lotus of siam. it's hot.

Eating Las Vegas reminds us all that Lotus of Siam is the best around.

quick, everybody write about the fat greek.

Eventually, Max Jacobson writes a few words about the Fat Greek.

elements.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reviews Elements Kitchen  and Bar.

the citycenter top 10.

Orbitz blogger E.C. Gladstone counts down the best culinary offerings at CityCenter.

a closer look at caña.

Las Vegas CityLife reviews Caña, a new tapas restaurant in Town Square.

Like he usually is, reviewer Al Mancini is right on the money when he says this place won't blow away serious ethnic food fanatics. But overall, the food, presentation and space checked out just fine when we visited earlier this week. The room isn't huge but it's hip and has some patio space, the service was friendly if still working out some kinks, and the menu is comfortably small and tasty. We sampled salmon ceviche (more like poke with mustard oil than a true, citrusy ceviche), tender short ribs in a sweet carrotesque sauce, large beef empanadas, a side dish of salty spinach and of course the omnipresent bacon-wrapped dates. Best bite goes to crispy, creamy yucca fries.

After just one visit, Caña appears ready to jump on top of the heap of restaurants at the hugely popular Town Square retail mecca just south of the Strip. It is just interesting enough to outpace the franchisey eating out here and I have to think the crowds that gather at the neighboring social meatmarkets Blue Martini, Yard House, The Grape and Cadillac Ranch are on the verge of discovering and devouring this trendy joint.

zine.

For Las Vegas Weekly, I review the Palazzo Chinese restaurant Zine Noodles Dim Sum.

wrapping up downtown dining.

For Desert Companion, I run down what's new and old and worth your time in downtown Vegas. The food stuff starts on page 54 here.

honey pig, best restaurant name ever.

Eating Las Vegas reviews Honey Pig BBQ in Chinatown.

more bar masa.

Max Jacobson reviews Bar Masa.

INTERVIEW: Jet Tila

Jet Tila is executive chef at Encore's Wazuzu.

How did you become part of the Wynn-Encore stable of restaurants? Were you recruited, or how did it happen?
Jet Tila: I think it was 2007 and I was just doing my thing in L.A., teaching, moonlighting at different restaurants there, and I was doing a lot of consulting in those days. I got a cold call from Elizabeth Blau, and she was telling me I was on their radar. They wanted to do Pan-Asian at Encore. It was such a cold call that I really thought someone was messing with me. But I played it cool, I was going along with it. I wrote a menu concept and sent my resume and they called back and said, "Let's do a tasting." So now I know this is for real, so let's do it. The whole time I knew in my bones they were not going to hire me. I don't have the normal pedigree. I didn't spend 20 years at any restaurant. I've had a varied career so far: I was at the L.A. Times, I've been in management, I was at Bon Appetit. I've really kinda tailored my career to have fun and do these different things. I'm not a restaurant dog. So we did the tasting. It was like nine courses in 45 minutes, and everybody was there. I came in for two days with one day for prep, and I cooked my ass off. I was working out of Richard Chen's kitchen at Wing Lei and he was just an amazing resource and inspiration. So they told me to stay a little longer and I thought this might be for real. And I flew back to L.A. with a contract in hand. In my opinion, I think coming into it, I was not necessarily what they were looking for. It was more a matter of just leaving it all here. This was my one shot, and I wasn't really nervous because I didn't think they would hire me. I was able to just relax and cook.


Before that, what was your previous Vegas experience like?
It was from being a child and coming here with my family. I was one of the arcade kids who would get dropped off while the parents go to the casino. My dad was a big player in the '80s. Later on, like everyone else, I came out a couple times a year to party my ass off. As far as restaurants go, like most people, I think you see a lot of big names but never really felt like it was the exact same experience you'd get from those names in other cities, like in New York. Very few people really cook their asses off all the time, and now I understand more why. The numbers here are just crushing. Sometimes you have to tailor your approach in fine dining, and this is one of those places. You can be working in a great Michelin restaurant doing 80 a night, and then here you're doing 200 to 300. It's crazy. And you don't really understand it, the different approach, until you see it.


