Category Archives: Forking Restaurant Reviews

Honest unbiased reviews based on actual experiences

International Smoke Las Vegas NV – Don’t get the Chicken

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International Smoke is a restaurant by chef Michael Mina and author and television host Ayesha Curry. This restaurant had two locations. One location is in San Francisco and the other that I went to is in The MGM Grand Resort and Casino on the strip in Las Vegas Nevada. This restaurant offers a global menu. They say they cook with smoke and use bold flavors.

Inside is sort of dark but not too dark (you can read the menu). The decor is masculine and classic. A large bar is almost half the dining area. As you walk in you are greeted with a delicious aroma of smoke……

inside

We started out by sharing the black truffle mac ‘n’ cheese.

The pasta is nice and firm and isn’t mushy. The cheese sauce taste like it was made with real cheese and it is good. The truffles don’t give off much flavors but it is better that than to taste artificial flavors.

My husband tried the Jamaican braised oxtail.

This dish was good. Good flavors, a little spicy…….It was enhanced with red beans, coconut rice, and Jamaican green seasoning. The only issue here was that it lacked enough sauce to really enjoy.

I tried the Sinaldan Style Mary’s Chicken (achiote salsa mache, sauce pastor, sweet potato, avocado).

On the bright side the flavors really were off the charts amazing……and spicy too……………..But on the dark side this chicken was prepared very uneven, mostly DRY and hard to cut, and with rubbery inedible chicken skin. It was hard to enjoy the amazing flavors here. I was asked by someone (maybe a manager? not my server) on how it was but I just started so I didn’t know how it was yet because she asked as soon as I got it. Didn’t feel like complaining after I was done.

Off of one visit I don’t really know how this restaurant is but I would not recommend getting the chicken. Oh I should mention that I have recently enjoyed the Korean Bbq Salmon Sandwich from Micheal Mina’s Bourbon Pub at San Francisco AIRPORT…(yes at Airport) It was so delicious…and amazing….I wonder if chicken is good there?

International Smoke

3799 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV (MGM Grand)

702-891-3922

www.MGMGrand.com

www.InternationalSmoke.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Siegel’s Bagelmania Las Vegas NV – GREAT BAGELS – Worth a Fork!

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Siegal’s Bagelmania is possibly the largest Jewish Delicatessen on the West Coast. They are located in Las Vegas Nevada near the convention center that is near to the Las Vegas Strip. They also have a smaller location in the airport in terminal one.

You either dine in or do take out.

This is the take out line below.

The take out line starts around here with Pink Box Doughnuts.

Next is a couple counters that are oozing with pastries, breads, cookies, cakes, and more.

Then you make it to the bagels.

The worker’s T shirts backs read “Challah at me.”

Here’s more bagels and an everything flagel.

Then you go by the shmears.

I skipped a few cases….because somewhere around here is where you order the deli meats , cheese and fish.

Then you hit knishes, latkes, blintzes and noodle kugel oh my!

We took out a few things.

Plain, rye, and everything bagels – These are the BEST bagels that I have tried since I left Pennsylvania.

belly lox (considered the better lox if you can handle the salt…..) (too salty for me)

nova lox – Both lox appear to be hand sliced

pastrami

pickles

GREAT BAGELS and more!

Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

Siegel’s Bagelmania

252 Convention Center Dr Las Vegas NV 702-369-3322

www.BagelmaniaLV.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

ROSSO ITALIAN Phoenix AZ – Newly Opened

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Rosso Italian is an Italian Restaurant located in downtown Phoenix Arizona. This restaurant is a new addition to the Pomo Restaurant Group. They offer a nice modern atmosphere and indoor-outdoor bar area that is dog friendly.

Either here
bar area
dining area

The dining area is a mix of traditional tables and booths.

dining area

On the current menu are appetizers like meatball pizzaola, bruschetta trio, creamy polenta short rib. They also offer salads and soup, hand made pastas, Pomo pizzas, and three entrees that were – grilled salmon, roasted chicken, and pork chop Milanese.

We started out by sharing the beet salad.

beet salad

It contained red and gold beets (some red ones are chips), romaine, frisee, little dots of whipped goat cheese, radicchio, pistachios, citrus vinaigrette.

