Vegas Unstripped is a gathering of most of Las Vegas’s most acclaimed and creative chefs.Tickets were $150. a person and included unlimited bites and sips. The 2024 Food festival was held at the Palms Casino Resort on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada,
The expected participating chefs are-
Here’s a little taste of Unstripped 2024.
The above pork belly, cauliflower mousse, stuffed mushrooms with pickled peppers were one of my husband’s favorite bites of the night.
Monzu Italian sort of roast Italian cheese like it’s a piece of meat and it melts on slices of bread below each cheese. Then they offer a few sweet toppings like fig and pear mostarda….and a spicy one like Calabrian pepper to make interesting flavors on the cheese topped artisan bread.
This was more exciting to watch as the sun went down.
Monzu also made chicken gizzards with some sort of eggplant.
Above is braised rabbit some from Milpa.
Above is a braised duck ravioli from La Strega , Harlo Steakhouse
Above is a smoked brisket, cheese, potato pierogi from Mabels BBQ
Above is a chicken enmolado from Aroma Nation American Cocina.
Above is sausage and picked vegetables from 1228 Main. (This was another of my husband’s favorites)
Tokyo Cafe is a small casual order-at-the-counter ramen & curry restaurant located in North Las Vegas Nevada. Some of the other offerings are appetizers like octopus balls, edamame, and gyoza. They also offer soups, salads, fried rice dishes, and teriyaki. Soft beverages and boba are also available.
The chicken katsu curry is a double serving of chicken breast (in TWO layers) over maybe FOUR servings of steamed white rice with a small garnish of ginger dressed lettuce and a cup of mild or spicy curry on the side.
The tonkatsu ramen is adorned with three half jammy eggs, noodles, pork belly, mushrooms, and more.
The noodles aren’t the chewiest but the rest is pretty good.
Mi Carboncito Peruvian Food is located in Las Vegas Nevada. This isn’t a fancy place but it seems clean and soft beverages are offered here.
I ordered the #27 Pescado Sudado (steamed fish) but they served me the #26 Filete De Pescado (fried fish). I didn’t feel like saying anything so I just accepted it.
It’s a generous portion of mild white flesh fish that is fried nice and light with a thin coating that seems free of oil. Under the fish is a slice of ripe tomato and some onion salsa. There is also a serving of sticky white rice. We were also given two sauces. One was a creamy mild almost pink sauce and the other was a spicy cilantro sauce. Both sauces were tasty with the fish.
My husband tried the Picante Camarones.
He said that the sauce was spicy and delicious and the shrimp were prepared nicely.
Mi Carboncito Peruvian Food is Worth a try!
6679 Smoke Ranch Rd – 702-268-8907
I have not found a website for Mi Carboncito Peruvian Food but they can be be found on Facebook and their menu is on Zmenu.com
The Promenade Food Court is located in Fontainebleau Casino/Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada.
My first taste came from El Bagel. At the time of this writing this restaurant has an impressive 5 star rating on Yelp. They offer breakfast and regular bagel sandwiches. They also offer sides of matzah balls.
While I was waiting for our order I spotted Chef Aaron May eating a matzah ball from El Bagel but when I got ready to snap his picture he got up to leave (that is him on the right).
The better of the two bagel sandwiches was the Pastrami Classico (18 hour smoked pastrami, Swiss cheese, coleslaw, thousand island dressing) on a plain bagel because they ran out of most of their bagels by 11:00.
It’s tender and seems fresh. To us it is smokey but isn’t flavored so much like pastrami….It’s like if you wanted pastrami but with less flavors…..
We also shared a Lox Supreme -Open Faced (cold smoked Nova Lox, plain cream cheese, tomato, cucumber, pickled onions, capers, and a very small amount of fresh dill). On a plain bagel because they were out of sesame, everything, and poppy bagels. They only had plain and salt by 11:00.
The best part of this sandwich are the most flavorful freshest cucumbers that I have tasted in a very long time. These are the best cucumbers ever……The rest is ok…..Not the best bagel…….
Not the best cream cheese….It seems like it was watered down……..
The lox has a nice texture but taste ever so slightly fishy…….
Really don’t like the pickled onions…….because they taste more like candied onions…..Maybe they spoil the balance of flavors and maybe the sweet pickled onions make the lox taste off?
El Bagel – 702-678-9000
Fontainebleau Las Vegas 2777 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV
www.FontainebleauLasVegas.com
Moving on……
Next to El Bagel is Capons.
