Of Ribs and Germans

Here in Vegas, I only know two German speakers, which explains why one of my native languages is getting a bit rusty. Luckily, every week, my friend Ulf and I head to the gym, oftentimes followed by lunch (preferably healthy), all the while chatting away in German.

We were on our way to Sushi Avenue (one of my new favorites now that my beloved Sushi Fever seems to be subpar in terms of service), but Adam's Ribs next door caught my eye. We remembered that our friend (and my former colleague), food critic Max Jacobson, had given the place the thumbs up. We mostly agree with Max's food verdicts, so in we went.

As we were catching up in German, a friendly waiter asked me where we were from, which is always a long story for me, so I said "Germany, sort of" referring to Ulf. The savy waiter picked up very quickly that I didn't sound that German, so I had to "confess" to being Austrian. We thought he might have been stationed in Germany at some point and learned a few phrases of German (yawn), but turns out Thomas has a German father and a Colombian mother. Reminds me of my own background (I grew up in Mexico City), so we chatted away about our languages.

Ah, the food: it's good. I tried the classic pulled pork sandwich, and even though I'd just gotten out of the gym, the golden crunchy fries were worth it. Ulf's brisket sandwich with the cole slaw was tasty as well. The spicy barbecue sauce (not to be confused with ketchup, as it comes in a red bottle) had just the right amount of heat for me.

The prices for lunch were very reasonable, with my sandwich at $6.99 and Ulf's at $7.99. We'd been asked which side we wanted, and figured it would be included. Apparently it was not, as our bill was $23 (and no, we did not drink beer at lunch).

The place is friendly and laid-back, with the ribs-and-beer atmosphere that you would expect from a barbecue joint. It has a relatively small dine-in area with large plasma TVs and comfy benches to wait for your take-out to be ready. Smells of great food emanate from the open kitchen as soon as you walk in. Speaking of open: Adam's Ribs is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, which is a huge plus for the people among us who crave ribs as early as lunch. In the spirit of post-gym, we went with the smaller sandwiches, but next time, I am coming for dinner and I will devour those famous ribs.

Adam's Ribs
4145 S. Grand Canyon Center, Suite 102 (Flamingo/215)
Las Vegas, NV 89147
(702) 221-8227

--By Judy Jenner

Home Sweet Home: Café Heidelberg

As is to be expected during the holidays, we did not show much restraint in terms of eating. Quite the contrary: this is the season to indulge (OK, I also go to the gym -- a lot).

Before a recent Christmas production of The Nutcracker, my husband and I headed to one of our favorite hole-in-the-wall places in town, Café Heidelberg on the somewhat notorious corner of Sahara and Maryland (car explosion, remember?) to feast on good old German food. Since Keith first devoured it at the Schweizer Haus in Vienna's Prater a few years ago, he's a huge fan of Hax'n (pork knuckle). At Café Heidelberg, you have to pre-order it, and this time, we were craving Leberkäse (the translation of "spam" doesn't do it justice; trust me on this one) and Sauerbraten.

Café Heidelberg is a small place with a separate beer pub that was added a few years ago. Here you can watch the German soccer league and drink imported beer from all over Europe (they have a great selection). I have been going to this place since college, and it hasn't changed much, which is a good thing. Our charming waitress Anna from Nürnberg was the sole waitress/busser/hostess in this place, which is very common in German-speaking countries. Made me feel right at home, except that Anna is much, much nicer than most wait staff in Vienna. She offered me a taste of a Riesling by a German vineyard I wasn't familiar with (just like in Central Europe, the prices of the wines by the glass are very reasonable).

The Sauerbraten (simply put: pork with a sweet and sour sauce with lovely potato dumplings and red cabbage) and the Leberkäse with a fried egg and great German potato salad were fantastic. Since Café Heidelberg also has a small but well-stocked deli and store with German products, I bought many of my favorite items, including frozen sausages by a fantastic sausage maker in Southern California, vanilla sugar and Sauerkraut in a glass.

This is one of the places that's well worth the schlepp from Summerlin. Next time, I am coming for Schnitzel and Apfelstrudel. It's just like home, but with better service.

