SeaBlue (Las Vegas)

It was my last night in Las Vegas so I went wandering around the MGM Grand on the Las Vegas Strip, searching for a place to have dinner. As usual, it was about 5:30 p.m.

I like to eat dinner early when I’m looking for a fine dining restaurant because I can usually get in without a reservation.

My ploy worked again. And you should know that when I was done, there was a line waiting to get in. Awright! Score!

But I digress.

SeaBlue is a Michael Mina’s contemporary seafood restaurant, one of five restaurants that Mina operates in Las Vegas. The ambiance transports the diner under the ocean – it’s dark and peaceful inside.

First up, appetizer. They had oysters, so that’s how I began. First, they brought me some naan bread with a small variety of spreads: hummus, feta cheese with nicoise olive tapenade, and red pepper and walnut muhammara.

Me too. I’d never heard of muhammara. So I asked my waiter Derek what it was (Derek, by the way, and with no insult intended, looks like an early toon version of Elmer Fudd). Turns out it’s a Middle East (Syrian) hot pepper condiment. It’s good.

The oyster platter arrived with three varieties of the wiggly stuff – Kumamoto, Fanny Bay and Gold Creek oysters – accompanied by cocktail sauce, horseradish, and a light sweet-sour vinaigrette dip, all very delicious. The three varieties of oysters had their own subtle flavors and I have to say I couldn’t choose a favorite from the trio presented to me.

My sea bass entrée (the server’s favorite fish, as he so pointedly informed me) had some mighty crispy, intensely flavored skin. No wonder it was his favorite. It was a perfect contrast to the Japanese snapper I’d had the night before at Japonais. Not fishy at all, very white and soft, yet flakey. A warm salad of mini-greens and mild golden pepper sauce complemented the fish.

For my vegetable side, I ordered some spaghetti squash. I’m still drooling over this one.

After a lovely meal like this, one just has to have dessert and coffee. For me, that night, it was a trio of profiteroles – little cream puffy pastry with a milk-chocolate crust, filled with rocky road ice cream, with dabby domes of chocholate and whipped cream gracing the plate.

I could hardly walk outta the place.

P.S. How could I forget this: They gave me two chocolate truffles to sweeten my mouth after dinner. Beats Andes chocolate mints any day.

SeaBlue: MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. So. (702) 891-3486.