Smith and Wollensky
Posted on | July 25, 2010 | 1 Comment
Time for a bit of guest posting, with Adam handling the bulk of this review (a welcome break for me!):
Smith & Wollensky is tucked away just north of the Showcase mall on Las Vegas Boulevard. It’s easy to miss the parking entrance for S&W, as tourists are constantly flowing over it with little care that you want to turn in there. It’s pretty clear from the outside of the building that you’re there, but just remember that as soon as you see the front of the restaurant, get ready to turn in immediately after it! We missed the entrance the first time around, causing us to drive completely around the block (and Vegas blocks are BIG) before we could make a second attempt at parking. Tourists tried to block us, but we prevailed and finally got parked and into the restaurant.
Atmosphere-wise, the place has several distinct dining sections. There’s an upstairs that we didn’t explore, with a more formal dining area near the back (where the main entrance from valet is located) complete with its own bar. Past this area and the kitchen is this great little pub / bar area, which is where we sat for our meal. There was a nice comfortable ambiance to the restaurant and the pub secti0on. We didn’t feel like we were out of our league in terms of attire or expectations. This is an upscale restaurant, but the bar area certainly made us feel welcome even when we were dressed down. It felt like a nice place to have some food and drinks with friends, which is exactly what I’d recommend you bring – friends – as the portions for everything here are easily sharable by two or more.
We were invited specifically to try their Summer Grill menu, a ‘lighter’ version of the regular menu, which is mostly what we ordered from (minus the drinks and dessert). Here’s what we had:
Tuna Tataki:
First up we tries the Tuna Tatami appetizer, which was a nice seared tuna fillet with a wonderful smoky flavor to it, nestled on a bed of seaweed salad. The sauce that complimented the fish was nice and creamy, with the seaweed salad adding a great counter texture with a good crunch. The dish is easily sharable for two or three people, depending on how hungry everyone is.
Filet Mignon Au Poivre
Kristi:
My favorite cut of steak, and what I pretty much order anytime I’m at a steak house. This version did not disappoint. First of all, it was infused with a ton of flavor, due to the intense peppering. And I asked for mine to be only mildly peppered! The ‘mild’ seasoning was perfect, though. The filet was ridiculously tender, to the point that I probably could’ve cut it with my fork alone. As requested, it was cooked perfectly medium rare, and it was incredible juicy. Quite a nice version.
Bone in Rib Eye
Adam:
I went for the “small” bone-in ribeye with a Caribbean jerk on it. Apparently it’s not a rub, but a different way of preparing the meat that makes it more like a marinade, so you get more even flavor throughout the meat, rather than just on the outside. I must say that it was almost too subtle for me, only getting full impact from the marinade on the outer edges of the meat. I was expecting a bit more heat from it, but maybe I was just too used to how other places prepare carribean jerked steaks.
The picture doesn’t do this steak justice. This is a small, and was at least a 32-oz bone-in cut! There was over a pound of meat on it! I don’t expect a steak house to not cook a steak well, but the chef did an truly excellent job cooking this one. It was perfectly medium-rare throughout, juicy, and truly was an amazing value for the money. I realize this is Vegas and people come here to eat and eat and eat, but if you’re local like us, this is also an easily sharable dish… and even then you’ll likely be taking some home for a steak salad or sandwich the next day.
I also need to add that S&W has their own steak sauce in house that they offer if you want it. Normally I scoff at anyone offering me a condiment for a good steak, but for the sake of trying, I gave it a shot. I must say that it’s one of the better steak sauces I’ve tried. Maybe I just finally got to taste a good one.
We decided to split two side-dishes so we could try more of them. There are again two sizes you can order for the sides, and we found that even the small size was more than enough to split for two people, making them an amazing value for what you got vs. what you paid.
Truffled Mac and Cheese
According to the staff, this is one of the restaurant’s more popular sides. The staff joked that this is “adult” mac & cheese, and that’s certainly the case. Let me just say that if you don’t like truffles, you will not care for this dish. It’s potently truffled. If you’re a fan though, it’s a treat. The breading gives the creamy mac & cheese a nice crunch with each bite. You get plenty of truffle throughout.
Creamed Spinach
I’m a sucker for creamed spinach, especially a good one. The thing that stood out to me about this rendition of it was that it had a nice subtle texture – not too creamy – and a hint of what I think was garlic. The cream used wasn’t heavy either, meaning you could eat more than a few spoonfuls without your stomach telling you to slow down. A really nice side dish that’s always a wonderful compliment to a good steak.
