A Full House at Bobby V's

Buddy V's Ristorante

3327 south Las Vegas Blvd. 

Las Vegas, NV 89109

Last year when we were in Las Vegas with my parents for a hockey game, they had wanted to visit Carlo's Bakery. No, make that, they were adamant that we visit Carlo's Bakery. Apparently, they are very big fans of this place because they watch Cake Boss, a reality show that features the bakery that Buddy Valastro runs with his family in Hoboken, New Jersey. I've never seen the show, but it must be a hit because there are now 18 Carlo's Bakery locations spread throughout the US. The show also spawned the place where we would be eating dinner on our first night in Las Vegas, Buddy V's Ristorante.

Buddy V's is located at the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian, right across from Carlo's Bakery. This hotel property has some of my favorite restaurants in Las Vegas; Canaletto, Bouchon, and Grimaldi's, and others that I am very excited to try in the near future, (Yardbirds, PrimeBurger, and more). Another added bonus about eating at Buddy V's was that we were able to make a reservation for our party of six on Open Table, so there was no waiting around for our table to become ready.

With reservation in hand, we arrived at Buddy V's at 8pm on a recent Friday. The restaurant was very busy but it was more of organized chaos. Not sure why, maybe it was the black and white tiled flooring, the wafts of Italian food being brought out to the tables, or something else, but the inside of this space reminded me of a slightly more upscale Maggiano's. Lots of people at the bar, a very open and active kitchen, and a display of some of the good looking cakes from across the hallway immediately caught our attention.

We were seated in the back row of booths, near the window featuring a fantastic view of the north side of the strip. The layout of the restaurant was pretty spacious, with plenty of room between tables, so you did not feel like you were on top of other parties. Even with the extra space though, it was really quite loud in here, which helped me drown out what I assume was a boring conversation at the end of the table.

The menu here is predictably broken up into starters, salads, pizzas, pasta, main dishes, sides, and of course since this is the Cake Boss's restaurant, desserts. Prices are pretty modest by Vegas standards, with entrees ranging between $25 to $46, pasta dishes hovering around the $25 mark, and pizzas going for $18. Let's see how this evening's dinner turned out for us.

Since Katie's brother and sister in law were staying at another hotel farther south down the strip, they were delayed waiting for their Uber, so we started with three appetizers to keep us occupied. The Macaroni and Cheese Carbonara ($13)  was a good way to start things off. This dish exuded hominess with its smoked mozzarella and fontina cheese blend, egg, pancetta, and peas rounding it out. It was delicious, but the consistency was just a tad too soupy for my taste. A little better was Grandma's Meatballs ($13). Six meatballs made up of a mixture of veal, beef, and pork and then bathed in a marinara sauce with a sprinkle of parmesan. The meatballs were fork tender and the marinara was a great accompaniment, as it was not too acidic, with just the right sweetness to the sauce. I dreamed of having these in a sandwich, which they offer only during lunch. The Grilled Garlic Bread was another winner. They use the same cheeses on this bread as they use in their mac and cheese, fontina and mozzarella, and it gets nice and bubbly underneath the broiler. Very crunchy on the sides and soft in the middle, just like a good piece of garlic bread should be.

I was pretty full from the appetizers and the lobster roll I had earlier in the day, so I did without my usual Caesar Salad ($12), but luckily someone got one so I could snap a picture of one. It looked pretty good, with plenty of dressing, a sprinkling of parmesan and fresh romaine. The menu says they use polenta croutons, which I would have liked to have tried. Katie got a Dinner Salad ($9) which featured mixed greens, a variety of tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, and a vinaigrette dressing. Pretty basic, but she seemed to like it well enough.

Entrees were up next, and we'll start with Rachel's selection on this evening, the Cheese Ravioli ($23). This pretty traditional ravioli was filled with ricotta and dusted with plenty of parmesan and a Pomodoro sauce. Rachel said she picked this because it seemed like the lightest of all the dishes here, and she was right about that. The six ravioli was one of the most manageable meals, as you will see as you scroll down.

Another pasta dish was next, as Katie tried the little heftier Orecchiette and Italian Sausage ($24). This pasta dish had a lot of flavors included in it. The well made orecchiette and subtle sausage was joined in the bowl with broccoli rabe, basil, pecorino, tomatoes, and a very good pesto sauce. Katie loved the pesto sauce at Buddy V's, as it went well with the freshly made pasta. The sausage was not as prominent in this as she imagined, which lead to a lighter tasting dish.

I was a little surprised by Lynn's selection on this evening, the Chicken Marsala ($27). She usually goes for a smaller meal, but maybe since she was in Las Vegas she was going a bit wild. The tender chicken was under a bunch of mushrooms and a delicious and rich marsala sauce. She put a pretty good sized dent in this, but could not finish it. This also came with linguine on the side, not that she needed it with this big plate.

