 pm.

Guests must be age 12 or older.

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Meet the M Resort’s “Willie Wonka” of Pastries & Chocolate

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Executive Pastry Chef Jean-Claude Canestrier

Chef Jean-Claude

Take a walk through our Studio B Buffet or Baby Cakes patisserie and you’re bound to see some of Executive Pastry Chef Jean-Claude Canestrier’s culinary artistry. From pulled sugar sculptures to a collection of  exquisite chocolates , Chef Jean-Claude is a confection master. His many distinguished awards include winning the title of World Champion Pastry Chef in 2002 and the USA National Pastry Championship in 2001.

What began as a love for sweet treats quickly became a career. With more than 25 years of experience, Chef Jean-Claude (and his team) whip up confections daily for hundreds and thousands of guests dining at the M Resort or having events, meetings and parties here. His creations are featured in the buffet, patisserie and throughout the resort.

On a walk through the pastry kitchen, Chef Jean-Claude offers an insider’s view of the operation. Trays of Christmas cookies are stacked on rolling racks. Shells for gingerbread houses sit waiting to be used. Chef Jean-Claude, in his white jacket, makes sure every last drop of frosting is spread evenly and to perfection. He wipes his hands on his flour-covered jacket. Looking down, his shoes are equally splattered with frosting and sugar – true marks of a pastry chef.

 Gingerbread Cookies

“Our desserts are prepared from quality ingredients, filled with flavor and texture and beautifully presented,” says Chef Jean-Claude, in his charismatic French accent. You can tell that this is one Frenchman who is quite serious about his sweets.

“I don’t really have a favorite thing to make. I do what I have to do. I make gingerbread houses, sugar displays, cakes, gelato. People love gelato,” he says shrugging. “But I can’t make a lot of interesting flavors because people always like just chocolate, strawberry, vanilla,” he says with a smirk.

His days are long and end with lists of more things to do the next day. “I enjoy it, though. I love to see people happy and enjoying the desserts that I have made,” says Chef Jean-Claude.

*****

Our “Willie Wonka” will be whipping up weekly specials inside Baby Cakes, starting today.

  • This week – Signature M Sugar Cookies
  • Week 2 – Christmas Fruit Cakes
  • Week 3 – Chocolate Orange Panettone
  • Week 4 – Italian Holiday Pine Nut Cookies

Just follow your nose…but, if you can’t smell…Baby Cakes is conveniently located adjacent to the main lobby.

Hours – Sun-Thurs: 7 am to 10 pm; Fri-Sat: 7 am to 11 pm

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Celebrate with Cocktail Cheer

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

With Thanksgiving just mere days away, we thought we’d take a look at some of our tasting concoctions available on the big day. We have more than 100 hand-crafted cocktails that are unique our resort and that were created by our resident mixologist and beverage manager Charlie Moavero. Charlie is always experimenting and coming up with unique beverages.

Charlie created some delicious cocktails especially for this Thursday. The Pumpkin Spice is our seasonal favorite. Pumpkin just makes us think of the holidays, harvest and family gatherings. Our Pumpkin Spice Cocktail is  light on the pumpkin (but still delicious!) and topped with cream and cinnamon.

Pumpkin Spice Cocktail

PumpkinSpiceCocktail

 You can make this liquid delight too.

  •   3 oz. Pumpkin infused Vanilla Vodka
  •   .75 oz. Butterscotch Schnapps
  •   . 25 oz. Cinnamon Schnapps
  •   .25 oz. White Crème de Cacao
  •   .25 oz Half and Half

Shake all ingredients with ice until well blended. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass with a   graham cracker rim. Top with a layer of Amaretto whipped cream and cinnamon.

Some other yummy selections available on Thanksgiving include Cranberry Margarita and Nutty Caramel Apple Pie. If you don’t feel like being a mixologist at home, come to Veloce, Terzetto, Marinelli’s, Red Cup or Lobby Bar on Thanksgiving for a little liquid holiday cheer.

Don’t forget, we also have Thanksgiving menus in all our restaurants that will have you giving thanks to our chefs. Think Ravioli Di Zucca (Ravioli filled with roasted butter nut squash and walnuts in a brown butter sage sauce and parmesan cheese – Marinelli’s) or Cider and Honey Brined Roasted Turkey Breast, savory stuffing with apples and giblet gravy – Terzetto)! You can view complete menus on our Web site.

Happy Thanksgiving from the M Resort!

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When You’re Here – It’s All About Our Food

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

To say that food is important to the M Resort is an understatement. We have nearly 30,000 square feet of kitchen and culinary work areas dedicated to the culinary arts. We have our own reserve list of Marnell family beef at Terzetto, our steak and seafood restaurant and a bounty of live fish arrive daily and are housed in our ocean of tanks within our main kitchen. In addition to our fresh food, we also have our very own wine created from grapes from the Marnell family vineyard. We even have homemade gelato and artisan breads.

