Category Archives: Forking Thoughts

Most of the BEST and WORST at Las Vegas NV Restaurants 2024

This is a look back on the restaurants I’ve been to in 2024.

Pastrami sandwich from Uncle Paulie’s

The Pastrami Sandwich from Uncle Paulie’s was possibly the worst pastrami sandwich I ever tried. It didn’t taste like pastrami and had hard crunchy ends and it was on undesirable bread.

All the slices of pizza we tried from Prince Pizza had this sickening sweet tomato sauce on them that grossed us out.

My first visit to Leticia’s I had this fish dish with the most amazing delicious Mojo sauce on it. The second time I had it the sauce was missing that essential citrus taste. I complained and they brought me some lime wedges and then it tasted almost like what I remembered.

This pastrami sandwich from the little Wexler’s in the Aria Food Court does their own cureing and smoking for their own pastrami and lox. Their pastrami & lox makes angels sing. This tiny little food court stand even whips their own cream cheese and makes their own bagels.

The best tuna baguette sandwich came from a tiny French Cafe called Petite Kitchen. They also served delicious crepes. It’s sad that they have closed for business.

Wexler’s Pastrami Sandwich

Wexler’s house made and hand sliced lox and house whipped cream cheese and house made bagel

This doughnut doesn’t look special but it was prepared fresh to order….It was hot and cinnamon-ee and just was delicious as a cinnamon doughnut can be. It came from Federal Doughnuts.

From Amora Latin American Cocina was the most incredibly delicious and unusual salad ever. Nixamized or something like that tomatoes here.

Also from Amora Latin American Cocina –

Their beef sandwich is one of the best beef sandwiches that I ever had in my life…..

The other best beef sandwich in my life was the ribeye minute steak pita from Miznon.

It’s just amazing!……Speachless….

The best chicken sandwich came from Capon’s in the Fountainbleu food court also The gelato from Capons was the best I’ve tasted so far….

One of the best Chinese Dishes was the fish in ginger garlic sauce by China Mama

From Cipriani’s we tried two terrible dishes from our 3 course lunch. Below is a pasta dish with with fishy fish that includes the even fishier bloodline as it’s only flavoring.

Below that is the unseasoned, unflavored lentil soup that tastes like dirt.

Lentil Soup

The next plate isn’t pretty but those beef balls are amazing. (called beef kebob)

They came from Shawarma Vegas. All the food is pretty good here. They even make turkey shawarma that is very good and moist. Even their white meat chicken dishes is moist and delicious.

The worst salmon ever came from MRKT Land and Sea in the Aliante Hotel/Casino it’s so dry it’s awful.

Salmon from MRKT

I complained and about 30 minutes latter they bring me out this……

Dry and crumbly on the ends and raw in the center……Don’t even bother getting salmon from MRKT.

One of the very best dinner plates of the year was this amazing tuna in puttanesca sauce from Mother Wolf in the Fountainbleu

The Bulgogi Tostada from Komex was FORKING TASTY! Just POPPING with flavors

Bulgogi Tostada from Komex

The salmon dinner from 1228 Main was amazing so was a previous chicken dish I tried there. They also make very good baked goods.

Another outstanding pastrami sandwich….not made in-house but the bread was from La Cantine. They also make delicious macarons. Read on Yelp that this place changed their name to 702 Sandwich Shop?

The ground in house prime rib burger from Carve Prime Rib in the Cannery Hotel/Casino is always juicy and tasty.

A Special Pasta Dish I tried from Basilico was exceptional.

The food is always delicious and perfect from Rang’s Cocina Moderne. Below is Chilean Sea bass. The chef there won Rising Chef of the Year from the Nevada Restaurant Association and also was featured in the Las Vegas Weekly.

Another favorite is the Cod Florentine.

The slow roasted Beef Cheek is also very recommended but honestly everything on Rang’s Menu is delicious and perfect every time you order it.

The Chicken Tikka Masala from Able Baker is better than from some Indian Restaurants.

My plate from The Harvest Cafe was hard to stomach.

ICK!

Most of the foods we tried from Flecha Cantina was delicious.

But this goat cheese ball with pistachios, tamarind, and fried pitas is super yummy!

