Dining Features
Dining
Down to the Bone
Meat the six butchers who make our critic’s cut
May 19th, 2011
Summer means outdoor grilling and, if you’re gonna do it right, a trip to a quality butcher shop. We’re fortunate to have many local options. The supermarket chain Cardenas has various cuts popular at the Mexican table, such as carne asada; the Chinese-owned 168 Market cuts beef and pork to order for stir-fries; and Whole Foods Market offers organic chicken and boutique meats, at premium prices. High-quality and specialty meats are also available at competitive prices through local specialty retailers. Here is a short list of where to buy that favorite cut: Read more »
Dining
Tricky and Sweet
Sugar Factory gives a city of excess its just desserts
May 12th, 2011
It’s not what you or I like,” said my friend Andrew Cherng, shortly after he opened his 1,000th Panda Express. “It’s what the customers like.” If that isn’t a corollary for the restaurant business, it should be. And so with that in mind, I visited the Grand Guignol of sucrose, the Sugar Factory, the Strip’s newest and gaudiest palace of sweets. I’m not a fan of the Cheesecake Factory, for the record, or any place else that serves desserts big enough to choke a thoroughbred. Everyone I spoke to was having a good time, though, so I calmed my inner curmudgeon and joined the fray. Read more »
Dining
Pasta Making Moves
New location, same intimate setting for fresh Italian menu
May 5th, 2011
David or Glenn Alenik, who hail from Binghamton, N.Y., opened the first Pasta Shop way back in 1989, and they have earned a loyal following. If you come during the evening, the 14-table room is often full. Read more »
Dining
Tapas Without Borders
Talent comes on small plates at Longoria’s internationally inspired steak house
April 28th, 2011
Beso, Eva Longoria’s dramatically designed restaurant at the edge of Crystals mall in CityCenter, has been largely ignored by the food press. So I decided to take a look, and was pleasantly surprised by what I discovered. Read more »
Dining
From Russia, With Love
Tverskaya’s authenticity is worth a step outside your comfort zone
April 21st, 2011
Tverskaya takes its name from the main street in Moscow that was known as Gorky during the years of communism. Proprietor Vitali Klochko—once a dancer with the Moiseyev Troupe—insists the chef’s cuisine is exactly the style you get in Moscow. Read more »
Dining
Not (Just) Another Irish Pub
Rí Rá is giving those critical of Irish cuisine some hearty food for thought
April 14th, 2011
Not another Irish pub,” groaned a friend when I informed him we would be eating at the new Rí Rá in the Shoppes at Mandalay Place. I admit, the field is getting crowded. This one, though, happens to be a cut above. Read more »
Dining
Rio By Way of Liguria
Carla Pellegrino adds Bratalian to her restaurant dynasty
April 7th, 2011
Carla Pellegrino is a hot commodity. Apparently she didn’t realize how hot, until a standing-room-only crowd showed up on a recent Saturday night at her new restaurant, Bratalian. The name was chosen to pay homage to the two great loves of her life: Italian cooking and her native Brazil. Read more »
Dining
The Vintastic Five
By the taste, glass and bottle—Vegas’ best wine bars pour it on
March 31st, 2011
A good wine bar should provide three things: a convivial atmosphere, the opportunity to try a wide selection of wine at a reasonable price, and a few nibbles to balance the experience. Read more »
Dining
Wicked Good
Cosmo’s buffet has it going on, and on …
March 24th, 2011
Buffets aren’t my thing. So when I fairly rave about the Wicked Spoon, imagine how much you’ll enjoy it. I’ve had breakfast, lunch and dinner in this vast space, and haven’t had to wait in line once. Ironically, this is the only Strip buffet I’d line up for. Read more »
Dining
Feel the Heat
Due Forni turns up the temperature on Summerlin’s pizza scene
March 17th, 2011
What happens to a neighborhood restaurant venture when an experienced food and beverage director like Alex Taylor, formerly of Wynn-Encore, teams up with a seasoned chef like Carlos Buscaglia of MGM Grand’s Fiamma? Good things, it seems. Read more »
