As I was growing up on Cape Cod I would go to fish pier every Sunday morning with my Dad to pick up a fresh fish.. Part of ritual would be to stand on dock and watch boats unload. While men all exchanged their secret language of growl and spit, I would stand off to one side watching fisherman prepare their fresh catch. Many times a fish would jump box and lay flapping around on deck of boat. The fisherman would pick it up, push a fish knife into lower belly, and with a quick twist of wrist fish’s internal organs would come bursting out and hang down like grapes. The fisherman would then pull innards from fish, toss fish in lift bucket and off it would go to market. The ghastly smelling innards were tossed to irrepressible seagulls hovering and shrieking above.

Valentine's weekend (2005) in Las Vegas saw launch of celebrated New York chef Rick Moonen's rm restaurant.

Overhead spot lighting is flattering, and easy listening jazz plays unobtrusively in background. Booths and tables, arrayed with white linen tablecloths & napkins and deep dish votive candles, seat 80 people. Mahogany is everywhere, and pinpoints of light reflect on a glass wall separating bar from restaurant. In middle of a window overlooking shopping mall, water cascades down glass to pool above entrance below.

This striking design was created by Cass Calder Smith, a San Francisco-based architect. Perhaps that's why clean, modern look could be reminiscent of a swank yacht club with both a tranquil and intimate feeling. You get idea that no detail has been overlooked by Smith and Moonen, right down to square water glasses and square white china plates.

Brett, our waiter, in simple black shirt and slacks, brings menus and fresh-from-the-oven-tasting crusty rolls with a tiramisalada. The spread consists of almonds, potatos, lemon, oil and carp roe. We remind ourselves not to fill up on this delicacy—there's much more to come.

We begin with an Amuse of Yellow Fin Tuna finished in champagne vinaigrette, which perfectly sets off salty flavor of tuna's spicy crust.

The first of six courses that constitutes Chef's Tasting Menu is flash-seared Hamachi, a white fish surrounded by honshimiji mushrooms and green onions. At table, Brett pours over it a warm lobster consommé.

Since I ordered Chef's Tasting Menu and my husband, Cork, ordered an entrée, his salad of choice is served at same time. It's a cold Hamachi Ceviche, with ruby grapefruit and yuzu. "Yuzu is a spicy sweet and sour sauce," Brett says. It's lemony and sweet at same time, but doesn't overpower tender morsels of hamachi.