On the other hand this Korean Beef BBQ Rice bowl was very disappointing from Fat Choy. It was like dry and like chewy jerky and no flavor.

Crispy Korean Beef BBQ Rice Bowl

The Banana Cream Pie from any Emeril Restaurant is always amazing. (below was from Delmonico Steak House)

All the food from Jose Andres’s Bazar Mar was incredible.

The very best few bites was the mini Lox and Bagel from Bazar Mar. It had so many layers and textures. It was an amazing few bites.

A certain restaurant that went from favorite to down the tubes…..was The Pepper Club by Tom English.

The Japanese Chicken sandwich used to be delicious, moist and flavorful but this one was none of that.

Same with the burger.

No more medium-rare…….I know they changed chefs….Hopefully they will change again.

The Broccolini from Bramare is amazing.

But the Broccolini from Balla Italian Soul was the worst.

It was soggy and over seasoned.

The below picture was awful.

I could only eat the avocado and some of the rice. This was Ser-veh-sah’s signature protein bowl. The chicken was cold and awful tasting…..I couldn’t stomach it.

Below might be the best chicken dish I had this year.

A Chicken dish from 1228 Main.

The bread and house made ricotta are amazing from Monzu Italian Oven. Also the pizzas from Monzu are the very best I’ve tasted in Las Vegas..The chef’s more casual restaurant Old School Pizzeria also offers those pizzas.

The Chicken Tinga from Lucy’s was very good.

The Peanut Pho from Pho Amie was very good.

The Ceasar Salad from Ferrano’s was very well made and it a non traditional style. It’s rare that you get such a well made Caesar.

Possibly the worst Caesar Salad came from Balla Italian Soul.

Instead of Caesar…It taste like RANCH! ICK!

Fron NORMS (below)

ICK!

From Asian Wok – Best Take Out Szechuan Chicken

Toughest beef of the year came from Tastebusz Creole Kitchen.

So tough even a crocodile would have to give up.

Maybe the most unappetizing plate also came from Tastebudz Creole Kitchen.

The sweet potatoes are like those canned type and are breaking down to mush. The macaroni and cheese is also breaking down like it was re-heated too many times. The black crud on the fish might before a pan or flat top that wasn’t cleaned. The fish had a hard texture and was difficult to break peices off but when you got to try some it was so painfully hot that it really wasn’t edible and didn’t taste good at all.

The best restaurant of the year where I tasted the most FORKING FANTABULOUS DISHES was from Safta 1964 by Alon Shaya in the Encore part of the Wynn Hotel/Casino. They banged and banged out so many great dishes.

The hummus is very high quality and the best I’ve tasted in Nevada and pitas that come it are fresh and hot and fluffy.

The Falafels have shattering crisp exteriors and moist herby centers and come well embellished with tahini, amba, and shrug.

The Salatim (dips and spreads) platter did differ slightly on each visit but always contained the most tasty spreads and dips that I haven’t found anywhere else.

Some of the very best vegetable dishes that you could find in Nevada came from here. Loved the crispy eggplant. Up above is the charred cabbage with dukkah, hazelnuts, tahini, and muhamara.

My favorite entree was the branzino in paprika sauce with polenta and the sweetest fresh tomatoes ever.

More desserts can be better than one.

Not one, not two, not three or four but FIVE bite sized desserts. This just has to be the most bountiful and best dessert platter on the strip. (pistachio baklava, chocolate chunk halva, blueberry rugelach, Turkish coffee truffle, mini lemon tart. and not one of each not two but THREE of each. Safta 1964 was a pop up temporary restaurant in the Encore part of the Wynn Hotel/Casino. If you would like to give them a try you’d have to go to The Michelin Award Wining Denver Location.

Hope you’ve enjoyed Most of the best and worst dishes at Las Vegas Restaurants 2024.

Have a Happy New Year!

The Forking Truth

Taste Budz Creole Kitchen North Las Vegas NV – Toughest Beef of the Year

I heard positive things about Taste Budz Creole Kitchen on Eater Las Vegas so I wanted to give this restaurant a try. It’s a casual mostly Cajun type restaurant with two locations in North Las Vegas Nevada.

