I just got back from lunch at Bahama Breeze with my good friend Jen. Actually, my day started much earlier, when I had to be back at work at 9:00 am this morning for my benefits meeting. After a quick stop at one of the many Starbucks in the area (this one was actually in the casino) for a Venti something something pretentious double cappuccino, I spent two hours filling out paperwork to sign up for such things as health insurance, life insurance, dental & vision (all free except the extra life insurance I took out), 401k, and stock purchase plans. Finally, I get to graze at the table with all of the goodies that make Station Casinos one of the top 100 companies to work for.
The only snag I ran into was that I didn't know my sister Amy's info, and I needed it to name her as a beneficiary on everything. But I finally got hold of her and all the paperwork is squared away. Of course now she thinks I'm worth more to her dead than alive, so I can't be going back to Nashville any time soon or she may just accidentally bust a cap in me...
Once we got out of the meeting, Jen and I headed down to Bahama Breeze over on Flamingo & Paradise for lunch. When we arrived, we were some of the first customers of the day, so we were seated immediately. I hadn't eaten there since 2000, and was looking forward to trying it again.
Initially, the main reason for going was to order some of their habanero bbq wings--Jen loves 'em. Of course we had to have drinks, too, so Jen had an Aruba Red beer and I went with their Ultimate Pina Colada. Yes, the wings were excellent, as was my pina colada, but it was a bit small for the price. I think it was like $6.75 and it might've been 8 ounces. Needless to say, it didn't last long.
For entrees, Jen went with the waitress's recommendation and had the Crispy Chicken Club Salad, that was pretty sizeable and actually looked pretty good. It was covered with cheese, bacon, and chunks of crispy-fried chicken that were pretty good when dipped in the leftover wing sauce. I had the Calypso Shrimp Linguini, which sounded really good in theory, but was pretty much non-descript in practice. It's not that it was bad, but it just wasn't that great, either. Certainly lacking any Caribbean spice as far as I could tell. Bland is the word I'm looking for.
Jen said her salad was just ok, so we were less than impressed with the entrees. Calling the menu offerings 'Caribbean food' is like calling the Olive Garden 'Italian food'. I've had much better, mostly in much smaller and simpler venues. Yeah, I'm guessing you won't catch too many Rastafarians or West Indians eating there--the menu is geared more to the fanny pack-wearing midwestern tourist crowd. (Check me out, I've become a jaded food critic! HM)
Trying to rev up our lackluster offerings, we hit the tropical drink menu again. This time we ordered a Yellowbird and a Mint Cookie. Both had potential, but the bartender screwed them both up. The yellowbird had waaaaay too much Chambord (sp?) [edit--it was Galliano] in it and while the drink was yellow in color, the banana and rum was killed by the licorice. It was a horrible drink. The mint cookie thing was supposed to be a 'girl scout thin mint' in a glass, but they went overboard with the mint and it killed any hint of chocolate, giving it a mouthwashy taste, not to mention aftertaste. And it came garnished with a pineapple. When it arrived, we both had that puzzled WTF? look on our faces. Clearly they need a little help in the bar.
Not wanting to give up completely, we ordered a slice of Key Lime pie for dessert. It was actually really good--a very generous portion, enough for two to share, with a thick graham cracker crust. My only gripe was the inch of merengue layered on top. I hate that shiat. But the rest of the pie was good.
The bill came to $72 and change, and while the service was helpful and enthusiastic (earning her a generous tip), the food left me feeling like Teddy KGB after Matt Damon broke even--so unsatisfied.
Overall, I'd give the place a thumbs down. It wasn't 'bad', but it certainly wasn't great. And in a town full of great restaurants, it'll likely be another six years at least until I get back.
Mikey
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