They offer Chef Capon’s custom beef blend burgers and chicken sandwiches on house made potato buns. They also offer chicken tenders, fries, onion rings, house made gelato, and soft serve ice cream.
We shared one of the chicken sandwiches called The Firebird (hot honey glaze, sriracha aioli, spice rub, bread and butter pickles on the house made potato roll.
It’s an ugly duckling (or an ugly capon?) BUT IT’S FORKING DELICIOUS!
It rocks with all kinds of delicious flavors and textures…….Sweet, Tangy, Spicy, Crunch, Juicy, Tasty, Delicious !!!!!
The pickles are BOMB diggity GREAT!!!!! WOW I wish they sold them separably. They have so much going on with them…They can make anything taste great…I wonder how I can make pickles like this? The chicken is marvelously juicy and flavorful with a shattering crisp exterior that Is coated in deliciousness and is embellished with a zingy sriracha aioli…. YUM
THIS IS A FORKING GREAT CHICKEN SANDWICH!
We tried a few scoops of the house made gelato.
The single scoops here are double the size of most places.
Both flavors here are amazing and are top notch.
We tried chocolate peanut butter chunk and pistachio.
They really are as good as can be…..The Chocolate Peanut Butter Chunk was made with quality tasting chocolate and DOES TASTE like chocolate but you also get pops of peanut butter cups….It’s just great together. The Pistachio really does taste like pistachio…..and has lots of real toasted pistachios in it……There is a possibility that this might be the best gelato in Las Vegas.
I will add that they are so creamy and rich that I would have guessed them to be ice cream.
Capons was a really great stop.
Capons – 833-702-7070
Fontainebleau Las Vegas 2777 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV
www.FontainebleauLasVegas.com
We also got to try Bar Ito. It’s a quality hand roll and sushi bowl stand. The menu is very limited and you can order either 3 rolls, 5 rolls, miso soup, or select one of the few bowls.
We tried three rolls (spicy tuna roll, toro roll, and a salmon roll).
They came in this amazing box with very nice chopsticks.
It’s so pretty (and so wasteful)
You need to read directions on how to unravel the sushi.
It’s very good sushi……and they also fill the sushi with a generous amount of fish…..It is very good….But I feel guilty wasting the magnificent box when I’m done.
Bar Ito – 702-678-9000
Fontainebleau 2777 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV
www.FontainebleauLasVegas.com
Roadside Taco from L.A. California has a stand in the food court that we tried.
We shared a mushroom taco and a hot chicken taco. I also noticed that they make margaritas here but it was early so I passed on margaritas.
After the mushroom taco for some odd reason the hot chicken taco is very bland.
The chicken is moist and the breading fell off of some of the chicken. It taste like they forgot to season the chicken……The slaw and chipotle aioli taste kinda more like mayonnaise and lack a chipotle taste……The mushroom taco was far more flavorful and also far more spicy than the hot chicken taco……
Roadside Taco – 702-678-9000
Fontainebleau Las Vegas 2777 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV
www.FountainebleauLasVegas,com
That was a Taste of Promenade Food Court at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
Pizza Baby’s origional location is on Craig Road in North Las Vegas Nevada. This is a neighborhood type pizza restaurant. That means you go to it if you happen to be in the neighborhood. They offer 2 sizes of pizzas (large and xtra large) made with 72 hour fermented dough. They also offer salads, cheesy sticks, fried pepperoni Bambino pockets, fries, chicken tenders, chicken wings, kid’s meals, and Blue Bell Ice Cream. Soft beverages are served here.
Looks like a pizza place inside.
You order and pay at the counter and seat yourself.
we started out by sharing an entree sized “Baby Loves” salad.
It’s bigger than I expected it to be. t’s different than the description. They gave us apples instead of strawberries and blue cheese..Without mentioning the substitution………………Anyways…….. This salad also has blueberries and candied pecans in it….It’s pretty good anyway. We both had small salads out of this and there is plenty left.
Here comes the Margherita pizza.
They put lots of fresh basil on it. The crust is light and not too heavy or dense. The sauce is very thick and rich. Cheese is decent…Not bad.
From what I tried so far it seems like a decent neighborhood pizza restaurant.
Las Pupusas is a casual Salvadorian/Mexican restaurant with a few locations in Las Vegas Nevada. I went to the North Las Vegas Location on Craig Road and had the grilled salmon there.
It’s not a fancy plate of food and is very basic but is a large portion and the salmon was prepared nicely with a soft moist center.
I was surprised that this $15. meal was prepared this nicely.