Traditionally, Asian restaurants on the Strip have been Chinese or sushi, and then more recently we've seen this all-encompassing Pan-Asian label a lot. With that in mind, how did you develop the menu and concept for Wazuzu?
I cook like what I lived in L.A. I'm a Chinese kid by blood, growing up in Thai restaurants, and I'm a total blend of the San Gabriel valley where I was born. There you've got Chinatown in the west, Thai-town, where I really grew up, and Little Tokyo. All of them are inspirations and part of my life experience. My angle on Pan-Asian is a little different. I've got these three cores that I'm super comfortable doing, and that has translated into some dishes you're not going to see anywhere on the Strip. Where are you going to see Nasi Goreng (a Malaysian fried rice dish) on the Strip? At the end of the day, I feel like I know Asian people and they want it hot and dirty, and they want it authentic and clean. This is not the place for fusion. I think that approach is dead or dying.


You've blogged about restaurant critics and would-be critics, and one of the reactions to Wazuzu and other ethnic restaurants on the Strip is that there is a certain amount of watering down that has to be done to the cuisine in order to appeal to the masses. Yet you seem like a purist. Do you feel like you have to compromise your cooking?
I think my heart is pure. But you really have to respect guys like Mr. Wynn who are going to give a kid a few million dollars to play with in terms of restaurants. It's a bigger problem I have with reviewers sometimes. At the end of the day, our bosses know their market. If I cook the first menu I wrote for this restaurant, 40 percent of the dishes are going to get returned. It's a little too foreign, a little too weird. I think I'm one of the few white coats who has seen it from both sides, and I sympathize with both sides of this ballgame. Chefs need to understand that writers need something to write about. Writers need to understand it's not easy to build a restaurant. We spend all that money, and we have to recoup that. Now, we see it's coming to a point in time where we, the chefs and restaurants, have a voice, and that's on the internet. Back in the day, critics would throw something out there, and the restaurants would never have the chance to respond.  But going back to the food, I think I'm as authentic as I can be for my property. I'm definitely somebody who fights for my food. There is integrity in my food, and if you're an honest and traveled diner, you can pick apart my menu and say, "I get it." If you're just going to do a snapshot review, you can pick apart anybody. And as far as working with managers, there's always this line where you're going to push and pull with each other. They're giving me a voice so even when they reign me in, I can understand why. I wanted to do stuff like little suckling pigs here. Everyone raves about Momofuku, and I naively wanted to create something like that. But that doesn't work here. That can't work when you have more of a captive audience instead of regulars. 

You still write, you blog, you pop up in a lot of articles and at events, and you have become pretty active in the restaurant community in Las Vegas in a short time. How important is that to developing your restaurant and your brand?
There is some calculation there. I feel like anyone who is good at what they do understands that it's important in this day and age to embrace technology and good marketing and public relations. It is genuine, for me, but I'm not going to lie and say I'm cool like that. I'll take advantage of any outlet possible to get my food out there, but I'm not going to be a jerk about it. I want to know who's who in my community and I try to stay plugged in to what's going on.


You've written a little about local places you like. Do you get to eat out a lot? And what are your Vegas favorites so far?
I'm like you. Most writers are genuine adventurers. Unfortunately I live in the culinary wasteland of Las Vegas known as Henderson. I mean, I love it where I live, but outside of Grimaldi's, Settebello and a few others, there's not a lot. Chinatown is amazing. In some ways it's bigger than the area I grew up in. It's vast, and it's going to take a long time to really get through it. My short list is Krung Thai, Raku is another one, KJ Kitchen for Cantonese, HK Harbor is another one. For Indian, I do Origin India. The naan bread there is some of the best I've had. It's always such a personal thing, what's good or bad. Pho So 1 is dope. I really don't get to eat on the Strip so much. Like so many in the corporate chef world, I'm taking a cut and eating on the Strip is so expensive. So that's my short list for now.

MENU: Firefly

Firefly Tapas Kitchen & Bar
3900 Paradise Road
(702) 369-3971
open daily from 11:30 a.m. - 2 a.m.

at the Plaza, 1 Main Street
(702) 380-1352
open Sunday-Thursday 5 p.m. - 11 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 4:40 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Chilled Tapas
Gazpacho
[avocado garnish]
3.5  
Artichoke toasts
[hearts, aioli, basil, pepper]
3.5  
Tuna peppers (not available at downtown location)
[smoked yellowfin tuna salad, stuffed in marinated poppadew peppers, taro chips]
4.0
Garden variety salad
[romaine, orange, feta, dried cherries, pine nuts, sherry vin]  
4.5  
Boquerones (not available at downtown location)
[Spanish white anchovies on toasts w/roast red pepper, yellow pepper vin]
5.0
Roasted baby beet salad (not available at downtown location)
[mixed greens, goat cheese, toasted pecans, sherry vinaigrette]
5.5
Chicken salad
[romaine, grapes, smoked almonds, creamy apple cider dressing]
6.0
Smoked salmon toasts
[brioche toast, sour cream, pickled ginger, capers]
7.0
Sausage Plate
[Four imported Spanish sausages, cornichons, capers, mustard]
7.5
Tuna tartare (not available at downtown location)
[layers of mango, marinated ahi tuna, avocado, taro chips]
8.0
Ceviche of shrimp
[tiger shrimp, avocado, crispy corn tortilla]
8.5
Plate of Serrano ham, Manchego cheese
[grilled bread & garnishes]
9.0

