Category Archives: Forking Restaurant Reviews

Honest unbiased reviews based on actual experiences

FEDERAL DONUTS & CHICKEN – NOW OPEN at Red Rock Casino Las Vegas NV – The “Hot & Fresh Cinnamon Brown Sugar Doughnut is to die for

FEDERAL DONUTS & CHICKEN specializes in serving quality higher end doughnuts, marinated twice fried chicken, and coffee. This is a Philadelphia based franchise. Two of the five founders of this group are multi awards wining and multi James Bead Awards Wining Chef Michael Solomonov, and Steve Cook.

This is a small casual order-at-the-counter type of place. There are no seats here but only just around the corner is the food court with a good amount of seating. Here’s the menu-

We shared two of the sandwiches-

Buffalo chicken sandwich (Twice fried chicken breast with house made buffalo sauce and bread and butter pickles on a potato bun) Behind it are everything rooster sauce ,and chili garlic sauce, and Za’atar Fries.

South/West BBQ chicken sandwich (twice fried chicken breast with BBQ seasoning, pepper jack, peppadew slaw and potato bun)

Both sandwiches had moist tender chicken that was fried nicely with shattering crispy ends. I thought the buffalo sandwich had a lot more flavor going on with it. This (By-The-Way) was grand opening day and I’m not sure if things were running perfect or not yet…I think the SWBBQ chicken sandwich might have had something missing….It tasted like it needed something. I added some everything rooster sauce to it and it was much more delicious that way.

The chili-garlic sauce wasn’t the red Vietnamese style sauce that I was expecting. Instead it was an Asian-like Brown sauce that also was amazing. It tasted like really great Take Out Asian Food. (I will buy extra next time so I can have tasty take out style Asian food here…..It was much better than what I can get in this area)

The Za’atar fries were very good and seemed fresh made. They didn’t really need a sauce but I wished something like a tahini-feta sauce or a harissa something sauce came with them.

Then we sampled three doughnuts and brought the rest home.

We tried one of the fancy doughnuts called lemon bar.

Pomegranate mascarpone

“HOT & FRESH” Cinnamon brown Sugar

It’s hard to judge fairly because the fresh made to order “Hot & Fresh” cinnamon brown sugar blew the others away by a BUNCH……The others weren’t bad but can’t compare to the fresh made one that was so aromatic and just melted in the mouth. This doughnut was an AMAZING Doughnut. You won’t find one better anywhere.

Next time I’ll try a salad maybe with chili garlic sauce? Or tenders and a side salad with a few sauces? and a “Hot & Fresh” Cinnamon Brown Sugar Doughnut.

I don’t think I’ll be ever to leave Red Rock Casino without getting a “Hot & Fresh” Cinnamon Brown Sugar Doughnut from Federal Donuts & Chicken.

The “Hot & Fresh” Cinnamon Brown Sugar Doughnut is to die for- YUMmmmmmmm!

FEDERAL DONUTS & CHICKEN Newly Opened at Red Rock Casino

11011 W Charleston Blvd – 702-797-7759

www.FederalDonuts,com

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The Forking Truth

My Trip to Pandora’s Burgers North Las Vegas NV

Pandora’s Burgers is a small Soul Food Restaurant located in North Las Vegas Nevada. It’s not a fancy place. It’s very casual and you order and pay at the counter and someone runs out your order when it’s ready.

Some of the foods that you can order here are – Of course burgers, (The Pandora Burger is ground in house..not sure about the other burgers), wings, chicken fingers, hot links, BBQ ribs, fried turkey chop, stuffed turkey leg, fried gizzards, catfish, cajun shrimp, and also soul food Sunday goodies. Soft beverages are offered here.

My husband tried a Pastrami Cheese Burger with Fries.

The bun was grilled nicely and the flavors are good. This burger was cooked all the way well that is typical Southern Style. The fries are the soft style…….

I tried the Turkey Leg Off The Pitt with a side order of macaroni and cheese.

It’s good but not perfect. The turkey really is fall off the bone tender. The flavors are good but it isn’t juicy…….The ,macaroni and cheese also is Southern Style (meaning the pasta is very soft). I can taste that the macaroni and cheese was made with real cheeses and is also seasoned very nicely……I think it might have a dash of hot Chile oil in it.

The owners were very nice and engaging.

That was my trip to Pandora’s Burgers.

Pandora’s Burgers – 3131 W. Craig Rd North Las Vegas NV

702-636-9859

www.PandorasBurgers.com

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District One – Vietnamese & Asian Las Vegas NV – They are Different – Stewed Not Shaking

District One is a Vietnamese/Asian Bar and Restaurant located by an end of Chinatown in Las Vegas Nevada.

