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Buffet-style restaurants are as polarizing as the US presidential election. Either you love the idea of being able to choose exactly what you want and have as much as you like of it, or you’re pretty sure that a buffet simply saves the proprietor a trip to the Trump dump.
The last time I went to one of these “Heartburn Hotels,” the only vegetarian dishes (other than the salad bar) were breaded, deep fried mushrooms, fried cheese sticks, and fried potatoes.
On Evan Kleiman’s “Good Food” blog from KCRW in Santa Monica, I just read about the “new wave” in Las Vegas, the Buffet Epicenter of the United States. Vegas has become quite a foodie destination now, with überchef restaurants like L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Restaurant Guy Savoy in Caesar’s Palace, and many more. The buffet scene has accordingly been upgraded.
Asiago-stuffed gnocchi with spicy sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts, anyone? Photos from Yelp.
Little bowls of ramen.
How about The Wicked Spoon, a “food hall” where you can get anything from sushi, to fish and chips, to cheese plates, to grilled corn on the cob, to buffet/brunch classics like crab legs and eggs benedict? With a gelato bar, macarons, and an infinite variety of pastries for dessert (plus the essential chocolate-covered strawberries)? All prepared à la minute, on the spot, by eighty chefs?
The Wicked Spoon’s spicy “Angry Mac ‘n’ Cheese.” I love how they serve individual, small portions.
Someone on Yelp commented: ““Even for a vegetarian there was enough variety of food there to make you morbidly obese and keep you salivating.” Which brings me to the reason we never go to buffets. Well, reasons. The Long-Suffering Husband is one of those who finds the the buffet concept grotesque (he hates potlucks too). And let’s face it, the buffet is perfect for Vegas because it’s built on the hope that you can “beat the house” by loading up on the premium items… which are always the meats and seafood. Going to a buffet as a vegetarian is like playing the slots: a sucker’s game.
Cheese service at the Wicked Spoon.
Coffee-Almond Torte with chocolate.
Someone’s dessert selection: two tastes of gelato, berries in a chocolate cup, and chocolate covered strawberries with extras.
Still, I stubbornly believe that all the objections can be overcome. Not only do I adore hotel breakfast buffets (especially European-style ones with cheese) and fancy brunches with mimosas, I persist in imagining that, if only the selection was wide enough and the quality unusually high, I could devise a perfect meal around The Wicked Spoon’s truffle-infused potato gratin…
My taste was shaped early on, when my father would take us to brunch at the Biltmore Hotel in Santa Barbara. Photo: Thomas Dawson.
Linnet Moss 
I wish I’d taken pictures of buffets at a hotel in Mexico we were at in September. Fresh fruits, cheeses, salads, many, many vegetable dishes, set out new four times a day. I am not a buffet fan, but this was OUTstanding, a highlight of our trip. I think it was partly because the produce is all easily available there, and they did not leave foods stay, but changed them out. The drawback was the oppressive heat and humidity, but it made these air conditioned oases of tables and tables of fresh foods so refreshing.
Yes, the availability of all that fresh produce must be fabulous. I envy the people in California who have access to so many really fresh fruits and veggies, but I hadn’t thought about Mexico. The variety must be amazing.
Buffets in the US are not known for this–they have a long way to go!
well, well in this deluxe context i could be convinced 🙂 I generally don’t like them on hot food as nothing exposed long term to those lights and heat can be good. But this looks like everything is prepared in small batches and refreshed constantly.
The one buffet i do love is a good hotel one, especially around mainland Europe, fo example Germany where it is packed with varieties of breads and cheeses and yogurts. Used to be at the Hilton in Munich loads for work (it was functional business on in the chain, not a high end one) and they had the best breakfast ever!
I think it is also the one meal i would like to have as buffet, for lunch/dinner i prefer the non-buffet variety. But who doesn’t like to be spoiled with a buffet breakfast or a good brunch 🙂 Oh and i like a good salad buffet. There is a Scandi cafe that i adore in London and their pick your own 3 or 5 items from a salad and open sandwich daily selection is great.
And now i am absolutely starving!
I share your love of breakfast buffets, especially in Europe where you get all the lovely breads and cheeses. Here in the US it’s more likely to be an “English breakfast.” They don’t serve the cheeses, which are my favorites.
Oh sad that! i do wonder what breakfast will be like in NY. But then again i’ll be so jet-lagged i won’t know which meal in the day it is supposed to be and all i’ll need is gallons of espresso 😉 or good tea 🙂
It’s funny i never grew up with breakfast, none of my family is into it. Used to be cup of milk as i was growing up and that’s it. I discipline myself these days to have muesli at work. But in hotels i love breakfast 🙂 As long as it is fresh and varied and such. Or especially made for you, best thing about sometimes traveling for work is letting myself be spoiled a bit in the morning 🙂
Well, wave goodbye to the good tea. Sadly, Americans have no notion of good tea unless you go to a specialized tea house. BUT you should be able to get great coffee.
I grew up thinking of breakfast as “the most important meal of the day.” Not that we always spent the most time on it or ate the most, but we thought it was essential. My minimum requirement is a glass of orange juice and coffee or tea with milk 🙂