Ground-In-House BURGERS in Las Vegas NV

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There are basically two kinds of burgers out there. The regular ones are made with commercial ground beef and the ones with better tasting patties are fresh ground in-house. I haven’t tried all the ground-in-house burgers in Vegas yet but they are the only ones I will eat. You really don’t go back to commercial beef after trying most ground in house burgers.

The burger above is the 10 oz. Market Street Burger from MRKT Sea & Land Restaurant at Aliante Casino/Hotel in North Las Vegas. This one was the most expensive of the burgers ($26. at the time of my visit) I was expecting it to be the best….

I asked about the patty and was only told that it was mostly filet mignon. This burger was white cheddar cheese (left off at my request because you taste the meat more without the cheese), caramelized onions, tomato, wild arugula, dijonaise, griddled potato bun, with parmesan garlic fries.

For whatever reason this burger today was juiceless and dry on the ends. It also lacked a good flavor. Possibly whoever was cooking might have squished all the juice and flavor out of the burger? Or maybe the blend of meat to fat ratio was off? Or maybe there is another reason??????????????? This burger is at the bottom of my ground-in-house-burger list. I should note that I did enjoy a steak dinner special here so I will come back to try a steak or fish next time.

MRKT – 7301 Aliante Pkwy North Las Vegas NV 702-692-7777

www.AlianteBoydGaming.com

At another Boyd restaurant called Carved Prime Rib at The Canney Casino/Hotel also in North Las Vegas……The ground- in -house PRIME Rib burger was very good. Also cheaper ($20. at the time of my visit).

This one is a 10 oz. ground-in-house prime rib burger patty with Swiss cheese (left off at my request to taste the beef better), mushrooms, onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, brioche bun, skinny fries. This one is juicy and has a good flavor to it. Not crazy about the skinny fries but I have to give them credit for cooking them to perfection and serving an extra generous portion in a heated bowl that stayed hot the whole time.

Carved Prime Rib – 2121 E Craig Road North Las Vegas – 702- 507-5777

www.CanneryCasino.com and it takes you to www.CanneryBoydGaming.com

Jerry’s Famous Coffee Shop at Jerry’s Casino also offers a ground-in-house NYStrip & top round burgers in THREE different sizes. Below is a 1/2 lb burger with sweet potato fries.

It’s a pretty basic burger with nice grill marks. It t DOES have a nice burger taste. The roll is a little large for the burger but they get POINTS for serving a fresh baked bun from Jerry’s Bakery. I also note that the sweet potato fries today are especially good with a crisp exterior and a great sweet potato flavor……I don’t recall the exact price for the burger but remember that it was very reasonable.

So far the best two I’ve tried are next in no particular order. This one is the Signature Burger from Echo & Rig.

WOW! Now this burger gots lots of flavors……..Inside it is bib lettuce, heirloom tomato, red onion and aioli……the fries are a little dried out today but the burger today is super great! (at the time of my visit the price was only $17)

Echo and Rig 440 S Rampart Blvd Las Vegas NV – 702-489-3525

www.EchoandRig.com

The other really great burger (so far) was the smoked and grilled ground-in-house brisket burger from Soulbelly BBQ.

The brisket burger is served with American cheese special sauce and a pickle. An alternative suggested serving is topped with slaw that I got but also with special sauce. I think they cooked it slightly less than the medium I asked for but I do have to say that this is another FORKING Delicious burger full of all kinds of flavors. (at the time of my visit was only $18)

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

www.SoulbellyBBQ.com

These were the ground-in-house burgers that I tried in Las Vegas……SO FAR. (P.S. I know there is a ground in house prime burger served at Summer House in The Durango)

My husband said that it was a good burger. I’ll have to try it next time.

Prices are subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Gochujang Chicken Meatballs with Gochujang Sauce Recipe

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Something a little different. Sprouts had a surprise salt on ground chicken. I needed to use my gochujang (delicious Korean fermented pepper sauce) and I had leftover take out rice in the refrigerator so this is what I came up with. This will make 4-6 meals depending on how big your serving is………..So I’ll say five meals. I also need to add the different brands of gochujang are different. American ones have less flavor and some taste like ketchup and you don’t want that. Today I used this brand.

