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5.22.2009

texas de brazil.

A birthday dinner for Chi at Texas de Brazil was my first experience at a Brazilian steakhouse-churrascaria-rodizio pit, despite the fact that Yolie's on Paradise Road has been doing it in Vegas for years and similar restaurants have popped up recently on the Strip and in the 'burbs. Somehow it didn't sound all that appealing: loads of grilled meat piled on your plate as you fight to keep up. More specifically, I was worried that in Vegas, this concept would assdrop into a glorified buffet, with quality falling behind on the priority list. But, Chi said this shit was good, so off we went to Town Square just south of the Strip.

Texas de Brazil has locations in eight states, but the decor and service of this restaurant doesn't scream franchise. It was much more finely appointed than I assumed; I guess I just thought it'd be a warehouse with giant tables and guys running around with great slabs of beef to distribute. Not really like that. It's warm, appropriately communal, a little loud/rowdy, but it fits. And the service was very good, particularly from our guy who offered sound advice on ordering a mid-range Malbec to wash down these meats.

The salad bar offered a colorful array of vegetables in various preparations, cheeses, grains, lobster bisque, smoked salmon squares and other little tasties. In fact, everything was good enough to take up more plate space than salad should. But I had barely started and not had a sip of wine before those meats started coming, carried on huge skewers fresh from the pit and carved by dudes in funny pants. Filet mignon. Garlic sirloin. Parmesan-crusted pork loin and chicken legs. Chicken wrapped in bacon. Brazilian sausages, whatever those are. Lamb chops. Leg of lamb (which will now forever be known as Dinosaur Leg). More beef. Lots of beef.

The best bits were the sirloin and the Dinosaur Leg. A huge chunk of slow roasted meat on a fuckin' sword allows for you to get a perfectly tender, rare chunk alongside a crispy-grilled piece from the outside of the beast all in one serving. It's a good way to be.

It's hard to believe there might be a churrascaria in Vegas better than this, but after allowing a few months to go by for proper digestion, we'll see for ourselves.

5.06.2009

balboa pizza company.

Update: Pie Town Pizza has closed.

The best pizza in Las Vegas is actually in Henderson.

Though the Review-Journal's annual readers' poll typically results in a Vegas mainstay like Metro Pizza getting the honors, Settebello is the obvious choice. But it's not the only great pie in the city of Henderson. While I tend to believe Henderson is a little behind some of our other suburban communities when it comes to great food in the neighborhood, Vegas pizzerias have some catching up to do. Grimaldi's on Eastern is great. Pie Town on Green Valley Parkway allegedly has the best Chicago deep dish around. And while it's hard not to hit Settebello if you're in the vicinity of The District at Green Valley Ranch, it has another completely respectable joint in Balboa Pizza Company.

The District, that walking-and-shopping destination connected to the Green Valley Ranch Resort, seems to be dying with the rest of the retail world. That's not good news for the mostly franchised restaurant options here, and Balboa always has been kinda sleepy. But it does boast an easygoing surf shack vibe, a small but comfortable patio and an adequate bar. Most everything on the newspaper-print menu is tasty. Pizza here is thin crust and individually sized, but one pizza is the perfect size for sharing, especially if you're augmenting your meal with some of the best chicken wings in town: Big, meaty, slightly crispy on the outside and available in some fun flavors like Thai Peanut and Hawaiian BBQ. Pizza toppings are pretty standard but also reflect some California Cuisine weirdness -- barbecue chicken, roasted vegetables, etc. The Tostada pizza has ground beef and sausage, pico de gallo, refried beans, guacamole and cilantro. There's also the Wedge pizza, more or less a calzone.

In simple straight-up pizza comparisons, Balboa's reminds me a lot of the thin crust from Rosati's Pizza, an Illinois-based franchise that has taken hold in Vegas over the last year and was the staff pick in the previously mentioned Best of Las Vegas poll in 2009. Crust is important, and it seems more and more local pizzerias are discovering that crispy/chewy balance.