Las Vegas: Searsucker and Cowboy Caviar

When I told my friend Jessica that I would be all by myself in Las Vegas, she felt sorry for me and decided to set me up with her friend Susan, who is a stylist in Las Vegas. On top of being fun and super awesome, it turned out that Susan is just as much a foodie as I am, so obviously, we wanted our “blind date” to be at a restaurant.

Susan dropped me a couple of suggestions and after looking through the menus online, we quickly settled for Searsucker (duck fat fries always wins). I even invited J (another girl I met in Las Vegas) to join us, so we were two foodies (Susan and I) plus one not-so-much to head out for dinner.

Do you remember my previous blog post about the man I was sitting next to at BurGR? And the Rocky Mountain Oysters, which aren’t oysters but bull testicles? How gross it may sound, I was really curious about those cojones, so when Susan spotted them on the menu, hiding under the name “Cowboy Caviar”, there was no doubt that we were having testicles for dinner that night, as she was also really eager to taste it. New friend J just shook her head and went on to order crab cakes.

The testicles arrived breaded and fried with a slightly sweet sauce and visually, the dish reminded me of the chicken nuggets from McDonald’s. This was also what I tried to convince myself it was, when I took the first bite, because no matter how you put it, chewing on a fried testicle doesn’t sound very appetizing.

It didn’t taste like chicken though, but more like a mix of veal escalope and Swedish meatballs (..balls, *lol*) or sweetbread. The bites were tender and surprisingly tasty and even though I’m not sure I would be able to finish a whole plate all by myself, it is definitely something I would not hesitate to order, if I get the chance again.

We also had pork butt with whiskey apples and bacon emulsions. The individual flavors were perfectly balanced so neither the whiskey, nor the bacon was allowed to steal the show. The result was an intense and succulent, but smooth, dish that still makes me drool, when I think of it.

For dessert we had pumpkin pudding cake, which tasted like the cake version of Starbucks’ pumpkin spice latte. The pumpkin cake itself was a bit too sweet for me, but together with the ice cream, it was delicious.

Unless you’re a really big fan of The Hangover, Caesars Palace hasn’t really been da sh*t for a very long time. The dining and nightlife center of gravity in Vegas has successively shifted further down The Strip to Aria and Cosmopolitan, not to mention the posh but popular venues further north on the Strip at Wynn/Encore.

Though something is definitely happening these days, and Caesars Palace seems set on regaining past glories and Searsucker is just the newest addition to an increasingly strong portfolio including the nightclub Omnia and the upscale buffet Bacchanal. I’m looking forward to the next move.

Searsucker opened in Las Vegas in April 2015, and if you ask me, it’s is one of the best new things happening on the Vegas dining scene right now. The menu at Searsucker is best described as comfort food with a modern twist. It was at Searsucker I had my first Cowboy Caviar (bulls testicles) encounter. I don’t think it’s on the menu anymore, but if it is, it’s definitely worth trying. Another highly recommendable dish is the pork butt, which comes in a rich whiskey/apple/bacon emulsion. It’s so tender you could eat it with a spoon. Whatever you decide to order, please don’t miss the duck fat fries with chipotle ketchup.

Most mains are in the $25-$35 range, and even though the portion sizes are generally decent, you might want to add a little extra (such as the duck fat fries…just saying:))

Searsucker was founded by former Top Chef contestant Brian Malarkey. He opened the first branch in the Gaslamp District in San Diego back in 2010, and today there are 4 Searsucker branches including the one in Las Vegas.

• Searsucker has a casual vibe, but the surroundings are so nice that most people choose to dress up a little.

• Happy hour is from 16:30-18:30 every day, and the happy hour deals on drinks and small plates are very affordable, starting at $5 for draft beer.

•  Searsucker is right next to the entrance to Omnia, which is the new, hip nightclub at Caesars Palace.

Searsucker, Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd S