We’re Married! (Part Two)
The next day of our Las Vegas adventure began as each of our mornings do. With a workout! I was off to find the hotel gym and Andy went out for a run. He usually runs 5 miles a day during a vacation that is not wrapped around a race (although a lot of our getaways are).
The gym at the SLS is shockingly small, and every treadmill in the place was taken. Time was an issue that morning (we had two major things to accomplish and were not sure how long each one would take), so I took my run outside to the scenic Las Vegas Strip!
Then it was errand time! The first item to cross off the to-do list was to get our marriage license. This is a very important document you have to have to get married in Las Vegas. Even if you roll up to any one of those chapels, you have to first get the marriage license at the Clark County Courthouse. Also, bring cash. It’ll cost you $77, and the courthouse does not take plastic.
Doesn’t Andy look excited?
After we got our license (by the way, there was barely any wait and it was really easy), we headed to Tuxedo Junction to choose a tuxedo for Andy for the big day! I had found Tuxedo Junction through a web search, and then looked at their Yelp reviews to help me ultimately select them as our preferred vendor! The store manager Armando (Mando) was a tremendous help in putting together a really hip ensemble for Andy. We looked at several styles (and laughed at others) before Andy pointed to one he liked best on the wall. Armando informed us that they might not have everything in that particular style ready to go that day. But after taking Andy’s measurements faster than I have ever seen anyone take measurements before, and a trip to the stockroom, he emerged with an even more stylish jacket and the rest of the pieces of the suit.
Armando guided Andy into a fitting room as I pulled up the Yelp app (there’s a 15% off discount when you check in to Tuxedo Junction) to retrieve the discount. A few moments later, I looked up and there was Andy, dressed up more than I had ever seen him before. Wow. Tears began to well up in my eyes! My husband-to-be, looking pretty much like a perfect mannequin, was standing in front of me waiting for my approval. What a hunk!
I’ll stop gushing and post pictures of the tuxedos that did NOT make the cut 😉 :
The tuxedo needed a few temporary alterations, so we had lunch next door at Gianna’s Pizza… they served a Chopped Chef Salad that we shared that was just enough to tide us over to dinner.
After about an hour, Andy’s tuxedo was ready to be picked up. Since we were not going to have enough time to drop off the tuxedo before leaving on Monday morning, we opted to leave it at the hotel’s front desk and have Tuxedo Junction pick it up (for $10 extra).
Then we returned to the SLS Hotel and our room. Since I was determined to wear my human hairpiece, the Ellen Wille Cascade, to dinner and the show that evening, I began styling my hair. I hot rolled away as Andy caught a nap. And when my hair was done, I did my makeup. And then… it was time to put on the Nicole Miller gown I had rented for that evening. I rented it from a website called Rent the Runway. They offer designer clothing you can rent for a special occasion at an affordable price. They also make receiving/returning the rentals a snap. I also really liked the option of a FREE backup size (that comes along with your order) in case the size you ordered did not fit.
For dinner, we chose to stay at the hotel (because of the Carvey/Lovitz show being at our hotel). The restaurant we chose (Katsuya) and the show (at The Foundry) were literally footsteps away inside the casino. Since we were early for our dinner reservation, we sat at the sushi bar and had pre-dinner drinkys. 😉
Andy opted for the Kiwi Envy… a boozy blend of Bombay Sapphire Gin, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, kiwi, and lime juice. My God, it was good and I need to replicate it at home soon. Since I was watching calories (Betty Boring) I ordered a vodka and Diet Coke.
As you can see, it truly was happy hour…
After our cocktails we were seated in front of the sushi bar. Andy likes to watch the chefs make everything and rarely wants to sit at a table when we eat at a sushi restaurant.
Yes, there are three different glasses in front of me, all different wines, and all mine. There goes the calorie watching. Time to have some fun!
Food we had at Katsuya: I chose to be a little adventurous and order this Lobster & Truffle “Chawan-Mushi”. You had me at lobster and truffle. It was like a congee, and I have to say I didn’t LOVE it. It was just ok. But, it was beautiful to look at! Also, Andy and I share food almost every time we go out because it allows us to taste and experience more food. I pick most of the dishes because I am more picky than him. 😉
Next up, I chose the Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic soy reduction and toasted almonds. Very good, but already slightly having panic attacks about my sodium intake, retaining water, and fitting into my wedding gown the next day. So salty, crispy and irresistible!
Then we tried a dish that Andy picked out, the Salmon Sashimi with Caviar. The little pieces of salmon were filled with an onion chutney and then topped with caviar and placed on a little cucumber chip. I really enjoyed this dish. It was easy to eat in one bite–most pieces of sushi I am struggling to remain dainty/eat in two bites and make a mess. This would be a great passed appetizer at a party.
The next dish we tried was my favorite! The Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna. It’s basically a little crispy rice patty on the bottom (the texture of the rice was crispy on the outside and slightly chewy in the middle!!!), topped with spicy tuna and a few slices of jalapeño.
We also ordered a few rolls: The Special Katsuya Roll: Tuna, yellowtail, salmon, scallop, crab and avocado wrapped with rice, soy paper and cucumber, served with wasabi ponzu on the side. It’s always fun to order an atypical sushi roll (cucumber instead of nori on the outside).
Then there was the Tiger Roll. This one was calling my name, and I answered because there was caviar AND truffle oil involved, along with shrimp tempura, cucumber, and avocado.
The wine we chose was an Alsatian Riesling. It was on the drier side and very crisp. It was a great pairing with all the plates we ordered. At that point, we could have ordered more food, but I was getting pretty full. I was also so excited to see the show and ready to get our seats inside the club!
Our seats were pretty close, but then again, the Foundry is pretty small, so I don’t think there is a bad seat in the house. We ordered a few more drinks (wine this time). There is a bar conveniently located in the back of The Foundry. I can’t stop thinking about how much fun we were having and yes, how good we looked! Everyone around us was in a great mood. All major fans of Carvey and Lovitz, I suppose. I had seen Dana Carvey’s Netflix special Straight White Male, 60 (do yourself a favor and watch the special) fairly recently as well as his interview with Howard Stern, and had also seen Jon Lovitz a few months earlier on The Celebrity Apprentice. I could not believe our seats were so great and Andy wanted to see the show just as much as I did! AND THAT WE WERE FINALLY GETTING MARRIED THE VERY NEXT DAY!!
Someone at the bar was nice enough to take our picture together. 🙂
Andy took these pictures of me wearing the Nicole Miller gown. 🙂
I was having too much fun!
So. Happy.
Dana Carvey. Love him!
It was harder to get a good picture of Jon Lovitz, but I tried! Both comedians’ sets were excellent, and at the end they came out onstage together for a while. Somehow, Andy managed to procure another drink during a bathroom break. It was so fun to see him cut loose and know he was enjoying himself as much as I was.
Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz Reunited have a few shows coming up on June 30th and July 1st, 2017, so you can go to The Foundry’s website and order tickets. It’s so worth it!
So there you have it. We finally got married because we wanted to see a Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz comedy show that happened to be in Las Vegas. 🙂 Next post, the Big Wedding Day!
Mikuni Sushi Highlights Gluten-Free Awareness Month with Special Gluten-Free Menu
May is Celiac Awareness month and Mikuni Sushi has created a special Gluten-Free menu for people seeking to avoid wheat.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by the ingestion of gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. An estimated 1 in 141 Americans has celiac disease, yet 83% of those who have it are either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (also known as NCGS or gluten sensitivity) is a non-specific immune response to gluten that presents with symptoms similar to celiac disease. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity does not result in damage to the intestine, according to preliminary research. It is estimated that about 6% of the population has this condition. Researchers don’t fully understand the long-term effects of non-celiac gluten sensitivity, but a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet is the current recommended treatment.
The demand for gluten-free food has skyrocketed in the past few years, I think as a result of more being discovered about Celiac’s and NCGS. Also, many diets have shown increased weight-loss results by cutting back on wheat or cutting grains out altogether (as we do in the Paleo diet). Let’s face it. It’s hip to be gluten-free, and if you manufacture a product that contains wheat, it’s a great idea to have a gluten-free alternative.
Also, I am of the belief that eating rice is ok in moderation or as a treat. Andy and I might eat at a sushi restaurant once every couple of months, and sometimes we eat rolls/dishes with rice in them and sometimes not. 🙂 I wanted to showcase a variety of dishes with and without rice, even if not completely Paleo.
I sat down with the Executive Chef of Mikuni (Midtown), Daniel Schmoock (who is heading off to Japan this weekend to keep up-to-date on the latest food trends happening in the Far East) to talk about the gluten-free menu and its development. Chef Daniel has been with Mikuni’s for about 15 years and began his tenure with the restaurant group at the Fair Oaks location.
It turns out the gluten-free menu was born from customer demand and a rather lagging economy. The challenge was to make the menu interesting and fun like some of the unique rolls on the established Mikuni menus. A lot of those rolls contain gluten because they have tempura shrimp or vegetables in them. Chef Daniel told me it was also tricky because some of the ingredients used in a normal menu (such us the fish roe or tobiko) had been cured in soy sauce that contains gluten, making the ingredient unsuitable for use in a gluten-free menu. One contaminated ingredient spoils the whole dish. Chef Daniel also commented on the labels of some imported products (frequently used in restaurants) stating that some ingredients are not always entirely listed.