Definitely, the best looking of all the entrees was this Nonna's Lasagna Al Forno ($26). This brick sized square of lasagna was made up of all things good; Italian sausage, pork, beef, mozzarella, provolone, and ricotta. This was a fantastic version of one of my favorite of all Italian dishes. It had a good balance of meat and cheese, the noodles were nice and firm, and the sauce covering this was a nice compliment to the rest of the dish. Dennis had no chance of finishing this but gave it a noble effort. Better luck next time big guy.

My smart-aleck brother in law thought he could slip a middle finger in the picture of his Quattro Formaggio Pizza ($18) but I cut around it. Got ya, buddy. Anyways, this four cheese pizza included ricotta, mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, and was finished off with a touch of truffle oil. This was definitely an elevated cheese pizza. Good, crispy crust and the cheeses were of course fantastic. Nicely done.

When I perused the menu at Buddy V's, there was really only one thing that I just had to order, the Valastro Sunday Gravy ($28). This Italian combo plate came with meatballs, sausage, lamb, and pork covered in a zesty tomato sauce. The meats were wonderfully tender and I loved all of them. This came with a bowl of rigatoni that I really did not even bother with because I knew there was no way I was going to finish this plate. I was totally right.

It's been our tradition when we are making reservations in Las Vegas to let the restaurant know we are celebrating a birthday, even if it's still quite a way in the future. This time it was our beloved Rachel that had her faux birthday dessert. Buddy V's sent out a Canoli ($9). which was piped with sweet ricotta cream and studded with pistachios and chocolate chips on separate ends. I confess I did not try any of this because I was pretty uncomfortable with everything that I had eaten here. Everyone else really enjoyed this dessert, but next time I'd like to try their Nutella Cake, which I hear is amazing.

I'd say the moral of the story of our time at Buddy V's is to show up very hungry or be prepared to split meals because most entrees can be easily split between two very voracious eaters. This being Vegas, you also don't want to be lugging leftovers all over town with you. I'd characterize the food here as better than my last few trips to Maggiano's, which I used to love. This is stick to your ribs Italian cuisine. Italian food that makes you well aware that you just had a gigantic meal before going out and hitting the tables or seeing a show. Service was professional and moved things right along at a pretty good clip. Prices were not out of control based on the size of the meals. The next time we are in Vegas and have the cravings of Italian food dancing through our heads, we'd make a beeline right back to Bobby V's.

Out of five cakes, (since this is the Cake Boss's restaurant after all), five being best to zero being worst, Buddy V's Ristorante gets 3.5 cakes.

For more information about Buddy V's Ristorante, head to their website here: http://buddyvsrestaurants.com/

Look for Luke's Lobster in Las Vegas

Luke's Lobster

3200 South Las Vegas Blvd. 

Las Vegas, NV 89109

It was another jaunt through the desert for a quick Las Vegas getaway. Katie wanted to watch a live taping of her favorite podcast with her brother and sister in law, and I wanted some time away from work. Of course, it also gave me a chance to try some more restaurants in the desert oasis that is Las Vegas.

After the four hour trek, Katie needed a quick nap before our first night's festivities, which included dinner with her mom and dad, (who also happened to be in town for one of their many visits to Las Vegas), drinks back at the hotel where her brother was staying, and of course a little gambling or as many call it, donating.

As Katie slept off the effects of driving, her mom, dad, and I went out for a quick bite, and to see what kind of trouble the three of us could get into on this late afternoon. I had eaten a Double Western Cheeseburger at the Outlets in Primm, so I was not overly hungry, and Lynn and Dennis just wanted a little something to tide them over until dinner. On our way to the Wynn, we spotted a place that would be the perfect spot for a quick bite, Luke's Lobster.

I had Luke's on my list of places to try for a while now, but we haven't been to this end of the Strip in forever. I guess I had not done my homework, as I was a little shocked that this was little more than a kiosk located in front of the Fashion Show Mall, facing busy Las Vegas Boulevard. Okay, a kiosk might not be the right way to describe this place, maybe small shack is the way to go here. Luke's is  245 square feet, with a tiny covered patio that features five small tables, just large enough for ten or so people.

Another thing I did not know about Luke's is that they are a chain restaurant based in Maine, which just happens to be the state that harvests the most lobster in the US, a staggering 40 million pounds a year. Luke's Lobster started 10 years ago in New York and has spread out to 38 locations, with most being on the East Coast, but they also have outposts in San Fransisco, Chicago, Taiwan, and Japan. Luke's buys directly from lobsterman so they can trace where their seafood comes from. When we were here the lobster came from Maine, the crab came from St. John's Newfoundland, and the shrimp was from Quebec.