Up top is a QR code and under it reads www.chikabmall.co.kr

Ingredients for around 5 servings

1 lb ground chicken

2 eggs

1/2 cup sautéed onions and peppers – chopped

1 Tablespoon Gochujang (preferably a Korean Brand from an Asian Grocery Store)

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar

1/2 lime – just the fresh squeezed juice

1 Tablespoon fresh ground ginger

1/4 cup scallions – thinly sliced

5 garlic cloves – ground to paste

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup leftover take out rice

non stick spray

24 oz Italian tomato puree (for the sauce)

1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons gochujang (for the sauce)

2 Tablespoons ketchup (for the sauce)

splash mirin (for the sauce)

Optional – basil, scallions, cilantro, or chives for finishing

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray baking sheet(s) with non stick spray.

In a large mixing bowl mix together the chicken, eggs, onions & peppers, gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, lime juice, ginger, scallions, garlic, pepper, salt, and rice.

The mixture will be moist so you won’t be be able to roll mixture with your hands. You will need a small meatball size scooper to make the balls. I made 27 balls yours might run smaller or larger so you might get a different amount.

In my preheated 350 F oven these took 20 minutes.

While the meatballs are cooking mix together the tomato puree, gochujang, and a splash of mirin. Heat up in a sauce pan and serve with meatballs.

Gochujang Chicken Meatballs with Gochujang sauce

ENJOY!!!!!!!

The Forking Truth

FORKING DELICIOUS Caramelized Potatoes Recipe

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I had this one large potato in my bag of potatoes. I just made chicken gochujang meatballs with gochujang sauce so I’m thinking some sort of Asian-ish potato. BUT THEY DIdn’t come out Asian-ish….They just came out FORKING DELICIOUS and sort of caramelized on the outside and fluffy inside. I melted one stick (4 oz.) of unsalted butter. I added a small squirt of soy sauce. a small squirt of hoisin. Around a Tablespoon of honey. And three large cloves of garlic that I grated to a paste. This got mixed up together in a small bowl.

The oven got set to 400 degrees F and I sprayed a sheet pan with non stick spray.

The potato got cut in half longways……Then each long piece got cut in thick slices.

They got placed on the baking sheet with a little room between each slice and I poured the liquid over the potatoes.

They got placed in the middle rack of the preheated 400 degree F oven for around 60 minutes and I got FORKING DELICIOUS Caramelized Potatoes

Ingredients for around two servings.

1 LARGE potato (or two potatoes)

4 oz sweet butter – melted

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons hoisin

1 Tablespoon honey

3 large cloves garlic – ground to paste

non stock spray

sea salt -to taste

ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spray baking sheet with non stick spray

In a small mixing bowl combine butter, soy sauce, hoisin, honey, and garlic.

Your potato gets cut in half long ways and the long slice gets cut in thick slices like this and each half goes on baking sheet with sauce poured on it. Make sure you use that non stick spray…..the sauce around the potatoes does burn and turn hard.

this goes on middle rack of oven till caramelized.

Mine got done in an hour. Add a little sea salt and pepper……..Ovens do differ so yours might get done faster or slower. I let my husband try some and he couldn’t stop eating them. That’s how FORKING great they came out! (I also poured some of the separated butter on the potatoes that they sat in.)

FORKING Delicious Caramelized Potatoes

They are FORKING DELICIOUS!

The Forking Truth

Burrito Tyme Taco Shop North Las Vegas – Worth a Try!

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Burrito Tyme is a small casual Mexican Restaurant located by a gas station in North Las Vegas Nevada. It’s very casual. You order and pay at the counter. Next to the cashier is a small bar of salsas, limes, radishes, pickled carrots, and grilled jalapeños and maybe a few more things so you can dress up your order as you like.

It’s small but they offer a long menu of all kinds of things like breakfast, and of course burritos, quesadillas, tortas, tostadas, enchiladas, tacos, combo plates, fajitas, taco salads and MORE! Mostly soft beverages are available (I only noticed a bottle of sangria but wasn’t sure if it had alcohol in it because it looked more like a soda?)

