After incorrectly waiting in line at Rio's Carnival World Buffet, I was informed that the Rio had not one, but two buffets on their premises. Tonight, I was after seafood, all-you-can-eat seafood to be exact. My destination: the Village Seafood Buffet, located in the Masquerade Village. Newely re-modeled and re-opened, the Village Seafood Buffet touts itself as the freshest seafood buffet in Las Vegas.

After placing my drink order (they have a full bar within the buffet), I immediately set out to see what the buffet had to offer. It did not take long to realize I was in a place better known as "Seafood Heaven."

Continue reading "REVIEW: Rio Village Seafood Buffet" »

Posted April 7, 2008 7:50 PM by David Rosowsky | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

I always say that a great dinner is the perfect combination of great food and great company. Last night was no exception. My client, Bob, – who quickly became my friend when we worked together last year – invited me to join him for dinner at RAO’s at Caesars Palace last night. What a treat!

The wonderful hostesses seated us immediately, in spite of the fact that the reservation had gotten lost. They apologized that the only table they had was next to a group of 24 that was due to arrive in about a half-hour. Anyone who’s ever sat next to a rowdy bridal party or corporate function where the alcohol flows knows that it can get loud. We were curious about the group that unfortunately arrived early.

We braced ourselves, fearing the noise that would make conversation difficult. It never happened! This group was one of the most genteel, respectful and quiet groups. Yes, they were drinking…a lovely red that had been decanted for them. But they never got rowdy. This turned out to be treat # 3.

Continue reading "RAO’S – Five Treats in One Night!" »

Posted February 6, 2008 4:03 PM by Robin Jay | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

I know, I just wrote about a sushi joint not too long ago. Makinos is delicious and a really nice place, but I’m not always into all-you-can-eat. I expounded the advantages and disadvantages of plated vs. buffet style sushi in my other review, but this time I wanted to write about one of my favorite sushi restaurants.

On Silverado Ranch and Maryland Parkway, you’ll come across a very unassuming sushi place called Sushi Mon. It’s really small, so if you blink, you’ll miss it.

It may seem like a quaint neighborhood joint, but it developed a reputation for quality sushi and quick service pretty early on. And I do mean quality, delicious, bountiful sushi.

They serve up more than 70 different kinds of rolls. Special, fried, baked or tempura rolls are all available. Take the Royal California roll for example. Just a standard California roll – crab, avocado, rice and whatever else they put in there. After building the roll, they take it to the deep fryer and then I take it to my belly.

Continue reading "Ginsu this – Sushi Mon serves up innovative and delicious rolls" »

Posted November 8, 2007 12:06 PM by Kevin Chomintra | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

I both love and hate all-you-can-eat joints and Las Vegas is a city full of buffets. I love having the chance to throw some real damage on a line of food, but lament with great intensity that unpleasant discomfort, and let’s just say it, the shame of eating myself to the brink of capacity.

I’ve become intimately familiar with a few of the buffets around town. I know there are the higher end places like the Bellagio, but let’s not kid ourselves, buffet food doesn’t exactly represent the hallmark of culinary achievement. I’m not saying it’s bad, I’m just saying it’s not the same quality you’d be getting if you ordered a dedicated, plated version of the same food.

It’s like I told a friend this weekend, I am happier to take an unlimited amount of a lesser quality food than vice versa.

So it is with sushi as well.

This weekend, I had the pleasure, and it was a pleasure, of checking out Makino Gourmet Sushi & Seafood Buffet. It’s been around for awhile now, but I decided to check out the location on Eastern, near the 215 freeway.

Continue reading "Makino opens in southeast; offers all-you-can-eat sushi and Japanese fare" »

Posted October 29, 2007 11:31 AM by Kevin Chomintra | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

It seems to me that every place that serves fish and chips always offers an all-you-can-eat night. As a matter of fact, with so many places offering it, my brother and I once tried working out a plan to have all-you-can-eat fish and chips every night for a week. And it would be a mighty week.

Even though they wouldn’t all be of the highest caliber, they would still be fish and chips. We knew from the outset that Thursday would be our reckoning.

You see, that’s the day when McMullen’s Irish Pub serves up its fish and chips special. And it is delicious. They’re some of the best in the city and one of my personal favorite foods. Beer-battered North Atlantic cod with fries and coleslaw is a tough dish to beat.

Continue reading "McMullen’s Irish Pub offers some of the city’s best fish and chips" »

Posted September 27, 2007 12:31 PM by Kevin Chomintra | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

I’m not going to lie to you one little bit – breakfast burritos are Top 5 status in my book. It may sound low brow, but it’s a stately meal if I’ve ever seen one. If you’ve never experienced the majesty of a well-made, handcrafted breakfast burrito, you probably wonder what could drive a man to such unabashed devotion.

I mean, it’s just eggs, bacon, cheese and salsa wrapped in a tortilla. If you’re lucky, you may even have some hash browns. No, my friends, no. Like a mighty statue built of several tiny Lego blocks, a breakfast burrito is more than the sum of its parts.