I read on Eater Las Vegas that the Chef is someone known as Celebrity Chef Trish. (Her likeness is painted on the wall below.)

It is very casual. You order and pay at the counter.

Lots of bright paintings on the walls to look at while you are waiting for your order.

I tried to eat the Jerk Salmon Entree with Macaroni and Cheese and Sweet Potatoes.

There is gross black stuff on the fish that might be leftover crud from a flat top or pan. The fish has a weird texture and is almost impossible to cut with a fork. But the taste is worst. It is so hot that it is not edible. The macaroni and cheese was re-heated too many times so it’s not so good. The sweet potatoes are like canned and are turning to mush.

The Cajun steak is so tough that even an alligator would give up on trying to eat it…. The food served to us I would consider it to be below standard and I would not recommend.

The toughest beef of the year came from –

Taste Budz Creole Kitchen

1917 N Decatur Blvd North Las Vegas NV

702-245-3067

www.TasteBudzCreoleKitchen.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Showing Off

Showing Off is just to show you that I am still cooking and baking. I’m not doing as many new recipes but all the cooked or baked foods that you see are a recipe on this site.

Up above are Sesame, Date, and Banana Cupcakes. Boy did these go fast at a gathering I went to.

Fried potato pierogi and chocolate Bouchons with chocolate frosting and drizzled with ganache ….These went really quick too.

I made butternut squash cinnamon buns and with the leftover dough I stuffed, rolled, and filled it with cinnamon and brown sugar and drizzled it with chocolate sauce. These all went.

Chipotle Rice Corn Cheddar stuffed Peppers. Lots of compliments and these went fast.

Baked Salmon Mousse Balls with Orange Ginger Sauce that sit in little cracker cups also got gobbled up.

Pizza Rolls (no exact recipe…just make pizza or focaccia dough, fill with desired pizza toppings (these were lasagna cheese filling and pizza sauce) and roll like cinnamon buns. Finish with pizza seasoning and a little shredded parmesan)

I bet these will go fast too! and I added some extra cookies I had in my freezer.

Enjoy!!! and that was Showing Off!

The Forking Truth

Pizza Rolls – Recipe Idea

I got the idea for pizza rolls after I made butternut squash cinnamon rolls. I just winged a focaccia type dough, rolled it thin, topped it with leftover lasagna cheese filling and some sauce and rolled it just like cinnamon buns. Then I sliced a little off and put each sliced in a non stick sprayed cupcake pan and topped the tops with a little bit of pizza seasoning and a little bit of shredded parmesan. In about 30 minutes at 350F give or take they were done. You can get my ideas for pizza, focaccia, and butternut squash cinnamon rolls here. I got lots of compliments on them and everyone loved them and gobbled them down. My husband said that he could eat them all day long.

Pizza Rolls

Everyone will love them and they make a great appetizers for entertaining.

Enjoy!!!

The Forking Truth

NORMS – Las Vegas NV – Least Notable Meal of the Week

NORMS are famous 24/7 California Diner Restaurants and one opened fairly recently in Las Vegas Nevada not too far from the strip. I only heard good things about NORMS and saw them featured on several local TV Shows so I wanted to give them a try. It’s very busy and energetic inside.

It also looks like a diner inside with a mix of all kinds of different tables, bar seating and booths. There are several dining areas on different sides of the bar.

We went with entrees and they are reasonably priced and come with soup and salad. We started with soups…..(actually my husband eat them both because they are not for me)

Creamy chicken noodle soup – A bit too thick but OK.

Gumbo – Not great like Emeril’s but still tasty and ok according to my husband.

Salads were next.

I tried my salad with blue cheese dressing. Too bad …….it taste like they thinned down the dressing too much and it doesn’t taste like blue cheese anymore. My husband the Italian dressing doesn’t have much flavor either.

For my main I tried the grilled wild whitefish.

The grilled whitefish has a light unflavored breading on it. This would taste better if it came with a sauce. I use some hot sauce that is on the table and it helps. The potato is kinda hard and very difficult to mash the butter in with a fork.

But there is no help for the vegetables. They even look like they have expired.

Over cooked old squash….ick

My husband tried the Chicken Fried Steak.