The menu here is pretty straight forward. They have shrimp. lobster, and crab rolls, which come in the standard quarter-pound size, or you can go for the jumbo version, which includes fifty percent more seafood in each roll. You also have the option to get your roll as part of a combo with one side item, or with a side soup. There are a couple of seasonal items and sides of chips or poppy seed slaw. Now that you know the lay of the land, let's see what we thought of our quick afternoon snack.

Much like eating in a Mexican or Barbecue restaurant, I figured the best way to try out more stuff at Luke's was to get the Luke's Trio ($29) which came with a half of a lobster, shrimp, and crab roll, cup of soup and a drink. The seafood comes out chilled and served in a buttered bun with mayo, lemon butter, and a dash of their secret seasoning. I'm always partial to heated seafood, but understand this is how it's served back east. Out of the sandwiches, my favorite was the shrimp, which I did not think would have been the case before eating here. It had the most flavor of the three. The lobster and crab was definitely fresh but lacked that spark that would hook me in. I liked the buns, which were heated a bit, but these sandwiches needed to be dressed with a bit more of the mayo and lemon butter to help make the seafood shine a bit more. There are two soup options at Luke's and my father in law got the Clam Chowder. The soups are made by Hurricane Soups, which is based in Greene, Maine. They have won numerous awards for their chowder and we could see why when we tasted this. It was full of clams and cubed potatoes, in a very creamy chowder base. Very good on a chilly late afternoon. I look forward to trying their lobster and corn chowder next time.

I look at this visit to Luke's Lobster as an initial test. The trio of sandwiches that we had was a little too small of a sample size for me to truly get a firm grasp of what they have going here, especially since I split each small sandwich with Katie's mom. I did like what I had but was not blown away. I'm always in favor of quality seafood becoming more available to the greater public. Not how it was when I was growing up, where the only options for seafood were either a Filet O' Fish at McDonald's or the fried stuff from H.Salt Fish and Chips. Back then if you wanted good quality fish, you had to make reservations at a restaurant with a white tablecloth. Places like Luke's Lobster have changed that, and it's an encouraging trend. We will definitely be back when we are back at this end of the strip and craving lobster and don't want to pay a fortune for it, especially after we lose all our money playing craps.

Out of five toothpicks, (because Luke's Lobster is based in Maine, and that state produces 90 percent of the nations toothpick supple), five being best to zero being worst, Luke's Lobster gets three toothpicks.

For more information about Luke's Lobster, head to their website here: https://www.lukeslobster.com/

Leaving Las Vegas...After a Great Breakfast

Eggslut

3708 South Las Vegas Blvd. 

Las Vegas, NV, 89109

Our 24 hour trip to Las Vegas was coming to a quick end. After the drubbing that our Ducks took the evening before, at the hands of the hometown Vegas Golden Knights, not to mention the bad luck we had in the casinos, we could not get home soon enough. Breakfast was needed to be eaten first though, and I dragged everyone to a place I have wanted to try forever, Eggslut.

Eggslut is located at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Just take the escalator from the casino to the second floor, and you'll be in foodie heaven. The Cosmo is becoming the premier food destination on the strip. Very well known restaurant concepts, such as Momofuko, Milkbar, Holsteins, Hattie B's Hot Chicken, Lardo, and Ghost Donkey are all situated near, or inside the hip Block 16 Urban Food Hall, which like Eggslut is situated on the 2nd floor of the Cosmo.

Founded in 2011 at the Grand Central Market in LA, Eggslut is a chef-driven, gourmet food concept inspired by the egg. Their goal appears to be to make the best egg sandwiches out there and show that these sandwiches are not just for breakfast. The long lines at all of their five US locations, along with their lone international spot in Beirut, Lebanon seem to suggest that they have met their goal and it has really resonated with consumers. Needless to say, I was growing very excited for my initial visit.

When we arrived at the Cosmo at half past nine on a recent Thursday morning, we were met with a rather intimidating line of people that wrapped around the front of Eggslut and went halfway down a long hallway. We waited for twenty minutes to a half an hour, which gave us plenty of time to review and make our selections off of their rather compact menu. 

They offer six sandwiches and two specialty items, (a buttermilk biscuit and their namesake item, The Slut, which is a coddled egg served on top of a potato puree in a mini mason jar). Items hover around the $10 mark, but the tri-tip and egg sandwich will set you back $15. We ordered at the counter and then waited in awe as we watched the busy kitchen workers cranking out an endless amount of breakfast sandwiches for their hungry customers. It was really quite an impressive process to see and gave me an even greater respect for the kitchen workers that provide food to a very hungry public. After receiving our food, we searched for a place to sit and finally found a spot on the couches right near the giant crystal chandelier. Let's see what all the hype was about at Eggslut.

My mom will start things off for us on this morning with her Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich ($8.50). This sandwich usually comes with chipotle ketchup, but my mom subbed it out for mayo. The cage-free over medium egg, applewood bacon, and cheddar cheese combined to make this sandwich a winner in her book. She found this to be a very enjoyable sandwich, one that was worth waiting in line for, and she does not like waiting in lines.