We also shared the spaghetti cacio and pepe.

spaghetti cacio & pepe

It’s made with five varieties of roasted peppercorns and pecorino Romano cheese. Each bite does taste different. Some bites for sensitive people might contain too much pepper.

I tried the grilled wild salmon.

grilled wild salmon

It came with grilled romanesco and fregola sardo. It was slightly over cooked. Both the server and manager offered a replacement.

My husband tried the pork chop Milanese.

pork chop milanese

It was a breaded pounded pork chop with mixed greens, a grilled orange wedge and citrus vinaigrette.

I was too full for dessert but I did want to see the dessert menu.

They probably offer desserts but our server was the type that didn’t want to sell any. Perhaps you will get a different server.

Rosso Italian – Newly Opened

ROSSO ITALIAN – 2 E Jefferson St PHX AZ 602-218-6001

www.RossoItalian.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Brera Osteria Las Vegas NV – Ask for the $28.00 3 Course Chefs Tasting Lunch GREAT FIND! Worth a Fork!

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Brera Osteria is a multi-regional Italian restaurant that is an inspiration of the artsy-cool Brera neighborhood in Milan Italy. This restaurant is located in St Mark’s Square in the Grand Canal Shoppes in The Venetian on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. Besides many Italian favorites they also offer authentic Neapolitan pizza. All the seating is on the indoor patio.

They don’t post this menu so it is a secret. You have to ask for the 3 course chef’s tasting lunch menu. There is an additional charge for four of the items on the menu.

We both went for the 3 course lunch menu and everything we tried was at least good.

They start you off with complimentary bread with a little oil and balsamic.

First course was the salad called insalata (wild arugula, fennel, orange, olives, grana, chili vinaigrette).

The other first course was meatballs (beef & pork, San Marzano, mozzarella, and grilled bread).

For my main I got the salmon (Umbrian lentils, fennel puree, leeks, beet aioli). and this alone was worth the $28.00 to me. It was prepared just so and also cooked to my request.

My husband got the beef tenderloin ($18. extra charge) (with grilled romaine hearts, roasted potatoes, chimichurri).

My husband asked me to taste the beef but I was busy with my plate and declined…..Then he said that I must try the potatoes so I tried one. It was sort of garlic-ee but tasted like a special potato. Not a regular potato that you get at the supermarket…A special variety.

For dessert we both went with the bread pudding imbedded with fruit, nuts, chocolate, and was enhanced with gelato, caramel, whipped cream, and berries.

If you want this then you have to ASK for the three course chef’s tasting menu from Brera Osteria at the Venetian at St Mark’s Square. I think that it is a great find! Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

3355 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV

702-414-1227

www.BreraOsteria.com

www.VenetianLasVegas.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Miznon – Seasonal Israeli Street Food Las Vegas NV – Worth a Fork! RUN!!! DON’T WALK

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Miznon is a seasonal high quality chain of Israeli Street Food Restaurants by chef Eyal Shani. According to www.Miznon.com they have locations in Israel, United States, France, Austria, Australia, Singapore, Canada, and United Kingdom. We went to the newly opened Las Vegas location. (***I’ve also read that a location just opened recently in Canada) The Las Vegas location is located near the Palazzo casino floor that is in the Venetian on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada.

This is a very casual food market stall with bar seating. You order and pay at the counter and seat yourself. They call your name as things from your order are ready. At the current time a few tables are scattered across from the stall. This is the spot where Fine Dining Israeli Hasalon Restaurant will be also by chef Eyal Shani.

The signature dish is The Original World Famous Baby Cauliflower. (you can see the Atlantic flake Sea Salt on it)

The cauliflower comes out like this with tahini sauce and a green chili sauce that is called shrug or zhug sauce (many different spellings).

It’s very surprising how great that this very simple cauliflower can taste…..It really is very good and special! It so special that the recipe of this cauliflower is posted at the restaurant.

I couldn’t try everything………so I snapped this picture of the bag of green beans when I saw them come up at the counter (with olive oil, lemon, garlic, salt).

