My local Sprouts Grocery had a variety of chocolates on clearance a few weeks back and this bar was 7 or $8. dollars off so I thought I’d give it a try. It’s by a company called MAEVE and it has a long name on the front that reads Valentine’s Romance Classic – The Peanut-Butter Banana Affair. Then under that it reads Peanut Butter and Banana Dark and White Chocolate Truffle Bar –
Whatever-
I open it up.
I break off a section to try.
There’s a LOT of cream in the center………(bah)
Here we go.
WOW the dark chocolate really is very good. Not too bitter. Not too sweet with lots of GOOD chocolate flavor. It also melts in the mouth just right.
I’m not crazy about the filling.
I can taste peanut butter and bananas but it’s not a satisfying amount of either flavor and the chocolate overs powers those flavors. There are also same crunchy objects inside that are odd.
Maybe a different variety of this bar is very good but I’m not paying the Sprouts regular price for these bars.
Those were my FORKING Thoughts on MAEVE Peanut Butter Banana Affair Bars. Your Forking thoughts may differ.
These are Foods that YOU can make too. Most of the recipes can be found here on www.TheFORKINGTruth.com
up above are –
Non traditional tacos made with ground turkey and pico de gallo. Some have lightly pickled avocado on them and the others have home made Boursin type cheese on them.
Also home made crackers with sesame, poppy seeds, and sea salt that are topped with a swirl of cheese ball. (Cracker recipe is shaped different and called crisp bread under recipes)
WOW! Did these vegetable egg rolls go fast!
I did get compliments on the pickled beets with cinnamon spiced goat cheese too.
Here’s the recipe for the Thai Style Peanut sauce I served with the egg rolls. I also served spicy Chinese Mustard too.
Mac-N-Cheese stuffed potatoes
Tasty Cheesy Rice Balls (these were so good people were packing them up to bring home)
Mac-N-Cheese stuffed potatoes (people always love them)
Home made cracker with taleggio cheese and pistachio pesto
Fried Potato and Cheese Pierogi
Tacos made with ground turkey all are topped with pico and 1/2 have pickled avocado and the other half have a swirl of home made Boursin type cheese (always a hit)
Potato and Cheese Pierogi
Falafel Spiced Turkey Meatballs with Hummus
Nacho Potatoes (no recipe combo of my homemade salsa and a variety of cheeses)
Maple Bourbon Walnut topped spice Custard Filled Squash
People love these non-traditional tacos
Taco weenies (made with ground turkey) and potato and cheese tacos
These are just some of the FOOD that YOU can make too!
A Brand New Marketon Supermarket recently opened at 5831 W Craig Rd in Vegas. They offer your usual grocery store items and also Latino specialties that are hard to find.
Below is a bit of what I saw there. I saw lots of lard there.
I saw some things that I never have seen before.
I also saw these hard to find special peppers here fresh and not dried.
I saw different snacks here.
I thought produce was very expensive here. A smaller sized cauliflower was $5.99 today. Five pound bags of flour were also very expensive and were $8.00 today. But they also had specials to counter some of the higher prices like large grinders of pink sea salt for $1.99.
The Bakery Collection of M&M’s Candy recently came out so I had to give them a try even though they ALL contain artificial flavoring.
Lemon Meringue Pie – I open the bag. they smell like lemon soda. When you eat them they have a strange texture and don’t feel like a M&M in your mouth. More of a candy coated cereal ball. They have a bright refreshing almost lemon taste and do taste a little bit white-chocolaty. Not terrible but have very little resemblance to an M&M.
Cherry Chocolate Cupcake – These smell like chocolate when you open the bag. They are the most successful flavor of the three. They do have an M&M’s chocolate taste embellished with a Cherry Soda type taste.
Peanut Butter Cinnamon Roll – YUK! Worst of the bunch. They smell like peanut butter. It’s like they made peanut butter M&M’s and instead of adding cinnamon they added a chemical that doesn’t taste like cinnamon and is bitter with a chemical taste.
Those were my FORKING Thoughts on the M&M’s Bakery Collection. I do note that YOUR Forking thoughts may indeed differ.
The International Marketplace is an enormous sort of Supermarket and Houseware Store that sells groceries and things from all over the world. They also sells lots of fresh and frozen seafood, kitchen items, some restaurant ware, live bamboo, Oriental urns, plant pots and more.
Below is just a small amount of what I came across.
Going to the International Marketplace near to downtown was the most exciting trip of the week. I wish it was closer to me so I could shop there more often. I LOVED the low prices on their produce. I also came across many hard to find items from all over the world, lots of seafood, and housewares too.
Maybe the best bite of the week was the Pastrami Sando from GastroPub Nisei Bar & Grill. It just BANGED with flavors! (locally made pastrami, yuzu slaw, and hot honey mustard)
Also our Hot Pots from the Chubby Cattle (Hot Pot) were very good expect for the flounder there but everything else was very good.
In other food news –
At my local Smith’s Grocery Store. – Watch out for wet slippery floors.
In other Food News –
Area 15 is getting NINE New Restaurant that are expected to open April-June-ish
Alien Pizza Party
The Bowl (with a robot chef)
Chilangos Tacos (Mexico City Style)
Cosmic Pretzel
Fuku (by David Chang) Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwiches
Good Company Burgers
Museum of Ice Cream
Nacho Daddy
Saint Honore Doughnut and Beignets
In other Food News –
January 27-26 – Zippy’s plans to open at 10810 W Charleston Blvd
Sometime Maybe Spring – Casa De Pizza & Wings plans to open – 765 N Nellis Blvd
The James Beard Nominees have been announced Some of the Las Vegas “Best Chef SW Restaurants’s Chefs are from these Las Vegas Restaurants –
Calabash African Kitchen
Sparrow & Wolf
Partage
Casa Playa
The Black Sheep
Bar Boheme
Best New Restaurant – Tamba
Emerging Chef – from Main Street Provisions – Ellie Parker
and in Silly and or Cute News – My dogs eating Grilled Chicken from Habanero’s #4.
That was The FORKING Las Vegas Food Buzz of the Week
These are foods that YOU can make too! Most of the recipes or variations of the recipes can be found here on www.TheFORKINGTruth.com.
Up above are potato and cheese stuffed egg rolls (no recipe because anyone can make a cheesy mashed potato and stuff it into an egg roll wrapper and fry.
Spinach Fatayer – The filling is mostly Tony Shalhoub’s recipe but I added mozzarella and feta cheeses.
Biscotti with pomegranate, rosemary, and chocolate
Macaroni and Cheese Stuffed Potatoes (No recipe just bake potatoes and hallow out. I make macaroni and cheese maybe slightly different depending on what cheeses I have around. This batch was American, Sharp Cheddar, Parmesan, and Queso Cheese. I just make a white sauce with corn starch and add the cheeses, white pepper, Franks hot sauce, a little cayenne, a pinch nutmeg) This batch I also added crushed butter/cheese crackers and more cheddar.
Falafel flavored meatballs (ground turkey) with home made quick hummus
Some biscotti pomegranate, rosemary, chocolate.
Froze 1/2 of the Potato & Cheese Egg Rolls and the Spinach and Cheese Pastries and served them again.
Like everything above everything went very fast and I got lots of compliments.
Tomato and Cheese Pizza
Tomato and cheese pizza and also corn and cranberry corn muffins
Small cocktail sized pastrami (yes I made) and rye rolls (Yes I made the rolls too)
People always love potatoes stuffed with macaroni and cheese
Corn Pudding stuffed mini bell peppers
and cookies of hazelnut/chocolate and pistachio
Did macaroni (shells) and cheese stuffed potatoes and (with the potatoes I scooped out) potatoes and cheese stuffed mini bell peppers.
Stuffing and cranberry sauce egg rolls and potato and cheese pierogi
Mashed potato tacos with mild hatch chilies (no recipe) but with salsa and tomatillo salsa
Radish slices topped with blue cheese butter and sriracha
Cannoli (home made ricotta & home made shells Recipe on here on site)
After this I made gnocchi with the extra ricotta cheese I made.
This is most of the best from this past 2025 year. (I said most because I might have forgotten a few or a few of the best were so recent that I didn’t get to add them in yet)
Maybe the best Ceviche I tried was the Ceviche Pescado from Moia Peruvian Restaurant.
One of the very best plates that I tasted this year was the spicy chicken won tons from Din Tai Fung a Taiwanese Restaurant that is located in the Aria Hotel/Casino.
The sauce is FORKING AMAZING is a YUM BOMB!
The Best Bread that I tasted in Las Vegas this year was from Monzu Italian Oven & Bar.
The bread is made from a 300 year old natural family starter from apricots and the bread takes five days to prepare. They serve it was house made ricotta and seasoned oil.
One of the BEST Vegetable Dishes was The Winter Squash from The Pepper Club that kept changing their menus and is no more as of December 20TH 2025.
The Squash were embellished with brown butter, sage, pomegranate molasses and gorgonzola dolce cheese.
The Salmon Katsu from Ton Shou Katsu & Izakaya was Spectacular!
Their Pork Katsu was just as spectacular so I heard.
A really great unusual dish was the Japanese Baby Peaches from Bazaar Mar by Jose Andres.
Japanese Baby Peaches from Bazaar Mar
One of the Best Pastrami Sandwiches was this house made one from Wild Fig BBQ.
The other best Pastrami Sandwich was the one from Wexler’s in the food court in The Aria Hotel/Casino.
I do note that I had the Wexlers three times over the past year and each time it differed some. The Wild Fig Pastrami sandwich only differed in the amount of fat in the pastrami on different visits.
The Goat Cheese in spicy tamarind sauce with pistachios and fried pita breads are so darn tasty that I have to get it every time I go to Flecha Cantina. (Just thought of the Goat Cheese with onion Jam that French Restaurant Oh La La French Bistro makes. That one is also Bomb Delicious)
Another FORKING Tasty appetizer is the Golden Pouches from Lemongrass & Lime.
Golden Pouches FAMOUS Crispy Spinach Salad from Nittaya’s Secret Kitchen
The other most amazing Thai Appetizer is the Crispy Spinach Salad from Nittaya’s Secret Kitchen….It’s the spicy limey bright sauce with cashews that so crazy good.
Maybe the best Thai Entrees came from What’s Zaap Thai Food.
What’s Zaap Thai Food was Amazing. Best Spicy Basil and surprisingly Great Green Curry Salmon
The Salmon was so darn masterful in a great green curry sauce and the Pad Gra Pow was the best I’ve tasted in Las Vegas So Far.
(Just remembered the fish dish from Skye Thai should be here with the crispy basil)
Another BEST was the 4 course dinner from Ferraro’s Ristorante. Every Plate was spectacular and perfect.
The Wagyu Beef Sker from Ginza Izakaya Japanese Restaurant
The Wagyu Beef Skewer from Ginza Izakaya Japanese Restaurant was flavorful and melted in the mouth like no other…..(but the pork belly Skewer was all dried out)
Chicken Francese from Ciao Vino RistoranteThe Bundino from Ciao Vino
The Bundino was extra delicious and flavorful from Ciao Vino
Best Salmon came from Matteo’s in the Palazzo Venetian
best Salmon – Silky moist fresh medium prepared and Skin that was seasoned and cooked down like a tasty potato chip that stayed crisp. – From Matteo’s Italiano’s Italiano Ristorante. There were a few really great salmon plates but this one was the very best of all.
Also from Matteo’s –
Ligurian Focaccia from Matteo’s Italiano Ristorante
This is like a ballon bread filled with melted Crescenza cheese. It was amazing and light as air from Matteo’s Italiano Ristorante. This might be the most amazing plate of the year. Too bad that it is only periodically on the menu.
Shawarma Vegas is one of my favorites for casual Mediterranean Food that happens to be kosher.
So far they make the BEST falafels, Best fluffy Pitas, BEST Beef Kabobs, and every Chicken dish was as GREAT as Possible.
The other great Mediterranean (also kosher) makes the best steak and ultra good chicken came from a kosher restaurant called Tikva’s Grill.
They both had delicious deep flavors, were tender and so darn juicy. (Oh and the fries were notably great too!)
BEST Indian food came from Taste of Gujarat.
The other best Indian-ish Contemporary Food came from Tamba Contemporary Indian Restaurant.
Now I am spoiled. I want all Indian Food to be this perfect and layered with flavors.
Best Plates of the year from a Special Dinner Event from Crossroads Kitchen. It was their Vegan Italian 5 course Dinner with guest Chefs Michael Voltaggio, Rocco DiSpirito, and Tal Ronnen.
The Pasta Nero was insanely SCRUMPTIOUS! with Morel calamari, Sea Bean Powder, and Arrabiata emulsion.
Even the Eggplant Milanese deserves a spot here.
The flavors were so unexpected. Even the lemon was juicy like no other.
And the Croccante Alle Nocciole was such a layered amazing dessert like no other.
A Special Mention must go to Rang’s Cocina Moderne. We go there regularly and all the dishes and all the service is VERY GOOD each and every time we go there.
These were most of the VERY BEST Plates of 2025 from Las Vegas NV.
These are most of the BAD Plates from This Year. I may have forgotten a few?
These are the most Horrific Foods I tried since last year.
Louie Louie Fried Chicken Sandwich
The Louie Louie Fried Chicken Sandwich was over sauced and made with chicken that was so dry it could make you choke. (maybe that is why they over sauced the sandwich?)
This Coconut Chicken from Hawaiian Barbecue (pictured below) had a sauce on it that made me gag and the better chicken nuggets were dry and stingy. The dryer ones were hard as rocks.
The Potato & Cheddar Pierogi from Pierogi Village
The Potato & Cheddar Pierogi had unknown meats in it from Pierogi Village – BLECH!
Caesar Salad from Balla Italian Soul
The worst Caesar Salad was from Balla Italian Soul. Because NOBODY wants their Caesar Dressing to taste like Ranch Dressing with an anchovy garnish.
Broccolini from Balla Italian Soul
Also from Balla Italian Soul the spicy broccolini is very over seasoned and MUSHY…..NOBODY likes mushy smelly broccoli.
Reheated macaroni and cheese, red beans and rice without sauce Jerk Chicken and the toughest beef in the whole world came from Taste Budz Creole Kitchen. (Dang even a crocodile would have trouble here)
Also from Taste Budz Creole Kitchen was from the can deteriorating sweet potatoes and salmon that a fork can’t cut that is crusted with something like grill residue and taste horrible and is so hot and spicy that it is inedible. Maybe this restaurant is called Taste Budz because the owner lacks Taste Budz?
Ick! It taste how it looks – from NORMS
This next one doesn’t look bad but it was BAD. It was suppose to be a $24. ground in house prime rib burger …………But instead they served an over cooked nasty fast food tasting type burger from Carve Prime Rib at the Cannery Hotel/Casino.
From Chabelito’s Mexican Grill #3 I tried the Birria Ramen.
Birria Ramen from Chabelito’s
Then I almost turned into a pillar of salt from this non-edible salt bomb birria ramen.
Hot Garlic Szechuan Chicken from China Kitchen
So SWEET you can pour it on pancakes.
Kung Pao Beef from China Kitchen
The beef was so tough that you could BREAK YOUR TEETH.
When you need a steak knife to cut threw you snapper Florentine is pretty darn bad. (and they served it with a broken sauce too1)
Snapper Florentine Special from Bistro 57Unseasoned hard as tire rubber chicken from Sushi Neko Dried Out Beef Bulgogi from Sushi Neko
This next one doesn’t look bad but it was……The Hamachi Kama from Ginza Izakaya Japanese Restaurant was over cooked to the point where it was dry and stringy. (but their wagyu beef really was very good)
Hamachi Kama from Ginza Izakaya Japanese Restaurant
Also the Chicken Karaage was maybe the worst I ever had anywhere……..because it tasted unseasoned and floury and that you can see!
Chicken Karaage from Ginza Izakaya Japanese Restaurant
Cooper’s Kitchen & Tap served me the WORST Stir Fry Dish that was chuck full of Raw Dry Kale and a sauce that might have been created by a toddler.
The Stir Fry from Cooper’s Kitchen and Tap was awful and full of Raw Kale
Went back to the Hawaiian Barbecue because it actually used to be reasonably good and got this in my Maui Maui Healthier Salad.
It was scary awful and disgusting. If was like fried the fish and dripped oil all over the salad and egg. And WTFork is that BLUE on the egg?
Grizzle and Chicken joints from all the meats I tried from 8282 Korean BBQ
Those were the 2025 Horrific Foods of Las Vegas.
Just awful and NOT WORTH A FORK!
Not Worth a ForkThis is Forked Up!The Forking Truth
The thing that surprised me the most about dining in Las Vegas were the amount of Thai Restaurants here. GOSH there are so many! Nearly all of them are at least good and several of them are exceptional and offer those “Tip” “TOP” FANTABULOUS Killer dishes.
One is the Pla Rad Prik (Crispy Fish) with Crispy Basil from Skye Thai Grab & Go (9650 W. Skye Canyon Park Dr.) We are very fond of other dishes here and also are a fan of their unusual for a Thai Restaurant dishes like Brussels sprouts, a pumpkin and egg dish, and even chicken pho but this Pla Rad Prik is extra special.
Pla Rad Prik from Skye Thai Grab & Go
Tender mild white fish that is shattering Crispy but delicious. It’s savory, sweet, spicy, sour, and tangy. It’s delicious and topped with CRISPY basil, green beans, and bell pepper strips, and come with steamed Jasmin rice. This is so good that even my husband who often doesn’t like fish said that he would order this dish.
Lemongrass and Lime Thai Restaurant (8431 Fam Rd.) might have more than one can’t miss dish. You MUST get the Golden (potato) pouches.
Golden Pouches from Lemongrass & Lime
GOSH YUMMMMMMM! Crisp Crunchy Eggroll wrappers stuffed with mashed potatoes that sit in the BEST massaman curry adorned with some fried crispy shallots.
Lemongrass and Lime also really kills it with their curries. I think the FORKING best green curry, massaman curry, and pumpkin curry, also was from Lemongrass and Lime so those too are must gets if you enjoy Thai Curry.
Yet another YUM-DINGER Crazy great Thai Plate is the Crispy Spinach Salad from Nittaya’s Secret Kitchen (8427 W. Lake Blvd).
FAMOUS Crispy Spinach Salad from Nittaya’s Secret Kitchen
This is so great that even if you think you don’t like Thai Food you will love this. It’s Spinach Leaves that are carefully tempura battered and fried to a perfect crisp. The sauce on the side is what turns this magical….The sauce is lime-ee and bright, it slightly spicy, and has lots of cashews in it.
Those were three of the MUST GET Thai Dishes of Las Vegas NV.
