Ice Monster - Las Vegas

I didn't have particularly high hopes for Ice Monster, so it was with low expectations that I walked in on a warm Saturday evening. 

The shop is very cute, sleek and clean. Oddly located in the back of a strip mall, hidden away from the street by a popular chain dessert shop, which probably explains why the shop was so empty on a Saturday evening.

My friend and I ordered the pineapple lychee snow ice as well as a mango sensation snow ice to share. The desserts were gorgeous and well-presented in a martini glass. Unfortunately, looks were indeed deceiving. Pretty, but the flavors were lacking for both of the dishes. I preferred the pineapple lychee to the mango but they both had an unappealing artificial flavor I didn't care for. Neither my friend nor I felt the need to finish either dish. 

I'd be interested to try their other menu items, but I don't see myself making any special effort to return based on my first visit.

Items sampled: mango and lychee snow ice. 

Location: 7729 S Rainbow Blvd, Ste 9B, Las Vegas, NV 89113

John Mull's Road Kill Grill - North Las Vegas

I decided to take a little adventure to North Las Vegas. Since I'm never in the area it made sense to try to hit as many of my bookmarks as possible. 

John Mull's was one of these locations. Located in a more residential part of the of town, I was surprised when we arrived at the restaurant. It has a rural BBQ restaurant feel, which I really liked. 

We stood in line and I decided to order the three meat combination with rib tips, ribs and pulled pork with a side mac & cheese and baked beans. I paid at the counter and they they give you a receipt to hand to the guys in the trailer. It was a little disorganized it the guys made sure to take all the customers in the proper order. 

They informed me that they were out of rib tips and I opted for the hot links instead. I don't usually like sausage but this ended up being my favorite part of the meal. The ribs and pulled pork were also good but the standouts were the mac & cheese. The mac & cheese was so cheese and delicious. It was some of the best I've had in town.

The service was really nice and friendly. I was especially impressed by the guys serving up the food. They ran out of cornbread and when I asked about white bread the guy went out of his way looking for some for me and was so apologetic when he couldn't locate any. 

I'm not a huge BBQ fan typically but I can't wait to try this place when I find myself in North Las Vegas again.

Items sampled: hot links, ribs, pulled pork, mac & cheese, baked beans

Location: 3730 Thom Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89130

Rise & Shine: A Steak & Egg Place - Las Vegas

My family and I walked in around 1pm a few days after they opened and we were seated promptly. 

The restaurant is very large, unlike many other breakfast spots in town, so I was already pleasantly surprised. The decor is fun with spinning flowers dangling above the dining area and fun pictures to admire on the walls.

For my entree I decided on the fried chicken breast and waffles while my mom and fella both opted for different versions of the chilaquiles. As a last minute decision we ordered a pot o bread when we saw a bunch of them come out of the kitchen for another table, tempting us. 

Service was slow to start, but I cut them some slack since they just opened and are finding their groove. It got better and more attentive as the meal progressed. 

Our food came out and the portions were enormous, making me wish we had shared. My chicken breast eclipsed my waffle on my plate and I wish they had not places the chicken on top of the waffle since the heat seemed to make the waffle limp and a little mushy. The flavor of the waffle was good but the chicken wasn't as good as I expected. It was cooked well but the flavor of the batter seemed off. It had a spicy kick but still seemed very bland and had a starchy aftertaste that I didn't care for.

My mom and fella raved about their chilaquiles and after sampling them I can't say I agree. The temperature seemed a bit on the colder side and the cheese wasn't entirely melted. The steak that came with my fella's meal was a little over cooked and the seasoning was a bit overdone. He loved his dish, so I guess that's all that matters. The pot of bread was awful, I don't recommend this at all. It was dry and flavorless. I took a bite and left it alone. 

Overall, the service was good and the food was hit and miss. My family loved the meal so we will likely be back, but I will be sure to sample a different dish next time and hope for the best.

Items sampled: chilaquiles, fried chicken breast and waffles, pot o bread

Location: 9827 W Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89147

Twist at Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas

Finally getting the opportunity to dine at Twist, I couldn't resist the tasting menu. The restaurant is located inside the Mandarin Oriental and every seat includes dazzling views of the strip.

Without going over each course in detail, I will say every bite was absolutely delicious and I can't think of a better fine dining experience that I have had in the last few years. It was gluttonous, divine and my dining companions left with bright smiles on our faces and full stomachs.

Before we left, we each received a personalized signed menu from the evening which was a treat.

Service was impeccable, as expected, and I can't think of one thing about the meal wasn't sheer perfection. The perfect way to spend three hours on a Saturday night in Vegas.

Tasty Crepes - Las Vegas

With my friend and in need of a sweet to top off our foodventure for the day, we wandered into Tasty Crepes. 

When we walked in they were pretty empty, but in less than five minutes the place was packed. Good timing on our parts.

When you approach the counter there are small order forms where you mark all the contents you want included in your crepe. They have sweet, savory and pizza crepes to choose from. I opted for a sweet version with strawberries, mixed berries, chocolate brownie ice cream and powdered sugar. My OG ordered a sweet with chocolate chip ice cream, berries and strawberry sauce as well as a pizza crepe with pepperoni and sausage I believe. They serve Thrifty's ice cream, so that's a nice blast from my past growing up in Southern California.

We took a seat and waited for our creations to be brought out to us. The crepes were good and I enjoyed the the filling quite a bit. The crepe itself was a little on the dryer, burnt side and didn't have the lovely softer texture that I have come to love. 

The crepes are a lot bigger than I was expecting and we realized we were in over our heads with three crepes total. My friend ended up taking a majority of his pizza crepe home with him as leftovers. I didn't follow up with him to see how it held up, but I didn't expect it to. 

The crepes were decent and it's a nice spot to crab a dessert and just chat with friends since they have a decent sized dining area with chairs and tables. Portions are large and decently priced for what you're getting so sharing might be a good idea if you're not super hungry.

Items sampled: pizza crepe, dessert crepes 

Location: 4845 S Fort Apache Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89147

White Castle - Las Vegas

I really had no desire to try White Castle. After seeing all the horrendous pictures of the barely edible-looking food, I was pretty sure I would never go, I was wrong.

Out of sheer morbid curiosity, we arrived at White Castle a few weeks ago and saw no line and figured it was as good a time to try as any. 

We shared some sliders with cheese and chicken rings along with some fries. Prices were a bit steep, but that's to be expected for the strip. 

I was surprised that the food wasn't as awful as I was expecting. It wasn't necessarily good, either. I favored the chicken rings to the sliders, which as people have noted are steamed and therefore have a mushy texture that I didn't enjoy. The fries were forgettable, so I'd avoid those.

Their drink and ice machines weren't working and people were bottle necking fighting for the one side that was actually functioning. 

All in all, I guess I'm glad I gave them a try, but it looks like one and done for me.

Items sampled: chicken rings, cheeseburger sliders, crinkle cut fries

Location: Casino Royale 3411 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109

Frijoles & Frescas - Las Vegas

I'm so glad those location has finally found a good restaurant to live up to this prime location. 

Conveniently located on the corner of Tropicana and Rainbow, there is a surprising lack of good food in this area. Frijoles & Frescas very recently opened up and I'm happy to report that they are just as good food and service-wise as their original location on Charleston.

I ordered the mini taco combination plate that comes with rice and beans and your choice of meat for the tacos and I upgraded my drink to a watermelon juice. The tacos were great. I chose al pastor and they were delicious and seasoned well. I wish they came with pineapple and they had a more extensive salad bar, but otherwise it they were great. The rice and beans were on point and I am always a sucker for watermelon juice. Very refreshing. My mom and I also shared some elote. Not the best I've ever had and a little over cooked, but decent.

Decent prices and a pretty large dining area good for eating in or takeout. I'm glad to have another option in this area for food.

Items sampled: carne asada nachos, watermelon juice, tacos al pastor, rice and beans.

Location: 4811 S Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89103