I tried three tacos – a fish taco, a chicken taco, and an asada taco (steak)

Above is the fish taco and the asada (steak) taco.

They are much larger than I was expecting and are also very generously packed.

The first one I tried was the chicken taco. (lower left side below.

It’s well packed and doubled shelled with white corn tortillas that I can’t separate ……The chicken is ok….this tacos also is dressed with pico and guacamole…..The asada is next……I’m surprised….the beef isn’t chewy…..it’s ok ………My favorite of the tacos is the fish taco……It’s the one with lots of crunchy lettuce. The fish is fried really perfect. It moist, fresh tasting, and meaty inside with a shattering crisp crust. It’s different than any other fish taco I’ve tried anywhere. It’s dressed with Mexican tartar sauce…..This one is my favorite I’ll come back to get this again.

My husband tried adobada (pork) and carnitas (pork) tacos and a combo plate of a chile relleno with a cheese enchilada that comes with rice and beans.

The chile relleno is unique from others we’ve tried. Inside is a fresh roasted poblano type pepper with lots of white melty cheese encased in a light bread-ee fried batter. My husband said the beans were good.

Worth a Try!

Burrito Tyme 5575 N 5TH St North Las Vegas NV – 702-399-3693

www.BurritoTyme.com

Every THING is subject to change

The Forking Truth

My Trip To Saffron Flavors of India – Las Vegas NV

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Saffron Flavors of India might be the only Indian Restaurant near North Las Vegas Nevada. We decided to give them a try.

It’s nice and neat inside.

Some alcohol is served here.

We started out by trying the gobi manchuriam (cauliflower appetizer in Chinese style sauce)

It taste like Chinese Take out……It’s kinda sweet and kinda spicy with not too much in-between….We ordered #8 out of #10 for heat……It’s not crispy like from other places I’ve tried……..Not sure that the cauliflower is battered or not…seems like just vegetables and a sweet and spicy sauce. Different….I’ve never had this dish like this before.

This restaurant does have dishes on the menu that you don’t find at other restaurants like the Frankie Naan. It’s like a cheese stuffed Indian Pizza (cheese stuffed Indian type bread topped with garlic, basil, spinach, cilantro, and pesto.)

It’s tasty.

Then we shared a few dishes.

Goan Fish Curry – ginger, tomato, coconut curry sauce #7 out of #10 heat

Makhi (butter) Curry with Chicken #7 out of #10 for heat.

Both curries are #7 out of ten for heat and both are just above mild. n the lower right hand corner is the Goan Fish Curry. The dominate flavor of the curry is ginger. I would recommend not to order the fish here….It’s stronger than I enjoy…..

On the upper part of the plate is the Makhi (butter) Curry with chicken…..The white meat chicken is prepared nicely and is tender. The sauce is fragrant and more balanced than the Goan Fish Curry….For my taste this one is much better but it is different from what I tried from other Indian restaurants that I’ve been to. Different isn’t negative…..It just means different.

I noticed Rogan Josh on the menu and that is a dish I haven’t found before in Indian Restaurants that I’ve been to.

That was my trip to Saffron Flavors of India.

Saffron Flavors Of India 4450 N Tenaya Way Las Vegas NV – 702 – 489 – 7900

www.SaffronFlavorsOfIndia.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Nusr-Et Steakhouse Las Vegas NV – $39. 3-Course Lunch Disappointing

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Nusr-et Steakhouse is a Steakhouse by Chef Nusret Gokce who is known by the name Chef Salt Bae.

Nusr-Et Steakhouse is in almost 30 locations across the world including places like Istanbul, Dubai, London, Mykonos, Miami, and LAS VEGAS just outside of the New York New York Casino/Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. Quality flake salt is the signature of this restaurant and it is sprinkled on most things savory.

The steaks run up in Price to $1,500.

Nusr-Et also offers a three course Lunch Special for $39.00. I thought this would be an amazing opportunity to try Nusr-Et.