I had to try the plate called “The Best Hummus Plate That You Will Ever Eat with Melting Chickpeas.”

I can sure tell you that it was a very great plate of hummus and also was the most detailed plate of hummus that I have ever tried anywhere. It’s enhanced with melting chickpeas, slices of hard egg, green chili sauce, olive oil, tomato seeds that are like caviar, and tahini. The pita is very fluffy and it’s all really great together.

We were both blown away with both the next two meat dishes. One was the sal de coq (rotisserie chicken, fresh herbs, radish, cucumber, pickles)

The flavors and moisture in the chicken is OFF THE CHARTS GREAT! It must be tasted to be believed. This really blew us away. You can’t really see it in my photo (because I wanted you to see the chicken) but they also gave us this incredibly delicious roasted pepper with it. (lower left corner)

LIGHTNING STRIKES AGAIN!

bag of golden meat

The pita-less entree called “Bag of Golden Meat” is far more incredible than I can ever describe. The depth of flavors and tenderness was so shocking in a great way.

This is some sort of overnight brisket, grilled onions, and a garlic-ee aioli. Honestly this didn’t even seem like brisket because it was so amazing. I really thought it tasted more like the finest shaved prime rib from a very upscale steakhouse.

Oh and I forgot to mention that the meat portions were extra large so it also is a really great value dining here.

RUN !!!!!! Don’t walk. GO to Miznon as soon as you can because it really was that good and Worth a Fork! (and a Great value too!)

Worth a Fork!

Miznon

3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas NV (Venetian located near to the Palazzo Casino Floor)

www.VenetianLasVegas.com

www.Miznon.com (at the time of my visit the Las Vegas location was not yet listed on this site but is listed on the Venetian site)

But every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Matt’s Big Breakfast Glendale AZ – Worth a Fork!

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Matt’s Big Breakfast is an all day high quality breakfast restaurant with around a half a dozen locations in Metro Phoenix Arizona. One location of Matt’s Big Breakfast has been featured on Diners Drive ins and Dives on Food Network TV. I went to the Glendale-Arrowhead location.

This restaurant serves higher quality foods than your average breakfast restaurant. They use local Hickman’s eggs. You will also see things like line caught tuna, Red Bird Farms chicken, Niman Ranch ground chuck, locally roasted coffee, craft soda, fresh squeezed juices. They do also have a cocktail menu.

It’s casual. You seat yourself at any table that is covered with menus. They offer patio dining for when the weather is nice. You can sit at the counter or at traditional tables.

I’m not a breakfast person and tried the classic reuben.

To my surprise this is a really GREAT Reuben. The corned beef was roasted in house , nicely spiced, and is very good. The rye bread is nicely toasted and also is very good rye bread. It even comes with a very good dill pickle spear. This sandwich comes with potato chips but you can add on either macaroni salad or cole slaw. I added on cole slaw and it was fresh made, crispy, and not drippy at all. I thought that it was very above average for cole slaw.

My husband went with the Big Butter Burger and upped the side to the hash browns.

This came with an enormous slice of tomato with lots of lettuce and a really good deli-type pickle. The hand pressed Niman Ranch ground chuck burger was prepared to request of medium-rare. It was grilled in butter. and was topped with American cheese. I heard that the hash browns were great too.

Service was friendly and efficient.

Matt’s Big Breakfast is Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

Matt’s Big Breakfast 7507 W Rose Garden Ln Glendale AZ 623-259-9836

www.MattsBigBreakfast.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

My Trip to Ms Martha’s Caribbean Restaurant Phoenix AZ

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Ms Martha’s Caribbean Restaurant is located in Phoenix Arizona. This is a very casual Caribbean restaurant where you order at the counter yourself on a big computer screen. This is mostly a take out restaurant but they do have a few tables inside and a few outside tables for when the weather is nice.

inside
inside

They offer appetizers like meat hand pies and a variety of wings. You can order your entree as a bowl or a regular entree that includes two sides or your entree as just a side. They also offer family meals and might also offer a special of the day. The menu might be shorter than from some of the otherCaribbean restaurants in Phoenix because they don’t offer the Caribbean fish dishes here.

We started out by trying a chicken curry Jamaican patty. I was very surprised that there was an option to add cheese.

It was different. Less saucy than what I think of for Jamaican chicken curry but the chicken inside was tender.

We shared the brown stew chicken, the jerk chicken, and the special of the day that was a side order of macaroni and cheese.

brown stew chicken
jerk chicken
special of the day – macaroni and cheese

Both entrees were VERY LARGE and BOTH included very tender falling off the bone chicken that was mildly infused with flavors. The jerk chicken came with a small container of sauce that it needed.

The macaroni and cheese contained soft pasta but was very cheesy and better than a lot of similar dishes out there.

On the night of my visit Ms Martha herself was behind the cooking line and also was helpful serving. She also had a helper that also was helpful and friendly.

That was my trip to Ms Martha’s Caribbean Restaurant.

1820 W Northern Ave PHX AZ 602-675-2212

The website seems to be down but you can find Ms Martha’s on Facebook

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Barrio Cafe Phoenix AZ – A Jewel for Mexican Cuisine in Arizona – Worth a Fork!

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The Barrio Cafe is not just any Mexican Restaurant in Phoenix Arizona. It’s by James Beard Nominated Chef Silvana Esparza. This restaurant is considered by many to be the crown Jewel for Mexican cuisine in Arizona. The famous dishes here are the award wining twelve hour achiote and sour orange smoked pork called cochinita pibil, the chilies en nogada, and the table-side chunky guacamole that is topped with pomegranate.

Inside is bright, lively and colorful. I wasn’t able to photo walking in on my last visit. Most of my older photos look very different than how it looks now. It’s far more colorful and all painted up now. It’s mostly decorated like this all over the inside.

On my most recent visit the weather was nice and we sat on the back patio behind the restaurant.

back patio
back patio

When dining on the back patio you might get a visit from Felix.

Felix

They start you off with complimentary spiced nuts with chips.

The las tlayudas are Oaxacon style corn tacos but also can served in slices like pizza. They come in several varieties.

It’s a large hand made corn tortilla that was topped with huitacoche (known as Mexico’s truffle), corn, onion, pico de gallo, and avocado. It also was served with verde sauce, fingerling potatoes and house made spicy ketchup.

For my main I had the pollo en pipian mole.

It was an extra generous serving of chicken breast topped with pumpkin seed based mole sauce. The entree also came with slightly sweet baby carrots, smokey mashed sweet potatoes, and hand made grilled tortillas.

My husband had the famous award wining cochinita pibil.

It’s 12 hour achiote and sour orange smoked pork. It was topped with pickled onions and came with hand made grilled tortillas, fingerling potatoes, house made spicy ketchup, and squash on the side.

The service and food exceeded our expectations.

Previously we’ve done mostly take out from the Barrio Cafe but I have also dined in a few times. My last dine in visits were to the chef’s other restaurant Barrio Cafe Gran Reserva that could not survive the pandemic due to it’s vestibule sized space.

inside the Barrio Cafe Grand Reseva

Above was most of the dining area of the Barrio Cafe Grand Reserva.

Below are take out photos from The Barrio Cafe. (lower right corner below is the famous chiles en nogada)

Barrio Cafe is Worth a Fork! and is considered to be a Jewel for Mexican Cuisine in Arizona.

Worth a Fork!

Barrio Cafe 2814 N 16TH ST PHX AZ 602-636-0240

www.BarrioCafe.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Food Trucks – Good Eats Only Mexican Kitchen, Que Chevere, Detroit Coney Cruiser, Wow Que Rico at Food Truck Friday West Glendale AZ

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A changing variety of food trucks from all over the valley gather at Food Truck Friday West in Glendale Arizona. (5pm-9pm 18551 83rd Ave Glendale AZ ((between the Sam’s Club and Walmart)) check www.GetLocalArizonaEvents.com for current food truck line up) Besides food truck they also offer a bounce house for children, and a children’s train ride.

train ride

On my most recent visit I notice that they offered some farm animals to pet.

I saw the Que Chevere Venezuelan Cuisine Food Truck.

