Casa Don Juan is a full service Mexican Restaurant in Las Vegas Nevada with three locations. The Main Street location in the Arts District has an out side patio. Inside this location has a Frida Kahlo theme with many pictures of her on their wall. Incase you don’t know Frida Kahlo is considered to be Mexico’s most important artist and is part of Mexico’s culture.

Whatever you order they start you off with complimentary chips, salsa, and bean dip.

To me the chips don’t taste freshly made. The salsa is spicy but taste mostly like oregano. I didn’t try the beans.

I tried a chicken fajita salad (with the jack cheese on the side) that is called ensalada de fajitas here.

The chicken breast is tender and sautéed with onions and bell pepper that are saturated with soy sauce over warm soft uninspired salad. This plate is topped with some guacamole. For my taste this is way too much soy sauce but maybe other people enjoy this?

My husband tried the #31 combo (Chile relleno, enchilada, taco with rice and refried beans)

I’ll be nice as possible and just say that this isn’t our favorite combo plate that we’ve tried.

That was my trip to Casa Don Juan – 1204 S. Main Street Las Vegas NV – 702-384-8070

www.CasaDonJuanMainSt.com

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Soulbelly BBQ is an artisanal central Texas inspired kind of BBQ restaurant by seasoned chef (James Beard Nominated, Food Network Chopped Champion, and Bravo Top Chef) Bruce Kalman. The Las Vegas Arts District location offers outdoor seating by the smokers.

Indoor seating in the bar and take out area.

And main dining area where the live music happens.

The tables are set up with carriers of sauces that include the house made Jiggly Meat BBQ sauces.

I wanted to try the tri tip pastrami but they were sold out of that today……so I went with Caesar Salad with their BBQ Smoked Turkey.

The turkey is tender, moist, and delicious………The salad taste far different than it looks…….It’s kind of deconstructed……..The black pepper cornbread croutons in there are really amazing and contain some of the flavors of Caesar….It’s different…but all together delicious. But might be even more delicious with a few drops of house BBQ sauce….. The vinegar sauce only a few drops kicks it up a level.

My husband tried the sandwich called, The Belly of The Soul (smoked brisket, fried egg, cheese sauce, pickled onions, spicy BBQ sauce, and crispy BBQ onions).

He said that this was really great. I tried a small bite of the BBQ Brisket and I have to say it was really perfect today.

On a second visit my husband had to have the Belly Of Soul sandwich again but with beans this time. He said it was just as good as from last time.

This time I got to try the tri tip pastrami sandwich – topped with slaw with a side of watermelon-cucumber salad.

It’s pretty good but isn’t cured with nitrates……the special dangerous pink salt that turns the meat pink…… resulting in a different taste. It’s beefier and less corned……..Well it’s healthier than what I’m used to and is pretty good. It seems like you won’t go wrong with the brisket, and the turkey. I want to try the fresh ground in house smoked brisket burger next time.

So we went back.

We started out by sharing their fried macaroni and cheese balls special.

Ummmm! and the pepper puree dipping sauce is unique and delicious too!

This time we both had their amazing smoked ground in house brisket burgers that are finished on the grill. They suggest to get them medium rare so we both did.

My husband got his with extra American Cheese and Soul Belly made Bacon with a side of potato salad.

The burger is really great. For my taste the potato salad is too smooth and has too much mustard in it….I can’t eat it but I do admit that I am sensitive to mustard.

I had my burger without cheese but with with slaw, pickles and special sauce with their cornbread on the side.

WOW! this is a really great burger! Juicy, smoky, flavorful. It really doesn’t need anything else. It is large. I thought it might be 8 ounces but our server said it’s a 7 ounce burger. The cornbread also is very good and really doesn’t need the honey butter since it is so rich, moist and with crunchy ends. It’s not too sweet or too savory. It’s just right!

On another visit we had some repeats that were just as good as before. We also relied the BBQ mushrooms with chimichurri.

They might be the meatiest mushrooms ever….but…they are very strong with the smoke today.

I also noticed that the menu has changed a little bit. The pastrami sandwich and the watermelon salad are no longer on the menu. Also the macaroni and cheese balls are on the menu now.

I have to say Soulbelly BBQ is Worth a Fork!

Worth aFork!

