Spicy Pickle 9985 S. Eastern Avenue

I realize I am a writing contradiction.  I say that I am not going to blog about a chain, and low and behold, here I am writing about Spicy Pickle.  I had an excuse for Five Guys, but I have no excuse for Spicy Pickle, except that I could not have a blog and omit Spicy Pickle.  Ed fought me on trying Spicy Pickle for a long time; why, because Ed hates pickles.  Pickles are Ed's least favorite food, which does not surprise me.  Most people either like pickles, or don't feel either way about pickles, which, if you know Ed, makes a lot of sense that he hates them.  I convinced him to try it with me one day.  The menu is phenomenal; they make pizzettis, soups, salads, and a very extensive list of gourmet sandwiches.  One of my personal favorites (among many) is the Santa Cruz, which is the Santa Cruz mesquite turkey, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, corn relish, cheddar and chipotle mayo.   You can also create your own combo, with half of a sandwich and soup or salad.  The spicy tuna salad is incredible.  The tuna is phenomenal mixed with spicy pickle relish and chipotle mayo and comes with olives, and a fabulous lemon oil vinaigrette.  For those that don't like vegetables, condiments, or salad dressing, they have great pizzettis.  Ed typically gets a sandwich with double meat (if you don't get all of the toppings, they skimp on the meat and cheese), or a panini.  They have a great pepper jack among many others.  On the create your own, one of my favorite things is the horseradish mayo; it's amazing!   FYI, if you don't like pickles, ask them not to put it on your plate as one comes with every dish (less the pizzettis).  Ed always forgets.

Turkey and cheddar panini and twice baked potato soup.

Santa Cruz and Spicy Pickle Salad

Ambiance: 4

Food quality: 8

Price: 9
Price for quality of food: 9
Overall: 9

Urban Grill 9510 S. Eastern Grill Henderson, NV

Little sign, bid sign feud

  
 

The yummiest burger ever!










Urban Grill officially opened on May 14, 2011.  I knew this because I saw a small yellow sign on my way to work.  The next day, there was another larger sign hung up by the little yellow sign so I got the hint the place was open.  I wonder if the person that order the little sign got fired!  Urban Grill was the White Chocolate Grill, which was then the Black Pepper Grill.  I guess only time will tell if the unlucky part was the color, or the Grill.  I had to look at the menu before we went of course to ensure it was Edgy approved.  The menu was short and a little pricey so I was hesitant, but we checked it out.  The interior of the restaurant is very chic; dark woods and carved out booths.  There is a private dining area with an outdoor patio.  I guess you can't sit outside if you don't rent the private dining room.  The bar is inviting with high ceilings (but doesn't offer an extensive drink menu).   They also had a few specials, a meat special (veal shank), a fish special (shrimp diavlo), and a soup of the day (minestrone).  Ed decided on the buttermilk fried chicken with andouille sauce and mashed potatoes, my mom had the halibut, and my dad got the minestrone.  I had absolutely no idea what to order and on the waiter's suggestion I ordered the burger.  I have to admit, typically the burger would be the last thing ever that I would decide to order, but I thought; what the hell?  The wait for our food was slow, but we didn't much mind because the waiter was super nice about it, and we knew the restaurant was brand new.  We could also see everything that was going on in the open kitchen.  The food was worth the wait.  The burger was slathered in cheese, bacon, avocado, mushrooms, truffle oil and crispy onions, and the fries were no laughing matter either!  Ed's fried chicken was good, but the mashed potatoes were watery and tasted like they were out of a box.  I am not a very good chef, but how do you make an amazing burger, and mess up the  mashed potatoes?  There was a special surprise though; andouislle sausage in the mashed potatoes, which were spicy and tasty.  My 

Tasty chicken and pasty potatoes

mom loved the halibut (since my overdose on halibut, I am no longer tasting halibut for confirmation of its goodness) and since my dad has been sick, hence the soup only, I did not dare to try his.  The total bill with 3entrees, soup and 2 beers was $82.00
Ambiance-9

Food quality: 8

Price: 3
Price for quality of food: 7
Overall: 8

I am not sure if we need to go back, but worth a try!



Nacho Daddy 9925 South Eastern Avenue



Exterior



It was the first night day of the "Spring" here in Las Vegas (we get about one day a year) and we wanted somewhere with an outdoor

 patio.  I remember seeing one at Nacho Daddy, the old El Jefe's.  When we got there (about noon) we thought the place was closed.  There wasn't one car in the parking lot; it was truly bizarre.  We walked inside and there was one other table in the restaurant so we were obviously seated right away.  It was a few weeks ago so my memory is a bit shot, however I tried to order 2 different Mexican beers and I was shot down both times.  I ended up with a Modelo.  The waitress was pretty emphatic in telling us that all nachos are individual sized.  I thought this to be a little strange since nachos typically come as a giant platter feeding up to 7 people.  I was also very curious to see the menu; my assumption was Mexican food.  My assumption was wrong.  Beside many different nacho combos, the menu is mostly burgers, sandwiches and salads.  On the waitresses recommendation, we got 2 different nachos; the El Traditional and the Sloppy Daddy Nacho ($8.95 and $9.95 respectively).  First word of advice, yes you CAN share unless you really really like nachos, and second, get one of the combos.  When you make your own ($6.95 to start with chips and cheese only), you pay for meat ($3) and EVERY topping ($1) ex.  Chicken nachos with tomatoes, olives and lettuce would cost $12.95.  This sounds like a major rip-off to me, especially if you aren't supposed to share.  Back to the story though; we got the Sloppy Daddy Nacho (brisket, cheese, grilled onions and peppers) sans the onions and peppers, for Edgy and Saree, and it really took away from the plate.  A big pile of Velveeta with strands of brisket (tasted more like pulled pork with no flavor) was put on the table and we barely touched it.  It was definitely not juicy, tasty, brisket that mom makes.  The El Traditional, which was chili, cheese, sour cream, pico and onions is not very Edgy approved as is, but also came with tomatoes and olives (not listed).  As this was the only item of our two that tasted good, we ended up both eating off of it, and Ed attempted to dodge all the healthy stuff.  We still had tons left over, even with us both eating off of one nacho plate.
 Ambiance: 6 -they haven't done much to change the place since it was El Jefe's, but it does look nice inside, and they have a great looking bar.

Food quality: 5-eh
Price: 5-as mentioned above
Price for quality of food: 5
Overall: 5

Skip it picky eaters!

Spicy Tuna 10345 South Eastern Avenue

Exterior, Spicy Tuna



The signs says Sapporo, so how bad could it be?


Ed has made it painfully obvious that my track record this far is not so good.  Of all of the new restaurants we've tried, with a few exceptions, they have fallen short of the high bar that has been set with places like I Love Sushi.  Hence, Ed's chagrin when I told him this week's new restaurant was another sushi place, Spicy Tuna.  I could actually hear his eyes rolling over the phone.  I've noticed Spicy Tuna many times because it sits right next to Trader Joe's where I pick up my week's supply of $2.00 wine.  From the exterior this place looks tiny, but the menu online is so extensive I figured it needed a try.  We walk in, and this place is BIG!  It 

Sushi Bar

is larger than I Love Sushi with a very high ceiling giving it a warehouse appearance.   
 Again we were the only peeps in the restaurant (what's the deal?), but by time we left, there was a steady crowd.  The menu is very similar to I Love Sushi (even the same names as I Love Sushi rolls all in parenthesis and another name on the roll), and again, they have about 95 different rolls to choose from.  Edamame and cucumber with a delicious Japanese salad dressing come complimentary.  We ordered a few Kirin Lights, and the house sake, very tasty.  I ordered the Dr. Jason roll, $13.99 (I ate your ex-girlfriend in parenthesis) and Ed had the Fantasy chicken.   

Spicy Chicken, Dr. Jason roll, and a few pieces of tempura

I also ordered a side of veggie tempura for $6.95.  Ed's dinner came with miso soup, salad and rice.  I ate Ed's salad of course.  The veggie tempura was a great mix, yam, squash, broccoli, asparagus, and onions.  My roll was delicious, even though I ate just 4 pieces.  It was a little spicy for my little stomach, but good.  Ed's chicken was great too, but be forewarned, it comes with onions, zucchini and mushrooms that Ed eats around.  Even though I was stuffed, I of course managed to squeeze in strawberry mochi ice cream (the outside is glutinous rice pounded into paste and the inside is vanilla ice cream.  Sounds strange, but even Ed likes it).  The whole bill came out to $66, which included 2 kirin lights and sake plus dessert and way too much food.

Warehouse type interior, but it's a yummy warehouse!


Ambiance: 7

Food quality: 8
Price: 6
Price for quality of food: 9


Overall: 8.5

Shakespeare's Pub 790 Coronado Center Dr. Henderson, NV

dart boards and golden tee; where's the shuffle board?

Ed and I ventured into Shakespeare's on a Friday night.  I admit, I looked at the menu before we went (have to decide whether if it is "Ed"ible) and I was a bit concerned.  For an English pub (not that English food is any better), the menu is Irish.  The tag line inside the restaurant is "A pub with and Englishman's name owned by an Irishman".  But it was good Friday and they had and fish and chips on the menu for me and a burger for Ed.   For reference, Shakespeare's is the old Stadium Grill. The restaurant also has an outdoor patio, which can be tough to find in Henderson.


We walk in, and I am very pleasantly surprised.  The decor is very Irish pub, but there is a pool table, golden tee, and 2 dart boards. 


Ed, the Arrogant Bastard.  I mean, Ed and the Arrogant Bastard.



 If anyone in Las Vegas would catch on to shuffle board, I would blow every paycheck on this place!  The crowd was mostly older Anthem residents, and some families, also a surprise.  We sat down at 6:50 pm, and the waiter informed us until 7:00 pm was happy hour that included $2 bud lights, $2 miller lights as well as $2 sliders, $2 chips (see below) and $2 fish tacos.  To Ed's chagrin, Arrogant Bastard Ale was also on the menu.   Ed had the sliders ($2 a slider) and I had the fish tacos ($2 a taco).  Usually I am not ordering fish tacos from an Irish pub, but for $6, I couldn't refuse.  My fish tacos were pretty good!  They used the filleted fish that they  use for fish and chips, so it was beer battered and tasty.  The salsa was good, and it was layered with cabbage, cheese and tartar sauce.  Ed's sliders arrived (plain of course) and were a little well done, but on really tasty buns.  We both ordered 3 and neither of us finished.  The chips ended up being

Sliders, chips, the arrogant bastard and the beer

 fries  (ok yes I did not pick up on that) and they were really thick and seasoned.  Our total bill for 3 beers and 2 meals was about $25!  They also have a table with Guinness and Harp taps in the table, and you can pour your own beer; pretty sweet.  Finally, they have trivia nights on Wednesday, that I am sure we will be frequenting soon.  By the way, the happy hour less the food starts up again at 10:00 pm every day.  The restaurant does get one knock against it, slow service. 

Ambiance: 7

Food quality: 7
Price: 7 (non happy hour items are $14-$20)
Price for quality of food: 9 (during happy hour)

My Irish Fish Tacos

Overall: 7.5

Black Mountain Grill 11021 S. Eastern Ave Henderson, NV


 

Ye old outdoor patio

We've passed Black Mountain Grill a thousand times, as it sits right between Wendy's and I Love Sushi.  From the exterior, the place looks as if it could be an upscale PT's, but the outdoor patio intrigued me.  Suddenly a Groupon appeared on the place, and I took it as a sign.  Ed and I went on a Friday night with no reservation.  When you walk in, the dining room is to the right, and fairly small.  They work out of an open kitchen that includes a wood burning pizza oven.  The restaurant probably has 20 tables or less.  On the left is a huge bar with video poker machines.  The restaurant has a great high ceiling, and what looks like a second deck, but it is really just an office and storage (yes I went up the stairs to check it out).  The 

The restaurant's biggest downfall; poor taste in football teams

bar has one big disadvantage; it's a Broncos bar, so we won't be dining here during NFL season (if one exists this year).  The entire restaurant is laden with game heads like bear, moose, deer etc.  There is even a 

Stay away from my drink goat!

full stuffed mountain goat in the corner.  They have a great little sitting/waiting area that looks like it's a set from African Queen.  They do have the outdoor patio with nice furniture and a water feature.  The restaurant also has a private dining room.  After a drink and about a 15 minute wait, we were sat for dinner.  The menu is reasonably priced, and very eclectic.  Anything from pizzas to pad Thai to burgers to steak.  I indeed did order the pad thai, and Ed had the filet minon.  Mine I think was $15 and Ed's was $24.  My pad thai was good, really spicy, but good.  Ed's filet wasn't the best he'd ever had, but certainly adequate for $24.  This place deserves a second chance because of it's good ambiance, and the variety of the menu.



Ed, Marissa and Lance hanging with the goat





 Ambiance: 8

Food quality: 7
Price: 7
Price for quality of food: 6
Overall: 7.5







Five Guys 10271 S. Eastern Ave Henderson NV

My little piece of heaven

 We ventured into Five Guys on a Saturday and as we entered the workers yelled "two in the door!".  By 11:30, every table was already filled.  I am thinking to myself this must be a good sign.  I vowed not to blog on chain restaurants on Eastern (do you really want a review of Coco's?) but since this eatery is the only one in Las Vegas (at the time of this blog at least as they are due to open 4 more in the area) I figured that I'd let it slide.  Ed has already been here a few times, and in Washington, and he swears by the burger.  I was a skeptic at first.  The restaurant sounded like in-and-out, small menu that includes one, two or three patties of meat.  I did notice that they had a veggie sandwich (not sure what that is) and a variety of hot dogs as well.  Everything is a la carte so you pay more than In-and-out, but just at first glance, there are many more toppings to choose from.  Ed, of course, got a plain burger with cheese.  I decided for lettuce, tomato, pickle, mayo and ketchup.  I saw there was another version called the "little burger" but didn't quite grasp what that was.  Ed later explained that meant one patty, and we had ordered double cheeseburgers.  Gee thanks!  We also ordered one small fry to share as Ed told me that would be enough.  In looking behind the counter (it's an open kitchen)  there are actually 13 guys not five (women too!) and each one has a very specific job.  They have one girl that just condimentizes (is that a word?) the burgers, one woman toasting buns, two guys manning the grill, one guy that simply wraps the burgers, a fry guy and a guy that bags it all up.  This place is an assembly line!  Our order came up pretty promptly from this well oiled machine.  The guy that bags the orders also yells out the order as NUMBER 11, HOT AND READY just like the guy selling peanuts at the stadium.   and I opened the foil to what you see above.  I bit in and......OK it's amazing.  I admit it, it's amazing!  The burgers are super juicy, and the cheese is completely melted and over every little bit of burger.  The bun is buttered and toasted, and all of the condiments seem to melt into one.  Ed also loves the fries, but I wasn't a huge fan.  Probably just because I am very particular about my fries.  They still have the skin on them, and are deep fried (of course).  Honestly, I could only find one minor problem about Five Guys; a la carte gets expensive.  We spent over $20 on cheeseburgers and fries.  

Ambiance: 2
Food quality: 9
Price: 9 (this place is inexpensive, but a littly pricey for burgers)
Price for quality of food: 9
Overall: 9