Las Vegas: English’s Quintessentially British
The Skinny: One of my friends from work showed me a link to this restaurant inside Town Square shopping. It looked interesting and I just so happen to run into a friend that was open to try new things too. I’ve never really had real British food so I didn’t really know what to expect. First thing I noticed was that the dining room was pretty full, which is always a good things….usually. We ordered the “express lunch” which they advertise as a traditional lunch break, but faster. I ordered the fish & chip sliders that is a slider done English style with beef battered cod and fries with tarter sauce. My friend ordered the pie flight which consisted of the steak & ale pie, chicken & mushroom pie, and the cottage pie (ground beef, green onions, cheese mash). Yes you got ALL 3 in mini sizes, pretty good portions and for only $10.00. All express lunch items are $10.00 and they have about 7 items. Apparently from a few British friends, the menu is very British, again, not really sure what that means, but for me I’d say majority of the menu would be acquired taste. When my friend and I looked at the menu nothing really jumped out at us. Some of the items we actually looked at each with the look of what the heck is that? I’m almost always willing to try different cultures food at least once so it was worth trying.
The Good: The food was decent. Not really something where I’d rave about, but definitely something to try if you’re looking for something different. My fish & chips sliders were very good. Their tarter sauce is fantastic! I’m not a huge tarter sauce fan, but it was really good. The pie’s were good too. My favorite one was the cottage pie. My friend really liked the steak & ale pie and the chicken + mushroom pie.
The Bad: It took the waitress forever to come take our order, took forever for the food to come out. I had to start tapping my spoon to get some attention and have our food checked on. The manager offered us free dessert due to the long wait for the so-called “express lunch”, BUT the dessert itself took forever to come out too! When the waitress brought out the dessert she told us the manager was taking care of our bill because of how long our whole meal was taking.
Would you come back again? I suppose so, not anytime soon though. Yes the food took forever, but the fact that the manager acknowledged it and took care of it I will give them a second chance.
More Info: English’s Quintessentially British | Suite 210, Town Square 6599 Las Vegas Boulevard South | Las Vegas, NV, 8911 | Price range is moderate avg. $11-30
– Sniper Tam
Pastor’s “Sweet Potato” Pies
The Skinny: The first time I had these pies was at work and I thought they were a bit sketchy. The story I got was that one of the bosses had asked this random guy on street what he did the best (like Ted Williams) and he answered “I make the best sweet potato pies.” So then the Boss-man had Sweet Potato Pie Guy deliver 10 pies to the office. I was cautious at first but then when I tried a slice, I was completely surprised by how good it was. It wasn’t overly sweet, the crust was nice and flaky, and the spices were well balanced. Nothing really exploded in abundance, it was just a nice ride of simple flavors, kind of like having perfectly made lemonade on a Sunday afternoon. Even memories of my childhood came forward about how pumpkin spice ice cream was favorite flavor. The pie was just so simple and yet so addictive that I actually thought there was a little extra special something-something in there to make it more enjoyable. Later on it turned out that the real story is that the pies came from a Pastor who’s a music producer that moonlights as a baker. I’m not a religious person, but I have to admit there is something special about these pies…if not medicinal.
Robert “Storm” Daniels, the CEO and founder of Pastor’s Pies, does give the option of adding coconut shavings, pecans, a layer of brown sugar, and cheesecake (we think) to the mix. I say just order the regular version of the Sweet Potato Pie, it’s the best way to enjoy it. A glass of milk doesn’t hurt either.
I also think Olivia Munn should partner up with this guy and start up a business together….they can call it…Munn Pie…Truck?
More Info: www.facebook.com/pastorspies – Delivery (only): (562)334-0695 – Email pastorspies@yahoo.com
– MJ
The MGM Grand Food Crawl – Part 1
The Skinny: I have been blessed to try 9 restaurants on the MGM Grand property seeing what they have to offer for good eats. This is part 1 of that dine around with 4 restaurants on the board. First stop: Joel Robuchon. This is the one restaurant I’ve been told is a MUST try once in your lifetime. That’s absolutely a restaurant I want my rich husband to take me too. lol Second stop: Shibuya, one of my favorites Japanese Restaurants on the strip. Extensive sake selection! Third stop: Fiamma. This is a trendy Italian restaurant equipped with a fireplace in the middle of their lounge. Fiamma is designed to be seen, so if you want to be noticed, this would probably be the best place to go. Final stop for the evening: Diegos. Great place for you and the girls or even you and the guys to go hang out and grab a margarita before going out. See the high for more details of all these restaurants
The High:
Joel Robuchon: The minute you walk into that restaurant is amazing, with the amazing chandeliers & purple velvet upholstry, down to the beautiful table settings. For a lot of people I’m sure they’ll feel misplaced, this IS a high end Forbes 5 star restaurant so yes it’s an intimate, elegant atmosphere. Joel Robuchon is definitely for a more of a sophisticated palate. They came over to the table to show us their bread cart and explained which seemed like a hundred different types of bread, but really it was like maybe 10 or so? Then he came over with the awesome butter display, I don’t know what they do but the bread + butter was amazing. I could’ve just ate that all night alone. Then came the “lobster ravioli” Small bite in the middle of a dinner plate. It was delicious. I didn’t see it on their online menu to give you a description. That mini experience makes me want to go back for the full Joel Robuchon experience…..even if it’s for $400 per person. Remember: It’s a once in a lifetime experience.
