Monthly Archives: November 2025

Our Local Paper’s Food News is not always very up to date

Leave a reply

I’ve been upset with the lack of Food News that I come across in our local newspaper. I used to live in Phoenix Arizona where they had a whole food section with lots of local stories about local restaurants. They also had stories on other food happenings like the festivals too. In addition to that I also used to enjoy reading about the monthly list of openings and the list of closings. In Las Vegas we don’t have that.

In Las Vegas we have so many restaurant that they would really need three food sections. One for the strip and another for locals and a third one for Chinatown.

Here our local Las Vegas Newspaper has only one food reporter who only writes a few food stories a week that are most often a Casino Restaurant. I don’t recall seeing stories about festivals in the paper or even recall seeing these type of stories on our local TV news. Las Vegas has so much going on but it seems like we actually have less written about what’s going on than anywhere else I lived.

Just this week our local newspaper ran an article TUESDAY NOVEMBER 11TH 2025 that the future of Siegel’s 1941 has an uncertain future and nothing was decided until contractor bids come in an appraise the amount of money it will take to update the kitchen that has to close.

The SAME EXACT DAY TUESDAY NOVEMBER 11TH 2025 Casino.org reports that Siegel’s 1941 is to be (as they said) “RUBBED OUT” and to be replaced with a steakhouse. Today Wednesday November 12TH 2025 Our local newspaper still reads that Siegel’s 1941 ‘s future (in their words) is “Murky”. So our local newspaper’s story is already out of date.

Casino.org reports that Siegel’s 1941 is expected to close in April 2026. Here are some of the pictures I took in Siegel’s 1941 so you can see what the Mobster (Bugsy Siegel and one time OWNER) Themed Restaurant looks like.

The Menu Changes from time to time but a few of the offerings are – breakfast, matzoh ball soup, pastrami sandwiches, other sandwiches, burgers, and a $19.99 Prime Rib Special.

Seigel’s 1941 at the El Cortez Hotel/Casino (Expected to be there until April 2026 ? Call first just in case)

600 Fremont St. Las Vegas NV

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

My Trip to Rutba Indian Kitchen – Las Vegas NV

Leave a reply

Rutba Indian Kitchen is located in the Las Vegas Chinatown not too far from the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. Rutba Indian Kitchen is located in a small center of mostly restaurants on the second level so you have to walk up steps or use the elevator to enter. Once you get in it’s beautiful and modern inside.

It looks like they have a full bar inside and I also saw a built in buffet that is only for use on holidays.

We started with a Samosa Chaat (crispy samosas with spiced chickpeas and chuneys) and a Pani Puri (crispy shells with spicy and tangy fillings).

Samosa Chaat – Much different than any other samosa chaat I’ve tried. Never had one that was all chopped up before.

Pani Puri – The shells are made nicely (thin and crisp) Flavors are similar but more delicate than others I’ve tried.

and of course you have to get one of breads so we tried the Garlic Chili Naan Bread

The Naan was Very aggressive with strong garlic and chili –

We shared the Chicken Korma (onion based chicken gravy with blended nuts) that comes with rice.

In this dish the chicken was masterfully tender. I thought the sauce was good.

We also shared the Chana Masala (chickpea curry).

This also came with rice. A little different from others I’ve tried but tasty.

Portions were generous and we brought back leftovers.

Rutba Indian Kitchen

5115 Spring Mountain Rd Las Vegas NV

www.RutbaIndianKitchen.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

My Trip to ShangHai Taste – Las Vegas NV

Leave a reply

ShangHai Taste is a famous Shanghainese Dumpling Restaurant located in the Las Vegas Chinatown Shanghai Plaza. They are famous for a thicker fried soup dumpling called Shen Jian. They also offer appetizers like Shanghai duck, Shanghai Style Pork Ribs, and cold sliced tongue in Sichuan Sauce. They also offer steamed Bao and Dumplings, Soups, and Wontons, Fried Rice, Noodle Dishes, and more.

This restaurant has been featured in many publications and the chef has been a James Beard Semi-Finalist.