Before our chat was over, he recommended a few of his favorite dishes on the gluten-free menu–The Aerojet Roll and the Gluten-Free Kyushu Hamachi–for us to try first.
- The Aerojet Roll contains hamachi, tuna, avocado and rice, wrapped in cucumber and a soy wrap.
The Gluten-Free Kyushu Hamachi is Yellowtail sashimi, minced garlic, thinly sliced jalapeños and a special gluten-free citrus sauce.
Andy and I decided on a few other items and a bottle of Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay to celebrate #Chardonnay Day 🙂
Our server recommended the Gluten Free Black and White (pictured above): Lightly seared, buttery Albacore tuna toro (belly), topped with thinly sliced jalapeños, gluten-free citrus sauce and sesame seeds.
Probably the most Paleo item on the menu: the Gluten-Free Sea Steak: Seared rare tuna in Mikuni shichimi gluten-free soy dressing on top of daikon radish with sesame seeds. I could probably eat this “allday errrday” and not tire of it. 😉
I ordered this roll, the traditional Tekka Maki (tuna roll) because it’s on the regular menu, too. And, it’s just plain good.
For our last dish, we ordered the Gluten-Free 3 Roll. There’s ebi, fresh salmon, hamachi, tuna, and a little wasabi inside a soy wrap. This was my favorite dish besides the Sea Steak!
There are several other creations on the menu including nigiri and sashimi options, a few other rolls (1,2, and 4 in addition to the #3 we tried) as well as a few salads, gluten-free miso soup and there are non-raw options like Gluten-Free Shioyaki Salmon, Teriyaki Salmon, Teriyaki Chicken and Teriyaki Beef.
On June 1st, the “Oh Snap, Let’s Eat! Mikuni Photo-a-Day Instagram Contest” begins. Each day of June, there will be a theme (like “This is How I Roll” or “Chop it Like it’s Hot”) and a daily prize. To enter, you’ll need to follow @mikunisushi on Instagram and post a photo that best represents the theme of the day with the #mikuniexposed hashtag and mention @mikunisushi. There are no limits to the number of entries per day and you can be as creative as you like!
I also wanted to point out that Mikuni even offers a Karui (Lite) Menu featuring Mikuni dishes that are 500 calories or less, but are not necessarily gluten-free. It’s great to have so many choices. I love it that I could go to Mikuni and splurge with a deep-fried creation on a special occasion (like the recent Here We Stay roll), or just keep it lean on a normal day.
You can find Mikuni on Facebook here and on twitter here. Thanks to Mikuni Midtown for the inside scoop on the gluten-free menu and thanks to Chef Daniel for taking time out to sit down with us before our meal. 🙂
Mikuni Fair Oaks Reopens!
My friends at Mikuni Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar are pleased to announce the reopening of their original Fair Oaks location!
Andy and I attended the Mikuni Ignite Party on Tuesday to celebrate the reopening and to get a peek of the David Garibaldi painting that was unveiled (a long mural of Michael Jackson, Elvis and Taro depicted in between the two icons).
It was interesting to hear Andy talk about visiting this location in the late 1980’s. He told me that he and a friend used to come here before there were any other Mikunis. At that time, I was living in Ohio and the only thing I knew about Sacramento was that it was the capital of California. 😉 What a difference a quarter of a century makes!
After a two-month aggressive reconstruction schedule, the interior of Mikuni Fair Oaks is completely restored with bright colors on the walls, beautiful flooring, and the sushi bar is full of fish ready to be rolled and served. The chefs and waitstaff are smiling and happy to return to work. The buffet that was put out for the Ignite Party guests to enjoy included gyoza, sashimi, tempura, sesame chicken, and numerous sushi rolls. There were even lamb chops. And you can bet those didn’t last long… especially around Andy. 😉 The food was so delicious and indicative of the great spirits of everyone in the kitchen. A cake was served at the end of the event, and Taro’s sense of humor was apparent. It said “Mikuni is on Fire!” I agree completely! Welcome back.
Mikuni Fair Oaks will offer 10% off to Koki Club members, 15% off to Mikuni Blue card holders and 20% off to Mikuni Black card holders from Wednesday, March 6th through Wednesday, March 13th at their Fair Oaks location only.*Please show your Koki Club card to take advantage of this offer. If you are not currently a member of the Mikuni Koki Club, you can join on-site.
PS: Taro Arai will be appearing at the Sacramento Food Film Festival next Friday, March 15th. Join my friend Catherine of Munchie Musings for sushi from Mikuni and Kru and then watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi after, sponsored by Mikuni .
cavegrrl.com 