Hot Tapas
Tortilla a la española
[egg, potato, onion, garlic, chile vinaigrette]
3.5
Tomato basil soup
[vegetarian, with mini grilled brie sandwich]
4.0
Stuffed dates
[bacon-wrapped, smoked almond, red wine reduction, blue cheese]
4.0
Veggie empanada
[spinach, mushroom, artichoke, herbed cream cheese in pastry, red pepper aioli]
4.0
Veggies & lentils
[julienned, sautéed veggies and French lentils]
4.5
Warm spinach salad
[artichoke, red pepper, pine nuts, feta]
5.0
Roasted eggplant cannelloni
[goat cheese, tomato sauce]
5.0
Patatas bravas
[roasted red potatoes in spicy aioli]
5.0
Thai beef salad
[seared beef, thai dressing, romaine, tomato, cucumber, ginger]
5.5
Firefly fries
[parmesan, herbs, aioli]
5.5
Stuffed Peppers
[Spanish piquillo red peppers, fresh mozzarella, garlic cream cheese, tomato sauce]
6.5
Mushroom tart
[puff pastry, boursin cheese]
6.5
Baked tetilla
[roasted tomato and tetilla cheese fondue with chorizo, toasts]
7.0
Manchego mac ‘n’ cheese
[baked w/baby shells]
8.0
Terra y Mare skewers
[grilled shrimp, filet mignon, chorizo sausage, salsa verde]
10

Meat & Poultry Tapas
Albondigas
[meatballs in sherry tomato sauce, parmesan]
4.5
Empanada
[pastry stuffed w/roast pork, red pepper, w/salad, aioli]
4.5
Ham and cheese croquetas
[Serrano ham, Manchego cheese]
5.0
Chicken and chorizo stuffed mushrooms
[yum!]
5.0
Chicken skewers
[marinated chicken, tomato, mushroom, roast garlic cream]
7.0
Steak and mushroom skewers
[grilled filet, roast garlic cream, red wine reduction]
7.5
Lamb skewers (not available at downtown location)
[marinated leg of lamb, tomato, red wine sauce]
7.5
Filet mignon sliders
[mini burgers w/Serrano ham, cabrales cheese, caramelized onions]
7.5
Crispy duck rolls (not available at downtown location)
[cherry hoisin sauce]
8.0
Merguez (not available at downtown location)
[spicy lamb sausage, tomato-pepper confit, grilled bread]
8.0
Lamb chops
[2 chops, red wine reduction, sautéed lentils & julienne vegetables
8.5
Babyback ribs
[steamed, mango BBQ sauce]
9.5
Petite filet
[mini filet mignon, herb cheese, roast potato, mushrooms, red wine sauce]
10

Seafood Tapas
Firefly fish sticks
[fillets of tilapia, Japanese breadcrumbs, spicy tartar sauce]
6.0
Baked Filets of tilapia
[marinated with herbs, lemon, garlic]
6.5
Fried calamari
[spicy gribiche dipping sauce]
7.5
Pulpo asado (not available at downtown location)
[marinated and grilled octopus, potato, tomato]
7.5
Shrimp tempura
[beer-battered, ponzu dipping sauce]
8.0
Steamed mussels (not available at downtown location)
[red curry, white wine and coconut cream]
8.0
Chorizo clams
[peppers, 2 kinds of spicy sausage, white wine, parmesan toasts]
9.5
Ahi tuna skewer
[mango, basil, mustard-ginger glaze]
10.0
Camarones a la diabla
[shrimp, spicy chile sauce, grilled bread]
10.0
Camarones al ajillo
[shrimp in lemon-garlic butter sauce]
10.0