My husband started off by trying the pork belly buns.

They differ some than what he expected……It seems like the pork was stewed and is tasty but on the dry side.

I tried a shaking beef salad.

It’s also not what I expected. The beef usually is stir fried or wok-seared. This beef does taste marinated (like it should be) but also seems stewed instead seared.

Looks stewed……

The other problem with this salad is all the soup in the salad melting the greens.

This might be great for some but I didn’t enjoy.

The waiter highly recommended the shaking beef pho to my husband so that is what he tried.

He thought the flavors were ok but also didn’t care for the stewed type beef. We got this dish from many restaurants before and the beef was never stewed before.

This restaurant is different from other Vietnamese Restaurants. They do offer more seafood dishes like yellow tail tacos, yellow tail collar, fried whole fish, and lobster pho.

Different here…Shaking Beef is stewed and not shaking here.

District One – 3400 S Jones Blvd Las Vegas NV

702-413-6868

www.DistrictOneLV.com

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Al Solito Posto Las Vegas NV – Worth a Try!

Al Solito Posto is a richly decorated high quality Italian Restaurant located in Tivoli Village in the Summerlin part of Las Vegas Nevada.

There is a large patio that wraps around the restaurant.

Inside is busy and energetic. There is plenty of seating in the restaurant and large bar but reservations are recommended.

Everyone starts off with fresh baked focaccia and roasted garlic with oil and dried herbs presented table side.

We started off with the fried squash blossoms stuffed with three cheeses and garnished with basil aioli and a lemon wedge.

They were shattering crisp and kinda fun to eat.

I heard that the Italian Chop Salad was very good. It’s packed with greens, roasted tomatoes, chick peas, meats, cheeses, and peperoncini.

For my main I tried the Scottish Salmon.

They don’t ask you your preference (medium-rare, medium, etc.) and the fish comes out well done…..BUT it’s the best well done salmon that I have tried anywhere. It’s as moist as a medium and taste as fresh as can be. It’s also nicely grilled with all the skin and all the bloodline removed. It comes with tomato braised lentils and roasted carrots.

My husband tried the Maasaldine Cacio E Pepe.

He thought it was perfect. Said, “This is REALLY GOOD!”

We gave the Chocolate Hazelnut Semi Freddo a try.

To me it’s more like a mildly flavored mousse topped with very hard crunchy sticky nuts.

I’ll try a different dessert next time.

Al Solito Posto is Worth a Try!

420 S Rampart Blvd Las Vegas Nevada

702-463-6781

www.AlSolito.com

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The Forking Truth

My Trip to Siena Italian Trattoria Las Vegas NV

Siena Italian Trattoria is a bar, restaurant, and Italian deli either in or near to the Summerlin part of Las Vegas Nevada. They offer long large menus for lunch, brunch, and dinner to try to accommodate many appetites or tastes.

To the left is a large bar as big as the dining room and to the right is a deli and store as large as the dining room.

The dining room is large and dimly lit …….so bring your flashlight and readers…….There is a wall of many wine bottles and an open kitchen.

They start you off with a basket of bread, crisp breads, and butter.

We tried the Bruschetta and salt cod mousse appetizer because you rarely see this Venetian Style appetizer on menus.

it’s different…..It’s not very mouse-ee…..You actually have big pieces of fish here embellished with something creamy, some shredded cheese, and some fish roe on toasted slices of bread. There is also dressed greens with olives and pickled peppers to adorn the bruschetta.

But here is where things went south on this particular dinner.

I was going to order the branzino because that is usually the best fish at an Italian Restaurant……….After I try to order the branzino…..My waiter goes off about the Chilean Sea Bass…..He had a very THICK ITALIAN accent and I did have a bunch of trouble understanding him but I could tell he was very passionate on PUSHING the Chilean Sea Bass….”He said it was one of the best two plates to get.”

So out comes the Chilean Sea Bass…..

It has a very strong fish odor………..

I try a very small piece and it taste as bad as it smells.

I even give my husband a tiny piece and he agrees it is smelly tasting.

Nobody can eat this…….I have to send this fish back. Now I’m beginning to wonder if he wanted me to get the Chilean Sea Bass because it was old and they needed to get rid of it or maybe he pushed it on me because it was the most expensive fish on the menu?????

ANYWAYS-

The waiter says that the branzino will take too long to prepare. I was going to switch to a chicken dish since that fish smelled here…………….But then the waiter says to get the salmon…..He said that salmon gets prepared fast. I don’t trust the waiter anymore but went with the salmon anyway.

My husband digs into his veal ossobuco.

He said that the risotto was very good. He also said that the. veal was indeed tender but not the most developed. with flavors.

Soon the salmon arrives.