They offer empanadas, arepas, plates, and more. I really enjoyed the arepa reina pepiada (chicken salad with avocado stuffed white corn arepa) that we shared last time and had one again. It also comes with plantain chips, a salsa, and a creamy ranch style dip.

I think it’s a really great chicken salad! The white corn arepa adds such a great taste here.

We did try a chicken and a beef empanada.

One was seasoned moist shredded beef the other moist shredded chicken with a salsa and a creamy ranch style sauce. They are both good with the added salsa. These aren’t dainty. They are very bread-ee to fill you up.

Next I thought I’d try the Columbian version of an arepa from Wow Que Rico Columbian Food Truck.

It taste so completely different that it is impossible to compare. The arepa taste like a corn tortilla and is crunchy but also soft. The chicken is shredded but slightly tough and covered with creamy sauces.
They do offer other foods like Columbian sausage, fried yucca, fried pork skin with potatoes, empanadas, and other combos.

Wow Que Rico – 602-513-6041 and can be found on Facebook

My husband liked the thought of sliders and went to Detroit Coney Cruiser.

They offer Detroit Coney Dogs, sliders, stuffed pitas, and fries. After he ordered his sliders they were ready in FOUR minutes.

They came on steamed buns with grilled onions, American cheese, pickles and mustard.

My husband gave them an A-OK.

Detroit Coney Cruiser 480- 692-8754

www.DetroitConeyCruiser.com

I didn’t eat everything you saw here so I had room to try one more thing.

We tried one chicken taco from Good Eats Only Mexican Food Truck.

Tonight they offered a limited menu of a few tacos, burritos, quesadillas, a chimichanga, and fries.

WOW! It might not look like much but this really is one of the best chicken tacos that I have tasted in Metro Phoenix. It’s unusually GREAT! The chicken is moist, a bit charred tasting, developed with flavors, and is delicious! It’s topped with a good chunky guacamole. The tortilla is also hand made and also is a much better tasting tortilla that what you usually get. It’s also enhanced with the lemon and hot sauce (looks house made?)

Good Eats Only Mexican Kitchen 623-521-8473 can be found on Facebook

That was Food Truck Friday West in Glendale AZ

Most Fridays 5-9pm 18551 83rd Ave Glendale AZ

See www.GetLocalArizonaEvents.com for current food truck line up.

The Forking Truth

Anaya’s Fresh Mexican Restaurant Glendale AZ – Neighborhood Type Mexican Restaurant

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Anaya’s Fresh Mexican Restaurant (according to www.AnayasRestaurant.online) has three locations in Arizona. One in Casa Grande, one in Tempe, and the one I went to in Glendale. This is a NEIGHBORHOOD type restaurant. You stop in if you happen to be in the neighborhood. This restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, bar dinks and most of your Mexican Favorites. They offer appetizers like ceviche, quesadillas, and queso dip. They also offer burritos, soups, fajitas, chimichangas, enchiladas, combo plates, a variety of beef, chicken, and shrimp plates, and MORE!

It’s one of the most festive looking restaurants to walk into. (on the other side is a bar not photoed)

Bright colors everywhere. Lots of hand painting all over and all over the tables and chairs.

We start off with margaritas. They come in small and grande size. You probably want a grande if you order a drink. I saw the small and it is only one sip. (people in photo ordered the grande)

No matter what you order they bring you chips and salsa.

Tonight the salsa ran so hot I couldn’t eat it (and I like hot but this was TOO hot).

I tried the chicken mole platter.

This is an extra large platter. For some people this could be two meals. This is a peanut-chocolate mole with expertly tender chicken breast, a little bit of vegetable garnish, Mexican style rice, refried beans and choice of tortilla. It’s not bad but not the most complex mole. But the chicken is really expertly tender. The rest gets an a-ok.

The chili Colorado (beef cubes in slightly spicy red sauce) is also made with expertly tender beef.

It’s also a very large platter. It has more of a chili taste that you enjoy when you go to Mexican Restaurants.

Worth a try if you are in the neighborhood.

Anaya’s Fresh Mexican Restaurant

5830 W Thunderbird Rd Glendale AZ

602-559-4377

www.AnayasRestaurant.online

Everything is subject to change.

The Forking Truth