Shibuya: Inspired by Tokyo’s Shibuya district, this is a the ultimate Japanese dining experience. Aside from the sushi bar, and regular dining tables they have 3 teppanyaki tables in the back of the restaurant. They also have an extensive Sake list. I tried the KANI SALAD (King, Snow and River Crab, Pickeled Cucumber, Seaweed, Lotus Chips). This dish is definitely unique as it is served on top of a fish bowl….yes! with a live beta fish swimming around while you’re eating the goods placed in a cone shaped bowl on top. I also tried the AUSTRALIAN KOBE BEEF TATAKI (Lemon Tamari Soy, Garlic Chips, Red Onion, Tarragon Oil) I LOVE beef tataki if it’s made right. This was good, I’ve definitely had better, but still great nonetheless. The sake I had to accompany all these good eats was the Junmai Ginjo. When I first took a whiff of it it had a fruity smell to it, and when I took a taste it, it was one of the best easy to drink sakes I’ve ever tasted. Definitely recommend having this with your dinner.
Fiamma: Traditional Italian recipes in a trendy fine dining atmosphere. This is my kind of place. I had tried their food at this event I went to called Wet Your Appetite during Restaurant Week and it was my favorite. I had the GNOCCHI ALL’ARAGOSTA (Soft Potato Dumplings With Maine Lobster Mushroom and Black Truffle) This is everyone’s favorite out of the whole night, but then again you can get me to fall in love with anything that has black truffle. The gnocchi was just the right texture, some restaurants make it too chewy or too mushy. Fiamma did it just right. We also had a vegetarian dish that had a spinach stuffing in these little handkerchief pastas w/ marinara sauce. I liked this dish too, but the gnocchi get the trophy for the evening. The restaurant has a very “sexy” feel to it. The restaurant is pretty open and faces the restaurant row so everyone that walks by sees you. You definitely don’t want to look broke eating in that restaurant. The lounge area is pretty nice too, has a nice big fireplace right in the middle of the lounge. If you’re tired of the nightclubs in Las Vegas, this would be a cool place to hang out, people watch and have a few drinks.
Diegos: Your traditional mexican recipes with a twist. The table side guacamole is THE BEST!! I LOVE Guac and I’m very particular about my guac. By far Diego is the best. All fresh ingredients prepared table side. Diegos has 125 different 100% agave tequila lables…..need I say more? If tequila is your friend, this is the place to be. They have this unique waterfall slide right in the middle of the restaurant. It’s definitely a fun non traditional atmosphere.
The Low: Shibuya: The last dish I tried was YELLOWTAIL SASHIMI (Shichimi Pepper, Garlic Ginger, Yuzu Juice). This wasn’t the most memorable dish that’s why I put it as a low. It really isn’t too much of a low because it was still good, it’s just not something I’d order at a hotel Japanese restaurant. I like to try something I can’t get anywhere else. Give me something different, something unique…..like the fish bowl Kani 🙂
Would you come back again? I loved all 4 restaurants and only having a taste of each restaurant, I absolutely want to go back and try the full experience.
More Info: Joel-Robuchon-French-Restaurant // Shibuya-Japanese-Restaurant // Fiamma-Italian-Restaurant-Bar // Diego-Mexican-Restaurant// Diego’s has a happy hour! Available at Bar & Lounge Area Only: Sunday through Thursday 4:00 P.M. – 5:30 P.M. They also have Latin nights Friday & Saturdays.
– Sniper Tam *Pew Pew Pew*
Las Vegas: The Palm’s Place
The Skinny: Located on the 6th Floor at The Palm’s Place, this is is a fantastic Sunday Brunch. This is the ultimate brunch to go to after a Saturday night out on the town. The whole staff is in pajamas so even guests are welcome to dine in their pj’s. When you walk through the main entrance you see the candy bar they’ve set up with mini Chinese take out boxes for you to stuff and take home with you. The menu consists of sushi, bagel + lox, baby crab claws, shrimp cocktail, fresh fruit smoothies. Aside from the brunch buffet, they also have items that need to be ordered through the server like eggs benedicts, morning pizza, baby back ribs, and the sampler platter of desserts that takes you back to your childhood with items like Snowballs, rice krispy treats, chocolate chip cookies, homemade ding dongs, caramel popcorn and cotton candy.
The High: From the kitchen, my friends and I ordered the morning pizza, lobster havarti benedict, crab benedict, + the pulled pork benedict. The morning pizza had white chedder cheese, bacon, ham with an egg ontop. This would be my #1 pick for the ultimate hangover food. It is basically an omlette on pizza dough. The lobster havarti benny was a poached egg on top of 2 pieces of lobster brioche with melted havarti cheese in-between. The lobster toast was delicious, it tasted like grilled cheese shrimp toast with a poached egg on top. The Crab Benny had real lump crab on top of your traditional English muffin. This was your typical crab benny, I liked this one a little better then one’s I’ve eaten in the past elsewhere because the crab wasn’t dried out and fresh.
The Low: The pulled pork benny was definitely my least favorite. It had a poached egg on top of pulled pork and a cornbread base. Pulled pork should just stay on a bun instead of as a benedict. This goes to show that not everything can be made into a benny. The service was ok as well, we did sit at our tables for a while before someone acknowledged us. It was our first time dining at this brunch so we had no clue how it worked. The server also forgot to put in our steak benny so we never even got to try that which I was looking forward to.
Would you come back again? Definitely, there’s so much more on the menu I’d like to try.
More Info: www.simonatpalmsplace.com. Expect to pay $38 for the brunch and add the option of unlimited bloody mary bar for an additional $10 or $16 for unlimited champagne. Open from 10am-4pm on Sundays only. Children under 12 pay $12.
– Sniper Tam
Song: Egg On A See – Cotton Jones
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