The salmon is actually very good and was prepared to a perfect medium with a nice sear. The salmon to my surprise does taste fresh. It was served with fresh sautéed spinach that taste a bit buttery and garlicky.

They offer a long list of desserts…We don’t really need any but went with gelato and shared a scoop of pistachio and a scoop of hazelnut.

We wait a long time for them……..

it came implanted with a hard as a rock thin cookie. The pistachio I doubt was made here but taste good to me……….The hazelnut came to use all melted……

I might try Siena Italian again in the future because they offer a lot of lunch specials that sound good.

Siena Italian Trattoria

9500 W Sahara Ave Las Vegas NV – 702-360-3358

www.SienaItalian.com

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The Forking Truth

Leoncito Mexican Restaurant at Red Rock Resort – The $35. Express Lunch is Worth a Try! – Las Vegas NV

Leoncito is a Modern Mexican Restaurant and Bar located in the Red Rock Resort in the Summerlin part of Las Vegas Nevada. This is a nicer quality restaurant that offers lunch, brunch, dinner, happy hour, and a 3 course express lunch for $35.

By the entrance you walk by the open kitchen.

Behind this main dining area is a patio for outdoor dining.

They started us off with warm complimentary chips and two salsas.

One is green fruity and creamy and the other is tomato based and spicy.

I started off with the aguachile.

It’s a refreshing plate of cucumber, Serrano, tomato, and micro cilantro.

My husband tried the Bacon Oaxacan Cheese Potato Taquitos.

They were well seasoned and very tasty.

For my main I tried the Baja Rockfish Tacos.

The fish was batter dipped and was topped with slaw, avocado, onions, crema rosa, and these unusual pickled onions that really made them pop! Those onions were unusually great…..they were very citrusy….sweet…tangy…sour…really super flavorful. The rice was very flavorful too.

My husband tried a carnitas burrito.

It also had chorizo beans, salsa verde, yellow rice, pickled jalapeños, queso fresco, cilantro, and chipotle aioli. It was also very good and flavorful.

I ordered the sundae for dessert but the ice cream machine wasn’t functioning so we both got Bunuelos (Ice cream filled cinnamon doughnuts …..doughnut dough by Pink Box)

They were a nice sweet ending.

The Express Lunch (Monday-Friday 11-3) is certainly Worth a Try!

Leoncito at Red Rock Casino/Resort

11011 W Charleston Blvd Las Vegas NV

702-797-7344

www.LeoncitoLV.com

www.RedRockCasino.com

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The Forking Truth

Tasty China – North Las Vegas NV – Worth a Try!

Tasty China is an American Chinese Restaurant located in North Las Vegas Nevada. This is a neighborhood type of restaurant but I hear from many in the area that this is the long time favorite of the American Chinese restaurants in the area (and there are many). While visiting I noticed that they do mostly take out and delivery.

But some people do dine in here.

They start you off with crispy fried noodles with duck sauce.

We started out by trying the egg rolls.

To us they are more like spring rolls. They seem like they were fresh made because the cabbage in them is tasty and fresh.

It’s a little different here. The spicy dishes come different levels of heat. I picked “hot” for Szechwan Chicken.

No worries. “Hot” here is normal Chinese take out……or not very hot. They only use white meat chicken here and it is tender like butter. This has all the normal flavors of Szechwan Chicken and is only slightly sweet so it is good. This one also has a nice selection of vegetables in it like zucchini, carrots, bell peppers, carrots and celery. It is also a generous portion and came with a very generous portion of white rice.

My husband ordered the Kung Pao Beef “Extra HOT.”

The Kung Pao beef is also generous in size and was made with masterfully tender beef. The “Extra HOT” seems like regular take out Chinese to both of us. To me the dominate taste here is soy sauce…….I’m beginning to wonder if this is what might be Nevada Style Chinese because I’m finding that the majority of American Chinese dishes we’ve tried in Las Vegas is this flavor profile….??????????? This is not what we are used too………

We both thought that the Szechwan Chicken was good because it was balanced with flavors that included garlic and ginger. It had not too much sweetness and seemed about right. Our server was very helpful, thoughtful and efficient.

With the check we got fortune cookies and almond cookies.

If you are used to east coast American Chinese some plates do differ from what you are used to but some like the Szechwan chicken are similar so it’s Worth a Try!

Tasty China – 4444 W Craig Rd – 702-868-3339

www.TastyChinaLasVegas.com

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The Forking Truth

Unique Eats – Las Vegas NV – A little bit of EVERYTHING – Very Unique! – Worth a Try!

Unique Eats is a very unique restaurant located in Las Vegas Nevada. It’s a cute little restaurant that offers breakfast, lunch, coffee, smoothies, catering, beer, wine, and MORE. Tuesday – Saturdays 4:pm-10:pm they change the name to Twisted Pye where the main dig are the pizzas.