Continue reading "Roberto’s Taco Shop and the breakfast burrito experience" »

Posted September 20, 2007 4:02 PM by Kevin Chomintra | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

I’ve always believed that the atmosphere of a restaurant speaks just as loud as its food, especially in Las Vegas. Tamba Indian Cuisine on the Las Vegas strip not only blends old traditions with modern aesthetics, but also takes the exotic and makes it familiar.

The space in Tamba features warm, rich colors reminiscent of India’s traditional spices. Murals, Indian-imported furniture and artwork give the restaurant an authentic feel, while plush seats, dramatic lighting and chic style in the hip lounge bring it back to contemporary times.

Giving an updated spin on tradition seems to be a philosophy applied to both design and food at Tamba.

The menu is stocked with classic Indian cuisine. But the chefs at Tamba have stretched beyond tradition and have used these recipes as inspiration to create new dishes, which help Tamba set the standard for elegant Indian cuisine.

Continue reading "Tamba Lounge offers best Indian cuisine in Las Vegas" »

Posted September 17, 2007 5:24 PM by Kevin Chomintra | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Coffee. I know what you’re thinking: Starbucks. As reliable, ubiquitous, and consistent as Starbucks is, it’s nowhere near the bottom line when it comes to coffee. In order to expand at the nearly viral rate that they have, Starbucks needed to make a few compromises and luckily that left just enough room for a few independent coffee shops. ReJAVAnate Coffee Lounge is one such place that isn’t just hanging in there, it’s thriving.

It picks up where Starbucks left off – or maybe never really was in the first place. Community-oriented, ReJAVAnate is as concerned about the cultural experience as much as the product they serve. Work from local artists adorn the walls, space is free for people who want to perform there and, in addition to having two Internet-connected work stations, they provide a free wireless connection. Kind of puts paying for a hotspot in perspective.

Continue reading "ReJAVAnate brings coffee culture to Las Vegas" »

Posted August 30, 2007 5:01 PM by Kevin Chomintra | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

If you’re in the mood for Italian food and prefer authentic fare instead of chain menu choices, I highly recommend Casa di Amore on Tropicana near Eastern.

My wife and I visited the small restaurant on our anniversary this summer and were pleasantly surprised.

Admittedly, when you enter the restaurant you find yourself dumped right into the square dining room in front of a small maître d' podium and very much aware that you’re in an old-time place. Adding to the ambiance was the sign on the front door that said if it was locked to walk around back because someone was always there. Now there’s a call out to the old Vegas—open 24/7, you just have to know that you enter from the back during the middle of the night.

We ordered a wonderful anti pasta salad complete with meat and cheese and the perfect Italian dressing. I was particularly pleased with the baked mostaccioli and enjoyed a cannoli to top off the meal.

Continue reading "Casa di Amore offers vintage Vegas and excellent Italian" »

Posted July 13, 2007 10:56 AM by Pete Codella, APR | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Being that my girlfriend just moved into a new place on the West Side of town, I wanted to take her out for a nice meal. I have lived in Las Vegas for more than nine years and avoid the chain restaurants like the plague. As I drove to her house, I passed a small sign that directed me toward a restaurant that has won the first “loosen the belt” award.

This is a brand-new award I will use to rate eating esablishments. For future reference, if I say to “tighten the belt” you might want to avoid that particular dining establishment if you are hungry. “Loosen the belt” is in reference to the amount of food you get with your meal.

Every table in the restaurant was full when we arrived (always a good sign) so we had to wait briefly. Once we were seated (not even three minutes had passed), our server was quick to ask for our drink order. He suggested we try the aguas frescas as a way to truly have an authentic Mexican meal.

My girlfriend likes to ask the wait staff what they recommend before even looking at the menu.

Our server on that evening was Adrian. He came across a genuinely concerned that our dinning experience be the best it could be. He recommend that she try the Chicken pibil (pe-beel) because there was nowhere in town that we could get this meal. It’s a chicken dish marinated in a Yucatan red spice called achiote, tomatoes; onions are added and it’s all wrapped in banana leaves before it’s baked.

Continue reading "Frank & Fina’s Cocina" »

Posted March 1, 2007 4:34 PM by Terry Piper | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

I was recently invited by my boyfriend to attend the VIP party preceding the grand opening of the newest location of the Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant. It’s nestled in the chic Boca Park area of Summerlin. As I love this little shopping area, it was great to have another excuse to hang out there. I found the restaurant to be a wonderful new addition!

As I approached the restaurant, I was quite pleased with the initial appearance, more specifically, the outdoor patio. As I have recently moved to Las Vegas following a 10-year stint in Upstate New York, where I frequently visited New York City where outdoor dining is the norm, I had grown to miss that aspect of my former life. As outdoor dining, although present, is not as abundant in Las Vegas as in other locales (likely because of the toasty temperatures during much of the year), I enjoy the restaurants that have this feature. There was ample outdoor seating. According to one of the wait staff, the patio has both a fire pit and waterfall.

