Taste of Gujarat is an amazing Indian Restaurant in Las Vegas. We enjoyed everything from the atmosphere to all the food that we tried there. They serve full flavored Indian Foods that really bang with bold flavors and some heat.
It was worth the drive across town to dine here.
We also enjoyed some of the best burgers in town from Holsteins Shakes and Buns. I was told that the patties are fresh ground in house wagyu and chuck. They offer many interesting toppings and on both our visits we never had an over cooked a burger.
In other food news –
Hanukkah begins Sunday December 14TH 2025 at sundown and Las Vegas is lucky enough to have not one but TWO BRAVO TOP CHEF BBQ restaurants celebrating Hanukkah this year. Below is the SMKD BBQ Hanukkah Specials.
Below is the Soulbelly BBQ Hanukkah Specials –
In other FOOD News –
December 18 2025 – How Ya Dough’n (Pizza Shop) is expected to open at 3747 Las Vegas Blvd S. and it reads in the Las Vegas Neon Section that they are giving away 777 free slices of pizza starting at 11:30 December 18TH
This winter – Mr Yakitori Japanese Skewers expects to open at 6475 W Charleston Blvd
Spring – With Love Always (smash burger and custard restaurant) expects to open by May 2026 in Red Rock Casino
Open Again from the MULTI MILLION dollar renovation is Morimoto at MGM
Stanton Social Prime at Caesar’s Palace is rebranding to Stanton Social Italian
and –
Silly and or Cute Food News – My dogs enjoying meat from tacos from Tacos Los Barrios
That was The FORKING Las Vegas Food Buzz of the Week
These are most of the BAD Plates from This Year. I may have forgotten a few?
These are the most Horrific Foods I tried since last year.
Louie Louie Fried Chicken Sandwich
The Louie Louie Fried Chicken Sandwich was over sauced and made with chicken that was so dry it could make you choke. (maybe that is why they over sauced the sandwich?)
This Coconut Chicken from Hawaiian Barbecue (pictured below) had a sauce on it that made me gag and the better chicken nuggets were dry and stingy. The dryer ones were hard as rocks.
The Potato & Cheddar Pierogi from Pierogi Village
The Potato & Cheddar Pierogi had unknown meats in it from Pierogi Village – BLECH!
Caesar Salad from Balla Italian Soul
The worst Caesar Salad was from Balla Italian Soul. Because NOBODY wants their Caesar Dressing to taste like Ranch Dressing with an anchovy garnish.
Broccolini from Balla Italian Soul
Also from Balla Italian Soul the spicy broccolini is very over seasoned and MUSHY…..NOBODY likes mushy smelly broccoli.
Reheated macaroni and cheese, red beans and rice without sauce Jerk Chicken and the toughest beef in the whole world came from Taste Budz Creole Kitchen. (Dang even a crocodile would have trouble here)
Also from Taste Budz Creole Kitchen was from the can deteriorating sweet potatoes and salmon that a fork can’t cut that is crusted with something like grill residue and taste horrible and is so hot and spicy that it is inedible. Maybe this restaurant is called Taste Budz because the owner lacks Taste Budz?
Ick! It taste how it looks – from NORMS
This next one doesn’t look bad but it was BAD. It was suppose to be a $24. ground in house prime rib burger …………But instead they served an over cooked nasty fast food tasting type burger from Carve Prime Rib at the Cannery Hotel/Casino.
From Chabelito’s Mexican Grill #3 I tried the Birria Ramen.
Birria Ramen from Chabelito’s
Then I almost turned into a pillar of salt from this non-edible salt bomb birria ramen.
Hot Garlic Szechuan Chicken from China Kitchen
So SWEET you can pour it on pancakes.
Kung Pao Beef from China Kitchen
The beef was so tough that you could BREAK YOUR TEETH.
When you need a steak knife to cut threw you snapper Florentine is pretty darn bad. (and they served it with a broken sauce too1)
Snapper Florentine Special from Bistro 57Unseasoned hard as tire rubber chicken from Sushi Neko Dried Out Beef Bulgogi from Sushi Neko
This next one doesn’t look bad but it was……The Hamachi Kama from Ginza Izakaya Japanese Restaurant was over cooked to the point where it was dry and stringy. (but their wagyu beef really was very good)
Hamachi Kama from Ginza Izakaya Japanese Restaurant
Also the Chicken Karaage was maybe the worst I ever had anywhere……..because it tasted unseasoned and floury and that you can see!