Back to Unique Eats.

Unique Eats offers a LOT of variety. A few of the appetizers that they offer are hummus, wings, and grilled cheese with tomato soup. They offer SIX different salads that you can add chicken, salmon, or shrimp to. They offer eight different sandwiches that include chicken salad, slow roasted corned beef, and cheeseburgers. They also offer entrees, 10 inch original or thin crust pizzas, pastas, a vegetarian menu, and a vegan menu too!

We tasted (and brought the rest home for the next day) the house made lox.

It’s hand sliced with a nice melt in your mouth texture. This is better than what you get at many deli shops that just buy lox packaged.

I tried the house roasted pastrami sandwich with a side salad.

It’s a bit unique with lettuce, heirloom tomato, onion, and spicy dijon……..To me the rye bread is very good. The pastrami is very good but it does have some non-traditional taste to it. It is also well grilled and a little too oily to me. It is good but not east coast style.

My husband tried the Torte De Pibil with fries.

It’s a great BIG Sloppy sandwich filled with refried beans, cocinita pork, lettuce, heirloom tomato, pickled onions, and potatoes on a toasted bun served with battered seasoned fries. All very good no complaints here.

Unique Eats – a little bit of everything! Very Unique! Worth a Try!

3100 S Durango Suite100 – 702-992-3038

www.UniqueEatsLV.com

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The Forking Truth

Urbani Truffles Pop-Up Restaurant Eataly Las Vegas NV – Get in before they’re gone!

Urbani Truffles is a Pop-Up Restaurant located in Eataly (The Italian Food Marketplace) in the Park MGM Casino/Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. Urbani Truffles is only here for Truffle Season November-February so your time is limited. They offer a limited menu but every dish contains black Urbani Truffles. On the menu are – Antipasti, hand made pasta dishes, and main meals called Piatti. Italian wines and beers are served here. They have limited counter seating and a few high-top cocktail tables. This is a first come first served type of restaurant. They don’t take reservations.

We shared the Burrata.

The milky burrata was paired with kabocha squash, squash rings, some colorful fancy leaves, a few other things, and lots of shaved black Urbani Truffles. There also was grilled house made sourdough bread on the side. This was my favorite of the dishes I tried. I thought the truffles went well with everything and this dish had a lot going on with it.

When in Eataly you share a pasta.

We shared the Agnolotti Piemontesi.

It’s perfectly house-made pasta stuffed with Calabro Ricotta and in a truffle butter and topped with shaved truffles……(What’s not to like?) I thought it also was a good sized portion for two people.

For our Piatti (main) we shared the Filetto Di Manzo. (R.R. Ranch Beef Tenderloin with Mashed Celery Root, Carrots, Red Wine Reduction, Urbani Truffle Butter, Urbani Black Truffle Sauce, and Shaved Urbani Black Truffles.

The steak is very tender and is infused with good flavors……Carrots are great and the celery root mash is good…..I don’t get the truffles here as much as in the other dishes but it was fun to try.

Urbani Truffles Pop-Up Restaurant – Get in before it’s gone!

Eataly – Park MGM

3770 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV – 702-660-9766

www.ParkMGM.MGMResorts.com

www.Eataly.com

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The Forking Truth

Surf City 24 Hour Mexican Food, Bar, Gaming – North Las Vegas NV

Surf City is a 24 hour 7 days a week bar that also offers Mexican Food, and Gaming in a North Las Vegas Strip Mall. They have all high top tables and the bar is decorated with surf boards.

They started us off with complimentary chips and a roasted smokey salsa.

I tried the Pollo Asada and a Golden Cadillac Margarita. The Margarita was good and also strong.

It’s an enormous platter of chicken pounded as thin as a lasagna noodle that was marinated in a mix of soy sauce mixed with some sort of medium-hot salsa. The chicken was topped with those frozen type mixed vegetables (peas, corn, carrots, green beans) that was also mixed with what the marinate taste like (soy sauce and medium hot salsa). To the side was a generous amount of fajita style vegetables (onions, peppers, zucchini) and Mexican style rice. It’s not the best but also not the worst either….It better than from some places in the area………………..and tortillas on the side.

My husband tried the Chile Verde (also with tortillas on the side).

He said that the beans were very good……..The rest average…Not bad but not a favorite.

You are not going to travel across town to go here but if you are in the area and are craving Mexican food you might want to give it a try.

Surf City Bar and Grill

1435 W Craig Rd North Las Vegas NV

02-633-4234

I haven’t found a website for Surf City Bar and Grill but they can be found on Facebook.

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth