Al Solito Posto is a richly decorated high quality Italian Restaurant located in Tivoli Village in the Summerlin part of Las Vegas Nevada. They are participating in the 2024 Las Vegas Restaurant Week and offer a 3 course menu for $50. A Portion of the proceeds benefits Three Square Food Bank.
What to pick?
We ordered and they started us off with their focaccia and table side oil that is embellished with smashed beans, dry herbs, and cheese.
We started out with meatballs and squash blossoms.
main meals were rigatoni and chicken marsala (portions were very generous)
Desserts were Italian Lemon Cake and Bombolini
For the most part everything was great and this was a great Restaurant Week Choice.
I actually never made spinach artichoke dip before. I read about 10 recipes on the internet for it. Then I knew what to do….There are two different ways to make spinach artichoke dip. One way is to make a white sauce as your base. The other way is to just mix a lot of stuff up. This dip can be served warmed up or room temperature. Most people do prefer it warmed up. This is great to serve with crostini or crackers (flat breads pictures are called crisp breads and recipe can be found in the search). Serving size is always difficult to determine. If you are just doing tasting portions then you will get about 20 servings. I’d say for people at home this is more like 12 portions. For best results make this the day before you need it so the dried chopped onions can rehydrate.
Ingredients for around 12 portions.
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon (heaping) garlic confit (blended)
10 oz fresh spinach chopped and heated for one minute in the microwave
10 oz marinated artichokes – chopped
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese – shredded
1 cup parmesan cheese – shredded
1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 Tablespoons dried chopped onion
1/2 cup scallions – sliced thin and chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper (or to taste some people might only want 1/4 t.)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg -or use fresh ground for better flavor
sea salt – to taste
fresh ground black pepper – to taste
optional – 2 Tablespoons – bottom of the jar giardiniera (mine was in tiny pieces like a very fine chop)
Directions
Mix cream cheese, sour cream, ranch, mayonnaise, garlic confit, spinach, artichokes, mozzarella, parmesan, granulated onion, granulated garlic, Italian seasoning, dried chopped onion, white pepper, nutmeg and scallions together. Add giardinera if using. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve either room temperature or warmed up from the oven.
I was thinking guacamole and basically did guacamole with some Asian ingredients. This makes 4-8 servings. 8 serving if you only eat 1/2 an avocado but up to 4 servings if you eat a whole avocado. I do need to note that this is far more flavorful on the day that you make it but the good news is that it is always tasty. Some people eat more and some people eat less….So I will say 6 servings
Ingredients for around 6 servings
4 avocados – opened up, pit removed, and flesh scraped out
1 lime – just the fresh juice
1 shallot – fine chopped
3-4 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar (I did 3 and at the end decided I wanted a splash more)
1 Tablespoon – yuzu kosho – or to taste (this is a hot pepper/citrus/garlic condiment that is delicious)
1/2 oz. cilantro – chopped
1/2 oz. scallions – chopped
1 teaspoon – dried mint (or use some fresh mint if you have it)
0.16 oz package nori seaweed – fine chopped
1/2 apple – peeled, cored, – fine chopped or thick grated
optional sea salt to taste
optional black pepper to taste
optional more cilantro and or scallions to finish
optional a few pomegranate seeds to finish
Directions
Gently mix all the ingredients together and try not to break up the avocado all the way. You want it to be lumpy.
Spiedini Fiamma Italian Bistro is an Italian Restaurant located in the Rampart Casino that is in the Summerlin Area of Las Vegas Nevada.
Spiedini Fiamma Italian Bistro is participating in the 2024 Las Vegas Restaurant Week that goes from June 3rd-14th this year. Pricing this year runs from $20.- $120. and a portion of the proceeds benefits Three Square Food Bank.
Spiedini Fiamma Italian Bistro has cut their already reasonable pricing to just $30. for three courses.
Inside is a spectacular lavish atmosphere.
They started us off with garlic toasts that were very similar to croutons.