It’s kinda bland. The carrot fingers are kind of wood-ee. Real fresh carrots would taste better. The tater tots have a very hard exteriors.

NORMS does give you a lot of food but you have to not care what it taste like.

NORMS was the least notable meal of the week.

NORMS

4605 W Charleston Blvd Las Vegas NV

702-475-9976

www.NORMS.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Notable Dish Of The Week – Pork Belly Nom Pang from Nom Pang Las Vegas NV

It’s very rare that I will pick one of my husband’s favorite dishes but I am picking this dish for good reason. He said that this sandwich was amazing! He said that the pork belly was incredible. Even the roll was amazing with the right crunch and just right fluffy interior. He said that this sandwich was so out of the ordinary very good that it might be impossible to order anything else from this restaurant. (it is a baguette sandwich. Normally comes with a spread of mayo (but left off at my husband’s request. It also contains cucumber, scallions, cilantro, pickled carrot, daikon, jalapeño, and that spectacular pork belly .) So……That is good reason to make the Pork Belly Nom Pang from Nom Pang the notable dish of the week!

Nom Pang

4275 N Rancho Dr Las Vegas NV

702-268-8288

I have not found a website for Nom Pang. At the moment (subject to change so give them a call) they are open 8am-6pm 7 days a week.

The Forking Truth

The Absolute FORKING WORST Potato Chip Ever – FORKING THOUGHTS

The ABSOLUTE FORKING WORST POTATO CHIPS that I ever tried were Christie’s Sweet & Spicy Habanero super natural potato chips.

YUK!

They taste burnt and are too FORKING HOT and burn and are painful to eat.

The bag I got was not edible to me. I honestly don’t think anyone would ever manufacture something so horrible. Maybe that is why Sprouts Grocery was selling them for .99cents a bag?

Those were my FORKING THOUGHTS I doubt anyone’s Forking Thoughts will differ.

The Forking Truth

Notable Dinner of the Week – Bramare Las Vegas NV and is Worth a Fork!

The Notable Dinner of the Week was from Bramare in Las Vegas. It’s an Inspired Italian Restaurant that serves seasonal Tapas Style (tasty small plates). It’s located about ten minutes away from the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada.

The plate above is a small plate called Striped Sea Bass Crudo – Sea Bass, Fennel, Orange, Pickled Chilies, Calabrian Mayo.

Pork Belly Agrodolce – (small plate) – Pork Belly, Polenta, Chilie Oil, Chives

Caponata – (small plate ) – Braised Eggplant, Pine Nuts, Capers, Bread Points (I was told that it takes three days to prepare the eggplant for this dish)

Ora King Salmon – (Medium Plate) Salmon, Chickpea Puree, Radicchio, Salsa Verde (The salmon was prepared to perfection here)

Funghi Fritti – (small plate) – Mushrooms, Garlic, Chili Sauce, Pecorino (pretty darn yum)

Broccolini – (small plate) – Black Garlic Cream, Bread Crumbs, Pecorino (This plate is FORKING CRAZY GREAT!)

Bramare is Worth a Fork! and was the notable dinner of the week!

Worth a Fork!

Bramare

3900 Paradise Rd Las Vegas NV

702-342-2111

www.Bramare.com

The Forking Truth

PRINGLES – Everything Bagel VS Hot Honey

I found several interesting flavors of Pringles Potato Chips at my local Walmart Grocery so I decided to try the Everything Bagel and The Hot Honey Pringles Potato Chips. I was more excited about the everything bagel because that flavor I never saw in a potato chip before……..I give it a try.

I sniff it and it smells weird……..

It doesn’t taste anything like an everything bagel……..How on EARTH did anyone anywhere approve this flavor?………..it actually it taste sort of like margarine. ICK! Disappointed because I wanted this to taste like an everything bagel….Oh Well…..(no onion, no sesame, no garlic, no poppy seeds….just a very weird sort of margarine taste…….:(

I taste the Hot Honey.

It has a much better potato flavor than most Pringles Chips and also is spicy hot…(but not crazy hot) and has a natural sweetness that taste like honey. The Hot Honey Pringles are very good!

The Hot Honey Pringles is the Winner by a LONG Shot!

The Forking Truth