Saveur Magizine named All’Antico Vinaio sandwiches as “BEST IN THE WORLD.”

The legendary Florence Italy Based sandwich shop recently opened in southwest Las Vegas (about 8 miles from the strip) in the Uncommons at Durango and the 215.

Opening weekend it was standing in line only and the line went around the block.

They offer over a dozen different sandwiches on schiacciata bread. About 10 of them contain pork. There’s one beef sandwich, one turkey sandwich, and 5 vegetarian sandwiches.

We waited in line and got to the counter in about an hour.

The owner in the red shirt is hard at work with his employees. They also only have one slicer to slice fresh the meat on sandwiches directly to the bread.

I read the reviews and I thought I’d like the vegetarian sandwich called The Broadway Best.

In the Schiacciata bread is tasty toasted pistachio cream, creamy stracciatella cheese, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, (it was suppose to be….) spicy zucchini, and bitter arugula. This is too much bread for me so I removed the top layer of bread and brought it home and ate the bottom layer folded over.

I had no idea that pistachio cream and the stracciatta cheese would be such a game changer in a sandwich…….It’s such a combination that you have to try…..They sort of messed up on the zucchini….It’s there but it is just squishy plain zucchini. If it was spicy I think this sandwich would have popped! It’s still good though….

My husband tried two sandwiches and had extras to bring home.

Paradisco- Mortadella, Stracciatella, pistachio cream, pistachios – He saids that the meat was very good.

Inferno – VERY GOOD and peppery Porchetta, Nduju (sausage spread), (It’s suppose to have grilled vegetables, arugula.

He really enjoyed the porchetta. He hasn’t had porchetta that was really great in a long time. It would have been better with the grilled vegetables but they were missing…Still a good sandwich. He preferred this sandwich over the Paradisco (Mortadella sandwich)

Of course All’Antico Vinaio is Worth a TRY! Who doesn’t want to try sandwiches that are called “Best in the World”

All’Antico Vinaio’8533 Rozita Lee Avenue Las Vegas NV

725-204-8449

www.AllAnticoVinaioLasVegas.com

Every THING is subject to change.

Gourmet China is an American/Chinese restaurant with a location in North Las Vegas Nevada.

We were planing to dine in but the heat wasn’t on and it was only 45 degrees inside and outside the day we were here.

Gourmet China isn’t a fancy place and only has three and a half tables for dining in. This restaurant is mainly for take out.

They have a wooden frog with coins in it’s mouth at the end of the counter.

We tried egg rolls.

To us they are more like spring rolls……These were crisp on the outside and were somewhat raw and doughy on the inside.

I tried the Szechuan Garlic Hot Chicken.

The Good –

The chicken seems fresh and is very tender.

The vegetables are tender crisp and also seem fresh.

The FORKING Truth.

This is NOT spicy hot at all.

This is NOT garlic-ee

This is SO SWEET you can pour it on pancakes.

This might be the sweetest American Chinese Dish I ever tried anywhere. Just so you know I truly do LOVE sweets but not like this. I think that this is far too sweet for anyone to enjoy.

I tried to fix it by adding their hot Chile sauce but something is also wrong with the hot Chile sauce…….It’s not HOT…….I don’t know WTFork it is?

My husband tries the Hunan beef.

The beef is tender and the vegetables are fresh. This dish was medium spicy and better than the Szechwan chicken……

Your experience may or may not differ, and you also might prefer your Garlic Hot Szechwan Chicken not garlic-ee, not hot, and extra sweet?

Gourmet China

6360 Simmons Street North Las Vegas Nevada

702-776-8998

I haven’t found a functioning website for Gourmet China but you can find them on Facebook.

Every THING is subject to change.

Casa Real full service Mexican Restaurant and Bar recently opened at 7121 West Craig Road in Las Vegas Nevada. Inside is very decorated with several wide screen TVs, many Mexican artifacts, and nick knacks.

They start you off with complimentary chips and salsa.

I tried a dish that most Mexican restaurants don’t offer……The chef’s specialty dish….The Salmon a la Plancha.

WOW! This is really different…Smashed pumpkin seeds, mild habanero and mango salsas, asparagus, a slightly sweetened white rice that is kinda risotto like, and creamy sweet fried plantains. The flavors are delicious……The fish today was cooked well done but isn’t dry or fishy. If this was cooked slightly less this really would be amazing.

My husband went with a combo fajita (beef, chicken, shrimp with added cheese).

It a very large generous portion and also came with flour tortillas. Some parts of it are better than other parts (just like most fajitas out there). My husband thought that the refried ere very good. His least favorite thing was the chicken because it was dry today.

On another visit we tried a Chile rellleno.

It was different than what I’m used too but was made with a fresh poblano pepper…..I was told that they grilled it instead of frying it today. It was stuffed with cheese and was battered and topped with a Chile type sauce and a drizzle of sour cream.

The Taco Salad with chicken is also a little different. It’s topped with guacamole and some creama. The chicken on it was moist. It is a little smaller than what most places offer but for me it’s a good size.