Entrees
Big Bowl - Salad
[romaine, spinach, sherry vin, red pepper, tomato, artichoke, pine nuts, blue cheese]
11
Big Bowl - Pasta
[veggies and tomato-pepper sauce]
15
add chicken breast 4.0, or shrimp 7.0
Herb-Roasted Chicken
[Firefly*fries, aioli, lemon jus]
14
Paella
[saffron rice, clams, shrimp, calamari, chicken, Spanish chorizo sausage]
15
Ribeye
[14 oz. Ribeye, Firefly*fries, aioli, red wine sauce, Cabrales cheese]
20

Desserts
Caramel flan
4.0
Trio of gelato
[fresh-made pistachia, chocolate, vanilla ice creams]
5.0
Banana-Nutella sandwiches
[w/Nutella cream dipping sauce]
5.0
Lemon-berry tarts (not available at downtown location)
[four bite-sized lemon pies with fresh berries]
5.0
Chocolate cherry bread pudding (not available at downtown location)
[warm w/port wine reduction, vanilla ice cream]
5.5
Chocolate “tres leches” cake
5.5
Passion fruit mini-cheescakes
6.0
Fruit & cheese plate
[3 cheeses, grapes, apples, figs, grilled bread]
10
Dessert platter
[flan, cheesecake, tres leches, lemon-berry tart]
12

 

MENU: Capriotti's Sandwich Shop

Capriotti's Sandwich Shop

26 locations all over Las Vegas

capriottis.com

hours vary

Choose from a small 9 inch, medium 12 inch, or large 20 inch fresh roll.

Cap's Specials

The Bobbie

The nationally acclaimed best-seller! Homemade Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Stuffing and Mayo.

Sm 6.50  Md 8.00  Lg 12.00

Capastrami

Hot Pastrami, Swiss Cheese, Russian Dressing and Cole Slaw.

Sm 7.50  Md 8.50  Lg 12.50

Cole Turkey

Slow-roasted, homemade Turkey, Provolone Cheese, Russian Dressing and Cole Slaw.

Sm 6.50  Md 8.00  Lg 12.00

Slaw Be Jo

Homemade Roast Beef, Provolone Cheese, Russian Dressing and Cole Slaw.

Sm 6.50  Md 8.00  Lg 12.00

Cran-Slam Club

Homemade Turkey, Cranberry Sauce, Ham, Mayo and Lettuce made on white or wheat bread.

Triple Decker 5.50

Sandwiches

Sandwiches are made on white, wheat, or kaiser roll. Sandwiches are a perfect option for a lighter meal. They're made to order so let us know you you like it.

Homemade Turkey  4.50

Homemade Roast Beef  4.50

Ham  4.50

Tuna  4.50

Vegetarian
Our delicious vegetarian menu is made with meatless products and tasty vegetables. Other vegetarian items may be available, just ask us!
Veggie Turkey
A vegetarian favorite.
Sm 6.50  Md 8.00 Lg 12.00
Veggie Cheese Steak
Hot vegetarian chicken, melted provolone cheese on a toasted roll.
Sm 7.25  Md 8.25  Lg 12.50
Veggie Cheeseburger
An American classic, vegetarian style.
Sm 4.50  Md 7.00  Lg 12.00


Cold Subs
Our cold subs come standard with provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and seasonings. Feel free to add on pickles, our delicious crushed peppers, sweet peppers, mayonnaise, mustard, or oil.
Homemade Turket
Sm 6.50  Md 8.00  Lg 12.00
Homemade Roast Beef
Sm 6.50  Md. 8.00  Lg 12.00
Italian
Sm 6.50  Md 8.00  Lg 12.00
Ham & Cheese
Sm 6.50  Md 8.00  Lg 12.00
Tuna
Sm 6.50  Md 8.00  Lg 12.00

Genoa Salami

Sm 6.00  Md 7.50  Lg 11.50

Capacolla

Sm 6.50  Md 8.00  Lg 12.00

Prosciutini

Sm 6.50  Md 8.00  Lg 12.00

Cheese

Sm 6.00  Md 7.50  Lg 11.00

Hot Stuff

Grilled to perfection, our hot subs are guaranteed to warm you up and fill you up. Most are made to order so let us know what you'd like. Fried onions and hot or sweet peppers make excellent choices! Add mushrooms to any item for 50 cents.