Ice cream and sorbet (blueberry, vanilla, chocolate, passion fruit, mixed berry, blood orange)
Being a local here, it’s easy to get caught up in all the crazy desserts that can be offered from restaurant to restaurant. I must admit you get a little jaded after a while because everything sounds so… epic. Since there can be a good portion of the deserts that aren’t prepared at the restaurant, we always ask which ones are made in-house and tend to go with those. For Smith & Wollensky, that meant we experienced a trio of sorbets and a trio of ice-creams, all home-made. You can see by the photo below how great the presentation was. Six flavors, six colorful glasses, each with a spoon. And once again with amazing portion sizes, this too is an easily sharable dessert for two to four people!
First on the ice-cream side we had blueberry, vanilla bean, and chocolate. The blueberry was subtle, but it’s a hard flavor to capture well. For an ice-cream being blueberry, I think this was nicely done. The vanilla bean had a nice texture with pieces of bean throughout – a nice bean consistency. The chocolate was rich and had a fudgesicle like creaminess to it. Kristi is the chocolate fiend, but I found this to be tasty and not overly sweet, which I’m always a fan of in desserts.
For the sorbets, we had passion fruit, mixed berry, and blood orange. The passion fruit was fantastic. Tart and cool and just gave you an amazing kick with each spoonful. I’d circle around the others, then come back to the passion fruit for the kick upside the head it offered. I’m a big fan of tart and that one delivered. The mixed berry was a nice medley of fruits that had more balance of sweet and tart to it, making it a nice contrast to the passion fruit. Finally, there was blood orange, which has a nice tang from the blood orange rind that must be used in its preparation. I personally found the rind taste a bit overpowering, but still consumed all of it by the end of the meal.
The staff that we interacted with were all very nice and not afraid to strike up a conversation, especially about the great dishes that they offered. Everyone was very knowledgeable, passionate, and friendly, which made the dining experience just that much better overall.
If you’re visiting Vegas and in the mood for good steaks, and don’t want to go away hungry, Smith and Wollensky certainly delivers. You’ll get great well-prepared food with overly generous portions, making it a great value for a nice meal out. For locals, go in knowing that you can share just about anything on the menu and no one will leave hungry even if you do – from appetizers all the way to desserts – and you’ll have a wonderful experience.
On leaving, the valet gave us a little bag of cookies baked on-site. I’ve never experienced before, and will certainly remember to look for it when we return.
Cost: $$$
3767 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 862-4100
www.smithandwollenskysteakhouses.com…
L & L Hawaiian Barbeque
Posted on | July 15, 2010 | 1 Comment
I’ve been to L&L many times, both in Vegas and in LA. While it certainly isn’t my favorite Hawaiian spot, it’s conveniently close to where I live. We stopped in recently, since we hadn’t been there in awhile, and both of us ordered mini lunch plates. I had the Teri beef, which contained a large amount of beef strips, macaroni salad, green salad (buried under the beef teri), and a huge mound of rice.
I couldn’t finish my mini plate, and can’t imagine what the regular version looks like. Seriously. Does this picture look like the word ‘mini’ should be describing it?!
The food was good, although the beef had a few too many fatty/obscure parts for my liking. A little fat is okay, and arguably belongs in beef teri…. but stringy/rubbery parts? Not so much, in my opinion. The sauce is good, though, and not sickeningly sweet. And I like their mac salad, which is super rich and creamy.
I still don’t get why they don’t serve fried rice, either!
Cost: $
7891 W Tropical Pkwy., Las Vegas, NV 89149
(702) 792-9898
The Loft, Gardena, CA
Posted on | July 13, 2010 | No Comments
I hadn’t been to the Loft in years until recently. My favorite dish there was always the Hawaiian fried chicken, so of course, that’s what I ordered again recently. And I wasn’t disappointed!
The chicken was crispy, and savory yet sweet, and just greasy enough. The accompanying ramen cabbage salad was excellent, as usual, as was the macaroni salad. Add a mound of fresh rice, and you have a near perfect (albeit unhealthy) meal. By the way, the photo is HALF of an order. Yes, a ridiculous amount of food.
Still as good as I remembered!
Cost: $$
15607 S Normandie Ave., Gardena, CA 90247
(310) 523-4191
Oumi Sasaya, Lomita, CA
Posted on | July 13, 2010 | No Comments
Oumi Sasaya has been around for a couple of years, and I decided to give it a try recently after reading a review in the LA Times. They specialize in udon, which they make fresh daily, and it is quite good. Chewy in texture, yet silky, and definitely fresh tasting. I opted for the wakame (seaweed) udon, and found it to be quite good, with a mild yet flavorful broth.
While it may not be my favorite udon in LA, it’s definitely up there!
As an appetizer, they also serve you a fresh cube of tofu. Quite a nice touch…
Cost: $
2383 Lomita Blvd., Lomita, CA 90717
(310) 530-4661
Naked City Pizza
Posted on | July 10, 2010 | 2 Comments
From the guys that gave you the Naked City Sandwich Shop… here’s the Naked City Pizza Shop!