You can also get tacos here. Seafood, birria, and pork were tried here. All were flavorful and tasty. They came with Mexican style rice and refried beans.

Our server was attentive and the margaritas were strong.

Casa Real is newly opened. Worth a Try!

7121 W Craig Rd Las Vegas NV – 256-452-1375

www.CasaRealMexicanRestaurantNV.com

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New China Cuisine offers your usual American Chinese Foods and also offers NEW Boiling Cajun Shellfish dishes and a milk tea menu instead of the sushi they recently offered. They are located in North Las Vegas Nevada. It looks like your typical Chinese Restaurant with roomy booths and Chinese Style decorations.

I went with Szechuan Chicken.

It’s a very large portion and does come with LOTS of tender crisp vegetables. I have red and green bell peppers, baby corn, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, onions, carrots, and zucchini. The white meat chicken is MASTERFULLY tender…….The sauce is kinda flat and not very spicy……It taste mostly like thick soy sauce………Like from not all but most of the American Chinese Restaurants I’ve been to in Nevada……I’m beginning to think that Nevada Style American Chinese Food mostly taste like soy sauce………..

speaking of soy sauce……

The Hunan Beef also is MASTERFULLY TENDER like butter but taste even more like soy sauce. It comes with nicely steamed broccoli.

That was my trip to New China Cuisine……It might be Nevada Style American Chinese Food because what we tried was extremely soy sauce forward.

5515 Camino Al Norte North Las Vegas NV

702-438-3888

www.NewChinaCuisine.com

Every THING is subject to change

John Mull’s Meats & Road Kill Grill might look familiar to you if you watch Food Network’s Diners Drive-ins and Dives.

John Mull’s Meats & Road Kill Grill is located in the North Central Part of Las Vegas Nevada in a residential section. Around seventy years back this business was a slaughter house and meat shop that did catering. They no longer slaughter their own cattle here. They added a few outdoor picnic tables and serve mostly take out barbecue. They offer soups, sandwiches, dinners, and a variety of combo plates. The choices for the combo plates are – brisket, 1/4 chicken, hot link, pulled pork, pulled chicken, rib tips, pork ribs, (Tuesday-Thursday Tri-Tip).

I planned to dine here with the dogs because I read that this place is dog friendly but I had no idea that the place would be packed like sardines with people. It wasn’t the right environment to dine here with dogs so I waited in the car with the dogs and we did take out like most people.

Portions are tiny here……HA!…..I’m FORKING KIDDING!

My husband got an enormous combo plate with pulled chicken, pulled pork, brisket, macaroni and cheese, beans, cornbread, and a side order of hot links.

I got a combo plate of 1/4 dark chicken, brisket, macaroni and cheese, yams, and cornbread. Oh and it’s not tiny either.

My husband and I favored some things over other things….But the dogs enjoyed everything!

Between us out of what we tried we liked best the 1/4 dark chicken, pulled pork, hot links, beans, yams, sweet cornbread.

We both thought the brisket was tasty but we received a mix of fatty and lean brisket. Some pieces were dried out and others were moist.

We both thought that the macaroni and cheese was strange……..I thought it seemed like macaroni that was suspended in cream cheese with a little bit of cheddar mixed in.

John Mull’s Meats & Road Kill Grill is Worth a Try!

3730 Thom Blvd Las Vegas NV

702-645-1200

www.JohnMullsMeats.com

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Honey Salt is a farm-to-table type restaurant and bar located in the Summerlin part of Las Vegas Nevada. They offer weekend brunch, weekday lunch, dinner, vegan menu, kids menu, and more. They also have an outside patio for when the weather is nice.

When you walk in you see a vintage salt and pepper collection.

Other vintage items are used to decorate the cozy place.

Today I went with the Mighty Kale Salad with added Salmon. (kale, hearts of palm, apples, grapes, Thai basil, cilantro, kaffir lime leaves, Fresno chili, crispy chickpeas, vegetarian tom yum vinaigrette)

It’s all tasty together. Surprisingly I really enjoy the fresh cut grapes in here. The crispy chickpeas are almost like nuts. The kale looks fried but was really marinated. The salmon is well seasoned and was prepared perfect. All GOOD here!

My husband got the Roasted Ribeye Sandwich (provolone cheese, caramelized onion, horseradish aioli (requested on side), pickle chips, house potato chips)

The ribeye is tender like butter…..All GOOD here too!

We also shared a side of macaroni and cheese. (it has some kale, hatch chili, and breadcrumbs)

The flavors are very good but the pasta is mushy…..Maybe it’s that southern style that is served mushy?

Honey Salt – Pretty Darn Good – Worth a Try!

Honey Salt – 1031 Rampart Blvd Las Vegas NV

www.HaneySalt.com

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Island Comfort is a small casual order at the counter restaurant that offers Guam Style Barbecue in Las Vegas Nevada.

They offer Guam Style Comfort Food Plates. That means you get TONS of food stuffed into a styrofoam container.