On another night we went to MRKT. It’s the nicest restaurant at Aliante Casino Hotel. It’s a steak and seafood restaurant. I’ve previously enjoyed steak here. I thought tonight I’d try the salmon.
It came out with a great sear on it and shattering crisp skin but was terribly over cooked and very dry. Incase you don’t know…salmon doesn’t taste good when it is over cooked.
What a shame…….the quality of this fish means nothing when it’s over cooked like that.
I send it back since it was $38.00. (without sides)
Then I get this……
It’s raw in the middle and like seared sushi…….
This got sent back too…..
Was waiting for a third one but it took so long we left.
Incase you don’t know what a quality perfectly cooked salmon is like …….here is what you should expect to be at a nice restaurant.
The salmon should have a nice sear. When it’s cooked like this you get that special silkiness in your mouth and the salmon flavor is its best. Also at better restaurants the blood line is removed (that is the dark meat on the bottom of filet).
The $15. Salmon from Las Pupusas was prepared better than the $38. salmon from MRKT.
Las Papusas
945 W Craig Rd North Las Vegas NV
702-648-6200
I have not found a working website for Las Papusas.
MRKT Sea & Land at Aliante Casino/Hotel
7300 Ailante Pkwy North Las Vegas NV
702-692-7320
www.Aliante.BoydGaming.com
Every THING is subject to change. (maybe the chef at MRKT will learn how to cook salmon?)
El Nopal Mexican Grill is a neighborhood type Mexican Restaurant located on the NORTH LAS VEGAS Restaurant row (Craig Road) Nevada. They offer much of your usual Mexican foods like soups, nachos, enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos, burritos, salads, burgers and more. Soft beverages, beer, and margaritas are offered. They have festive seating inside and a small patio outside.
They start you off with complimentary chips and salsa.
The salsa is good but VERY SPICY HOT!!!!!!!!!! The chips are average. We tried margaritas. They were made with fresh squeezed juice and do taste good but are light with alcohol.
They also give you fideo soup before your entrees.
It’s a chicken-tomato based broth with thin noodles in it.
For my main I tried a chicken fajita.
It’s a very large portion of food that can be two meals for some people. The chicken is tender and came on a sizzling skillet with beef peppers, tomatoes, onions, a jalapeño and this sauce…(that I can’t stomach) that brought it down for me. If this sauce was removed this could be great. This also came with rice, beans, guacamole, and chile of tortillas.
My husband tried the Asada Alambres (sizzling skillet with beef, ham, tomatoes, peppers, chorizo, onion, bacon, and cheese).
He thought that it was also made with the sauce that I didn’t like but he was able to eat this whole thing.
Sunflower Vietnamese Restaurant is located in North Las Vegas Nevada. They offer a variety of Pho Soups, Vermicelli Plates, Vegetarian foods, a few sandwiches, and they also are Tea House.
Here’s the tea menu. There is a lot to pick from.
It’s small but cozy inside.
We started off by trying the chicken potstickers.
The potstickers here are crispy all over and seem like deep fried. The jalapeño is a nice touch but soy-like sauce seems extra salty to me……..
They gave me an extra generous serving. I got a big bowl of lettuce, vermicelli (rice noodles), fine shredded pickled radish, carrots, cilantro, scallions, and this tasty, not too spicy, tender as from a sous vide, sliced chicken. It’s tender like butter…….On the side are peanuts and nuoc cham. It’s different but is good…..Even the vermicelli is different to me….maybe a little softer and thicker?
My husband tried the Beef Combination Pho (rare steak, brisket, beef balls in beef broth).
This one is also a generous serving size. I only tried one spoonful of the broth…it’s different….beefy but not rich beefy…..more like summer broth beefy like the way a good steak sandwich taste……..I did try a small bite of the steak…..it didn’t have a lot of flavor to it. I thought that the chicken from the vermicelli bowl was much better. My husband did say that the brisket had a better flavor but was slightly chewy.
Those were my thoughts on Sunflower Vietnamese Restaurant.
Worth a Try!
Sunflower Vietnamese Restaurant
4210 W Craig Road North Las Vegas NV
702-224-2708
I haven’t found a website for Sunflower Vietnamese Restaurant.
I have found their menu on www.Seemless.com and www.UberEats.com
Aroma Latin American Cocina is a small full service Modern Latin American Restaurant located in Henderson Nevada that is not far from some parts of Las Vegas. This is NOT A FANCY PLACE but does serve a mix of familiar cuisine mixed with something amazing and unexpected. Soft beverages, some Spanish beverages, and limited alcohol is served here.