As you walk in you can see them at work in the exhibition kitchen.

You can sit at a counter in front of the kitchen or take a traditional seat in the dining room.

The tables are set with hot tea, plates, chopsticks, condiment bowls, a menu with a pen and checklist. You fill out the list of what you want to order and someone picks it up and you get plates ran out to you. They do have four condiments to embellish the dishes. Off to the side they have chili paste, chili oil, soy sauce, and vinegar.

We tried a variety of things –

Angus Beef Jian (pan fried beef dumplings)

They are constructed masterfully and they hold a good amount of soup in them.

For my taste today the soup is too salty and the beef just tastes like boiled beef. (I don’t know if this is typical)

Scallion Pancakes – Very greasy today and very light on the scallions

Scallion Chicken Salad – A generous amount of moist pulled chicken (I thought this was the best of the bunch)

Vegan Dumplings – light on the filling and not very flavorful

Fish Dumplings – Lots of mild white fish inside with a small amount of scallion but – Unseasoned

Their FAMOUS Shen Jian (pork) Pan Fried Dumplings – My husband said that these had even less flavor than the beef ones.

Maybe Shanghainese Food is suppose to taste unseasoned?

Shanghai Taste

4266 Spring Mountain Rd Las Vegas NV

702-570-6363

No Website

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Firefly Tapas Kitchen & Bar – Las Vegas NV – Worth a Fork!

Leave a reply

Firefly Tapas Kitchen & Bar is a Spanish Tapas Restaurant and Bar with two locations in Vegas. They offer various hot and cold small tapas plates, paellas, sangria, and much more. The Hughes Center Drive location is quite large and also is located very close to the Las Vegas Strip. This location has an outside patio, a bar – (below is bar area)

And lots more beautiful and rich looking dining areas.

It’s hard to decide what to order and how many plates to order. Our server recommended 3 or 4 small plates a person. Maybe we ordered the hardier plates and found that a total of 4 plates was plenty for the two of us.

Whatever you order they start you off with complimentary bread that comes with delicious almond honey butter.

Our first tapas plate was the Tuna Tartare (marinated ahi tuna, sesame dressing, taro chips)

Gosh this was delicious! It’s also spicy that we weren’t expecting. It’s so flavorful that it turned out to be our favorite plate. (wasn’t expecting that)

The Spicy Beef Salad was also very good (filet mignon, orange soy dressing, pickled ginger, romaine, salsa verde, wontons)

The filet was tasty and tender like butter. The flavors were interesting. But the surprise was that it was less spicy than the Tuna Tartare.

Next was Chicken Skewers (mojo-mojo glazed chicken, roast garlic cream)

On this one I really liked the chicken because it was tasty and tender and developed with god flavors. The sauce to me tastes more similar to mayo than to roasted garlic…..

Last plate was the Manchego Mac-N-Cheese with Tomato Pepper Relish.

The Mac-N-Cheese came out with a crispy thin crust and a little bite of tomato/pepper embellishment.

In general all the food was very good so Firefly Tapas Kitchen & Bar is Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

Firefly Tapas Kitchen & Bar

335 Hughes Center Dr. Las Vegas NV

702-369-3971

www.FireflyLV.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Tony Shalhoub Inspired Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Pastry – Idea

Leave a reply

I was watching the new TV Show called Tony Shalhoub’s Breaking Bread. He made these Lebanese Pastries called Spinach Fatayer. I found his recipe on the web and I think it was at www.FoodNetwork.com They might have fixed the recipe since I looked but at the time the pastry recipe had a major misprint an didn’t work out many people said. I figure that the recipe for the pastry part is pretty close to pizza dough so I just whipped up m normal batch of pizza type dough. To his spinach recipe I added more spinach and just added feta and mozzarella and a big sprinkle of Alepo pepper but kept the flavors the same. I also added a beaten egg to the pasties for a nice finish. This is only a recipe idea so I didn’t fully figure this out for you. You just have to wing it. But it’s pretty easy anyone can do this and you can even buy pizza dough to make it even easier. I do note that I mixed up the spinach the day before so that it cooked itself.

