Sunday, November 30, 2014

Blue Bayou at Disneyland Park

I am a huge fan of Disneyland and I write this review with a heavy heart as I always hope for the best experiences when I am there. For the amount of money people are expected to spend and then add the extra splurge or dining inside the park, there is no reason the food shouldn't reflect this added expense. 

We decided to come to Blue Bayou to celebrate my fella's birthday. I was steering him towards other dining options since i had been to Blue Bayou in the past and had never been a huge fan but I remember having a few nice lunches there on previous visits. He was set on coming here so I made reservations and remained optimistic. 

We arrived on time for our reservation but still had to wait about 30 minutes for our table. Once seated, the service was superb. Everything you come to expect at the Disney Parks. It was the food that made this experience so lackluster. 

Despite my low expectations for the meal, the food was even worse than I expected. I ordered the lamb and my fella got the surf and turf. He ordered the shrimp cocktail to start and I went with the gumbo. The shrimp cocktail was more like a chopped shrimp salad with mayo and he didn't enjoy it. I offered to trade him for the gumbo since he ended up really liking that. The gumbo was probably the only decent thing we ate. The entrees arrived and they looked so sad on the plate. Brown clumps of soggy meat in sauce. It tasted as badly as it looked. Bland and awful. I debated sending it back, but ended up just sucking it up and waiting for our meal to end.

The bill came and we paid quickly and wanted to get out of there utterly disappointed with our meal. I write this review in hopes that they improve as I love everything Disney and the dining experiences should only enhance you visit not detract. 

If you do end up here, just stick with the gumbo and the Monte Christo from the lunch menu. 

Location: Disneyland, 1313 S Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92802

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Buddha Belly

Nice little new spot at 215 and Valle Verde. 

My fella and I came by while we were in the area and had at first thought about taking our food to go and the changed our minds last minute. We decided to share the pho dip, shrimp po boy, dragon breath fries and the shortrib fries. 

The pho dip was ok, I enjoyed the pho au jus, but the sandwich was just ok. The bread just seemed a little too dense for me. I had same the issues with the shrimp po boy. The breading on the shrimp was a tad too thick and the bread was again not for me. My favorite two items we tried were the both the dragon breath and shortrib fries. The dragon breath fries had a great kick. I highly recommend bringing gum or mints if you decide to order this. The shortrib had great flavor and I would order this again in a heartbeat. 

All the food was solid, but I didn't feel the need to finish our food and the leftovers sat in our fridge for a few days untouched before I tossed them in the trash.

The service was extremely attentive and i look forward to giving them another try and hopefully finding some other menu items that suit my tastes a little more.


Items sampled: pho dip, shrimp po boy, dragon breath fries, shortrib fries

Location: 50 North Valle Verde Dr, Ste 110, Henderson, NV 89074

Friday, November 28, 2014

Stacks & Yolks

My fella was craving eggs benedict and I'm always up for trying a new place. 

We arrived around 11 and the place was pretty crowded, but we only had to wait a few minutes to be seated. The table was cramped but we made do. 

I ordered the lumber jack with scrambled eggs, sausage links, home fries and upgraded my pancakes to the lemon blueberry so I could share them with the table. My fella ordered the eggs benedict.

Service was friendly and attentive. They were on the slower side because they were so busy, but when our food did eventually come out it was delicious. The home fries and the lemon blueberry pancakes were my favorites. The pancakes are probably some of my favorite that I've tried in vegas, perfectly cooked, the blueberries were flavorful and ripe and the hint of lemon complemented the flavors perfectly.

I am definitely a fan of Stacks & Yolks and look forward to coming back again 


Items sampled: eggs Benedict, lumberjack combo, lemon blueberry stack

Location: 7150 S Durango Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89113

Pot Liquor CAS

This is a cute little bbq spot right across from Yard House in Town Square.

I let my friend for happy hour around 5:30. The restaurant was pretty empty, but it slowly filled up as we sat at the bar. The bartender was nice and attentive to us. My friend ordered a drink and I opted for iced tea. 

It took us a while to decide what to order since we were chatting but I ended up ordering some pork rinds from the happy hour menu and a baby back rib salad. The pork rinds were not good at all. Too salty and the texture was completely off. It was too hard to eat. My salad was decent. There was a good amount of rib on it and the Flavors were well-balanced. My friend got the fried pickles and the burnt ends appetizer. Both of these were pretty good. I don't typically enjoy fried pickles, but these were better than most and they were cubed instead of sliced or speared which was a little different than usual. 

Pot Liquor didn't blow me away, but a majority of the food we ordered was good and I'd come back to try out more of their menu.


Items sampled: burnt ends, fried pickles, pork rinds, baby back salad

Location: 6587 S Las Vegas Blvd, B-196, Las Vegas, NV 89119

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Hooligan's Bar & Grill

Walking into this dark and slightly divey bar, you don't expect much as far as food goes. The place was pretty crowded as they were having one of their biweekly poker tournaments. We were the only people that ordered any food, so they seemed to go out of their way to make our visit nice.

We ordered the hangover burger, wings with wedges and fried avocado to share. They took the fried avocado off their menu, but the waitress talked to Chef Bruce and he was more than happy to accommodate any requests we had as long as he has the ingredients. We also really wanted to try their guava habanero for the wings but he had run out so he mixed up a concoction of his pineapple sauce and added a little more kick to it for us. 

Service was great! The bartender / waitress Misty was extremely attentive and was so sweet and friendly. Chef Bruce even came out to make sure we were enjoying everything and made sure to make an extra batch of the fried avocado just for us as well as being out some of their dessert to try.

The food was decent, I enjoyed the burger, but stuffed burgers aren't my favorite so I'd likely be happier with a basic one minus cheese and all the extra stuff. Simple is always better for me. The burger was cooked perfectly, though. The wings were good, too. I the sauces were still overly sweet for me, but I appreciated that they served them on the side so I could decide how much to use. The fried avocado was delicious, the best thing we had all evening. I also really enjoyed the potato wedges. Perfectly cooked and excellent texture. 

We had a great meal and they had no problem redeeming our restaurant.com coupon. I'll be back soon.


Items sampled: hangover burger, fried avocado, wings, potato wedges, purst and chocolate covered bacon.

Location: 1750 S Rainbow  Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89146

Sunday, November 23, 2014

SW Steakhouse

 I asked what my fella wanted for his birthday dinner and said he wanted a really good steak. What my fella wants, my fella gets. We had a reservation and were seated immediately.

Service was superb and so was the food. We started with the half order of the cold seafood platter and I loved everything served. The crab salad was particularly addictive. One thing my fella and I couldn't agree on was what appetizers we wanted to try, but have no fear, they offer half orders of all of these so we were able to try everything our heart's desired. My favorite was the creamed corn. I actually wish I had a full order of this side all to myself. It was rich and creamy and so delicious. 

For our main course, I ordered the bone-in New York and my fella ordered the Bone-in ribeye. Mine was good, but I only ordered it since the birthday boy picked the ribeye that I usually choose and I don't like to order two of the same thing. The ribeye was the star of the show. 

Perfectly cooked and melt in your mouth delicious. We tried to save room for dessert, but no luck. We were stuffed. 

Everything was superb, I only wish the waterfall wasn't so loud. It's a nice view, but ever so loud and distracting. My ears were ringing by the end of the meal.


Items sampled: bone-in Ribeye, bone-in New York, half cold seafood platter, creamed corn, onion rings

Location: 3131 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109

English's Quintessentially British

English's is an interesting conundrum. With a name like English's Quintessentially British, I was picturing a more quaint cottage feel instead of the ultra modern and sleek decor. They have a nice patio overlooking the center of Town Square and they could really do a lot with this place. 

Unfortunately, there are just as many things to dislike about this place as there are to like. 

The pros: decent drink selection, nice patio area, pleasant staff and relatively fair priced happy hour food.

The cons: some of the food was decent, but is was a crapshoot and nothing blew me away flavor-wise.

Overall, I would recommend English's for happy hour only and I'm still curious to try their afternoon tea.


Items sampled: Strongbow cider, salmon crostini, steak and mushroom pie

Location: Town Square, 6599 Las Vegas Blvd, Ste 210, Las Vegas, NV 89119

Jazz Brunch at Country Club, Wynn Las Vegas

After hearing so many great things about the Jazz Brunch, I was excited to try them today for my mom's birthday meal. 