Chicken Karaage from Ginza Izakaya Japanese Restaurant
Cooper’s Kitchen & Tap served me the WORST Stir Fry Dish that was chuck full of Raw Dry Kale and a sauce that might have been created by a toddler.
The Stir Fry from Cooper’s Kitchen and Tap was awful and full of Raw Kale
Went back to the Hawaiian Barbecue because it actually used to be reasonably good and got this in my Maui Maui Healthier Salad.
It was scary awful and disgusting. If was like fried the fish and dripped oil all over the salad and egg. And WTFork is that BLUE on the egg?
Grizzle and Chicken joints from all the meats I tried from 8282 Korean BBQ
Those were the 2025 Horrific Foods of Las Vegas.
Just awful and NOT WORTH A FORK!
Not Worth a ForkThis is Forked Up!The Forking Truth
Fisher’s Deli is a small but busy Jewish Style Deli in Henderson Nevada (Around 30 minutes from Las Vegas). Off to the side of the dining area you can buy fresh baked goods and deli items.
They also offer some specials.
Today it was a 15 minute wait for a table.
I tried a whitefish platter today.
They ran it out before the cream cheese and onions were suppose to be added. I don’t know but think they gave me the wrong white fish. Usually you get a piece of fish not all these ends. It also doesn’t taste as fresh as I like. This is not a good example of a white fish plate.
The pastrami here is better than the whitefish. Also the potato salad lacks seasoning but is better than the cole slaw.
We also shared a knish. It tastes right but the crust is rubbery.
Harvest Cafe recently opened a second location in North Las Vegas Nevada. It’s really not too far from their original location on Craig Road. The new Losee Road location only serves Breakfast and Lunch. They are open from 7am-3 every day.
Inside is a mix of traditional tables and booths.
I tried a balsamic chicken salad.
It’s not perfect but is ok. It came out a bit warm and over dressed. I would recommend to ask for the dressing to be on the side. But the chicken in it is very good and moist and developed with flavors. This salad was also adorned with feta cheese and walnuts. On the side was toasted buttery garlic toast.
My husband tried a medium/rare cheeseburger with onion rings.
It came out medium/rare so he was happy. The onion rings were made nicely and were crisp and seemed free of oil.
Harvest Cafe (Losee Rd) is Worth a Try!
6412 Losee Rd North Las Vegas NV
725-204-o475
As of today the Losee Road location is not on the website for the Craig Road location. They have different hours and a slightly different menu.
Often I see $8.00 off coupons for The Harvest Cafe in the local Neon Magazine that they give away for free at our local Smit’s Supermarket.
What’s Zaap Thai For is located in Las Vegas Nevada just minutes way from Red Rock Casino and minutes away from The Durango. If they seem familiar to you then maybe you caught them on Food Network’s Diners Drive Ins and Dives TV Show. A loop of that episode is continually playing on a TV there. In case you care to know Zaap means Next Level Great in Thai and it really is from what I just tasted here!
Several awards are under the TV and one is from Yelp that rates What’s Zaap as #35 of the top 50 restaurants in Vegas.
It’s a smaller restaurant. I noticed a few patio tables outside but I am not sure if they ever get used.
We started out by trying the crispy spring rolls.
They are just spring rolls but as soon as we started eating them they suddenly became the best spring rolls we ever tried. They have a special fresh taste I don’t usually get and the sauce is different but very good. Off to the side (not pictured) is the chef’s condiment tray with a special chef recommended hot sauce sauce that embellishes the food even more.
Check this out! Look how beautiful the Salmon Green Curry is.
Not only is this green curry layered with delicious flavors and adorned with tiny sweet baby eggplants and baby corns……..
THE SALMON IS MASTERFULLY PREPARED!!!!!
Crisp and seasoned on the outside. Moist and rich inside. Very few places prepare salmon this well. This is next level. Even my two closest steak houses don’t prepare salmon even close to this masterful.
The Spicy Basil (Pad Gra Pow) with Beef is the VERY BEST Spicy Basil Dish that I’ve tried in Las Vegas so far.
They are the only Thai Restaurant in Vegas that offers (a $2.00 upgrade) to use Holy Basil in the dish as it should be made with Holy Basil for the correct taste. They also hand chop the meat for more surface area and that holds in more flavor. Also the beef by the way is very good. This by far is the best Pad Gra Pow that I tasted in Vegas so far or at this time.
Best of the week was from SMKD BBQ by Bravo Top Chef Alex Resnick. Top Chef Restaurants are worth trying so we took the ride to Henderson to try some things. Everything was good but some things were AMAZING like the Mojo Garlic BBQ Chicken, the Smoked Salmon, and the really big surprise was the Kugel. Who knew that something called Kugel can be amazing. WOW what a great surprise!
The restaurant with the best atmosphere was Americana.
The food was OK with very slow service and stunning atmosphere.
In other Food News-
Chef Leticia Mitchell is to be opening up another Mexican Restaurant called, “Besties Cafe” in the Arts District Downtown. (opening date not announced) 1401 S Commerce St.
A December or January opening is expected for Bizarre Bites as of yet the menu hasn’t been written but they are thinking burgers and ice cream with an embellishment of molecular Gastronomy. 110 S Rainbow Blvd
Chubby World is coming to Chinatown. It’s a four story Japanese Food, Retail, and Entertainment Plaza. 3810 Spring Mountain Rd. Opening Date not announced.
Ada’s Food and Wine closed at Tivoli Village but has moved and will be opening December 19TH downtown in the original Esther’s location.
The Emeril Lagasse Group is opening their first non-strip restaurant called Meril after Emeril’s daughter. It will be opening some time in the M Resort in Henderson. Opening Date not announced.
Early 2026 Hearthstone (from Michelin Stared Chef Jason McLeod is coming back to Red Rock Casino/Hotel.
Early 2026 – Bravo Top Chef Kwame Onwuachi will be opening a Caribbean Steakhouse called Maron in the Sahara Casino/Hotel
December 20TH 2025 The Pepper Club Closes
Silly and or Cute Food News – My dogs eating on the patio at the Market Grill Cafe.
That was the FORKING Las Vegas Food Buzz of the week
The Peppermill & Fireside Lounge is a famous American Style Diner and Bar located on the Las Vegas Strip. All kinds of BIG TIME celebrities have dined here. This place has also been featured in movies and TV Shows (maybe because of all the Neon inside).
They do have a partially open kitchen so you can see some of the kitchen action.
We tried lunch last time. We tried a cauliflower appetizer that isn’t on the current menu.
A salad.
and a burger.
It was all reasonably good.
We went back eventually and this time tried dinner.
Our dinners started with Caesar Salads that I forgot to photo. They were generous in size but the dressing lacked full flavors. ( I don’t know but think it wasn’t real Caesar…I don’t know but think it was missing the anchovies and could have used a little more garlic. It just seemed kinda flat and bland)
We were with two other people. Maybe? the best dish of the evening was the crab cakes because the person that had them said that they were ok but they felt that the restaurant over sauced her salad with salad dressing.
The other three dinners were ALL BAD! Everything was cold, hard, tough, or over cooked, either unseasoned, or slammed with too much salt. Nothing was good.
Maybe the worst one might have been with the person who ordered the New York Strip? EVERYTHING on the plate was BAD. Someone spilled A LOT of salt on the steak. The Steak was tough and COLD. The mushrooms were COLD. The potato wasn’t a russet but was a wax potato and also was COLD AND HARD. You couldn’t get butter to melt on it if you tried.
My Meal was the the Hot Honey Halibut with Gochujang mixed vegetables, rice, and garlic bread. (and I didn’t get any garlic bread)
The Halibut was over cooked and only tasted sweet like honey. The vegetables tasted completely unseasoned and were served cold. The rice was also cold.
My husband had a cold tough pork chop with gummy mashed potatoes, and cold unseasoned vegetables.
BLECH!
Maybe the worst part was that nobody from the restaurant seemed to care.
Maybe you will do alright if you order a breakfast or sandwich here?
Those where my trips to The Peppermill & Fireside Lounge.
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue is a Casual Hawaiian Food Chain with TWO HUNDRED locations and growing more. We happen to have many similar restaurants in Las Vegas and also many in North Las Vegas. These places specialize in the Hawaiian Plate Lunch. That means that you get a styrofoam box that is jam packed with a lot of meat, rice, and other stuff. It’s casual. You order at the counter or on-line. You grab a seat inside or on the community patio if the weather is right.
I never tried L&L Hawaiian Barbecue when I lived in Phoenix because we had Leo’s Island BBQ nearby in Peoria AZ that was very good. We used to enjoy one of the near by Hawaiian Barbecues until it changed and sort of went down the tubes. (below is from the last thing I tried there)
Anyways-
One of my neighbors said that their favorite Hawaiian BBQ Restaurant was L&L Hawaiian Barbecue so we gave it a try. This location shares a community patio that is only two doors down. The weather was nice so we brought the dogs with us to help eat up the massive amount of food.
We shared an order of chicken potstickers that were tasty (and also had a bunch to bring home).
I tried the Healthier Chicken BBQ Plate. It came with two scoops of brown rice, salad, and ranch dressing.
They gave me THREE nicely browned and juicy chicken thighs. This is very tasty and is enough for THREE lunches.
My husband tried the Spicy Beef.
This is kinda sweet and spicy. I can’t chew the beef but my husband can. Maybe my teeth aren’t sharp enough?
Dogs didn’t have a problem eating it either.
He also had a coupon for a free Spam Musubi so he enjoyed that too.
We also sampled one piece of Fried Fish.
Not sure if I will try fish again here. It has that like frozen fish from the supermarket taste.
Cantinetta Pizza & Pasta is an Italian Restaurant and Bar located in Las Vegas Nevada. It’s under the same ownership as Brunello LV in Summerlin and both restaurants are embellished with Sofia Loren Photos all around.
They offer the usual Italian Foods that you would expect to find on the menu but they also offer some plates that you wouldn’t expect like beet carpaccio, salmon carbonara, and chocolate fettuccini.
Whatever you order they start you off with warm bread with sun-dried tomato oil.
We shared the Fried Eggplant Appetizer.
It comes on top of a creamy walnut sauce. The eggplant is fried very nice and seems free of oil. The eggplant itself is very sweet and taste like a white eggplant. I’m not sure if the walnut sauce does much for the eggplant but it’s different and ok.
The chicken piccata was traditional and good.
It’s in a white wine lemon caper sauce and came with nicely prepared fresh vegetables and some potato.
The rigatoni picante is a bit different.
Instead of being made with sausage it”s made with nduja (spreadable SPICY sausage made with Calabrian Chili) My husband said that it was good but much spicier than he was expecting.
We were pretty full but managed to fit in a gelato. They were nice enough to offer 1/2 and 1/2 gelato so we went with pistachio and Amareno Cherry.
The nicest meal of the week came from Marche Bacchus. They office a lakeside atmosphere and French Style Foods. Below are pictures from my last two visits.
Sadly there was a WORST of the week and maybe one of the worst of the year. Before you say anything this restaurant had a 4.5 star impressive average on Yelp so I thought all would be at least good. Below is a stir fry from Cooper’s Kitchen and Tap.
The Stir Fry from Cooper’s Kitchen and Tap was awful and full of Raw Kale
This stir fry is FULL OF DRY PLAIN KALE. HOW ON EARTH can DRY PLAIN KALE be a stir fry? It’s also missing the bok choy and broccolini from the menu description. It does contain a few stir fried vegetables that are in a not so good sauce (really a terrible sauce) They are also a few small clumps of cold quinoa in it that are a substitute from rice that I would have had to wait an hour for. UGH and BLECH!
In other Food News –
*********UPDATE*******The Pepper Club announced that they are changing their closing date. Instead of January 1st they will now be closing December 20th 2025*****************************
December 3rd 2025 London’s 2 star Indian Michelin Restaurant Gymkhana is expected to open in the Aria Casino/Hotel
Hedary’s (Texas Based) Mediterranean Restaurant is expected to open January 26th at the Gramercy.
This winter- Sartiano’s Italian Steakhouse is expected to open in the Wynn Casino/Hotel
Early 2026 Maroon a Caribbean Steakhouse by James Beard Award Winner and Bravo Top Chef Kwame Onwuachi is expected to open in the Sahara Casino/Hotel
The world’s first retro theme park called Retro Escapes plans to open somewhere in Vegas at some time.
Silly or Cute Food News – My Dogs enjoying a Burger King Whopper.