In a big bowl mix up –

1 8 ounce bag spinach

1 onion – chop fine (I slice thin on mandolin and then chop)

1 large lemon – the fresh squeezed juice

2 heaping teaspoons dried mint

2 teaspoons z’atar (or more to taste)

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or more to taste)

This gets mixed well and sits in a ziplock bag in your refrigerator over night.

*******Next Day ********

Set your oven to 375F

Take your spinach mixture and try to leave the liquid in the bag. Add your spinach mixture to a bowl and add 4 ounces of crumbled feta cheese and 16 ounces of shredded fresh mozzarella and set to the side.

Get out your meatball scoop and scoop out a meatball size piece of dough. You might need a little extra flour and roll your dough into a circle. Add a scoop of the spinach and cheese mixture. Fold up three ends of the pastry over the spinach filling. you can leave a small hole in the center if you like. These go on a non stick sprayed baking sheet. Then brush them with a beaten egg. They go in the oven till lightly Browned. (about 25 minutes)

Tony Shalhoub Inspired Spinach and Cheese Pastry

A Special Thanks to Tony Shalhoub so I could make what I got here.

ENJOY!!!!

The Forking Truth

THREE CAN’T MISS THAI Dishes of Las Vegas NV

Leave a reply

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.

And this is –

The Forking Truth

Bites Of Europe – Hit & Miss – Las Vegas NV

Leave a reply

Bite of Europe is a European Style Bar and Restaurant located in the North-West Part of Las Vegas Nevada. They offer things like Beef Stroganoff, Schnitzel, Pelmeni, Pierogi, and Specials.

The regular menu items we tried were all reasonably good.

Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

Peach Dessert

Potato and Cheese Pierogi

Turkey Stuffed Cabbage

Then we tried specials on our second visit.

Khachapuri Adjaruli – Bread filled with cheeses and an egg yolk that you mix into the cheese. (bread was a bit raw and lacking salt and the cheese ran bitter)

Goulash Stew – Tasty but pork was dry and stringy.

Chicken Parikash with spetzel – This just didn’t taste good. My husband tasted it and said, “THAT’S WEIRD TASTING.”

Bite of Europe – Hit & Miss – Safer to go with the regular menu and to avoid the specials.

Bite of Europe 10040 W Cheyenne Ave Las Vegas NV

725-254-0095

www.BitesofEurope.net

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

2025 Viva Taco Fest – North Las Vegas NV

Leave a reply

The 2025 Viva Taco Fest Happened in North Las Vegas Nevada at Craig Ranch Park on Craig Road (Oct.31, Nov.1, Nov.2). This was billed as the largest taco fest in the country. A fifteen dollar ticket got you a general admission ticket to get you in and the rest was up to you. You enter and see an endless amount of venders selling all kinds of goods. It was sort of like a swap mart was brought to you. Then you pass by various Day of The Dead displays. (below are just a few)

Then you finally get to the food venders. This was the first food truck I saw.

Not all but the majority of food was offered here.

I was very surprised that a lot of the food offered wasn’t tacos.

There were several different French Fry Vendors.

Funnel cake vender. I also saw pizza here, a few doughnuts, and few Ice creams.

Further down was a large stage with blaring Mexican Music.

They also had covered patio seating.

We tried a variety of tacos from a variety of places here.

Fish and Shrimp Tacos

Bulgogi Beef, Carne Asada, Chicken with red salsa, Chicken with Green salsa

Chicken and Carne Asada Tacos – These were the best by a long shot. They were so darn flavorful that the other tacos SUCKED after tasting these tacos.

They came from here.

I don’t think there is a name anywhere. I see a logo for Mr Papas Potato chips but nothing else. (a couple people on Facebook told me the correct name for this place is Mr Papas Y Raspados)

Also our newspaper and local TV news do very little in the way of food mews and this taco festival wasn’t featured. Also no list of venders on the Viva Taco Fest Website. BAH!

That was my trip to the 2025 Viva Taco Fest.

www.VivaTacoFest.com

The Forking Truth