Steak

Sm 6.50  Md 8.00  Lg 12.00

Cheese Steak

Sm 7.00  Md 8.25  Lg 12.50

Chicken Cheese Steak

Sm 7.00  Md 8.25  Lg 12.50

Grilled Italian

Sm 6.50  Md 8.00  Lg 12.00

Homemade Meatball Sub

Includes Provolone, Grated Romano, Sauce

Sm 6.50  Md 8.00 Lg  12.00

Sausauge (Hot or Sweet)

Sm 6.50  Md 8.00  Lg 12.00

Eggplant Parmesan

Sm 6.00  Md 7.50  Lg 10.50

Cheeseburger

Small served on a Kaiser Roll. Med & Large served on a sub roll.

Sm 4.50  Md 7.00  Lg 11.00

Dessert & Party Platters also available!

saucy tomato.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reviews the Saucy Tomato, an East side pizza joint.

more aria, from nyc.

For Bloomberg News, Ryan Sutton revisits Aria at CityCenter, specifically American Fish and Bar Masa.

mini-reviews of mundo.

Max Jacobson, Eating LV and Max again for Seven offer a little taste of Mundo, an emerging Mexican restaurant downtown.

more fat greek.

The Fat Greek gets reviewed by Las Vegas CityLife and Vegas Seven.

all i can eat.

If you are interested in the idea of eating three meals in one day at the Carnival World Buffet, then you are in luck, because you can read this and you can watch this.

late night eats.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal runs a story in its Wednesday Taste section about late-night dining options around Vegas.

INTERVIEW: Jean Paul Labadie

Jean Paul Labadie is executive chef at the popular Marche Bacchus in Summerlin.

You were born and raised in Puerto Rico. You have a Spanish and Italian background, but you're known for cooking French food. How does that diversity influence your style?

Jean Paul Labadie: I was born in Puerto Rico and spent my first 19 years there on the island. My grandparents on my mom's side are Spanish, and then my great grandparents, one is French and one is Italian. They all cooked a lot, but especially the French side of the family, and that's how I got stuck with a French name. But of course I studied French technique in school, and then when you're in America, nothing is sacred. You take it and turn it and put your own twist on it. But there is a lot of diversity in my background and even though we are a French bistro, we offer these different things. There are some Asian items on the menu, because those tend to be a little lighter. Sometimes the French menu can get a little heavy, especially these days when so many are trying to eat healthy. But all the chefs here grew up differently, and we have those influences on the menu.

You spent many years working for Emeril Lagasse's company, under him in New Orleans and then here in Las Vegas at Emeril's in MGM Grand and Table 10 at Palazzo. What was it like working with such a big name?

Most of my family has been in New Orleans for forty years, so I was always in and out of the city. After I went to school and started cooking, I figured, my family is there, I've got a spare bedroom there and it would be a great place to work. I was lucky to get hired at Emeril's right away. This was before he was on TV. He was still in the restaurant, in the kitchen all the time, and I learned a lot from him. Then when it was time to open in Vegas, because I am bilingual in English and Spanish, they took me. But yes, I was with Emeril before he became what he is now, and that was a cool thing for us. We saw this chef that was so great, to come from Commander's (Palace) and opening his own places, and then doing all this other stuff, TV and more. We saw it all happen before our eyes. He went to just this awesome chef to an owner of an empire he created all on his own. Him and his partners, they did it from the ground up, and he's still one of the hardest working people ever. He always led by example. He was always in the kitchen, always telling us what he was doing. He was a great teacher.

What made you want to leave the big restaurant scene on the Strip to come to Marche Bacchus?
When you work with someone like Emeril, you have to agree, it's the Emeril show. No matter how good you are, it's still his show. And I agreed with it. I enjoyed running his restaurant. That was great at that point and I was able to develop my own system under his. After 14 years -- and I'm not comparing myself to Emeril in any way -- I thought I have the skills now and it's time to do something myself, to market my own name. It was just time for me to do my own thing. This allows me that focus, to focus on Jean Paul.


What are the differences between running a restaurant on the Strip and doing it in the neighborhood?
People tell me all the time, "Oh you must be so relaxed now than on the Strip, it must be so much easier." But really, it's not. On the Strip you have so much volume, and you are just taking care of your name, but there you don't see the same people every week or even every month. At a local restaurant, you really have to bring your A game every single day. On the Strip, a high roller might come in and spend a bunch of money and you'll never see him again. You don't have that luxury in a neighborhood restaurant. The kitchen is much larger there and it's easier to work, and you're staff is much larger. Here, it's just you and your sous chef, really. You can't delegate too much. The buck stops with you. And you don't have the luxuries of the Strip, you don't have an office. You're doing your paperwork on the kitchen counter. There are just a lot of things you have to do on the fly and be more hands on. Sometimes on the strip, as an executive chef, you become more of a manager and you're not on the line so often. Here I'm on the line four or five nights a week, on top of doing all that other cool stuff.


