Diego at MGM Grand

When I first starting talking to Jimmy about setting up a blog we thought it would be fun to include restaurant reviews...so here's the first of many to come (I hope!). On Saturday evening we dined at Diego, a Mexican restaurant at MGM Grand. I had picked Diego for my birthday dinner two years ago, however, Jimmy ended up needing to cover a deposition in Los Angeles on my birthday, so we ended up taking a trip to southern California for my birthday that year instead. We never ended up making up the dinner, so finally Jimmy booked reservations (to celebrate our 10 year dating anniversary!) and we went!

I'm not sure if Jimmy is going to write his own review, so I'll include my opinion of both of our meals. Also, I apologize in advance for the photos - I need to get a smaller camera because my small digital camera is not that small, so I didn't want to take it with me. Instead I opted for the camera on my phone, which actually takes really good pictures - just not in bad lighting! I promise to get better pictures next time. Here's a good one of Jimmy and I before we left though (thank goodness for self-timers!).

So, we get dressed and head out to MGM for our dinner. We arrived a little early for our reservation so we scouted out the lion habitat and lost $40 on video poker, then headed into the restaurant. The hostess was nice and the decor was neat. The colors are vibrant shades, but muted by low lighting. Overall, a cool effect! So, first someone brings out water, chips, three types of salsa and three flavored salts. The chips and the salsas were delicious (Jimmy didn't care much for the green salsa, I think it was made from tomatillos). We weren't quite sure what to do with the salts, so I finally dipped a chip in one, and the salt stuck the chip - interesting. I think it was more fun to look at the salts in the little dishes than it was to actually eat them! Here's the chips and salsa and salts. Sorry about the quality, I know it's really bad! So, when our waiter arrived we ordered tableside guacamole. The guacamole man brings a cart to your table, asks if you'd like your guac mild, medium or hot. Then, he mashes up avocado and adds lime juice, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, onions, fresh jalapenos, and cilantro. Yummy! Jimmy decided right away on the carne asada (here's the description from their menu: Carne Asada a la Oaxaca - Beef Rib Eye Steak Marinated in Red Chile Adobo, Grilled over a Mesquite Fire, Mole Coloradito, Frijoles Maneados and Tequila Laced Roasted Cactus and Onion Salsa.). I on the other hand struggled to decide...I couldn't make up my mind, so I decided to go with a classic Mexican dish - enchiladas (here's the description from the menu: Enchiladas Oaxaqueñas - Fresh Corn Tortillas Cooked with Tangy Red Chile Sauce Rolled with Chicken, Poblano and Onion Finished with Oaxacan and Chihuahua Cheese, Diced Onion, and Cilantro.).

The food came out very quickly! Which was surprising because the restaurant was quite full. Here's my enchiladas. They were very tasty. I am not usually much of an enchilada eater so I'm not entirely sure why I ordered them, but I did! The only not-so-good thing I have to say about them is that they were not saucy enough for me. To me, enchiladas should be cooked in sauce and really saucy and cheesy. They were cheesy, but a little on the dry side. What sauce there was on them was good - just enough spiciness to make it fun! The chicken was good and the cheese delicious! It came with a side of Spanish rice which was good as well. I would give the dish a 7.5 out of 10.

Jimmy's dish, however, was out of this world! Here's a picture. Okay - so first of all Jimmy orders his steaks medium rare - which usually totally grosses me out when I think about it and look at it too much, but I think is really delicious when I actually make it past that and eat it! When I think of carne asada, I generally think of smaller pieces of meat - usually sliced or cut up in some way. This was a big ole steak though! Reading the description from the menu just doesn't do it justice! It had the perfect flavor to it - I don't know if it was the marinade, the way it was grilled, the sauce, or a combination of all those things - but it was fabulous! The smokey flavor in it was delectable! Jimmy's dish came with a side of beans (which I ate with my rice!) that were also yummy. I would give his dish a 10! It was that good!

A meal out is not complete without dessert - even if you're stuffed! We settled on the Chocolate tres leches cake (from the menu: Chocolate tres leches cake with crunchy meringues and Mexican chocolate Ice cream) - translation - chocolate three milks cake (not sure I want to know what kinds of milks - some of their desserts did have goats milk caramel...hmmm). Here's another crummy picture. The dessert was delicious! I especially loved the meringues topping the cake. They were crispy on the outside but soft and marshmallowy on the inside...yum...if I could I would have ordered a box of them to go! So good! The ice cream was sprinkled with nuts that were coated in cinnamon - delicious!

Overall it was a great dinner and a good experience. Would I go back? Not sure - it was good food and fun but I don't necessarily know if it worth a repeat visit. Would I recommend it others? Sure - but definitely order the carne asada! Hasta la vista!