More stuff I learned in Vegas

1) A $600 meal is pretty darned good, but not all that much better than a $30 meal. I ate lots of good and expensive food in Vegas, but it wasn't all that much better than what I could get at home for a much more modest price. Fer instance, the Kobe filet at Shibuya was excellent, but not really any better than what I could get at Tokyo in Beaumont. And this goes triple for wine, sake, and booze in general.

2) There's an exception to every rule.

3) In this case, the exception is the cuisine of Joël Robuchon as served at L'Atelier in the MGM Grand (or at his higher-end restaurant, Joël Robuchon, I'm sure). This is stuff like you don't get elsewhere. I bought the cookbook (Simply French, Patricia Wells Presents the Cuisine of Joël Robuchon) just for the gaspacho recipe.