Café Heidelberg
610 E Sahara Ave # 2
Las Vegas, NV 89104
(702) 731-5310

--By Judy Jenner

Agave Needs Heat

During Monday's historic snowstorm, I decided to stay close to my house in Summerlin for lunch with a good friend of mine, Raúl, a native of Mexico City. We headed for one of my favorite places: Agave. Their outdoor patio area is simply divine and it's a fantastic spot for happy hour and the Mexican restaurant's excellent guacamole.

This time around, the patio was covered in snow, which is, of course, hard to believe. Happy to be inside, we looked forward to a great meal, only to discover that Agave is poorly equipped to deal with the cold. The servers were shivering and some of them were wearing winter coats. Agave is a big, beautiful space, and it certainly takes a while to heat the place up, but this snowstorm wasn't a surprise (management: please watch the weather forecast).

While our lunch (tacos de carne asada for me and a chicken tamal for Raúl) and our Cadillac margaritas were fine as always, we were so cold we really didn't want to linger, which is a pity. Agave has great desserts and a great ambiance. Next time, please turn on the heat and we'll stay longer.

Agave

10820 Charleston Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89135
(702) 214-3500


--By Judy Jenner

Great Omelets, Bad Coffee

After the Vegas Marathon, where I ran the half marathon and my dear friend Nikki got up at 6 a.m. on a Sunday to cheer me on, we decided it was time for some really greasy food. My post-running brain wasn't functioning that well (for the record, I finished in 2:16, and it was my sixth half marathon), but luckily I could come up with the best breakfast spot someone close to the finish line at Mandalay Bay: Omelet House.

I've been going to this Vegas institution for the 13 years I have lived here, and it's as popular as ever. The parking lot in the nondescript strip mall is always packed, and that was, of course, true on a Sunday morning. Luckily we only had to wait a few minutes for a table -- running makes me hungry! The place is charming in a diner kind of way: simple, fun, hole-in-the-wall, and definitely locally owned, which is what we really like. There's tons of homey decorations -- think chickens, roosters, country-inspired signs -- which are cute, but we wouldn't want them in our house.

At Omelet House, the omelets really are so big you should split one, which we did. We chose the delicious B.B. & C. with broccoli, bacon, and cheddar cheese, a combination we had not had before. Just as Nikki had predicted, our little table couldn't hold all the food, as we also ordered a short stack of fluffy pancakes. We had enough carbs and protein to last us for several marathons. A huge highlight were the home style potatoes, which were crunchy, yet clearly cooked (not fried), and just heavenly. Yes, we ordered another portion. All omelets come with a choice of several sides, and as always, I chose the very satisfying banana-nut bread, which could be a mini-meal in itself. Unless you just ran a marathon, do yourself a favor and order a baby omelet, which is plenty. Service is efficient and the waiters are busy, yet friendly and responsive.

The only downside to Omelet House is the coffee, which is some of the poorest we have tasted at any breakfast joint in town. I don't remember poor coffee from previous visits, so our hope is that it was just a bad pot or two.

Omelet House
2160 W. Charleston Boulevard (at Rancho)
Las Vegas, NV 89102
(702) 384-6868

--By Judy Jenner

Mambo Italiano!

A few Wednesdays ago I was part of a true treat.

It involved great company, great wine, and a great night out.

Salvatore Ferragamo, grandson of the famous Italian fashion designer, was in town at Loews Lake Las Vegas resort for an exclusive Il Borro winemaker’s dinner, and I was there enjoying every drop.

The intimate gathering included Las Vegas elite, including the owners of Lake Las Vegas.
Sitting at Ferragamo’s table, I got to partake in entertaining repartee, extensive descriptions of the wine, and of course, all the head chefs from Loews’ restaurants came directly to our table.

And while I could go on for days about pumps and stilettos, handbags and attachés, I digress, for this is still a food blog.

The dinner included playful dishes like quail eggs and ham. Iberico ham and sunny-side up quail egg was served with root vegetables and topped with a chestnut glaze.

