Monthly Archives: September 2024

Bramare Las Vegas NV – Worth a Fork!

Bramare is a fine dining Italian Inspired restaurant, cocktail, and wine bar located in Las Vegas Nevada only about ten minutes from the strip. They are open for dinner and late night dinner. Some of the food they offer are small plates that serve one to two people like onion focaccia with olive-caper spread, king salmon collar with Calabrian chile and agrodolce. A couple of the medium plates that serve around two to three people are things like wagyu hanger steak, and brick oven chicken. They also offer large plates that might serve four or more people such as porchetta with root vegetables and salsa verde, and twenty eight day dry aged Flannery rib steak. They also offer a variety of pastas, pizzas, and more.

It seems dark when you walk in and you notice that there are no visible windows inside.

Instead of candles they have these spiffy thin lanterns that light up the table surface really great.

We shared several small plates-

Funghi Fritti – with garlic and Chile sauce, pecorino cheese – the honshimeji mushrooms have a thin crisp coating and are delicious with all the flavors and a mild heat.

Fresh baked Onion Focaccia with olive caper dip – tasty

King Salmon Collar with Calabrian spicy cucumbers and agrodolce. The salmon is caramelized and MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH amazing and also delicious with interesting flavors. I do like the spicy cucumber salad but for my taste it is overpowering for the salmon so I ate them separate.

For our main we shared a medium plate of Beef Cheek Brasato with chili, verde fregola, and parsley salad.Tender beef and the parsley salad adds a nice fresh taste to it. LOTS of tasty firm fregola…This one can stretch to three servings.

With the beef cheek brasato we also had a small plate of broccolini.

This broccolini is really great!!!!! It’s a mix of crunchy and cooked with tasty flavors from black garlic cream, breadcrumbs, and pecorino cheese……

We were pretty full but decided to try hazelnut and pistachio gelato.

It was a nice sweet ending.

Bramare is Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

Bramare

3900 Paradise Rd Las Vegas NV

702-342-2111

www.Bramare.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Spaghetti Cupcakes Recipe

They had a pasta sale at my local Smith’s Grocery. Pasta was only $1.00 a box so why the Fork not? This is pretty easy to prepare. You will get around 10-20 servings depending on if your serving size is one or two. I think some people will eat one and at least half the people out there will eat two so I’ll say 15 servings.

Ingredients for around 15 servings

1 lb spaghetti

2 cups spaghetti sauce

1 egg – beaten

1 cup ricotta

1/2 cup parmesan – grated – plus extra for serving

2 oz cream cheese – room temperature

1 egg

1 cup spaghetti sauce

sea salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

non stick spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F and spray two cupcake pans with non stick spray.

Boil spaghetti 2 minutes less than box suggests.

Drain spaghetti and mix with 2 cups sauce and beaten egg.

Fill about 21 cups from the cupcake pans with the spaghetti.

In a medium bowl mix together the ricotta, parm, cream cheese, egg, salt and pepper and set to the side.

Next they get topped with the cup of sauce.

Next use a spoon or a small scoop and top each with some cheese mixture.

About 20 minutes on the middle or lower rack and they are done.

Spaghetti Cupcakes

Serve with extra grated parmesan, hot red pepper, and if you have them some fresh basil.

ENJOY!!!!

The Forking Truth

My FORKING Thoughts on Savoursmiths Truffle Rosemary Vegan Luxury English Potato Chips

I noticed these Savoursmiths Truffle Rosemary Potato Chips for around $6.99 a bag at my local Sprouts Grocery. They became discontinued and were marked down to a $1. a bag so I decided to give them a try.

The bag is marked Vegan and the ingredients don’t seem too far out so they seem safe to try.

I open the bag and take a whiff.

They smell strange…………Maybe a little like a herbal soap?

I pour some out.

The chips differ in size from small to large in size and do appear to have bubbly layers in the chips……

Texture-wise the chips are amazing. Crisp but not too crisp with layers also dry and not oily.

but-

The chips are coated very heavy with powders and are over seasoned. They even seem cheesy but cheese is not listed in the ingredients.

Between the cheesy taste, mushroom, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, truffle it is all too much and is far too powdery to enjoy.

Those were my FORKING Thoughts on Savoursmiths Truffle and Rosemary Chips.

Your FORKING Thoughts may indeed differ.

The Forking Truth

Juan’s Flaming Fajitas – North Las Vegas – Worth a Try!

Juan’s Flaming Fajitas is a Mexican Restaurant and Bar with Three Locations in Las Vegas. The North Las Vegas location often has live music at night. This is the type of Mexican Restaurant that gives you complimentary house made chips and more. They offer most of your usual favorites, FLAMING FAJITAS and they do sing, “Happy Birthday” to birthday guests.

And makes their own tortillas.

With whatever you order they always start you off with hot chips, bean dip, green salsa, and red salsa.

Then they give you Fideo Soup (chicken broth, tomato, short noodles).

Most likely you are going to order a fajita.

This is a double steak and chicken fajita (Steak, chicken, peppers onions). The fajitas are served with tortillas and a side dish.

Above is a side dish of rice, beans, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de Gallo.

Juan’s Flaming Fajitas is always Worth a Try!

2660 W Centennial PKWY North Las Vegas NV

702-473-5529

www.JuansFlamingFajitas.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Cafe Breizh – Las Vegas NV – FINE French Baked Goods and More!

Cafe Breizh is located in Las Vegas Nevada. They offer fine French Baked Goods, some grocery, and also serve breakfast and some French Cafe Type Meals like galettes, crepes, salads, hot & cold sandwiches, and platters.

As you enter you get so see so many pastries……

YIKES! This is only a small fraction of what to see…………What to get? think I’m gaining weight just looking at all of them.

Then you make it to the dining room if you are ordering a meal.

My husband tried to order the croque madame but we were told they were all sold out of them today so he went with the La Tartiflette Galette not knowing that it was a buckwheat crepe……In America galettes are flat pies.

This Galette is stuffed with prosciutto, roblechon cheese, potatoes, onion, and cream.

I tried a salmon platter.

I got toasted brioche bread, smoked salmon with capers, cucumber slices, sweet tomatoes with onions, lemon, and chive cream.

I thought both desserts we tried were fabulous!

Lemon Tart

Brownie – quality chocolate and lots of it but very rich…..

That was a little taste of

Cafe Breizh

3555 S Fort Apache Las Vegas NV

702-209-3472

www.CafeBreizh.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Matteo’s Ristorante Italiano at the Venetian Las Vegas NV – Worth a Fork!

Matteo’s Ristorante Italiano is a North Italian Type Full Service Restaurant located on Restaurant Row in the Palazzo part of the Venetian Hotel/Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. (Not pictured) is a cocktail bar on one side of the restaurant and on the far end (not pictured) is a pasta bar and in the middle is the main dining area.

Whatever you order they start you off with complimentary ciabatta, oil, and balsamic.

We shared an appetizer of sweet and spicy peppers stuffed with soft cheese.

They were adorned with pesto, grana padano, arugula, and oil.

For my main I had the Insalata Nizzarda.

This bountiful salad was made with confit blue fin tuna, seasoned hard boiled egg, olives, green beans, potatoes, and a salsa verde aioli.

My husband had the Gnocchi.

This plate was made of semolina dumplings, pork sausage ragu, onions, spicy tomato passata and cheese.

Everything was perfect and delicious.

Matteo’s Ristorante Italiano is Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

Matteo’s Ristorante Italiano at The Venetian (Palazzo Restaurant Row area)

3355 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV

702-414-1222

www.VenetianLasVegas.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Baked Salmon Mousse Balls with Mandarin Ginger Sauce – Slightly Jean George Vongerichten Inspired

I had a can of salmon and got the idea to make salmon balls. I also got some inspiration from a Jean George Vongetichten I read. It is a very different recipe (Crab Balls with Grapefruit Salad) but it still gave me interesting delicious ideas that I had to try. This recipe makes around 28 balls and 2 cups of sauce. So that means about 28 cocktail servings or around 5 meal servings. I don’t mean to brag but they really came out FORKING AMAZING! Much more delicious than a lot of food I eat out. I think most people will make this recipe for a meal so I will say 5 servings.

Ingredients for around 5 servings

1 Tablespoon butter

1/4 cup onion – grated

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (mine was separated so I poured the watery liquid out and used the thickened coconut milk) *****NOTE you might need slightly less if your coconut milk is not as thick****

1 – 14.75 oz. can salmon – remove skin and bones and crumble the fish

1 cup panko

2 eggs

1 teaspoon Aleppo red pepper

sea salt – to taste

2 Tablespoons white sesame seeds

2 Tablespoons black sesame seeds

non stick spray

4 oz unsalted butter

6 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons yuzu (or substitute lemon) juice

2 Tablespoons ginger – fresh grated

4 mandarins – skin removed – chopped

1 Thai Chile – chopped

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a couple baking sheets with non stick spray and set them to the side.

Sauté the onions with butter till lightly brown and take off the heat and put to the side.