Much like the sandwich shop, the focus is on fresh ingredients, and just about everything is made from scratch. The pizza and food is Buffalo NY style, and the menu is more extensive than the sandwich shop.. serving not only pizza, but wings, subs, pastas, and salads.
As for the pizza? It’s sold by the sheet, medium to x-large. We ordered a simple pepperoni. The crust was about medium, not exactly crispy, but more soft and chewy with slightly crispy edges. The sauce was amazing! Tart, herby, with just the right amount of spice. The cheese was fresh and quite gooey. The pepperoni was extremely fresh tasting, dense, and spicy. A really, really good pizza.
Although I’m not a huge ‘wing’ fan, we decided to try an order of the medium spicy wings. They were really good! Just enough sauce, without it being sticky and drowning in it. For medium spicy, I thought they could have been a bit spicier, but they were quite flavorful. The chicken was cooked perfectly, with a nice, crispy skin.
The location is a bit weird.. it’s inside of the Moondoggies bar on Arville, just north of Chinatown. You have to ring the doorbell to get in, and the pizza window is towards the back of the bar. Since it is a bar, you essentially have to order the food to go, whether or not you decide to eat in the bar. I’ve read this is how they get around the smoking law. There are a couple of tables, as well as the bar itself where you can dine, but it’s a bit dark and smoky inside. I wish it was a bit closer to where I live, so I could actually take the food to go. Oh, and there’s not (yet) a sign outside of the bar indicating that the pizza shop is inside. Hopefully this’ll come soon!
Cost: $
3240 S Arville St., Las Vegas, NV 89102
(702) 243-6277
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Posted on | July 7, 2010 | No Comments
While I don’t normally review chain restaurants, we were recently invited to attend one of Carrabba’s “Amici Club” complimentary events. Remembering how much my mom loves this restaurant, and that I hadn’t been here in years, I thought “why not?”. I remembered them being better than other Italian chain restaurants. I’ve never particularly cared for Olive Garden or Macaroni Grill.
We arrived right on time, and found a group of people already seated in one room in the back, and were asked to sit wherever and with whoever we liked.
We chose a large table in the back, where we found pre fixe menus already placed. We were to get ‘sample’ sizes of each of the menu items, to include 2 appetizers, 3 pastas, and 3 desserts. Oh, and two wine pairings. Here’s what we had:
Calamari with marinara sauce: I don’t normally care for fried calamari, as most I’ve tried have been greasy, and way too rubbery for my liking. This one was actually quite good. The batter was light and had a nice, mild seasoning. The calamari did have a nice bite to it, but wasn’t like chewing on a tire.
The first 3 offerings were paired with a very nice, light Chilean Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc.
Next up was the fried zucchini with roasted garlic aioli. The server told us “it’s all about the sauce”, and she was right! Quite a tasty sauce. The fried zucchini was quite good too. Again, light, and also well seasoned, and cut much like french fries.
In between courses was a crisp Mediterranean salad:
The first pasta, and my favorite, was the Tag Pic Pac. I love simple pastas, if they’re done well, of course! This pasta was freshly made, and you could really taste it. The sauce was also quite fresh; tart, with just the right amount of garlic and basil. We were told they don’t use a premade sauce on this, and put the dish together once it’s ordered.
Next was the Penne with fennel sausage pomodoro, caramelized onions and fresh ricotta. While I don’t think this pasta was freshly made, it was cooked al dente, and had a nice sauce with it. The sausage was not as tender as I would have liked, but had just enough fennel without overpowering the meat. The ricotta added a nice, creamy and cool touch to the dish.
The last few offerings were paired with a nice, mild Ducarossa Chianti Riserva.
The last pasta was the Pasta Weesie, fettuccine alfredo with shrimp sauteed in garlic lemon butter and white wine sauce, with sauteed mushrooms and scallions. I’m always a bit leery to order fettuccine at restaurants, especially chain restaurants, as it tends to arrive swimming in a pool of cream, which I find a bit disgusting. This one had quite a thick sauce, but it was lightly tossed in it, and wasn’t drowning in anything. Oh, and it was quite flavorful. This pasta was also freshly made, and the shrimp were fresh, and well seasoned and cooked. A nice version of the dish.
Lastly was the desserts; a deconstructed cannoli, chocolate coconut mousse, and ‘Rosa”. I think the Rosa was my favorite. It consisted of cake layered with fresh berries, a mousse like cream, topped with whipped cream. Very light and refreshing. The other two were also good, but a bit heavy, and we were quite full by this point!
All in all, I enjoyed all of the offerings. Everything was tasty, well cooked, and surprisingly fresh tasting. They gave us a ridiculous amount of food; so much that we started to ask for just one of each to split, and we still didn’t finish them!
The service was wonderful, and it was a fun event to attend. I’m definitely more likely to return to Carrabba’s in the future…
8771 W Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89117
(702) 304-2345
http://www.carrabbas.com/
KGB: Kerry’s Gourmet Burgers
Posted on | July 5, 2010 | 5 Comments
It’s been awhile since we’ve gone out for burgers, and since KGB just opened, we figured we’d give them a try.
I was a bit surprised to hear that Chef Kerry Simon decided to open a new restaurant in Harrah’s, but while the hotel is still a bit outdated, the restaurant is quite nice. It’s in a large multi-level space, with plenty of seating, bar, and a lively atmosphere. While I wanted to try the “Iron Chef sliders”, they had a deal for 2 for 1 burgers, and we couldn’t pass that up!
Adam opted for a vanilla shake and the BBQ Bacon burger. I couldn’t decide which burger to order, so I made my own. Angus beef with aged cheddar, sweet onions, and wild mushrooms on a whole wheat roll. I’m very happy with my decision.
I had a bite of the BBQ bacon burger, and while it was good, there was a bit too much going on in it for me. I preferred my simple burger, as the meat was quite good, and cooked perfectly. I also appreciated that there wasn’t just a pile of button mushrooms thrown on top, but a nice mix of enoki, oyster, etc. And there was just enough of it.
A couple of issues we had? Adam was a bit put off that they don’t grind their own meat… me, not so much. The waiter explained that they import their beef from Creekstone farms, and I’m assuming it only comes ground. I found it to be quite tasty, and had no issues with the meat itself. The only slight issue I had was that the seasoning was a bit inconsistent. In some bites, I got just the right amount of seasoning, and in other bites, it bordered on overly salty. Other than that, I found it juicy, flavorful, and I loved the burger!
We also ordered the tater tots, and the sweet potato tater tots. I still can’t decide which I liked better… as they were both really good! Simple, but well executed.
The prices were about on par with other ‘gourmet’ burger joints, and the service was really good.
I would rank KGB’s burgers somewhere between my two other favorite burgers in town; LBS and Burger Bar. I’d definitely like to return to see how they change/improve, if they do, once they’ve established themselves a bit more.
Cost: $$
3475 Las Vegas Boulevard S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
(800) 214-9110
Honey Pig
Posted on | July 4, 2010 | No Comments
Craving bibimbap one night, we headed to Honey Pig to give them a try. Only problem was, they don’t serve bibimbap, at least not on their regular menu. Hmm… come to think of it, I probably should have asked.
No worries, though, as we decided to split an order of bulgogi instead. The meat was quite tender, although a bit on the too sweet side for me. I also think it would’ve tasted better had we cooked it ourselves, but that was our fault for not wanting to deal with the smell!
The banchans were a bit sparse, and included a cabbage salad, kimchee cucumbers, seaweed cucumbers, sprouts, and fried tofu. Not bad, but not the best I’ve had in Vegas.
The restaurant is about medium sized, clean, and tucked away in the corner of a strip mall in Chinatown. The service was quick and efficient. If I should return here, I’ll try something different. Oh, and like many Korean bbq restaurants, they’re open pretty late, and offer some pretty good late night specials.
Cost: $$
4725 Spring Mountain Rd Las Vegas, NV 89102
(702) 876-8308
Slider Truck
Posted on | July 2, 2010 | No Comments
We stopped at the slider truck at the last First Friday, just for a quick snack, and split two sliders.
The Barbie had cheddar, fried onions, caramelized jalapeño,bacon, and was smothered in BBQ sauce.
The Pep Pep had lettuce, tomato, sauteed onions, bacon, cheddar, and plenty of creamy sauce.
I enjoyed both, but think I liked the Pep Pep slightly better. Both were fresh, well cooked, well seasoned, and all of those toppings on those tiny burgers worked surprisingly well, without overpowering the actual burger. I hear they’re out in NW Vegas often, so I’ll have to stop by again to try some additional sliders…
(702) 301-2341
www.slidinthru.com
Mac Shack
Posted on | June 30, 2010 | No Comments
A new restaurant recently opened from the owners of one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Las Vegas, Nora’s. It’s a new concept for them. Think of it like the ‘Pei-Wei’ to PF Chang’s. In other words, Nora’s, only more casual.
I saw a few familiar items on the menu, including the crazy alfredo, as well as a selection of mac and cheese dishes, salads, soups, and a create-your-own pasta selection.
We were there for lunch, and decided to split the red rigatoni. The dish consisted of rigatoni with red peppers, sausage, and sliced meatballs in a red sauce. The pasta was fresh tasting and perfectly al dente. The sauce was rich, tart, and quite flavorful. All of the toppings were fresh and delicious. But I expected nothing less, coming from these guys.
Good food, reasonable prices, fast service… If it were just a bit closer to me, I think I’d be a regular here…
Cost: $
8680 West Warm Springs Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89148
(702) 463-2433
www.macaronishack.com/aboutus.html
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