The Las Vegas location looks like this with a big modern attractive bar in the middle of the lower floor of the restaurant.

A larger than life portrait of Chef Salt Bae is in the middle of the room.

We shared the appetizers and started with the salmon tartare. It sure looks AMAZING but doesn’t taste amazing.

It taste like salmon that is mixed with mayonnaise on top of creamy avocado that is embellished on the top with crisp (maybe freeze dried) capers (I don’t think they are fried because when capers are fried they open up like flowers …and have some flavor). On the plate is an artistic red splat that looks incredible but doesn’t add anything……….Honestly I think a few ingredients are missing from this dish today.

Next we share the best of what I tried at Nusr-Et.

It a BIG Nusr-Et Salad. (greens, tomato, apple, walnuts, feta, raisins, cherries, pomegranate dressing)

The salad is big and fresh. Everything is fine here.

Now on to the mains…..I’ll show my husband’s main first because the picture shows what is wrong better. He got the 5 oz. New York Strip with mashed potatoes.

You can tell just by looking at the photo that this doesn’t taste good. THE STEAK is tender but THE STEAK IS GREY. It’s NOT SEARED. The grill marks look like they possibly could be painted on? The steak is salted but other than salt it’s tasteless………Sadly to admit that the mashed potatoes are stomach turning to be. They are gluey……..I KNOW that for $39. for three courses I don’t expect a high quality steak but it is so easy to make a cheap steak taste at least good……..Don’t mean to brag but even I can make a cheap steak taste good….see picture below.

Would you prefer this? (sometimes I salt crust the potato)

Sous Vide and seared NY Strip

Or this?

ANYWAYS-

I got the 5 oz filet mignon. It sure looks better and also is tender but also is next to tasteless……..Salty and not much else. To me the mushrooms are too salty too.

We also shared a side of macaroni and cheese.

It looks great and does taste like it was made with real cheeses but has a weird texture and doesn’t taste right. It’s very grainy and the sauce looks good but taste like it is missing something…………..It’s missing either butter or milk….take like cheese and water……(maybe that is why it’s grainy?)

The baklava is ok…….and not too sweet.

Never had Turkish Ice Cream before so I’m not sure what it is suppose to be like but this I can’t stomach. My husband can’t eat it either……..It’s so strange. It’s sort of hard and chewy in a really weird way.

To me the three course $39.00 lunch at Nusr-Et was disappointing.

I do note that your experience and taste may indeed differ.

Nusr-et – 3786 Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV – 702-623-0664

www.NUSRETUSA.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Baked Potato Skins Stuffed Skordalia Style Recipe

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Skordalia is a Greek Dip that is usually potato and or bread based. It always has garlic and olive oil in it. It also has either lemon or vinegar in it……Sometimes it has either almonds or walnuts in it……. I called my version of what I did Skordalia Style because I made the Skordalia like a filling instead of a dip…..If you want it more dip-like then you thin it down with more oil (some people thin it down with water)

Ingredients for around 4 servings

4 russet potatoes

1 head garlic

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + extra for cooking the potatoes and extra to drizzle the garlic

3 ounces almonds – ground

1 lemon – just the juice

3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

sea salt – to taste

black pepper – to taste

optional – finish with a little parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush or spray the potatoes with olive oil and give them a sprinkle of sea salt. They go in the oven for 90 minutes.

The head of garlic gets cut in half and gets a generous drizzle of olive oil.

Cover the garlic with foil. This goes in the oven till the garlic is soft and lightly caramelized. (30-45 minutes) When the garlic is cool enough to handle you squeeze the cloves out.

The cloves get mashed with a potato masher. (set to the side)

The potatoes get cut in half longways when cool enough to handle. Scoop out the centers with a spoon.

If you want the skins crispy ……Spray them with olive oil and add sea salt and pepper and put them back in the oven for 35-45 minutes.

Mash the scooped out potatoes with the lemon juice, almonds, roasted mashed garlic, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Fill the shells. Skordalia is traditionally served at room temperature so there is no need to heat the filling but you can if you want. Finish with parsley if desired.