Apparently, my parents want to get in the hand model game. Don't quit your day jobs guys. My dad tried the Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich ($8.50). For this one, they use a turkey sausage patty, which had a very good smoky flavor to it. The over medium egg and sausage is also joined by a slice of cheddar cheese and honey mustard aioli. No complaints from the big guy on this one, which is a good sign since he's a pretty picky customer.

Katie and I both got the same sandwich but made different modifications to it. Katie got her Fairfax ($13) with bacon and avocado added, hence the four dollar upcharge. She called this the perfect breakfast sandwich, with its fluffy eggs, crisp bacon, creamy avocado, and a sriracha mayo which did not overpower but had just the right amount of flavor to add. When I pressured her to come up with something she did not like about this sandwich she could not do it. Pretty high praise.

I also added bacon to my Fairfax Sandwich ($11.50). Quite simply, this sandwich was magical. I was really blown away with the lightness of the scrambled eggs, the crisp bacon, and the Sriracha mayo that came on this. I was so enamored with the way the eggs were done here that I scoured the internet when I got home to find a copycat recipe for the way they do their eggs at Eggslut. Thanks to the website Chowhound I found a good recipe here but have not tried it yet. The bun was well crafted, stayed together, and did not get in the way of the insides of the sandwich. I really found myself savoring this sandwich, eating it way slower than I usually do.

I have to admit that the hype for Eggslut is definitely warranted. This was the best breakfast sandwich I have had, and I do look forward to coming back here and eating my way through their entire menu in the very near future. Even though this is not the most convenient of restaurants, with its long lines and lack of seating, I think even my parents will be back here when they make it back to Vegas. Yes, the prices are way higher than what you'd normally pay for a breakfast sandwich, but this is Vegas and when you are on vacation you feel a little better paying a few dollars more for a higher quality product that you can't get just anywhere. This breakfast made the Ducks loss to the Knights the evening before way more palatable. 

Out of five shrimp, (because Las Vegas goes through 60,000 pounds of shrimp a day, more than the rest of the US combined), five being best to zero being worst, Eggslut gets 4 shrimp.

For more information about Eggslut, head to their website here: http://www.eggslut.com/

A Bewitching Breakfast at HEXX - CLOSED

HEXX Kitchen and Bar

3655 South Las Vegas Blvd.

Las Vegas, NV 89109

It was time for our annual trip to the desert to watch our beloved Ducks take on the upstarts from Las Vegas, the Golden Knights. Last year's trip with my parents did not go exactly as planned. Not only did we have to deal with watching the Ducks lose in overtime, but we also had the displeasure of having to eat at Wahlburgers, per my mom's request.  She's a big fan of the reality TV show, we were not a fan of their below average burgers and tourist trap surroundings.

This trip was going to be different. Even though our Ducks had started with many injuries, I had a feeling they would beat the Knights, who had been struggling near the bottom of the standings. I also made the executive decision that I'd pick the places we ate on this trip, so that meant no chance of getting caught in a restaurant that would end up being one of the worst we ate at last year. At least, that's what I had hoped.

We got into Las Vegas a lot earlier than we did last year, so I decided that a brunch spot would be an excellent choice. We could walk it off getting back to our hotel and get the added bonus of taking a quick nap before the hockey game. I had never heard of HEXX before, but it intrigued me because it had over 2,500 reviews and a four-star rating on Yelp. That's pretty impressive on Yelp, where most people just like to rant and complain.

HEXX is located at the Paris Hotel, right across from the Bellagio Fountains and next to another of my favorite Vegas restaurants, Mon Ami Gabi. HEXX is in the former Sugar Factory space, and the kitchen is helmed by the former Sugar Factory Executive Chef Matthew Piekarski, who developed the menu at HEXX along with Chef Matthew Silverman. They came up with a menu that features classic American cuisine and integrates contemporary influences into it.

They definitely had their work cut out for them, as HEXX is open from 6 a.m. until midnight, seven days a week. They serve brunch until 4 p.m. and also feature lunch and dinner menus during the day. We had no problem getting a table at this sometimes very busy restaurant because it was midweek when we were here, and I had quickly made a reservation on OpenTable once we landed at the airport.

We loved the vibe once we were seated in this huge restaurant. It felt like it had an updated country club feel. There were a lot of white fixtures and walls, a lovely patio that I imagine would get a lot more use when the weather was a bit warmer, and comfy tables and chairs. The menu is separated into starters, entree salads, sandwiches, brunch items, and pizzas. Prices hover right around the $20 mark for most entrees, with the most expensive thing on the brunch menu being the Steak and Eggs, which will set you back $25. Those are reasonable prices for an upscale breakfast joint on the strip. Let's see if the food impresses as much as the atmosphere does.