Our love of food though isn’t anything new. If you aren’t familiar, the Marnell family is credited with bringing many unique culinary innovations to the Las Vegas market while owning and operating the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino from 1992 to 2001. Many of the innovations are still widely used today. Below is a sample of some:

First in Las Vegas to host James Beard Out-of-House Events, which included the most recognized American celebrity chefs. It was the catalyst in attracting the late Jean-Louis Palladin, who eventually made the Napa Restaurant his home.
First in Las Vegas to introduce programs that exemplified an unsurpassed dedication to food.
First full seafood buffet in Las Vegas.  
First in Las Vegas to sell specialty foods made on premise.
First to establish roof restaurants and lounges in Las Vegas.
First to have a master sommelier on staff in Las Vegas.
First to have own charcuterie on premises in Las Vegas.
First to open the largest wine cellar and tasting to the public.

If you’ve eaten at our restaurants, let us know your favorite meal. If you haven’t eaten here, what are you waiting for? 

Here’s a sample of some of our favorite dishes.

Osso Bucco, mushroom risotto & roasted vegetables @ Marinelli’s
Maryland Lump Crab Cakes, mustard remoulade & lemon @ Terzetto
Banana Gelato and Vanilla Bean Gelato @ Baby Cakes
Surf ‘N Turf Roll, spicy tuna, kobe beef, sushi rice, nor seaweed @ Veloce Cibo
Tiramisu, mascarpone cream & coffee lady fingers @ Marinelli’s
Flan @ Baby Cakes
Filet Mignon w/ Bearnaise Sauce @ Terzetto
Tomahawk Ribeye @ Terzetto
Chicken Lettuce Wraps, spiced chicken, peanuts, green onion & water chestnuts @ Veloce Cibo

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Chef Morillo inside Studio B

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009

For those of you who don’t already know, the Studio B Buffet is home to an amazing live-action show kitchen and production studio. In addition to serving great food, this feature of the buffet really sets us apart from other properties and allows our guests to enjoy cooking demonstrations by our own culinary experts, as well as special appearances by guest chefs.

This week, native Las Vegan and owner of Crave Catering in New York, Chef Marco Morillo stopped by the studio to entertain our audience and showcase three of his amazing recipes. Our RSVP list was completely full within a few days of announcing the demonstrations and it was great to see how many of our guests wanted to attend. Food is such an important part of the M and it’s wonderful to know that you guys share our passion and are interested in expanding your own culinary knowledge.

Chef Marco Morillo

Over the course of three days, Chef Marco conducted a total of nine demonstrations. Chef Marco is no stranger to how things run at the M as he was the first apprentice chef to work for the Marnell family at the Rio. Since then, Chef Marco has relocated to New York, where he and his wife Debbie own and operate a successful full-service catering and event company.

Chef Marco working his magic in the Studio B kitchen

Chef Marco working his magic in the Studio B kitchen

Chef taught us all how to cook Coca-Cola BBQ Ribs, Fussili Pasta and Soba Noodles with Seared Ahi Tuna. Check out our pictures of Chef Marco and his mouth-watering dishes below.

Coca Cola BBQ Ribs

Coca Cola BBQ Ribs

Seared Ahi Tuna & Sesame Ginger Soba Noodles

Seared Ahi Tuna & Sesame Ginger Soba Noodles

If you’re interested in attending future events and you’re not receiving our emails, send your name, phone number and email address to socialmedia@themresort.com and we’ll be sure to keep you in the loop on our upcoming fall demonstrations.

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JC’s Birthday at the Hostile Grape

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

bday-crowd2

Every Wednesday from 6-8 pm, JC Fernandez of MIX 94.1 hosts our weekly “Escape to the Grape” wine tastings. JC does an awesome job and when we discovered his birthday was on Monday, we couldn’t resist incorporating a special birthday celebration into this week’s event. It was the perfect way to honor our host and thank him for all of his hard work week in and week out.

As part of the birthday bash, our pastry chefs created a delicious sheet cake, complete with JC’s picture on top, for all of our guests to enjoy. JC’s No. 1 birthday request was an extra hour of musical entertainment by Mark B., Hostile Grape’s resident guitar player and singer and we were happy to make it happen. 

JC's Birthday Cake!

JC's Birthday Cake!

The man of the evening

The man of the evening

JC is a popular guy and Las Vegas loves him! A great crowd came out to enjoy the wine tasting and wish JC a happy birthday. The man of the evening also chose each of the four featured wine selections for the tasting. JC is a fan of full-bodied red wines and his picks received two thumbs up and many compliments from our guests! 

Coming up next Wednesday, August 26 – Escape to the Grape for the Battle of the Wines. Join us from 6-8 pm for special red and white wine flights and sample four featured selections for just $15.

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