Marche Bacchus always has been known for its lakeside views and wine program, and now in the last year since you've been there, the cuisine is earning a reputation of its own. What was your strategy in enhancing this restaurant?
It was a challenge, especially with the lunch menu. It has been very popular over the years and everyone knows it. They said, the regulars just want to come in and have a lobster croissant. People said don't touch that sandwich. It was just, let's have a bottle of Riesling by the lake with a lobster croissant. But on the other hand, you have to give something new a chance, be patient with me. Some things we kept, and others not. But the main thing was going back to the basics. Now we are roasting our own bones, makeing our own stocks, soups and sauces. That wasn't done here before, and it's a tough challenge to take on. Sometimes you don't want to mess with the equation. If it worked well, why change it, right? But why would I want to come in and do the same thing that was done before? Everyone here understood that, and now the menu is more complicated. You know, our tuna dish takes four pans to complete it. Our salmon, before it took three and now it takes six different spacs on the line to work on. These are the little details, but that's what we are doing: coming in and breaking it down, the traditional French style, and rebuilding it. One thing we completely re-did was the onion soup. We're just taking more time with it, really caramelizing the onions, cooking it down 45 minutes to an hour. I guess, with things like that, we really complicated our lives a lot. But it's definitely better for our guests.


You've been cooking in Las Vegas for quite some time now. How have you seen the restaurant scene change over the years?
It's funny because when I first came here, it was just Emeril and Wolfgang (Puck). We were the only two celebrity restaurants in the city so we were always busy. Now you have all the Food Network names here and the competition on the Strip went nuts in just two or three years. We really had to re-invent the wheel every year just to compete. And that translated into the neighborhoods. In Summerlin, it used to be just Rosemary's. When that place opened, people went crazy because now you have a Strip-quality restaurant in the neighborhood, and then other places started popping up. Now we have places like Vintner Grill, Nora's and others and the competition in our neighborhood is almost as strong as it is on the Strip. And we've got that locals factor so you have to do all you can because when people have extra money to spend, they want to know they're spending it well when they go out to eat. They want to know the food will come well prepared and it's not going to be a crapshoot. We are still a little off the beaten path, and I think people still think of chains first when they decide to go out. But there are a lot of people coming back to us now because they forgot about Marche for a while and they are curious about visiting again.


You have lived in the area for a few years. Where do you and your family like to eat?
It varies a lot. If I'm not cooking for or taking care of the family, or eating at home after work, we like to go to the late night places. You know, you are tasting all through work, all night, but you never sit down to have dinner or a glass of wine. We eat sushi often after hours. Sushi Mon is one of my favorites. For something different we might go to Sedona. They have a nice bar area and a nice menu. And then of course you have places like Kona Grill with its crazy happy hours.


What is coming up at Marche Bacchus?
Well we are about to change a lot in the next week or so, the first week of March, for spring. We won't change the whole menu, but we'll do about three items in each category, appetizers, salads and entrees. The weather is going to nice very soon and of course we have that great view of the lake. Those tables are going to fill up fast so it's definitely time to start making reservations.

looks like this sage joint is pretty good.

Max Jacobson reviews Sage.

pancakes.

Seven talks Vegas pancakes and profiles chef Todd Clore of Todd's Unique Dining in Henderson.

barcelona tapas & bar.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reviews Barcelona in Southern Highlands.

I have to disagree with one point here: Cafe Ba-ba-Reeba was not a great tapas restaurant. It was a fun place to eat on the Strip with sometimes decent food.

puck at crystals.

National Restaurant News profiles Wolfgang's Puck dual contributions to CityCenter, the Pods coffee shop and the Brasserie Puck French bistro.

sabor.

Las Vegas CityLife reviews Sabor Mexican restaurant in Henderson.

beard 2010.