We arrived at 11 on the dot for our reservation and were seated quickly. Our server took our water order and told us our options for brunch. 

We decided to order some made to order entrees from the menu before venturing up to the buffet line. Nothing from the menu really stood out as exciting, but I held out hope that quality would win out over innovation. Unfortunately this wasn't the case. Flavors were just ok and I didn't enjoy most of the breakfast items we ordered from the print menu. 

The buffet line was pretty small. I enjoyed some of the meats from the carving station, but nothing that blew me away. The king crab was dry and after only a bite or two, I gave up on it entirely. The oysters were just ok and the only things I actually enjoyed were the bacon, cheeses, pastry basket and the asparagus. A sad percentage of the items sampled.

Service was spotty. Our server was very nice, but forgetful. He would say he was bringing refills or replacement silverware and we would wait and wait. He was apologetic, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt of first, but it started becoming ridiculous after a while and we all grew impatient. Despite mentioning it was mom's birthday, they did nothing to acknowledge it. I didn't expect a fanfare, but a nice little dessert with a birthday message would have been appreciated. Our waiter also forgot to bring over the dessert menu after asking a few times, we finally gave up and decided to pay our bill and leave.

The music was fun and the view was nice, but none of these factors made up for the food and service issues we encountered. I won't be back and wouldn't recommend to anyone I know.


Location: 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109

Kung Fu Tea

On a late night milk tea run, we ended up at Kung Fu Tea. The shop is really cute and their menu is extensive. 

I appreciate that they ask how sweet you want your drink as most places don't do this. The servers are friendly and helpful. 

I ordered an oolong milk tea when herbal jelly on my first visit and a taro milk tea with boba ok my second visit. Both were good, albeit a little heavier on the milk than I would like. They always ask if the drink is good and are more than happy to make any adjustments if the drink isn't to your liking. 

Nice little shop and the boba is solid. I'll be back, but I'll make sure to let them know I like a little lighter handed with the milk.


Location: 5030 Spring Mountain Rd, Ste 8, Las Vegas, NV 89146

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Kauai Cafe

After passing by Kauai Cafe on a number of occasions, i finally got a chance to try them out today. 

We were greeted warmly and almost everything on the menu looked great. I decided on the kalbi plate and you get mac salad and a choice of fried rice, steamed rice or fried noodles, I chose steamed rice. My dining companion opted for katsu chicken. 

While we waited our server came out and chatted with us for quite a while and he was so nice and personable. Our food came out soon after and our jaws dropped at the generous portions. I enjoyed every bite and I had more than half my meal packed up to take home with me. I was stuffed and so was my dinner partner. 

Great big portions of delicious homemade food for such a low price, I look forward to coming back soon.


Items sampled: kalbi plate and chicken katsu with steamed rice and mac salad

Location: 10140 W Tropicana Ave, Ste 122, Las Vegas, NV 89147

Sunday, November 9, 2014

SW Steakhouse

 I asked what my fella wanted for his birthday dinner and said he wanted a really good steak. What my fella wants, my fella gets. We had a reservation and were seated immediately.

Service was superb and so was the food. We started with the half order of the cold seafood platter and I loved everything served. The crab salad was particularly addictive. One thing my fella and I couldn't agree on was what appetizers we wanted to try, but have no fear, they offer half orders of all of these so we were able to try everything our heart's desired. My favorite was the creamed corn. I actually wish I had a full order of this side all to myself. It was rich and creamy and so delicious. 

For our main course, I ordered the bone-in New York and my fella ordered the Bone-in ribeye. Mine was good, but I only ordered it since the birthday boy picked the ribeye that I usually choose and I don't like to order two of the same thing. The ribeye was the star of the show. 

Perfectly cooked and melt in your mouth delicious. We tried to save room for dessert, but no luck. We were stuffed. 

Everything was superb, I only wish the waterfall wasn't so loud. It's a nice view, but ever so loud and distracting. My ears were ringing by the end of the meal.


Items sampled: bone-in Ribeye, bone-in New York, half cold seafood platter, creamed corn, onion rings

Location: 3131 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109

Blueberry Hill - Decatur & Flamingo

This is the newest Blueberry Hill. It opened up a little over a week ago on the corner of Flamingo and Decatur and replaced what used to be a Marie Callender's. 

