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10.30.2008

canter's deli vs. capriotti's.

The best deli in Vegas probably doesn't exist yet. There are plenty of sandwich shops, and there are deli-style restaurants. There are a few that would probably fit into most people's definition of a true deli, places like the Bagel Cafe near Summerlin and Weiss Deli in Henderson. But I think that one day soon, someone will open a real neighborhood deli somewhere in the Vegas suburbs and it will be the shit. I might not wait for someone else to do it.


When it opened in 2003 in the Treasure Island, Canter's Deli should have filled the void. Even though it was in a Strip casino, it has the reputation of the beloved Canter's name, and it had the terrible example set by Carnegie Deli in the Mirage to avoid. But now, after five years and a renovation or two, the little space next to the TI sportsbook is only slightly more palatable than the wasteful, offensive, tourist trap hellhole of Carnegie. The dining area has no sign of the charm of the famed Fairfax eatery in L.A. There are still not enough great lunch spots on the Strip, which is why I've returned to Canter's several times. But my last visit resulted in a good turkey sandwich, a large but forgettable order of fries, wilted pickles and the feeling that I've been had. And for that, I shelled out almost $20. I understand I'm on the Strip, but come on ... it's a turkey sandwich. It's not The Turkey Sandwich. The corned beef is good here. The pastrami is good. The food at Canter's is just good, and that's not enough. I'm done with this place.


So instead, I've been getting my sandwich fix from the shop most Vegas people swear by: Capriotti's. I'd like to agree with most of these locals and claim this is our city's homegrown sandwich spot, but despite the fact there are about 22 of these joints sprinkled around the valley, these guys actually started out in Delaware. And I'd like to name my favorite item on the menu, the Capastrami (pictured: pastrami, melted swiss, cole slow with a lot of Russian dressing on a soft hoagie roll), as Vegas' own sandwich. But Capriotti's started out making sandwiches with their own roasted turkeys, so they kind of specialize in that instead. The Bobbie, basically Thanksgiving on a roll, is probably the most popular item. All extraneous information aside, Capriotti's serves great food and the service is friendly.


But it's not a deli.

10.13.2008

i know roberto's taco shop and you, sir, are no roberto's taco shop.

As a respectable human, I am obligated to try every taco shop I see, especially those located within a short distance of my northwest Las Vegas home. Super Taco opened just days ago in a big, bland Wal-Mart shopping center nearby, so I gave it a shot. I don't recommend it. The tacos, stuffed with shredded beef, lettuce and cheese, were fine and standard, but the chips were greasy, freshly fried and draped in an extremely suspect light green substance described as guacamole but closer to the consistency of, as Chi put it, baby poo.

It doesn't matter. Ninety percent of the taco shops in Las Vegas are Roberto's or some lesser clone of Roberto's. And even though the menu is mostly basic, the food is more American-Mexican than authentic Mexican, and the chances of food poisoning are pretty high, Roberto's is reliable and delicious. Though it may not be true, I have no problem calling this the best taco in Vegas. This place is really a regional institution, having been born in San Diego's Mission Beach and expanding all over. At last count, there were 753,054 Roberto's taco shops in Las Vegas.

And the places that rip off Roberto's, they don't even try to hide it. The menu is exactly the same. A number four is two beef tacos, rice and beans, no matter what the sign out front says. It's ridiculous.

Here are the top five things I'm likely to order at Roberto's at 2 in the morning, which is usually the time I'll eat at Roberto's:
1. Two beef tacos, one order of taquitos with guacamole.
2. The aforementioned number four.
3. Two beef tacos, two chicken tacos.
4. Chicken burrito with rice, beans, and whatever weird vegetables they feel like wrapping into this bitch.
5. Carnitas plate (Only if I feel bad about myself).

10.03.2008

red 8. cut. restaurant charlie.

Chinese oxtail soup is kinda strange because most Chinese soups aren't much like a stew; they typically contain chopped vegetables, meats and other ingredients rather than large chunks of floating goodness. Oxtail soup, which is made with beef tails but not necessarily a particular stock, also is made in various ways depending on the region, like most things. I haven't tasted a lot of oxtail soup, but damn, the stuff at Red 8 Asian Bistro at Steve Wynn's joint is very, very good.

As a matter of full disclosure, I will tell you I don't remember the specifics of the soup, i.e. what was in it besides the most salty, satisfying broth I've ever tasted and a huge chunk of fatty, flavorful beef. I think there was a vegetable or two in there. But I can't say for sure. I had some drinks before my meal. And perhaps my judgment was tainted by the cocktail hour(s), but the food at Red 8 was surprisingly great and the soup was the highlight. For a beef broth, it had so many other pointed, clean flavors. It was shockingly good. And I felt like I had superpowers the next day.

My visit to the Wynn restaurant capped an evening of Strip adventuring that included a fun spell at Palazzo. Made my debut at Barney's and just missed a visit from the one and only Pharrell by a couple of hours. Too bad. Guess he was drinking champagne and dropping off a few BBC/Ice Cream hoodies. I would like to do some shopping there. Also visited the fine bars of Wolfgang Puck's CUT steakhouse and Charlie Trotter's Restaurant Charlie seafood house, both wonderful places that I will fantasize about returning to for dinner until my own personal recession lets up. CUT poured us a fine martini with an even better bleu cheese stuffed olive attached, and served up a fun little tray of bar snacks including wasabi peas and tasty seasoned almonds. Charlie's bar, hosted by a former UNLV baseball player who really knows his shit, served a variety of vintage cocktails including a sazerac ("the original American cocktail") and my new favorite drink, the Bugs Bunny. All I can say about the bunny is it's orange, it tastes like a carrot only better, and it wouldn't take many to put me on my ass.

I think the fact that I can critique the quality of a bar's martini olives in the current economy really speaks to how ridiculous I have become and how adjusted I am to living far, far beyond my means. They were fucking good olives.