This brings me to another aspect of the gathering that caught my attention: the staff. Upon approaching the establishment, we were greeted with smiles and warm hellos from a diverse staff. Throughout our stay the staff was engaging and eager to assist with any need (and I don’t mean over eager, but genuinely considerate). We were able to snag one staff member to get a little tour and additional info. She was extremely knowledgeable about the menu as well as other restaurant details…so much so that we thought she might have a position in management. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that she was a member of the wait staff. We later discovered all the staff had ample knowledge of the restaurant’s offerings. The staff was gracious and personable; they appeared to have fun interacting with each other as well as with customers. This added to a great dining experience.

Continue reading "Gordon Biersch is a welcome addition to Boca Park" »

Posted February 13, 2007 2:09 PM by Latoyia Griffin | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

One of the great debates that’s always fun for participants is finding answers for the question: Who makes the best pastrami sandwich in town?

One of the better places, this writer thinks, is the back-room deli bar at Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel on Fremont Street, downtown. It’s the place with a big “Boar’s Head” sign board offering different types of meat, not the place up front designated “Snack Bar.” Which means you have to walk around to find it.

A hot pastrami sandwich with swiss cheese melted into the pastrami meat on wheat, rye, or sourdough (we prefer the latter) will cost you $6.50; a coffee costs $1.25 for a total of $7.75. Add tax of 60 cents and the register tape totals $8.35.

The hot pastrami sandwich at Binion’s Deli is thick, piled on nicely, and served with good potato salad and a big longitudinal dill pickle slice. Among the condiments is a gray mustard with a horseradish base that acceptable even if it’s not the straight horseradish that clears out your nose.

Service is with a smile, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Posted March 31, 2006 11:37 AM by Anthony Greno | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

I had a chance to visit two strip restaurants last week that have each been open for more than a year. Now that I write and speak, instead of sell advertising, I have to confess that I just don’t get out as much as I would like.

The first was a wine tasting at RM Seafood at Mandalay Place. The restaurant was host to the Monterrey Wine Tour. The wines were okay … I didn’t find any that were what I would call “a real discovery,” but they were decent. The hors d’oeuvres that were passed around, including oysters in champagne sauce, were spectacular!

After the wine tasting, I got my first chance to see MIX, upstairs. And by upstairs, I mean on top of Mandalay Place, which offered one of the most breathtaking views of the strip.

Having lived here for 31 years, I never tire of seeing the spectacle that the Las Vegas Strip has become. One used to have to fly in to see this valley-wide view!

Continue reading "RM Seafood and MIX at Mandalay Place" »

Posted March 12, 2006 8:15 AM by Robin Jay | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Saturday night my wife and I went out to dinner at Dona Maria’s, a quaint Mexican restaurant off Cheyenne and Highway 95, not too far from our little casa in the desert. We had our baby with us, but the rest of the kids were left home with the pre-teen babysitter of choice.

I was just finishing my carne asada burrito (muy bueno) and Katie’s fajita salad (me gusta!) when our waiter brought over two dishes of fried ice cream.

“Uhm, Señor, we didn’t order these.” He looked surprised – glanced at the tables around us – and then made a hasty about-face all the way back to the kitchen. Someone was about to get his or her piñata cleaned.

My wife made the astute observation that we should have just eaten the ice cream. We didn’t order it, so it wouldn’t have appeared on our bill, so, you know – free ice cream! Sometimes I think my wife is so smart, I’m a little afraid of her.

We were just getting ready to make-out in our booth when our waiter came back with fried ice cream in one hand, and another waiter in the other.

Continue reading "Unbeatable prices at Dona Maria’s" »

Posted March 8, 2006 1:35 PM by Ken Craig | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

In all my years of eating (and there have been many) I have not found a better bread than that made by Great Harvest Bread Co.

Thankfully for Las Vegas valley residents, there are three Great Harvest establishments in town. Actually two are in Henderson and one is in Las Vegas. But since we live in Henderson, that works out great for us.

Our ties to Great Harvest go a bit deeper as well, as one of our good family friends owns a bakery in Orem, Utah. And they’re so generous and good to us because just about every time we drive through the area they insist we stop by their store to stock up on our favorite things.

Continue reading "Great bread, cookies and sandwiches" »

Posted February 28, 2006 10:51 AM by Pete Codella, APR | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

I had my first Fatburger experience last week. Having grown up in Houston and upstate New York, Fatburger was a new burger-and-fry option for me.

According to Fatburger’s website, there are three restaurants in Henderson, six in Las Vegas and one in North Las Vegas. That pretty much covers the Las Vegas valley.

Fatburger definitely has a good hamburger stand, but I’m not certain if it’s as they claim — The Last Great Hamburger Stand®.

Continue reading "First Fatburger experience" »

Posted February 22, 2006 3:47 PM by Pete Codella, APR | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This