As I have stated numerous times on this blog, I love having a sweet and savory item for my first meal of the day. At HEXX, that meant I'd definitely be trying the Twisted Sticky Bun ($9) to start with. This pastry featured toasted pecans, a light cream cheese frosting, and a generous drizzle of caramel sauce on the roll and the plate. This was an excellent start to our meal here, and yes, I did share. One of the lightest breakfast pastries I have had. The roll was light and airy, the cream cheese did not overpower but still had a sweet taste, and the pecans added a nice crunch. Really solid and way better than what you can get at your local Cinnabon.

My dad and I are usually similar in what we like to order, so I always have a backup entree just in case he orders what I want. This happened at HEXX; he got the Chilaquiles ($17) before I did. This version of my favorite Mexican breakfast came with chicken, sliced jalapenos, two eggs, avocado, sour cream, and asadero cheese, an off-white Mexican cheese, like mozzarella. My dad got a little full and let me finish the rest of his meal. I liked this but felt the chips could have been fried more, and it was a little on the dry side. Maybe more of a sauce to tie it all together? The eggs were done over hard like my dad had requested, and these particular jalapenos packed a punch this morning. Very spicy, just the way I like them. 

Katie and my mom got the same thing this morning, a bonus, as it's less reading. They got the Breakfast Croissant ($14 plus $2 with an egg). This breakfast sandwich usually comes with ham, but both Katie and my mom opted for bacon instead, and the kitchen at HEXX complied big time with their request, as they added at least four strips of bacon, if not more, to this sandwich, which also included some aged cheddar cheese and excellent home fries.  I'm not sure why they don't just automatically add an egg to a breakfast sandwich, but this was one of the best ones my mom has had. She loved it, as did Katie.

My dad, taking my first choice, left me with my second one, the HEXX Benedict ($16). This traditional benedict came with two perfectly poached eggs and a good but understated hollandaise sauce on top of Canadian bacon, asparagus, and scalloped potatoes. This dish was delicious and well crafted, but I was hoping for a big pop of flavor. My mistake was picking the most benign item on the menu. Next time, the corned beef hash, meat omelet, or HEXX burger will be my pick for brunch.

When I made our reservation online, I made a note of letting HEXX know that it was my mom's birthday. They, in turn, gave her a nice and festive Chocolate Mousse Cake. This was a lovely surprise and an excellent send-off for our long walk back to our hotel and our much-needed nap before the game later in the evening.

I was impressed with HEXX this morning. When we are in Vegas, Bouchon is usually our go-to breakfast place. Bouchon is better but also more expensive and stuffy, so HEXX might become our spot on some of our visits to this desert oasis. I'd also like to come back here and try their dinner. See how they cook their steaks and give their burger a go. Service on this particular morning was solid, as our server kept things moving along and checked on us regularly. This part of our short stay in Las Vegas started out better than when we had to eat at Wahlburgers, but the hockey game? Not so much.

Out of five chocolate bars (because HEXX also makes bean-to-bar chocolate, which is available for sale at their adjacent retail space at the Paris Hotel), five being best to zero being worst, HEXX Kitchen and Bar gets 3.5 chocolate bars.

For more information about HEXX Kitchen and Bar, head to their website here: https://www.hexxlasvegas.com/

Not Such a Hidden Secret in Vegas

Secret Pizza

3708 South Las Vegas Blvd. 

Las Vegas, NV 89109

So my trip to Vegas was kind of a bummer. Of course, I had no luck gambling, but I pretty much knew that was going to be the case even before getting on the plane. There were a string of other mishaps as well. I had left my drivers license at the Monte Carlo when we were checking in, I forgot my camera when we stopped to play some slot machines at the Cosmopolitan, and when I went back for it security had it, but they wouldn't release it to me because I did not have my ID. Running late for the hockey game we were in town for, I knew I'd have to make a return trip to the Cosmo to retrieve my camera after the game. So I turned this unfortunate set of events into an opportunity to try a spot I had heard so much about, Secret Pizza.

Secret Pizza is not really too much of a secret anymore. They are the fifth most reviewed restaurant in all of Las Vegas closing in on 4,000 Yelp reviews and a very respectable 4-star rating. When they opened back in 2010 half the fun of this restaurant was trying to find it. There's no sign, there's no mention of it in any directory at the Cosmopolitan, and their website does not even mention it. You pretty much had to know where to look, or just happen to stumble upon it.

Now that they've been open for seven-plus years now, I don't feel bad about letting you know where Secret Pizza is located. When you're at the shops at the Cosmo, take the escalator to the third floor. Once you are there you will be facing Jaleo, which is the tapas restaurant run by Jose Andres. Go to the left and you will see the long hallway in the picture above with album covers adorning the walls and ceiling.  Walk down this hallway and you are there.