Some of the appetizers might be things like watermelon salads, guacamole, Peruvian Ceviche, and beef empanadas. A few of the mains are things like enchiladas, short ribs, and pork chops…..They sound familiar but you probably never had them quite like this before.
We started out with the watermelon salad called Sandiada Salad.
This was PACKED with all kinds of surprises. The greens are dressed with chamoy vinaigrette. There’s spiced cashews, watermelon balls, grapes, and these FORKING MAGICAL tomatoes nixtamal………..(it’s that process that you do to corn that makes corn taste like a taco shell but on tomatoes it does something deliciously different!!!!!!!! and truly amazing!)
This was a salad like no other.
We also shared one of the most incredible Ceviches that I have ever tried. Here’s the Peruvian Ceviche.
This was made with sweet potato, corn nuts cancha, leche de Tigre, cilantro, and yellowtail…….You can’t see it but under the green leaf were these unusually delicious pepper rings…..(that might have been Fresnos?…..They had something done to them that made them extra special. Everything was just delicious together and the fish seemed fresh as can be.
Everything was so top notch……But we were blown away yet again with the Gaucho Sandwich.
This was even way more amazing than it looks…….The grilled piachna (Latin Cut beef) was off the charts melt-in-your-mouth tender and also darn so flavorful…It truly was amazing. It also was embellished with chimichurri, house dressing, lettuce, tomatoes, caramelized onions and was served on a hoagie roll with Chimi Baby Dutch Fried potatoes on the side. This was one of the most spectacular sandwiches ever!
It was such a home run that we had to try one of the desserts and tried the White Chocolate Roasted Corn with Popcorn Cream and Chicha Morada.
It was different with interesting flavors and textures. It was like it came from the finest restaurant.
Aroma Latin American Cocina is a Exceptional Hidden Gem!
Dining out with dogs is just a “Fluff” story about taking my dogs out to eat. It all started with my late dog Louie. He always LOVED going out to eat and when he was elderly he came down with aggressive cancer. We were told he only had probably three months to live or maybe up to 6 months. I took Louie out to eat as often as possible and he made it another 17 months. Today I take my current dogs out to eat when the weather is right and when I can.
The dogs (and us) got to go to Riva’s Mexican Grill in North Las Vegas (there are three of them in North Las Vegas) but we went to the one that shares a community patio.
The dogs got to try some steak, some chicken, and some fish from my tacos.
I thought that the beef was a little chewy but my dogs thought it was great!
They also sampled food from my husband’s shrimp & carnitas tacos and his Riva’s Burrito.
Carnitas Taco and shrimp taco Riva’s Burrito
The dogs sure enjoyed Riva’s Mexican Grill.
Riva’s Mexican Grill – 702-586-2251
6885 N Aliante Pkwy North Las Vegas NV
www.RivasMexicanGrill.com
A couple days latter we took the dogs to the Vet so afterwards we reward them with a Cheeseburger from Jack in the Box.
Soon we’re home with the cheeseburger.
Now they get to eat maybe a 1/3 of the burger without the bread. They get to eat the rest of the burger about a 1/3 at a time for snacks.
My dogs didn’t mind eating a Jack In The Box Burger.
This next week it was COLD and Windy so we just went threw a Carl’s.
The burgers felt dry to me but the dogs didn’t complain. They still thought the cheeseburger from Carl’s was a treat!
DARN Yet another COLD day….it was about 55 again…….but just warm enough to give the dogs some In-N-Out cheeseburger on their patio.
I do have to say that this In-N-Out burger felt juicy and moist. Bet the dogs loved it.
Next week it is suppose to hot…..like around 90 degrees……(hopefully not too hot?)
The Weather is OK (almost 90 but also windy and feels cooler) so we tried Mo’ Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food in North Las Vegas. They have only two outside patio tables. I called and asked if it was ok to dine there with dogs and they said YES so here we are.
The Hawaiian Plate Lunch is always an enormous amount of food in a styrofoam container. We got Pulehu Chicken and teriyaki chicken with brown rice and macaroni salad.
My husband shared some of his 3 meat plate with the dogs too.
He got katsu chicken, bbq beef and kalhua pork.
All the chicken dishes were good today and the dogs enjoyed them too!
Mo’Bettahs Hawaiian Style Food – 725-285-0280
1020 E. Craig Rd North Las Vegas NV
www.MoBettahs.com
We hope that you’ve enjoyed Dining Out With DOGS April 2024. We hope to see you next month!
The Forking TruthIn Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017
