The Food Tour
My cousin Gemma came out to visit us, wanting to spend time before her impending move to the land of octopus ice cream and vending machines with panties in them, i.e. Japan. She had two "musts" on her list of to-dos so that we could plan our POA (Plan of Action/Attack, not Prisoner of Azkaban). They were:
- See The Beatles Love by Cirque du Soleil
- Eat at all the places we've been raving about
So with this we embarked on a Food Tour that left our stomachs heavier and our wallets lighter. It broke down thusly:
On Saturday we had lunch as Raising Canes. All my family loves them some Canes. Must be something in the sauce. On a sidenote, after lunch we went to the Outlets on Las Vegas Blvd and some poor Food Court chicken finger place was giving out samples with a sauce that looked suspiciously like Canes' but had an overly mayo flavor to it. It tasted very greasy which isn't all that great considering you're already eating deep fried chicken.
After shopping, we hung out for a bit then met my parents at Hash House A Go Go. This place was featured on The Travel Channel's Man vs. Food where the dude ate a ginormous breakfast burrito. They don't mess with food at this place. Gemma ordered the New York Times approved "Sage Fried Chicken and Waffles". The presentation was out of this world. Imagine a stack of waffles on top of which are two chicken breasts stacked vertically. It was a tower of food held together with a steak knife. The best part about this dish? There is bacon cooked into the waffles. Bacon. In. The. Waffles. Heart attack city or a gift from the Gods? You decide.
On Sunday, we went to the Cracked Egg for brunch. The food was outstanding as always. I had Gem try the Multi-Grain Pancakes, about which she was tentative. Ah, but she should know by now that I wouldn't steer her wrong and she wasn't disappointed. I was sketchy about having at first as well, thinking that it would be gritty or heavy. At the very least, I thought it would probably have the taste if not the texture of cardboard. But instead you get a pancake, that admittedly is not as fluffy as others, that is smooth and tasty as the batter has a good helping of cinnamon. So good.
For dinner that night we went to the newly opened Lindo Michoacan in Henderson. Of note at this location is the fantastic view of Las Vegas offered by the panoramic windows. The only thing that could have made this better was if the sun had actually set and the Strip was lit up in all its neon glory. Here I had a three component meal. In Top Chef they would probably describe it as a medley, a trio, or Chicken prepared three ways: Chicken Enchilada, Chicken Taco, and Chicken Tostada with the customary sides of beans, rice, and pico de gallo. After tackling the Enchilada and Taco, I barely made it halfway through the Tostada before throwing in the towel. Just too much food. Tasty deliciousness but too much nonetheless. We topped the dinenr off with an order of Sopapillas split between us. Awesome.
The next day, Monday, we made the drive to Mt. Charleston. It sounds like an incredible chore but it's about a 30 minute drive from our apartment. Mt. Charleston is a perfect place to go to on a hot Vegas summer day since the temperature is usually about 15-20 degrees cooler up there. We had lunch at The Lodge and decided to sit outside to enjoy the cool air. Both my sister and I had the Buffalo Burger. Hmmm, I do love me some Buffalo Burger. It's nice and lean but still really juicy. Couple that with a massive amount of Sweet Potato Fries that Gemma ordered and we were set.
For dinner that night, we went to Texas de Brazil. For those who have never gone to a Brazilian Churrascaria, you owe it to yourself to at least try it. It's all-you-can-eat but not in the traditional buffet sense. Sure, there is a salad bar buffet (with awesome goat cheese, potatoes au gratin, and sautéed mushrooms) but that's not how you get your entrées. Instead, guys with skewers of meat come around the tables in their gaucho pants, slicing off cuts to your hearts content. Imagine the carving station at your local buffet but tableside. With a dozen different stations coming every couple minutes. As always, the House Special Sirloin was the winner of the evening but honorable mentions go out to the Filet (without the bacon. I know, right? I thought bacon made everything better? But in this case, the bacon added a bit more saltiness that the Filet did not need) and the Garlic Sirloin. For dessert, we had the Banana's Foster Pie which we all love but none as much as Courtney, my wife. Truly an awesome way to end the Food Tour.
So that ends Part 1: The Food Tour. I'll be following it up with Part 2: The Entertainment to talk about the movies and shows we saw.
Totally not a diary at all...
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