Bloody up my Mary damn it!

As a wino/beer lover/cocktail goddess/foodie...I fully appreciate a beverage that combines my love for food with a bit o' alcohol. The Bloody Mary in my opinion is what my friends and I call "a meal in a glass". The thickness and complex flavors of the tomato juice combined with the salty nature of the garnishes allows for a full bodied drink that leaves you full and drunk. What could be better?

My parents (the ultimate winos) are stuck on their fermented grape beverages, and will rarely stray from  the vino. To get my Sicilian mother to put down the wine and try a different category of beverages is like hiding cookies from my boyfriend Jim...its nearly impossible.

The last trip we took to Vegas, not only did I spend my inheritance on gambling and strippers, I also spent my rent money on the wonderful and insanely expensive eateries that only Las Vegas has to offer. Emeril's Table 10, Wolfgang Puck's Cut, and Morels were just a few of the restaurants we fancied while staying at the Venetian.

I digress...

Anywho, my mother the wine stickler, was open to trying a Bloody Mary one morning at Morels French cuisine. Just as I was hoping I hadn't made a bad suggestion, I saw that our beverages were going to cost $22 a piece. SWEET JESUS AND MOTHER OF GOD...these Bloody Mary's better leave me feeling more satisfied than an Asian masseuse! Sure enough, a cart rolls up with an elaborate spread of garnishments, a shaker, giant glasses with an onion, pickle, stuffed olive, and a wedge of celery stacked on it.

Our waitress "Ben" (name changed to protect the innocent) looked as though he had a rough "go" in his earlier years and had the look of a former crack user. I was a bit curious of how "Ben" got a job working in a prestigious french restaurant in one of the nicest hotels on the strip...until I tasted his bloody Mary. Holy hell, this was the best bloody Mary I had ever tasted. The tomatoes were roasted and squeezed earlier that morning to make the juice for the beverage; he then added fresh garlic, horseradish, salt & pepper, baby heirloom tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce to a shaker and concocted his mixture. By adding the infamous Belvedere Vodka, it sealed the deal in being the best damn bloody Mary I'd ever had. The fact that my mother ordered two more was triumphant.

After this experience I was damn and determined to find a place locally (Long Beach, Ca) that offered the same experience in Bloody Mary drinking. My man-friend and I tried Christy's on Broadway for lunch and ordered their Spicy Jalapeño Bloody Mary. Not only did the dumb-dumb bartender add WAAAYY too much vodka, they over salted the mix with celery salt to the point that it was un-drinkable. Sadly, we walked away feeling ashamed that we tried to replace Morel's amazing Bloody Mary experience. It truly ruined the beverage for me. This leaves me with only one option...we must go back!

Christy's attempt at a Bloody Mary. Although the celery filled with cream cheese was splendid, the drink was less than desirable! 

"Ben" at Morel's making the orgasmic Bloody Mary from his cart of goodies