They didn't change much as far as interior decor goes, but I am glad after quote a while of this location being vacant that there is a new restaurant in the area. Even better to have a new breakfast spot. 

On this occasion, my mom and I stuck to the dinner menu and they have several grand opening specials going on now. We opted for dinner entrees and received a free dessert. The menu is huge and after a long time of perusing I decided on the honey coconut chicken with a side of fries and green beans. I do not like canned veggies, so I avoided the green beans, but enjoyed the rest of my meal. The chicken was moist and not overly sweet like I was expecting. My mom enjoyed her pork chops and for dessert I ordered the carrot cake and my mom went with the blueberry pie. She enjoyed her, but I felt mine was a little dry for my taste. I took it home and my fella enjoyed it quite a bit, so it's more of a acquired taste.

I'm usually a fan of this chain's breakfasts, so I'll be back for that. They also have an enormous assortment of desserts to choose from that are all made in house. 

The food is nothing amazing, but it's solid and this location is a lot nicer than others in town.


Items sampled: honey coconut chicken, pork chops, blueberry pie and carrot cake

Location: 4875 West Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89103

Monday, November 3, 2014

Frank & Fina's

I can't count how many times I have passed by this restaurant and been tempted to give them a try. Finally, I bit the bullet and walked in for dinner.

The restaurant is a lot larger than I was expecting based on the exterior appearance. We were seated quickly and they brought out chips and salsa. The salsa had a nice kick but the chips weren't my favorite.

I decided on the panuchos and the waiter claimed they were his favorite menu item and I wouldn't be disappointed, and I wasn't. They were very good, everything was cooked well and the pickled cabbage added a great flavor to the dish. I also ordered a tamarind margarita and it was great. Just the right combination of flavors and we had a very pleasant meal.

Items sampled: tamarinds margarita, mango margarita, panuchos, breakfast buritto, enchilada style

Location: 4175 S Grand Canyon Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89147




Pop Up Pizza

Wandering around Fremont, my friend and I needed, yes needed, a slice of pizza cap off our night.

We stopped by Pop Up Pizza, she ordered a slice of meatball with kalamata olives and onions and I ordered the eggplant with sausage, pepperoni and red peppers. They were warmed up quickly and I enjoyed the toppings and the dough was solid too, but I had hoped it would be cooked a little more evenly. My friends was nicely cooked and had a nice char, but mine was on the doughy side.

Overall, I enjoyed my pizza, but found the dough to be a little inconsistent.


Items sampled: eggplant, sausage, pepperoni and red pepper and meatball

Location: 1 S Main St, Las Vegas, NV 89101 inside The Plaza

Those Guys Pies

On the hunt to find new wings to sample, I stopped by Those Guys Pies for pick up. I ordered wings with a number of different sauces, fried mushrooms and a cheesesteak with mushrooms.

They serve the wings plain and give you the sauces to season yourself. My favorite flavors were the pineapple buffalo and wasabi ranch. The fried mushrooms had a nice batter and were cooked well. They even stayed crispy after a long drive home. I was excited about the cheesesteak after hearing all the raves and I was a little disappointed. It was so greasy and was bland.

The wings were enough to draw me back and I look forward to trying their pizza on my next visit. The guys at Those Guys Pies were great and very accommodating.



Items sampled: fried mushrooms, cheesesteak, wings

Location: 2916 Lake E Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89117

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Frank & Fina's

I can't count how many times I have passed by this restaurant and been tempted to give them a try. Finally, I bit the bullet and walked in for dinner.

The restaurant is a lot larger than I was expecting based on the exterior appearance. We were seated quickly and they brought out chips and salsa. The salsa had a nice kick but the chips weren't my favorite.

I decided on the panuchos and the waiter claimed they were his favorite menu item and I wouldn't be disappointed, and I wasn't. They were very good, everything was cooked well and the pickled cabbage added a great flavor to the dish. I also ordered a tamarind margarita and it was great. Just the right combination of flavors and we had a very pleasant meal.

Items sampled: tamarinds margarita, mango margarita, panuchos, breakfast buritto, enchilada style

Location: 4175 S Grand Canyon Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89147