Baked Potato Skins Stuffed Skordalia Style

ENJOY!!!!!

The Forking Truth

Dining Out With DOGS in Las Vegas NV December 2023

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Dining Out With Dogs is just a “Fluff” story about taking my dogs out to eat. It all sort of started with my late dog Louie. He always enjoyed going out to eat. He always enjoyed eating too. Louie got to be elderly and came down with aggressive cancer. We were told he probably only had three month and maybe up to six months to live. I took Louie out to eat as often as I could and he made it another seventeen months. Today I take my current dogs out to eat when the weather is nice and when I can.

We did take out from Salad And Go (a take out salad restaurant). They offer 8 different salads, wraps, soup, breakfast, and a kids menu. But no dining is in here. It’s all take out. So we went threw the drive threw and dined basically across the street at Craig Ranch Park.

I got the autumn salad with chicken. (romaine, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, parmesan cheese, cranberries, pecans, balsamic vinaigrette. (this salad was only $6.40)

Someone is very happy to share the chicken and some sweet potato.

Someone else is also very happy with some chicken and sweet potato.

They also get some goodies from my husband’s customized Cobb Salad. (romaine, poblano, black beans, croutons, egg, steak, pepper jack, buffalo chicken, Greek Dressing, avocado, and bacon. He fed them some steak and some bacon.

Then they go back to me for more chicken and more sweet potato.

Everything was good except for the Brussels Sprouts….Today they were very bitter…..Usually they are good. Well at least they always were at the Salad And Go in North Phoenix.

Salad And Go 1135 E Craig Road – 702-425-3779

www.SaladAndGo.com

The dogs got to try BBQ from John Mull’s Road Kill Grill.

I think this dog is actually smiling.

We shared a two meat plate – BBQ 1/4 chicken, brisket, yams, macaroni & cheese, cornbread.

The dogs also got to try some of my husband’s plate – pulled chicken, brisket, pulled pork, hot links on side, macaroni and cheese, meaty beans, cornbread.

The portions are crazy large.

I thought some things were better than other things but the dogs loved everything they tried.

John Mull’s Road Kill Grill – 3730 Thomas Blvd Las Vegas NV – 702-645-1200

www.JohnMullsMeats.com

The dogs also got to try The Goodwich downtown.

They got to sample turkey from the #9 Turkey Thyme sandwich (slow roasted turkey, applesauce stuffing, cranberry jam, mayo on a hoagie)

They also sampled pork from the #7 Cuban-Esque (pork butt, pork belly, pickled mustard, Swiss cheese, ham, chicharron, white bread)

The dogs were very happy to try The Goodwich.

The Goodwich – 900 S Las Vegas Blvd LV NV – 702-910-8681

www.TheGoodwich.com

My dogs also got to dine at The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill.

They got to eat chickpeas, cucumbers, gyro meat, and chicken.

My dogs always enjoy going to The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill.

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill – 6540 Losee Rd North Las Vegas NV – 702-749-8582

www.TheGreatGreek.com

That was Dining Out w=With DOGS for December 2023. We hope that you’ve enjoyed and we hope to see you next month. Oh and by the way….Happy New Year!

The Forking Truth
In Memory of Louie 5-5-2001 – 3-3-2017

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill – North Las Vegas NV – Sometimes Great!

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The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is a casual fast growing chain of Greek Mediterranean restaurants in about 1/2 the country with around nine locations in Nevada. The NEW North Las Vegas Nevada location on Losee Road has a nice bright open dining room and also has patio dining for when the weather is nice.

They offer many Greek appetizers, salads, soup, wraps, entrees, desserts, children’s meals and soft beverages.

To start out we tried a 4 dip appetizer and my husband’s entree came with a small Greek salad.

They gave us a generous amount of warm flatbreads. They also gave us generous servings of tzatziki (yogurt cucumber dip), tirokafteri (feta roasted pepper dip), melitzanosalata (roasted eggplant dip), and hummus (chickpea tahini dip). All the dips are flavorful and very good! I think the hummus is unusually good. It’s rare that you go anywhere and get hummus that is this good.