Soulbelly BBQ 1327 S. Main St Las Vegas NV – 702-483-4404

www.SoulbellyBBQ.com

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El Dorado Cantina is a Mexican Restaurant with Three Locations in Las Vegas Nevada. The Tivoli Village location in Summerlin is adorned with amazing light fixtures indoors and outdoors.

Very detailed cut glass chandeliers of flowers and parrots accent the patio and also look amazing from indoors.

Inside are red star light fixtures and hanging light fixtures with butterflies.

Eater Las Vegas wrote that the chips and salsas are the best from this restaurant so we gave them a try.

I should note that the chips and salsas are not on the Happy hour menu (3-6 Monday-Friday & 12am-3 daily) but they were only $3.75 and they are good. My Golden Cadillac Margarita was 1/2 price and it’s good for $11.00 but if I paid $22. for it I might feel different?

They offer EIGHT different tacos on the happy hour menu, a quesadilla, nachos, Mexican seared tuna, and a few other things.

I tried a roasted corn and poblano taco, a pulled chicken taco, and a carne Asda taco.

They are smaller sized tacos but are double shelled and well stuffed.

The carne asada is infused with good flavors and is tender today.

The chicken taste fresh made and is mildly seasoned and is as tender as tender can be…..

The roasted corn and poblano taco is maybe the tastiest but also is almost free of corn.

I see two corn kernels….It’s mostly caramelized onions with poblanos and lots of rich sour cream. It’s extra tasty from the cheese that was grilled on the tortilla.

My husband tried four tacos.

Fried shrimp, carnitas, mole chicken, cauliflower.

He liked the carnitas best out of the meat tacos. He liked the shrimp but didn’t like the generous amount of guacamole on them. The chicken mole tacos seemed similar to the regular chicken tacos……just with a dab of thin mole on them. Cauliflower taco was tasty.

That was Happy Hour at El Dorado Cantina – Tivoli Village Las Vegas NV – Worth a Try!

702-333-1112

www.ElDoradoCantina.com

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Pizza Rock will soon have three locations in Las Vegas Nevada. This pizza restaurant is like no other. The chef and co-owner is a 13 time world pizza champion. This restaurant serves a variety of pizzas (Neapolitan, classic Italian, classic American, Sicilian, Roman, and gluten free) from four different ovens. They also offer 23 rotating drafts, craft cocktails, and 60 bottled and canned beers.

This isn’t your grandpa’s pizza shop.

Interesting “Rock” music fills the air.

We started out by sharing the gorgonzola and apple salad.

It’s a good size for two people and contains mixed greens, spicy candied walnuts, gorgonzola, apples, dried cherries, balsamic vinaigrette.

We tried an Italian Style Artichoke Joe.

This one is mozzarella, marinated artichokes, spinach, garlic, provolone, ground pepper, and a squirt of fresh lemon. It’s a nice sturdy pizza that doesn’t seem too heavy. It’s actually on the thin side but sturdy with a crisp chewy crust.

We also tried the WORLD CUP WINNER OF NAPLES ITALY Pizza Napoletana Margherita (San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella fior di latte, basil, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt)

It does differ in every way from other Neapolitan pizzas I’ve tried. The crust is not wet in the center like some and is an all over moist, thin, and foldable. The sauce is rich and much heavier applied than others I’ve tried. The cheese isn’t melted as much and is in thicker chunks instead of a thin layer across the surface.

That was just a little taste of Pizza Rock.

201 N. 3rd Street Las Vegas NV – 702-385-0838

www.PizzaRockLasVegas.com

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Houston TX Hot Chicken is a fast but higher quality than regular fast food chain of hot chicken restaurants. They have several locations in Las Vegas and several more coming. This restaurant was featured on the news here and everyone enjoyed the food so much on TV that I wanted to try it too!. These restaurants also have amazing ratings on review sites so I wanted to give Houston TX Hot Chicken a try. They offer a variety of chicken sandwiches, tenders, fries, salads, milkshakes, cookies, soft beverages and more. You also have to decide on a heat level for your chicken. Do you want no spice, honey butter, mild, medium, spicy, liftoff, or Houston we have a problem?

The 7155 W Ann Road location is very casual. You order and pay at the lite up glowing stone counter.

You grab a number and seat yourself.

Pretty quickly our order arrives.

We both got original hot chicken sandwiches “spicy (habanero)” with cheese fries.