The James Beard Foundation has announced its list of restaurant and chef semifinalists for its 2010 awards, and representing Las Vegas are:

Julian Serrano, Outstanding Chef, Picasso at Bellagio
Vanessa Garcia, Rising Star Chef of the Year, Restaurant Charlie at Palazzo
Sage, Best New Restaurant, at Aria in CityCenter
Kamel Guechida, Outstanding Pastry Chef, Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand
Picasso, Outstanding Wine Service, at Bellagio
Joël Robuchon, Outstanding Service, at MGM Grand
Nobhill Tavern, Outstanding Service, at MGM Grand
Saipin Chutima, Best Chef: Southwest, Lotus of Siam
Claude Le Tohic, Best Chef: Southwest, Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand
Rick Moonen, Best Chef: Southwest, RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay

Congratulations to all.

round one at wazuzu.

When we last checked in at Encore, we were sampling the brunchy wares of Society Cafe. Now, just a few steps and a few red spider chandeliers away, it's time for a heat check at Jet Tila's Wazuzu.

Wazuzu has received mixed reviews so far in its young life. It serves a Pan-Asian menu but might not be a Pan-Asian restaurant, whatever that is. What I mean by this is you can sample Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian and Indian dishes here, but it is not a fusion joint where all the diverse flavors from these culinary cultures are blended together. The chef has a diverse background and the menu reflects that. But the risk of waterdown surely exists; here's how Eating Las Vegas' John Curtas put it: "They want the appearance of authenticity, gussied up with enough top shelf ingredients to justify the high prices."

After one meal there, I didn't think the prices were all that high and certainly far from unreasonable. In an effort to sample new dishes and stay away from the curries we usually order in a Thai or Indian restaurant, we munched:

A clean, crisp seaweed salad to start, with

Some puffy, nicely done Cha Siu Bao, steamed pork buns,

Drunken Noodles, flat rice noodles with Thai basil, sweet soy, grilled beef, chillies and onions,

Spicy Basil Stir Fry with chicken,

and Nasi Goreng, a deliciously oily Malaysian fried rice dish with dried shrimp, Chinese sausage and a few little veggies, topped with four large shrimp and a fried egg.

Each dish was tasty and composed well, although not as spicy as expected. The stir fry (top pic) looked like a firestarter but was actually very richly flavored with Thai basil leading the charge. The rice dish (second pic) could have used a little more kick, too, which we remedied with the red chili sauce that accompanied the bao. I couldn't help but think the dish could have been spectacularized if the egg had been over easy so the yolk could mix among the other ingredients. But it was fried medium to hard and I am not sure if that was intended. Too full and with leftovers in tow, we escaped without dessert.

But there is so much more to try at Wazuzu, including an extensive sushi menu (the hundred-dollar High Roller has toro, Maine lobster, caviar and crème fraîche and comes with lobster miso soup), more rice and noodles, meaty goodies like the Cantonese barbecue plate with roast duck and spareribs, and interesting starters from kimchi to papaya salad. It's an interesting restaurant, with its huge crystal dragon, an open-yet-intimate relationship with the casino, and the chef, a pretty active member of the Vegas dining scene for a relative newcomer and a knowledgable and entertaining blogger, seems to be doing all he can to make it that way.

memphis for breakfast.

At last, baby back ribs with eggs. In Business Las Vegas profiles Memphis Championship Barbecue's new breakfast offerings.

what's new according to mariani via elv.

John Curtas writes about Twist and Sage for John Mariani's Virtual Gourmet.

morton's.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reviews Morton's.

the citycenter love continues.

Max Jacobson talks up Twist for Weekly Seven and reviews Julian Serrano at his website.

new york style.

Las Vegas CityLife reviews Vinny's NY Seafood Bar & Cafe.

oldie but goodie.

Las Vegas Weekly reviews downtown's El Sombrero.

off the strip (the restaurant).

ELV reviews Off the Strip.

more mina.

At his Food Wine Kitchen site, Max Jacobson reviews Michael Mina's American Fish at Aria.

the fat greek.

ELV goes nuts for it.

MENU: Terra Verde

Terra Verde

at Green Valley Ranch Resort, 2300 Paseo Verde Parkway in Henderson

(702) 617-7075

open 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday

BRUNCH 

Eggs and Omelets 

Scrambled Eggs with crispy prosciutto 9 

Three sunny-side up eggs with sauteed asparagus 9

Terra Verde with zucchini, potatoes, herbs and mushrooms 7

Italian open-faced omelet with lobster, asparagus, and goat cheese 17

(All the above items are served with fingerlings potatoes in smoked bacon and onions)

Sberling Wafflelini 

Four small light and fluffy waffles served with fresh peach amaretto syrup and adorned with whipped sweet Ricotta topping 16

Salads

Crab and lobster salad with organic tomatoes, orange supreme and a sprinkle of egg Mimosa 16