In a large bowl combine the corn starch, coconut milk, salmon, salt, pepper, panko, eggs, and the cooked onions. Mix well and set to the side. (Below is to show you how thick my coconut milk was and a picture of the can it came from)

In a shallow pan add the sesame seeds.

Use a small scooper and make meatball sized balls and roll them in the sesame seeds and add each finished ball to a nonstick sprayed pan leaving a little room around each one.

They go in the preheated 350 F oven for about 15 minutes.

While they are in the oven you can whip up the sauce.

Melt butter in a pan on medium high heat with the sugar.

Blend the yuzu (or lemon) juice, ginger, mandarins, Thai Chile, soy sauce, together. Then add the sweetened butter and mix well.

Baked Salmon Mousse Balls with Mandarin Ginger Sauce

ENJOY!!!!

The Forking Truth

My Forking Thoughts on Pumpkin Pie M&M’s – Oy Veh

I used to love M&M’s Candies. I grew up enjoying the original and peanut varieties and latter I enjoyed the almond variety. Over the decades these candies changed things up and also introduced new flavors. Some I liked and some I didn’t care for……It’s been a very long time since I found a new flavor so I gave these Pumpkin Pie M&M’s a try.

WOW! It says on the front of bag ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR ………how good can that be?……..

Anyways

The M&M’s are different colors (Orange, Brown, White) and different sizes? Regular and mega?

I taste some…….I taste some more……

These are just too fake tasting to identify.

They sure DON’T TASTE ANYTHING LIKE PUMPKIN PIE

But even worse……

They don’t taste like chocolate either….

They are kinda sweet but not too sweet like some of them….

They just don’t taste like anything familiar.

Those were my FORKING THOUGHTS on Pumpkin Pie M&M’s I do note that YOUR FORKING THOUGHTS may indeed differ.

The Forking Truth

Famous Chicago Style Tacos North Las Vegas NV – Worth a Try!

Famous Chicago Style Tacos is a small casual order at the counter taco restaurant located in a strip mall on Craig Road in North Las Vegas NV.

Besides tacos they also offer a few breakfast items, burritos, a quesadilla, nachos, tortas, a taco salad, and fries.

I got three tacos. Two chicken tacos and one carne asada.

I got small sized but very well packed double shelled corn tacos. I like the chicken tacos more than the asada…………because the asada doesn’t have much flavor to it…..On the side are three bottles of house salsas to try with them. One of the green salsas is FLAMING HOT…..The red salsa seems medium to me, and the mild green salsa has much more flavors in it than the others………I like using the mild because of all the flavors and in the middle I use one of the spicier salsas and it works well for me that way.

My husband got four tacos with rice and beans.

Rice and beans are average. Some tacos are better tasting than others…….

(carnitas good but a little dry today. barbacoa maybe the best tasting of all the tacos. cecina ((thin salted steak)) a little dry and not as delicious as the barbacoa. chorizo good.)

Reasonably priced and Worth a Try! (Lunch for two was under $30.)

Famous Chicago Style Taco

3415 W Craig Road North Las Vegas NV

702-823-2315

I haven’t found a working website for this restaurant.

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Namu Korean Tapas & BBQ Las Vegas NV – Worth a Try! (If you skip the Kalbi Patties)

Namu Korean Tapas & BBQ is located in the North/West Part of Las Vegas Nevada. This restaurant offers a menu of Tapas items and also Korean BBQ. Soft Beverages and Soju, and beer are served here.

The main dining room is a mix of tables and booths. Smaller rooms are also available.

They start you off with radish, kimchi, and fish cakes.

Then it’s up to you on what to try………..

We started with the fresh “MADE IN HOUSE RICOTTA” Salad.

It sure isn’t “Tapas” sized to me but both of us thought that this was an unusually delicious salad. Something about the creamy fresh cheese, almonds, and vinegar is so good! We packed most of this up for latter.

Felt different about the next plate. It’s a BIG FAT NO!

These were Kalbi Short Rib Balls. They came out all dried out and not so tasty…..I can NOT recommend getting them to anyone 🙁 🙁 🙁

The salmon carpaccio was interesting and different with pesto on it……..This was good.

Tasty…..and have leftovers to bring back for latter.

They called this a bulgogi arancini………..To us it is not arancini but really was tasty…They should call it Korean Bulgogi and parm rice ball.

My husband can fit in another plate so he tried the Korean Sausage with a tasty honey mustard.

He called this hot dogs…..

Namu Korean Tapas & BBQ is Worth a Try! (If you skip the Kalbi Patties)

702-489-3981

3350 Novat Street Las Vegas NV

www.NamuTapas.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth