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

Republic Bar and Grill 9470 S. Eastern Ave Las Vegas, NV

The odd step and repeat

 Ed and I ventured into Republic on a Thursday night.  For those that know  

Restarant exterior

the area, yes it is the old Fado.  Knowing that, I was expecting the former Irish pub laden with dark woods and burdened by a very odd mis-use of space, with a fresh coat of paint and a new sign on the door.  Surprisingly, the interior has been changed quite a bit.  The interior is now contemporary, tables made of wood with a black finish, and cream colored walls.  Tasteful chandeliers have been hung, and the strange placement of walls which led to the odd mis-use of space, have been removed.  There is a nice back splash of a city skyline, and plenty of flat panels playing sports center.   I had been told that the restaurant is known for small plates, which is misleading.  They have an semi extensive appetizer menu, 

22 oz beers ahoy lambic on the right

but they are not small plates, and for the price, they are not intended to order 4-5 to share.  Best part of the night?  They have lambic framboise on tap and available in a 22 oz pint ($15).  Ed tried to order a Stone IPA, his favorite, but the tap was spent.  He then tried for the Dog Fish, also gone.  This was a bad sign.  On the recommendation of the server, I got the short ribs for $22 (one of the priciest 

Short ribs, wasabi mash and asparagus

items on the list) with wasabi mash, and Ed got the pulled chicken puffy tacos (a flour, not corn tortilla that when fried puffs up) for $10.99.  Biting into my short rib (ok I am a little of a short rib snob), it tasted more like mom's Tuesday night pot roast than a super tasty fall off the bone rib, and mom never charged $22 bucks for it.  Out of the entire mash of potatoes, only one bite actually had a wasabi tinge to at all.  I thought Ed's puffy tacos were good (except that Ed takes off all of the good stuff like pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole.  We didn't stay for dessert or another drink as both of us were pretty underwhelmed.  I say skip it, unless they bring back Fado's Tuesday night quiz night.  Even then, grab a lambic, and call it a night!
Rating:

Ambiance: 7
Food quality: 5
Price: 5
Price for quality of food: 3
Overall: 5

 





 



 

Kaizen Sushi Eastern and Siena Heights 10271 Eastern Ave #109 Henderson, NV

Kaizen sushi is....drum roll please...located in a strip mall!  Is this a theme?  Kaizen is in the same complex as Buffalo Wild Wings and Gaetano's. We entered Kaizen on a Friday night, and the ambiance is very nice.  It's a small intimate restaurant, with about 10 tables and a sushi bar.  When we got there, there was no one there; guess that should have been a clue.  We were enticed by the 1/2 price sake deal, even happening on a Friday night.  They also had a pretty good menu of specialty saketinis.  I hate to compare everything to I Love Sushi, but they've set the bar so darn high!  There wasn't much for Ed to choose from that wasn't fish related (yes I realize the irony in this), but the sushi menu wasn't huge either.  They also accidentally charged us for our dinner twice, and it took us a while to get it reversed.  The pros, definitely the 1/2 price sake.  The cons, everything else.  Probably a 6 on the scale, which I equate to spaghetti-o's (updated from wienies and mac and cheese, which we've decided deserves more than a 6).
Ambiance: 5
Food quality: 6
Price: 5
Price for quality of food: 6
Overall: 5.5

Half Shell 10430 South Eastern Avenue Henderson, NV

I want so badly to like Half Shell!  Half Shell has all of the makings of a great place.  Chargers bar, big plus, outdoor patio on the second floor overlooking Las Vegas Blvd, super plus.  At the same time, this place is so weird that I can't get into it!  You walk into Half Shell to an arcade that also has some tables in it, and is the only place to eat if you are under 21.  You then walk into a bar that is way too small and overcrowded.  Once you go up to the upstairs deck it is half the size as it seems from below.  They have a great projection screen for football games (they are a SD bar), but guess what, you can't see anything with the glare, and they don't even GET the sports package up there!  Chargers games don't play in LV without the package.  The menu is great if you like seafood, but that isn't Ed approved.  Also they advertise Miller Chills, my favorite, but don't actually carry them.  The pros of Half Shell: the outdoor patio deck and bar.  The cons: didn't I just mention them all?  On a scale of rotten eggs to champagne and strawberries, they come in at a 4, which I equate to liver and onions.\
Ambiance: 2
Food quality: 4
Price: 7
Price for quality of food: 5
Overall: 4

Tuscany Grill, 11105 S. Eastern Ave Henderson, NV

Yes, you read correctly.  This is yet another restaurant tucked away behind the Taco Bell strip mall!  Tuscany Grill is definitely a "locals" place.  The restaurant has a full bar with, what else, gaming machines, but also a full restaurant.  The restaurant looks like Greece gave birth to Napoli with greek columns and some odd artwork.  The menu is pretty extensive with all of the Italian favorites, but the booth we squeezed into was small (there were only 4 of us, but it felt like we had a table of 8).  Not much to say about this place, but that it is decent food at a moderate price.  Pros: we sat right away, and wait staff was attentive.  the Cons: none of us walked away remembering anything special or thinking we should visit again.  It's a far cry from rotten eggs, but certainly no dom perignon.  I give it a solid 6.


Ambiance: 5
Food quality: 6
Price: 6
Price for quality of food: 6
Overall: 6

Buon Gusto 2642 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway Henderson, NV

 Did you blink?  Then ya missed it!  This place is TINY!  Buon Gusto is, yes, you've guessed it, located in another strip mall that includes KFC, Panda Express, and Terrible's Gas Station.  Not that this should deter from the place.  Buon Gusto has about 4 tables inside of it, but they are 4 tables packed with joy!  You feel like you are truly in Mama Maria's kitchen.  The Pros: the wait staff is really friendly, and you can see/smell your food being made in the kitchen.  You can actually afford a glass of Chianti and the baked ziti is amazing.  But save the best for last, you HAVE to try the cannoli.  I am no Italian (though

The cannoli from heaven

 married to one who attests to it), but this is the best cannoli I have ever tasted.  We had a great meal here on a Saturday, and even with 4 tables (ok maybe 5), we were able to sit right away.  The cons: not much for ambiance as the restaurant is smashed between a Port of Subs and a karate studio.  They are also closed on Sundays.  On a scale of my rotten eggs to champagne and strawberries, Buon Gusto is definitely a good 8.  Hey Buon Gusto, Buon Gusto Italiano!


Ambiance: 5
Food quality: 8
Price: 8
Price for quality of food: 8
Overall: 8

I Love Sushi 11041 South Eastern Ave #117 Henderson, NV





Start of a good night

If you don't know about I Love Sushi, you are probably living under a rock (a rock that doesn't love sushi), or perhaps live nowhere near Eastern Avenue.  The restaurant, like most of Las Vegas eateries, is located in a strip mall that includes Wendy's, Taco Bell, and a Euphoria Beauty School.  Don't be fooled by the location, the restaurant packs a mighty punch or judo chop (heeeyah!).  Always busy, you walk into the restaurant to a small waiting area that is  

Sushi Bar

always packed.  Don't let this scare you off.  Even without a reservation, the wait is typically no more than 15 minutes.  They have a full sushi bar, with sushi chefs that constantly down sake with you.  If a table is your preference, they have many, and the restaurant is very kid friendly.  Pros: two pages of different rolls that are delicious.  I try a different roll each time.  All have a very interesting name, such as Bam Bam Roll, Smells  like your ex-girlfriend, and XXX (these are the ones I could post).  My favorite is the Sean Special.  They also have a large menu chalked full of other items, since, of course, Ed doesn't eat sushi.  They have udon (thick noodles in broth), soba (thinner buckwheat noodle) and several chicken and beef dishes.  the Cons:  this is so incinifigent, but they never remember to bring us out water.  Also, it's the nature of the beast, but since the restaurant is so busy, service can be a little slow.  On  our scale from 1 (this place smells and tastes like rotten eggs) to 10 (this place smells and tastes like strawberries and champagne) this place pulls in at a solid 9.  I would give a 10, but I feel like I have to go to every restaurant on Eastern before dubbing a true winner!  I love Sushi wa, aishi te iru yo!

Restaurant interior

Ambiance: 7

Food quality: 9

Price: 7

Price for quality of food: 9

Overall: 9





Eastern Avenue, Henderson NV. Day 1 of the eating extravaganza!

My husband Ed and I have lived off of Eastern for a year and a half now.  It ceases to amaze me how many restaurants are located on this street, and to dissect even further, just south of the 215.  My husband is a creature of habit.  He will go to the same restaurant every day for the rest of eternity if left to his own devices.  I however, am much more adventurous, and I have forced my husband to share in the glory of Eastern while we've lived here.  Unfortunately time after time, I embarrass myself by forcing my husband to go to new restaurants that don't live up to some of our favorites, and then of course, I have to hear that such and such restaurant is still better than the new place we tried.  It finally dawned on me (it takes a while for my brain to dawn), what if someone had a blog to tell me which restaurants are "Ed"ible and which restaurants are not?  If he can like it, then I can pretty much guarantee anyone can, even a three year old (since our 3 year old nieces eat the same dinner as he does).  So welcome to Edible Eastern with two very diverse eaters!