I try the Greek rice bowl with Atlantic Salmon.

WOW! To my surprise the salmon is VERY GOOD! It’s fresh like from a better restaurant and was prepared medium-medium/rare like from a better restaurant with nice grill marks. The salad is also quite large, very fresh, and tasty. It’s over rice pilaf and the tzatziki sauce is very good.

My husband tried a grilled steak souvlaki entree platter with (slight up-charge) Greek lemon potatoes.

Everything is well flavored (especially the potatoes YUM!!) He likes it. For me the beef today is slightly chewy. (but I confess that I am not a beef person and I seldom eat beef)

The dips are very good and today the salmon was very above average. Everything was flavored nicely and all the food seemed very fresh. To me that’s Worth a Fork!

It was so good that we went back with the dogs on the dog friendly patio.

I had the Greek Rice bowl again with salmon again.

It looks the same but doesn’t taste the same…….Doesn’t taste like fresh salmon….Taste like from frozen supermarket salmon and includes the bloodline this time. It’s also well done this time.

My dogs don’t mind. The Giant Aussie enjoyed chickpeas and salmon

The Beagle-Mix enjoyed cucumber slices and salmon

They also got to try some of my husband’s Greek Rice Bowl with gyro.

Depending on your take this might have been better than the salmon? It was brought out cold and kinda dry though….But my dogs didn’t mind.

Next time I’ll try the chicken.

On another visit my husband had the Greek rice bowl again with gyro. The gyro is a bit better this time.

And I got the Greek rice bowl with chicken this time.

Some pieces are moist and some are slightly dry…..It doesn’t seem marinated like what I’m used to from Greek Restaurants but isn’t bad.

My dogs don’t mind helping me with this.

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill (many locations but I only have been to-)

6540 Losee Rd North Las Vegas NV – 702-749-8582

www.TheGreatGreek.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

First Taste of Fine Company Restaurant – Las Vegas NV

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Fine Company was one of the most anticipated restaurant openings recently by Eater Las Vegas. Fine Company is by the former executive chef of the Bellagio. This restaurant offers new American cuisine and is located in downtown Summerlin Las Vegas Nevada. This restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner service.

We didn’t notice this written anywhere in the restaurant and nobody informed us that this is a cashless restaurant. Even though our paper money is legal for all debts…It is not accepted at Fine Company. They should inform you on this before you order instead of informing you when you are ready to pay.

Anyways –

They offer traditional seating, community seating, and patio dining.

My husband tried the porchetta sandwich (potato focaccia, pumpkin seed pesto, giardiniera, pickled red onions, arugula pickles and fries) He asked for salt and pepper and they brought over the cutest restaurant salt and pepper shakers.

He said that this sandwich was VERY, very, VERY, GOOD! and the meat was MOIST and FLAVORFUL! It was a really great sandwich but the fries were cold…..

I also got a sandwich and asked if I could pay extra to substitute a side salad for the fries. I was told that they don’t do that here……..So I had the Fileto Fish sandwich with fries. (menu reads – shatter battered halibut, giardiniera remoulade, brioche bun with pickles and fries)

I do have to say that the fish seems very fresh. It’s mild and meaty…..It’s good but the breading isn’t shattering crisp…..but still good. I tried 1/2 the sandwich as is and most of the other half without the bread…….They do taste different. With the bread it’s almost impossible to taste the giardiniera remoulade……Not sure if because too thinly applied or if it needs more flavor to it…..But without the bread it does have a better flavor. The sandwich is good but I also got cold dry fries. I didn’t ask for it but for some reason they gave me their spicy ketchup for the fries…I do have to say that the spicy ketchup is spicy and good…..It’s very flavorful and is spicy. The pickles are also very good.

The Banana bread is listed as a brunch plate but we tried it for dessert.

The banana bread is very good and comes with high quality very good butter…….

That was my first taste of Fine Company Restaurant in Summerlin.

10970 Rosemary Park Drive Las Vegas NV – 702-405-0715

www.FineCompanyLV.com

Every THING is subject to change

The Forking Truth