Max Brenner, Las Vegas, NV

I’ve had too many restaurant posts lately and not enough recipes, and yet, here comes another.  It will have to be fast.  My daughters are urging me to leave my blog and watch The Office with them.

We spent most of the day wandering around The Strip in Las Vegas.  We didn’t even put a nickel in a slot machine, but we did take in the gardens and the fountain at The Bellagio, and some fantastic aquariums – one that included several seahorses.

We did some shopping and enjoyed a great meal at Max Brenner’s in the shops at Caesar’s; I did not know of Max before this visit, but how can you go wrong with a self-identified bald man who loves chocolate?

I had a Margherita Panini and the girls split a pizza.  Both were very good, but the overriding favorite food was the waffle cut french fries, lightly dusted in chili powder and cocoa – very easy to recreate at home.

Another favorite was the hot chocolate with Bailey’s to finish our meal.

We were excited to see these European style hot chocolate machines churning away in the corner, but found that if you want the thick version, order the Italian hot chocolate.  Ours, while still full of chocolate flavor, added hot milk to this delightful, warm drinkable ganache.