Katie and I got here at just before 11 pm on a Tuesday night, and there was a very steady stream of customers. The line moved along at a decent clip. Many people have said it and it's true, this is reminiscent of a New York pizza joint. The pizzas are already made behind the glass and just waiting to be heated up. There's a guy that is making other pizzas to replenish the ones that are being sold. There's also very limited seating here. They have about 5 seats and a very small counter space for people that want to eat standing up.

The menu is also pretty compact. They offer pizza by the slice, or you can order a whole pizza. There are two kinds of pizza here, traditional thin crust and the heftier Sicilian style. So we did not have to wait we selected the pizzas that were ready to be heated up and got our slices in less than three minutes. Since there was no seating, we made our way back down the hallway and sat out front on the comfy couch. Let's see if Secret Pizza is worth all this hype.

Thin crust is synonymous with New York style pizza and that's what Katie tried here for our little late night snack. This Slice ($5.50) was not as big as the ones you can get in the Big Apple, but it turned out to be a pretty tasty slice. There was just the right amount of cheese, but a few extra pieces of sausage would have been appreciated. The sauce here was okay, but it needed to pop more with flavor, it was kind of boring. I was pretty impressed with the lack of grease that came off of this slice. Good quality cheese I guess.

I was intrigued by the Sicilian Slice ($8) that I spied behind the glass. This square slice had both sausage and pepperoni nestled on top of it, with a good amount of cheese. The crust on this one was, of course, thicker, but did a good job of maintaining its integrity. It was not too doughy like a lot of Sicilian pizza crusts tend to be. Some extra toppings added to this would have made this even better, and the sausage came off all in one bite. Still good though.

Secret Pizza was a pretty good find, once you discover where it is. I'm not going to kid you and tell you this is better than any pizza I have had in NYC, but I'd say it is one of the best ones I have had on the Strip in Vegas, not that pizza is all too common in too many of the casinos. The prices are a little out of whack here, but it's Vegas, so bargains are hard to come by. I wouldn't splurge and pay $8 for a Sicilian slice again, but if I was at the Cosmo and wanted a snack, I'd definitely come back to Secret Pizza. With all of the minor hiccups I had on this trip, along with a loss by my beloved Ducks at the hands of the Vegas Knights, Secret Pizza was a definite bright spot on this short trip to the desert. 

Out of five magazines, (because even though this hotel has been around for 7 years, when I hear the name Cosmo it still brings to mind the magazine first), five being best to zero being worst, Secret Pizza gets 3 magazines.

Of course, there is not a website for this place so you can get plenty of information about Secret Pizza by visiting their Yelp page here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/secret-pizza-las-vegas

Wahlburgers Misses the Mark

Wahlburgers

3635 S. Las Vegas Blvd. 

Las Vegas, NV 89109

For those of you that are not big hockey fans, Las Vegas now has its own hockey team. This is the first year that the Vegas Knights are playing, so it made sense that since we are big hockey fans we wanted to see our Ducks play their first game in Las Vegas. Once the hockey schedule came out, we made our plane and hotel reservations, bought the game tickets, and then set about trying to decide where to eat on this short one-day trip to the desert. My mom was very passionate about where she wanted to eat, so after our short plane ride and dropping our bags off at the hotel, we headed to Wahlburgers.

I did not know it until talking to my mom, but there's a reality show based on this restaurant and also the family that runs it, the Wahlbergs. Yes, the same Wahlberg's as in the singer and acting Mark, Donnie, and their Chef brother Paul. My mom is crazy for this show, and from what I can gather has watched all eight seasons with more on the way. Paul has an Italian restaurant, Alma Nove, in Hingham, which is just outside the Boston area. The first Wahlburgers is located nearby his original restaurant and is the one that is mainly featured on the A&E TV show.

Wahlburgers has blossomed into a pretty big chain. They operate restaurants in 14 states and also have an international location in Toronto. Their Las Vegas spot has been opened for a year and a half now and is situated at the Grand Bazaar Shops in front of Bally's on the Strip, right across from the Fountains at the Bellagio. Some people online have claimed that it's hard finding this restaurant, but just key in on the large green Wahlburgers sign and you can't miss it.

We arrived here just after 1:30 on a recent Tuesday afternoon. Walking from the Bellagio, I noticed that Vegas was pretty empty compared to our other visits to this desert paradise. Wahlburgers was much the same, as we got a seat right away, and only about half the tables were occupied during our stay. The restaurant was not as big as I was expecting, but with the cooler weather they had their large roll-up doors closed to the patio, so it may appear to be larger when the patio is being used. The restaurant is dominated by green, grey, and black painted walls, a large picture of the Wahlbergs that my mom could not help but pose in front of, posters of the Wahlbergs' movies and TV shows, and a bar that sits in front and center taking up most of the restaurant.

Predictably the menu here is burger driven, but they do have a few other options for people not wanting a burger. There are sandwiches, salads, and even a Sloppy Joe available. Of course, the big draw here is the burgers, and they have 7 to choose from, ranging in price from $10 to $15. I did some research before coming here and knew what I wanted before walking in the door, so let's see how everything worked out for us on this visit.

Burgers come solo at Wahlburgers, so some sides were definitely in order. Our waiter claimed that the kitchen is not a fan of splitting sides, but he said he would talk to them about it. It kind of sounded like something he has said numerous times to other guests, but it did allow us to try all four of their side items. The best of the bunch was the Tater Tots and Sweet Potato Tots ($4.25). They were crisp on the outside, and fluffy on the inside, just like a tater tot should be. They could have come to the table warmer, but still good even though I'm not really a big fan of sweet potatoes. The Thin Crispy Onion Rings were decent, but again there were temperature issues. The worst of the bunch were the fries, which were obviously frozen and needed to be seasoned to wake up these bland and lukewarm fries. The sauces at Wahlburgers did nothing to really help the fries out either. The ranch dressing was straight from the bottle, and even though the Wahl sauce, a cross between thousand island dressing and Sriracha, added a little flavor it could not save the fries from being anything but mediocre.

My mom is a pretty basic burger eater, so it was no surprise when she ordered this Our Burger ($9.95). This burger comes with the standard lettuce, tomato, and onion, and also includes their Wahl sauce and house-made pickles. This 5-ounce burger was the perfect size for my mom, who is not a real big eater. She seemed to like her burger but said that she has had better.

Both Katie and my dad got the same thing, which helps me by lessening my writing, which we can all probably agree is a great thing. This O.F.D. Burger ($12.95) would have been my second choice, but I left it to the two of them. OFD stands for, Originally from Dorchester, the Boston neighborhood where the Wahlbergs grew up. This one has bacon, Swiss cheese, sauteed mushrooms, and a tomato jam included between its buns. This was a half-pound burger, which my light-eating father had a hard time finishing. Katie thought this burger was a mess, as it was too juicy and fell apart easily. She also thought it was kind of bland.

The BBQ Bacon Burger ($12.95) was listed as Donnie's favorite burger, and I had high hopes for it after ordering it. I was let down after my first couple of bites. I figured with the bacon, jalapenos, white cheddar, and avocado spread on this it would have popped with flavor. Not the case. It was average, but the avocado spread and jalapenos had no flavor to them, and if I did not see them on my burger I wouldn't have even known they were there. The burger patty needed to be seasoned a bit, and the bright spot for this burger was probably the bun, which did keep its integrity the whole time it was around. Who eats a burger for the bun though? Donnie Wahlberg must like boring burgers if this is his favorite.

Even my mom who was very excited to eat here had to admit that Wahlburgers is a place that she would probably not want to return to. She still loves the show, but the restaurant was very average, and that's being kind. It really had the feel of a tourist trap to me, with the constant upselling by our server, the woman who took our pictures and sold them to us after our meal, and the outrageous $5 ice teas in the cups that you can take with you, but who wants to walk around with Wahlburgers cups on the strip?  In a city where almost every hotel has a gourmet/celebrity burger restaurant in it, Wahlburgers really needs to step up their game as something better than what you can get at your neighborhood Chili's. The reality show apparently brings the people in, but the boring burgers and frozen fries will not get a lot of them to return.

Out of five hockey pucks, (because we were in Vegas for the Ducks' first game here), five being best to zero being worst, Wahlburgers gets 2 hockey pucks.

For more information about Wahlburgers, head to their website here: https://wahlburgers.com/

A Return Thai Trip to Lotus of Siam

Lotus of Siam

953 East Sahara Ave. #A5

Las Vegas, NV 89104

I usually do not like revisiting a restaurant that we have been to before while on vacation, especially in a city like Las Vegas, where there are so many places that are on my wish list, that there is no way that I'd be able to hit them all. I came back here for two reasons though. One being that I have been in a real Thai food phase since the first of the year. The second, and probably most important reason is because Katie wanted to come back to Lotus of Siam. She doesn't really ask for much, so when she request a return trip to a place, I'll usually oblige.

Also joining us on our Thai food adventure is my longtime friend Steve, and his friend, Jason. They both just happened to be in Vegas attending their yearly conference, so we decided to have dinner with them before they had to fly out the next morning. I could kind of sense that they were both new to Thai food, but they seemed pretty excited to give it a try. Maybe they just loved our company.

For someones first time having Thai food, eating at Lotus of Siam is kind of like going from being a high school football player, and going straight to the pros, playing your first game in Cowboy Stadium in front of 80,000 people. Of course if you're on the Cowboys, most people expect you to lose anyways, so there's probably not that much pressure. Sorry about that Steve, I had to slip that in there.