My husband tried the meatballs with polenta.
Maybe someone slipped with the black pepper? The meatballs were extra spicy and a little dry tonight. He didn’t care for the polenta. I asked what was wrong he just said it taste like porridge…..(not sure what that means but I was afraid to taste).
I tried the pear and gorgonzola salad.
This salad ran extra bitter tonight. Bitter arugula, unripe pears, and a very strong vinaigrette. Arugula not the freshest.
My husband tried the vodka rigatoni.
He said that the sausage was good but the pasta was overcooked.
I tried the chicken senape (chicken in mustard citrus sauce with vegetables and potatoes)
They forgot my vegetables so we asked for them.
This is a very large portion of food. The chicken is moist but the skin isn’t crisp and edible. The carrots were rushed and are a bit underdone. The potatoes are a bit over done.
Then we get tiramisu for dessert.
One has a lot of cocoa…one has a little cocoa. Mine is still frozen in the middle.
Tonight they weren’t big on clearing plates.
The next day I noticed my leftover chicken was undercooked.
Mostly Edible large portions that are reasonably priced but not the best.
Spiedini Fiamma Italian Bistro (at Rampart Casino)
Esther’s Kitchen is a locally sourced Italian Cuisine Restaurant located in downtown Las Vegas Nevada in the Arts District. They made their own sourdough, breads, pastas, pizzas, and more. This restaurant recently moved from a smaller location next door. The restaurant is named after the chef’s aunt.
WOW! It’s at least triple the size of the old Esther’s.
Past the hostess desk are dining tables and a large bar with more tables. To the left of the hostess desk is part of the open kitchen where I can see they are making pasta.
This is the dining area and open kitchen by the entrance. You can’t see it in my photo but there is a smaller dining area to the left of this area. Wow it is really loud in here…not music either…just a lot of people in conversation.
We started out by sharing a smoked ocean trout toast.
The made-in-house toasted sourdough is very good and so is the creamy thick cream cheese. Silky fresh smoked Ocean Trout, sweet heirloom tomatoes, onion, and fresh herbs complete the toast.
I tried the Cauliflower Alla Romana because it sounded interesting and not too heavy (anchovy, chili, garlic, fried capers, parsley).
It’s different……..The cauliflower has a starchy coating but the cauliflower is almost raw. The pieces on the top are just hard and starchy. The bottom pieces have a lot of anchovy and maybe capers and some are too salty. This is far more filling than it looks. I brought a bunch home.
My husband ordered one of the dishes that they do best……They called it rigatoni (house. made) Carbonara (egg yolk, house made guanciale & peas….((not sure if it had peas in it?)))
Well whatever this pasta is my husband said that it was very good.
Petite Kitchen was a small French Cafe located on the restaurant row (Craig Road) of North Las Vegas Nevada.
They offered a nice variety of French Style dishes, fusion dishes and a lot of delicious desserts.
It was really small or Petite inside. They only had two tables and a small bar counter by the window.
June 1st 2024 We tried to dine at Petite Kitchen again only to find that the door was locked. Lights were out. The wall menu, tables, and counter things were removed. And a large trashcan was in the middle of the floor.
Besides the friendly faces we also miss the foods we enjoyed at Petite Kitchen.
Croque Madame
Tuna Baguette (This was better than the tuna baguette named best sandwich in the state by Food & Wine Magazine)
chocolate and raspberry beignets
Tuna & Rice protein bowl
Ham & Cheese Baguette (my husband said that this contained the best brie cheese he has ever tasted anywhere)
This was my favorite dessert there – The crepe with pears, chocolate, and cream
This is an easy and delicious rich fudgy brownie recipe that I came up with that you can embellish however you like. This will make around 18 regular sized brownies (using a pan that is around 12 inches by 8 inches) or around over 30 smaller sized brownies Depending on how big or small you slice them.
Ingredients for around 18-30 servings
4 oz unsalted butter
10 oz 60% bittersweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon course sea salt
3 eggs – lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilia extract
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
non-stick spray
Turbinado sugar – heavy sprinkle for a crunchy finish
more chocolate chips for finishing (a mix of milk and dark or broken chocolate bars)
Some nuts – I do 1/2 walnuts on one side….Some people prefer with walnuts…… some people prefer without nuts….Pecans might be good….Sometimes I do hatch chile, peaches, and pumpkin seeds. Got other ideas too!
Optional – Melted chocolate for a drizzle
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray a pan that is about 12 X 8 with non stick spray.
Melt in either a sauce pan or in a Medium – Larger bowl in your microwave a stick (4oz.) of butter.
Add the 10oz of bittersweet chocolate chips…….about 1/2 will melt and 1/2 will stay hard…..
On top of that add the sugars, flour, baking powder, salt, eggs, vanilla, and cocoa.
Stir till mixed with a fork. (The batter will be very thick)
Spread this batter as evenly as you can in your pan.
Top the batter with whatever chips and nuts that you are using.
Finish with a good sprinkle of Turbinado sugar.
This goes in your preheated oven on a middle rack till it seems baked.
ovens do differ….In my old oven this would take 25 minutes and in my current oven this took about 30 minutes. Today the way I cut them I got 33 brownies. Some I’m bringing to a gathering and some I’m freezing for another time.
When they cooled down a bit I drizzled them with melted chocolate.
There is ALWAYS something New, Weird, Different, Limited, or Special Edition in the wonderful world of food. We NEVER know WTFork we’ll come across when we shop for food.
Up above is-
DIFFERENT & maybe WEIRD? – Yummies – Zambo’s Ceviche Plantain Chips………..I just don’t know about plantain chips tasting like raw marinated shellfish? Then on the other hand – WHO KNOWS?>>>>>>>maybe it taste like a Shellabration?
DIFFERENT – Yummies Zambos Salsa Verde Plantain Chips. This one might be good so let’s dive in and spice things up with salsa verde flavored Plantain Chips!
DIFFERENT – Yummies Zambos Yuquitas Chile Toreado Chips – I think these are Yucca Chips with Jalapeño Lime flavor…..These also sound tasty and something to dive into…..Maybe one needs a nice refreshing beverage after this………
WEIRD – Seven 7 Select Big Bite Hot Dog Sparkling Water……….Might not be something to muster…………BURP!
DIFFERENT – Elote & Hatch White Carrot Chips…..????? Different and maybe Weird?hey sound tasty but aren’t so good…Oh well
DIFFERENT – Hot Honey White Carrot Chips…DARN should have bought them…..because the Hot Honey Beet Chips were delicious!
DIFFERENT – Alef Uncured Harissa Wagyu Beef Salami….Sounds good but I can’t say for sure.
DIFFERENT – Good Measure Crunchy Sriracha Almond Crisps…….Different!
WEIRD – WEIRD Yerba….YUP it’s WEIRD!
WEIRD – Keurig IHOP Artificially coffee flavored buttery syrup and chocolate chocolate chip pancake mixes……..WEIRD!
DIFFERENT – Fillo’s Walking Tamales in bean salsa habanero and Mexican chocolate almond flavors
DIFFERENT – Fillo’s Walking Tamales in bean salsa verde and bean salsa roja flavors
DIFFERENT and maybe WEIRD – Hershey’s Milklicious the middle of chocolate bar is replaced with chocolate frosting…..I think that is weird.
DIFFERENT – Van Leeuwen’s Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin French Ice Cream
DIFFERENT – Van Leeuwen’s French Macaron French Ice Cream
And there is usually something Oreo.
LIMITED EDITION – ARTIFICIALLY FLAVORED Churro Flavor Creme Oreo Cookies. Oh Boy what did we do to deserve such a treat!
We that was the NEW, WEIRD, Different, Limited, and Special Edition Foods for May 2024. Who knows WTFork we’ll find next month?