The eggy bun is nicely toasted and the slaw is fresh and crisp. This sandwich also contains dill pickles and they do give you a generous piece of fried chicken breast. I try a small piece of the chicken I sort of worry that I might not be able to eat it…..The “spicy” is CLUCKING HOT!……But it is crispy and the chicken is tender…….I’m tasting more heat than flavors when I taste the chicken by itself..Then I try a bite with the sweet sauce that is on it and with the slaw, bun and pickle I can manage it but it is hot…..Maybe between 7-8 on a 1-10 Thai Food scale. It is tasty all together but is also a mess to eat. You don’t want to eat with someone on a first date.

We also try one tender in liftoff- scorpion pepper (not the hottest that they offer)

In my opinion and I am a fan of spicy food this is too hot for anyone to enjoy….It also lacks flavors besides heat. We can’t eat it.

I do think the fries are fluffy and tasty. The cheese sauce taste ok but it has a texture that is strange to me.

If you are thinking something fast food this is probably better than the majority of fast food out there. If I try again I’d try a medium next time.

Houston TX Hot Chicken 7155 West Ann Road Las Vegas NV

702-718-5329

www.HHC.ooo

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Bespoke Kitchen is a brunch type restaurant located in Las Vegas Nevada not too far from the Las Vegas Strip. They offer things like vegetable and French fry appetizers, egg sandwiches, burgers, chicken and bulgogi steak sandwiches, omelets, salads, rice bowls, pastry, and more.

You seat yourself.

You order and pay with your phone from a QR code. Also near the hostess desk you can order and pay. You also have to go to the kitchen line to get your own silverware and napkins.

People run the plates out of the kitchen as they are ready.

I tried a cajun smoke salmon toast.

It’s described as cajun smoked salmon with chimichurri cream cheese, capers, pickled onion, and house salad. The smoked salmon is very good but it’s hard to tell about the chimichuri cream cheese………..

The FORKING Truth is that it looks like someone scrapped my cream cheese off of most of my sandwich.

This made me grumpy. I guess I should have shown this to someone there but I almost never send food back because I worked in restaurants and I saw things that could happen when you send food back…………So I just stayed grumpy.

My husband did better but his wasn’t perfect either.

His bulgogi steak sandwich really was very good and was tasty and very tender…..But those fries were underdone and were gross. Nobody likes underdone hard in the middle fries.

That was my trip to Bespoke Kitchen. Some things were very good but some things were very disappointing.

2600 West Sahara Ave. 725-278-8464

www.BespokeAllDayCafeLV.com

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Edo Gastro Tapas and Wine Tapas Restaurant is located in Las Vegas Nevada. They offer hot and cold tapas plates, charcuterie, changing tasting menus, wine, cocktails, chefs tasting menus, and more.

This is a small. but a cozy restaurant.

We shared a regular chefs tasting menu and a vegetarian tasting menu.

They started us out with refreshing watermelon aguachiles.

Then we were razzle dazzled by a parade of gastromic wonders.

Rosette – crab ensaladilla, avocado-yuzu mousse, trout roe

green tartare – zucchini, avocado, and pistachio vinaigrette

not tiramisu – candied shiitake, asparagus, almond espurra, puff pastry, coffee

shrimp and tomato – shrimp, tomatoes, seaweed, caviar, cilantro vinaigrette

summer salad – tomatoes, watermelon, passionfruit espuma, yuzu vinaigrette

artichokes a la catalana – sunchoke gremolata, olive tamponade, pear mostarda

empanada con todo – iberico, pibil pork, coppa, olive tapenade qual egg, feta, mojo verde

patatas bravas – crispy layers of potatoes with brava sauce

tart flambee with added black truffles – wagyu beef pastrami, onion, manchego cheese, jalapeño oil

croquetas – kimchi pesto, bechamel, mojo rojo

donut de bacacacao – cod fritter, squid ink, lemon

squet – halibut cheek, ricotta gnocchi, potato chips

wild mushrooms – artichoke puree, vegetables, quail egg, sun choke chips

lamb merguez – lamb sausage, cucumber yogurt sauce, cherries, plums, potato al ole

mushroom risotto with added black truffles – wild mushrooms, bomba rice, manchago and parmesan cheeses

dessert of the day – strawberry granita with popcorn mousse

Service was also over the top!

Edo Gastro Tapas and Wine is Worth a Fork!

Edo Gastro Tapas and Wine

3400 S Jones Blvd Las Vegas NV

702-641-1345

www.EdoTapas.com

Every THING is subject to change.