Lotus of Siam has been on tons of TV shows, been written about numerous times, and has a steady stream of taxi cabs coming from the strip dropping off hungry tourists. Owner and Chef Saipin Chutima has owned this place since 1999, and won a James Beard Award in 2011 as best chef in the Southwest. As if all of this was not enough, there are tons of pictures all over the restaurant of all the famous celebrities that have eaten here over the years.

We arrived here on a Thursday evening at about 7:30, and were met with a 45 minute wait. No worries for us though, because we found a dive bar in this desolate shopping center, enjoyed a few cocktails, and listened to a know it all bartender telling some tall tales. Both Steve and Jason really enjoyed this guys company, but we finally got the call on Katie's phone that our table was ready, so we settled up with our new friend.

Lotus of Siam features food from Northern Thailand. I'm by no means an expert on Thai food, but I can tell you that the food of Northern Thailand is generally a little more mild than that from the south. The menu here is pretty hefty, and whether you are into seafood, curries, noodles, fried rice, or one of the northern specialties, you will most likely find something to your liking here. Let's see if that was the case for the four of us on this evening.

Starting things off for us were two appetizers, the first of which were these Fried Wontons ($7.95). These fried pockets were filled with ground chicken, and served with a house made sweet and sour sauce. These were fried well, with the absence of grease, but they needed to be filled a little more than they were. The ground chicken did not shine here. We'd probably forgo these on future visits.

One of my favorite things to try in Thai restaurants is satay, so we definitely needed to try the Chicken Satay ($10.95) at Lotus of Siam. This was an excellent version. The chicken was tender, and flavored nicely, and the peanut sauce here is out of this world. If I could have, I would have asked that this sauce be packed up to go, and I'd use it sparingly when I got it home to make it last as long as possible. This was also served with a cucumber salad, which kind of got neglected at our table.

The real reason I think Katie wanted to make a return visit to this restaurant was because of this Tom Kah Kai Soup ($4.95). She has been trying to find a local replacement for the one served here, with no luck. This Bangkok style soup comes with sliced chicken, mushrooms, galanga, which I learned is a root that resembles ginger, lemongrass, coconut milk, and a touch of fresh lime. A complex soup, but simple in taste, she of course enjoyed this immensely, and is still on the lookout for another version that can equal this one.

Entrees were up next, and we'll start things off with my good friend Steve's meal. He kept things pretty basic here with his choice of Sweet and Sour Chicken ($9.95). This had everything you would expect from this dish, pineapple, tomatoes, cucumber, red and green bell peppers, green and white onion, and it was topped with cilantro. He felt this was a good version, but it did not dazzle him. He'd definitely try something else if he were to come here again.

Katie's meal was probably the best of the night. She could not be happier with this Pad Se-Ew ($8.95), even claiming that this was the best version of this dish she has ever had. Very high praise indeed for this noodle dish that also had eggs, Chinese broccoli, black soy sauce, and some very tender beef. After two trips to Lotus of Siam, she has now found her perfect meal here, and will probably not deviate from it.

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When I knew we would be coming here for a return dinner, I checked out Yelp for their most popular items, and the one that kept popping up were these Garlic Prawns ($27.95). They were mentioned in over 300 reviews, so I had to give them a try. The prawn portion of these was great, with a very good burst of garlic in each bite. Good sized, and they were cooked well. I did not really like the shell portion of these, which was attached to the prawn. The menu states that these are like potato chips, but after eating a few of them, I decided they weren't for me. A very good dish though, and I'm glad I had the chance to try it, even though this did not fill me up too much.

Probably not the best choice for someone having their first Thai food experience, Jason went with the Seafood Pad Ped ($17.95). This seafood combination dish was filled with crab, octopus, shrimp, and other seafood, along with a roasted curry paste, mushrooms, lemon grass, lime juice, and mint leaves. Jason was very game with this dish, which was not what he was expecting. He enjoyed the flavor of the sauce, but found the seafood here not to be of his liking. Maybe he should have started with one of their very good curry dishes, or maybe a pad Thai. He does get points for at least trying everything in his bowl. I have a sneaky suspicion that he and Steve went by In-N-Out on their way back to their hotel after this meal.

Even though I would have liked to have tried a new restaurant on our last night in Vegas, I was more than happy to make Katie happy with a return meal to Lotus of Siam. The Thai food here is pretty legendary, and I really would not mind another trip here when we are back in Vegas. The menu is so large, it almost rivals Cheesecake Factory, and it would take numerous times to try a good cross section of it. For this restaurant being as popular as it is, the prices are more than fair. Service was pretty good on this night, until we straggled after our dinner talking, and it was clear that they wanted to close up shop and wanted us to leave, which is understandable. It's always good getting together with our good friend Steve, and our new friend Jason. Next time you guys can pick the restaurant.

Out of five water lilies, (because lotus is another name for these aquatic plants), five being best to zero being worst, Lotus of Siam gets 4 water lilies.

For more information about Lotus of Siam, go to their website here: http://lotusofsiamlv.com/