Chengdu Taste - Las Vegas, NV

I am officially a big fan of Chengdu Taste. I have eaten there in about five or six occasions in the last few months and am always pleased by my experience.

The restaurant is small but they do take reservations which makes me so happy. They get very busy on weekends so if you plan accordingly you won't have a long wait for a table at all.

All the dishes I've tried have been great and I'm slowly getting through the entire menu. Slowly because I end up ordering a few key dishes on each visit that are musts. The cumin lamb, guess guess shrimp, tan tan noodles, Chongqing chicken and garlic pork. Everything else is great and come in varying degrees of spice level so be forewarned. I've discovered a new favorite dish that I'll be ordering regularly as well. The stir fried intestines are delicious and have a great crunchiness that adds an interesting texture.

I'm not usually a big fan of super spicy food but the flavors here are sometimes subtle and the spice is more of a heat than an all out taste bud attack of fire.

Definitely one of my favorite restaurants in town, I am a regular at this point.

Ruby Jewel - Portland, OR

FFeeling tipsy after a great meal down the street that included plenty of great local brews, I wanted, no needed, an ice cream cone to make my night complete.

The line was pretty long but I was persistent and I put together my plan for attack while I waited. I ordered the pistachio brittle on a house made waffle cone and it was the perfect ending to a day full of excellent food. 

Despite the long line they got everyone in and out in an efficient fashion. I was able to enjoy my cone in no time. 

Location: 428 SW 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97205

Items sampled: pistachio brittle 

Shuck's Tavern & Oyster Bar - Las Vegas

I've been to Shuck's on three separate occasions in the last few weeks. Each time I have had a salad. 

The first time I had the shrimp Caesar. It was plentiful for the price, the dressing was delicious and the lettuce was fresh. The second and third time I stayed consistent with a black & bleu which is a steak salad wth Caesar dressing and bleu cheese. I would never think the flavors would go together but it's splendid combination. The steak was perfectly cooked as well. 

They have excellent drink specials and prices are on point. The atmosphere is like any other bar in town. Nondescript and dark, but the food more than makes up for that.

Items sampled: black & bleu salad, shrimp cassar salad

Location: 9338 W Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89147

Fogo De Chao - Summerlin, NV

We came here for lunch and enjoyed the salad bar option and skipped the meat on this occasion.

This Fogo De Chao just recently opened in Downtown Summerlin and the service was impeccable. The restaurant was empty so all the servers were extra attentive with refills on drinks, bread, sides and clearing plates. 

The salad bar was well stocked but they lacked any soup options, which would have been nice to enjoy as well. 

Location: 10975 Oval Park Dr, Ste D201, Las Vegas, NV 89135

Mr. BBQ - Fullerton, CA

Korean BBQ on Valentine's Day and where do we end up? Mr. BBQ. 

Service was attentive and the selection was incredible. The restaurant is huge and the staff changed out the grills regularly and seemlessly.

All the meats we ordered were well flavored and because the grills were updated so often we really got the meats cooked well and quickly. The banchan were good but I've had better. 

This place is great and despite how crowded it was the wait wasn't too long and I'll likely be back if I'm ever in the area again.

Location: 305 N State College Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92831

Hash House a Go Go - Henderson

Never one to shy away from a coupon, I received a BOGO entree coupon for the Henderson Hash House a Go Go location's anniversary and we made a drive across town to take advantage.

Breakfast is my favorite option at Hash House so I opted for the chicken, rosemary and asparagus hash. The food at this location is consistent to other locations I've been to in the past.

Our server was attentive and friendly. As had a decent meal. Consistency is the key with chain restaurants and this location stays true to the rest of the locations.

Items sampled: Rosemary chicken and asparagus hash

Location: 555 North Stephanie St, Henderson, NV 89014

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Searsucker - Del Mar, CA

Looking for a nice brunch spot while visiting San Diego we initially headed to our first pick which had over an hour long wait so we wandered across the parking lot to Searsucker.

There was no wait at all since we walked in just as they opened. We were seated quickly and we ordered drinks and perished the menu. The brunch menu isn't extensive but I quickly decided on the lobster scramble with fruit while my friends ordered the chicken and waffles, chocolate pancakes and croque Madame respectively. They also ordered a sticky bun to start which I took a bite of and enjoyed.

The entrees came out and all was good. Solid choice and decently priced for the area. I liked my scramble. It had nice flavor and the lobster was plentiful and not overpowered by the rest of the ingredients. The fruit was ripe and flavorful as well. 

Service was attentive and friendly. Our drinks were refilled often which is always a plus. 

There are plenty of better restaurants to be had, but the ambiance and food are a nice draw for a visit or two when you're in the area.

Items sampled: lobster scramble, sticky bun

Location: Del Mar Highlands Town Center, 12995 El Camino Real, Ste 21, Del Mar, CA 92130

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️