Smoked Salmon with Italian cream cheese, capers and a medley of spring onion 13

Bruschetta with gorgonzola cheese and caramelized walnuts, served with a mixed greens salad 8

Bruschetta with bresaola, arugula and truffle cheese served with caesar salad 9

Caprese salad drizzled with our freshly infused basil oil 12

Side order crispy prosciutto 5

Pasta 

Ravioli della Nonna Maria, homemade pasta filled with spinach, ricotta and pecorino cheese served with tomato-basil sauce 9

Penne con salsa noci served in a creamy walnut sauce and thyme, topped with caramelized walnut 9

Tortiglioni al ragu di carne 9 

Flat bread 

With our homemade, lightly spiced sausage 7

With our creamy pesto sauces and sun dried tomatoes 7

Continental Sweets 

Zabaglione del Buongiorno with homemade granola and berries 7

Cinnamon-apple cake della mamma 6 

Assorted mignon pastries 6 

DINNER

Pastas 

Capellini al Pomodoro with angel hair pasta with tomato, garlic and basil sauce 15

Capellini Primavera with fresh garden vegetables, tomato sauce and basil 16

Spaghetti con Polpette with tomato sauce, parmigiano and meatballs 16

Pappardelle alla Bolognese with wide fresh pasta tossed with meat sauce 18

Tortiglione con Salsiccia with spicy sausage and peas in a tomato cream sauce 18

Linguine alla Vongole with clams in a light spicy white wine garlic sauce 21

Spaghetti alla Carbonara tossed with pancetta, pecorino, egg yolk, touch of cream 16

Pansotti alla Crema e Pesto with swiss chard, served with a delicate creamy pesto sauce 18

Tagliolini ai Frutti Di Mare with shrimp, lobster, scallop, clams, mussels in white wine sauce 35

Lasagna with fresh pasta layered with bolognese sauce and béchamel 18

Ravioli della Nonna Maria filled with spinach, ricotta parmigiano, tomato sauce and basil 18

Agnolotti di Magro with ricotta cheese filled raviolis with Bolognese 18

Panzerotti di Carne filled with beef, mascarpone cheese sautéed with brown butter and sage 18

Gnocchi di Patate with potato dumpling tossed with fresh tomato sauce 18

Fish 

Salmone Rustico, grilled salmon and green peppercorn cream sauce with crispy shallots sautéed spinach 30

Gamberoni al Rosmarino, sauteed jumbo shrimp in rosemary white wine sauce, served with sautéed rapini 29

Spada alla Puttanesca, pan-seared swordfish with caper berries, kalamata olives and diced tomato 36

Spigola all’ Acqua Pazza, mediterranean seabass (skin on) poached in a light white wine broth, served with asparagus, fresh tomato sauce 36

Meat 

Ossobuco alla Milanese, slow-braised veal shank served with saffron risotto 38

Scaloppine all’agro, veal scaloppine with capers in a white wine lemon sauce served with spinach 29

Scaloppine al marsala, veal scaloppine sautéed with mushrooms, marsala wine sauce 29

Pollo al Mattone, whole boneless chicken grilled under a brick with rapini white grain mustard sauce 31

Pollo Arlecchino, sauteed chicken, roasted bell peppers, onions, white wine and chicken demi 24

Pollo al Marsala, sauteed chicken with mushrooms in a marsala wine sauce 24

Vitello alla Parmigian, breaded, pounded veal loin, lightly fried and finished with pomodoro and fresh mozzarella 29

Polla alla Parmigiana, pan-fried breaded chicken finished with pomodoro and fresh mozzarella 24

Costoletta alla Ghiottona, a herb-crusted veal chop with prosciutto, truffled cheese and braised kale 42

Costoletta alla Milanese, pounded, breaded veal chop pan-fried, with rucola and tear drop tomato salad 42

Tagliata alla Toscana, grilled 12 oz prime striploin steak sliced on a bed of grilled radicchio and balsamic 38

Sides 

Cime di rapa with sauteed rapini with garlic, oil and chili flakes 8

Spinaci, spinach with, garlic, tuscan olive oil and lemon 8

Patate, oven-roasted potatoes with herbs 8

Cavolo nero, braised black kale with rosemary and onions 8

Broccoli sautéed with garlic and oil 8

Polpette, two of our meatballs in sauce 7

in the zone.

Giving in to big game week, the RJ reviews ESPN Zone.