I tried the #2 BBQ Chicken – 3 chicken thighs with 2 scoops red rice, potato salad and chicken kelaguen (Guam chicken salad) This also came with a condiment called finadenne (vinegar, soy sauce, scallions, pepper)

The chicken has a nice char and has a really great moist texture…….But for me it is WAY TOO SALT FOWARD………To me it’s a SALT BOMB. It taste like I am chugging soy sauce. I DON’T KNOW IF THIS IS TYPICAL or an OFF BATCH? I do note that I might be slightly sensitive to salt…..But hey nothing crazy…I DO salt my food and I do EAT salted pretzels and salted nuts so I do eat more salt than some people. However my husband tolerates far more salt than I do and it is also too salty for him so I can say that this chicken bbq was too salt forward. The potato salad is ok. The chicken kelaguen (chicken salad is edible but a little dry. The rice is one note but maybe it’s suppose to be one note?

My husband tried the #3 All-In-One Plate – bbq chicken, spare rib, short rib, empanada, and lumpia with 2 scoops red rice, potato salad, chicken kelaguen (chicken salad), and condiment finadenne (vinegar, soy sauce, scallions, pepper)

He said the best thing in the plate was the lumpia (thing that looks like a spring roll stuffed with pork). The BBQ chicken ran extra salty. The beef rib had the same flavor but seemed less salty but was tough today. The pork rib was better but had very little meat on it. The rest ok.

I wanted to like this place and there were other plates that I wanted to try. I don’t know if I hit them on an off day or not?

This restaurant has an impressive 4.5 star average on Yelp so that means that most people do enjoy the food here.

That was my trip to Island Comfort.

Your experience may or may not differ.

Island Comfort 3231 N Decatur Blvd Las Vegas NV – 702-992-3866

www.IslandComfortLV.com

Every THING is subject to change.

Rangs Cocina Moderne is a small Mom and Pop restaurant where Rang does most of the cooking and her husband Benedict does most of the serving. They offer a menu that is a blend of mostly Italian, Spanish, and a little Filipino inspired foods. They offer soups, salads, small plates, pasta, entrees, sides, desserts, soft beverages, and wine.

So far we tried –

Sweet potato carrot ginger soup.

It’s creamy and rich and does taste like sweet potatoes, carrots, and is mildly gingery. It’s garnished with a few croutons that taste like fresh toasted bread.

The Dulong

Is toasted baguette with whitebait (small mild white fish), olive oil, garlic, lemon, caper, red pepper flakes.

It’s tasty and is not very fishy at all.

We tried the smoked salmon & goat cheese on baguette.

It different but tasty with pesto and capers. The salmon taste like nova.

We tried the Bacalao Potato Croquettes.

This one is also less fishy than I was expecting. It is fried to perfection and seems free of oil. The panko coating has an interior of mostly a mashed potato with very mild salt cod. It’s topped with lemon aioli and sits on a small amount of something red peppery (that I should have asked for more of)

We also tried the mushroom ravioli.

Little pillows stuffed with mushrooms in a creamy rich pesto sauce.

My husband tried the Chorizo Bolognese.

This was made with garlic, onions, spicy chorizo, tomato sauce, and parmesan cheese. The pasta wasn’t soggy and was well prepared. I heard that this was different and also tasty.

We shared the fish Florentine.

The mild meaty cod was prepared to perfection. The spinach taste fresh made. The potatoes Anna are really scrumptious.

The pesto crusted salmon is different and also delicious. The fish was also prepared properly (bloodline and skin removed) and prepared medium-ish so it was moist and not fishy tasting with an interesting crisp and tasty crust. The petite green beans (haricots verts) are sweet and crisp. The mashed potatoes were terrific too!

We also shared the slow braised beef cheek.

The beef is melt in your mouth tender and is flavorful. The petite green beans are tendercrisp and are the sweetest best green beans I’ve ever tasted and the mashed potatoes are also very good. The dish was embellished with a little gremolatta too.

New to the menu is a New York Strip. This was in a citrusy soy type sauce and was topped with caramelized onions. The steak was prepared to medium to please most people. This also came with petite green beans and rice.

The one thing that all the dishes had in common were that they all were seasoned to perfection. You don’t need to add salt or pepper to anything. Everything is perfect.

So far for dessert –

We shared a lemon meringue tart.

It has lemony curd and a tasty crust but has a marshmallow meringue.

On another visit we shared the opera cake.

It’s full of different flavors of thin layers. It’s mildly coffee flavored with almond sponge and chocolate. It’s topped with a gold coated chocolate that looks like a coffee bean and on the side was whipped cream and a cherry.

Everything was delicious and service was amazing. It’s better than many of the strip restaurants and cost a lot less.

Rang’s Cocina Moderne is WORTH A FORK!

Rangs Cocina Moderne – 5900 W Charleston Blvd Las Vegas NV – 725-214-1188

www.RangsCocina.com

Every THING is subject to change.