Dining Out With Dogs is just a “FLUFF” story about taking my dogs out to eat. It all sort of started with my late dog Louie. He always enjoyed going out to eat. When he got elderly he came down with aggressive cancer. We were told that he probably only had 3 months to live or maybe up to 6 months. I took Louie out as often as I could and he made it another 17 months. Today I take my current dogs out to eat when I can and when the weather is right.
We got to go to Those Guys Pies in North Las Vegas. They specialize in cheesesteaks and pizza. If they sound familiar then you might have caught them on Food Network’s Diners Drive Inns and Dives TV show.
They are very dog friendly and actually have a craft dog biscuit Vending machine inside. Today they got the beef craft dog biscuits.
We started out by sharing a Caesar Salad with fried chicken for the dogs.
The dogs enjoyed craft beef dog biscuits and fried chicken fingers.
Those Guys Pies
5585 Simmons St N Las Vegas NV
725-251-5826
www.ThoseGuysPies.com
The following week it was cold again and extra windy so we just took the dogs to the In-N-Out Burger Drive Thru and brought the burger home for them.
They enjoyed the Cheeseburger
Bad luck again……The day I planned to take the dogs out was another cold (for here) and super windy day. 50MPH…..so we took the dogs to In-N-Out again.
The Giant Aussie loves looking into the drive thru. She just whacked the Beagle/Chihuahua out of his seat and took it so she can look in the window.
The dogs got to eat the burger at home.
They always enjoy a cheeseburger.
The weather was nice so we got to go to SNS Diner BBQ. If this place sounds familiar it might be because you saw this restaurant on Food Network’s Diners Drive Ins and Dives. They offer BBQ and also offer some breakfast foods. My husband had a three meat platter with bbq beef ribs, hot links, pulled pork, beans, corn bread, and a cup of gumbo.
I …I mean “We” had a two meat plate with 1/4 dark chicken, brisket, slaw, and cornbread……..I really enjoyed the dark chicken here and treated the pups to the brisket.
They always enjoy SNS Diner BBQ.
3229 Losee Rd North Las Vegas NV
702-269-9696
www.SNSDiner.com
That was dining out with dogs for most of May 2024….It’s starting to warm up here fast but we still hope to see you next month.
The Forking TruthIn Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017
Big Dog’s Draft House is a 24/7 neighborhood pub & casino & more in North/West Las Vegas Nevada. The building is barn shaped and inside is a Midwest sort of theme. The specialties of the house are award wining home crafted micro brews with over 50 on tap. Food specialties include cheese curds and bratwurst. A few of the other things that you can find here are a dog friendly patio and slot machines.
Here’s the patio.
When you enter there is a large bar to the left.
To the right is a main dining area with high top bar tables and traditional family friendly tables.
Behind this main dining area there is a small room with some video games.
I’m not a beer person but I tried a Blood Orange Gose.
It’s fruit forward but not sweet. I don’t taste the hops so it’s good for me. My husband tried a brew that taste like coffee to me.
My husband started out with a tasty cup of Wisconsin beer soup.
I tried the Friday-Saturday Walleye Dinner Special. It comes cornmeal breaded, garlic herb broiled, or pecan crusted with two sides. I picked garlic herb broiled with todays vegetable (squash) and cheesy potato cakes.
The vegetables medley is very good but the rest I wouldn’t recommend…..Don’t take this the wrong way…..Everything is edible but it just isn’t good (low quality slightly over cooked fish ((it’s not meaty and sweet like the way Walleye normally is…)), bland tarter sauce, mushy potato cakes). I would come back but I wouldn’t get this again.
My husband tried the Bratzel (cheeseburger, smoked brat, bacon, lettuce, tomato, fried onion, pretzel bun).
Parts of it were very good! The brat, onion rings, and horseradish mustard were very good and delicious. Burger was slightly over done and the bacon and pretzel roll were served refrigerated cold.
Maybe service is usually better but tonight our waiter was too busy to check on us. Someone that might have been a manager asked how things were as my husband was finishing.