The duck, duck goose, barbecue Korean duck and duck confit was tender, moist and delicious. Served with a crispy foie gras eggroll, the duck dish was my favorite.

A rich deconstructed carrot cake with equally rich cream cheese mousse was a bit on the heavy side to end such a well-rounded meal, but the extra calories were worth it!

Let’s not forget the wine! Lamelle, a well-rounded crisp, dry white wine was the perfect way to begin. And the Il Borro, a rich red, is the perfect way to end. One of my favorites was the Polissena, a medium bodied red wine that complemented the duck course beautifully.

An amazing experience was had by all! There was even an impromptu operatic performance by a Lake Las Vegas resident in honor of our Italian guest.

On a side note, if you haven’t been to Marssa over at Loews, do try! With delicacies prepared by Chef Fuji, the only master sushi chef in Las Vegas, Marssa is a truly remarkable experience, sure to please your palette.

Il Borro, the Ferragamo’s wine label, is offered in Marssa and Rick’s Café at Loews Lake Las Vegas.

-- By Nikki Neu

The Other Half Speaks

First, my dear friend Judy has been amazing in setting up Vegas Food Finds, herein called VFF, not to be like a certain other blog but rather, to save my fingers from overtyping.

Exploring the ins and outs of the culinary scene in Las Vegas is much like searching for a diamond. You sift through miles of dirt, pilfering through things that might have a little shine but no substance, gleam but no glow, and a lot of pesky debris that gets in the way of finding a true gem.

VFF might or might not help you sort through the rough and get to the diamond. In either case, it will sure to be an exciting journey into the Las Vegas culinary world.

-- By Nikki Neu

Breakfast at Paris

After many years of grabbing pastries at JJ's Boulangerie, I am somewhat sad to report that I'd rather go to Freed's. My Austrian friend Marcel from Vienna was in town last week, and as good Austrians, we were craving an Austrian Mehlspeise (loosely translated, a pastry) mid-morning on a Sunday. For some reason, I thought Freed's was too far, so we headed to Paris.

JJ's Boulangerie, which shares my initials, is, of course, a charming place; as charming as it can be in a semi-food court inside a casino with fake cobblestone. Still, nice enough. However, I could have sworn that they have less variety these days, and they were out of chocolate croissants, to my huge disappointment. We tried the napoleon and a nice fruit tart instead. The napoleon was a little more dense than I like it (I really enjoy the Mexican version, milhojas, which is always very flaky and light), so perhaps it didn't just come out of the oven. Eating delightful pastries off plastic plates with plastic forks is always a bit of a disappointment (which is why we like The Chocolate Swan at Mandalay Place), but they were still quite good. In spite of its high prices for pastries and coffee (our total: $26) JJ's was completely packed, and it was difficult to score an "outdoor" table, which we finally did. We had a fantastic view of the hungry crowds waiting in line at the buffet. It beats people-watching in St. Germain.

Next time, however, we are supporting one of our favorite local family-owned businesses, which makes the best cakes in Vegas: Freed's. Their new location on Eastern and Richmar even has a few tables.

JJ's Boulangerie
Inside Paris Hotel-Casino

--By Judy Jenner

Lunch of the Week: Vintner Grill

Ah, the warm Vegas weather in November: it doesn't get any better than this. Now that I am blissfully self-employed, my boss doesn't mind me taking an occasional two-hour lunch with a bottle of Pinot Grigio. One of my favorite lunch places is a few blocks from my house in Summerlin: Vintner Grill.

Tucked away in a very improbably location (W. Charleston Boulevard at Hualapai) in a large, nondescript office complex that is home to the Howard Hughes Corporation (with Vintner Grill serving as their unofficial cafeteria), Vintner Grill would be hard to find except that everyone, from John Curtas to Max Jacobsen, has been talking about it for more than a year.

Vintner Grill achieves the feat that many restaurant attempt but manage not to get right most of the time: outdoor dining. Where I am from (Austria), food is consumed mostly outside, even when it's less than summery, on charming plazas or small side streets. In Vegas, for some reason, many off-Strip restaurants insist on offering al fresco dining in a parking lot, which isn't exactly charming. Guilty: Lindo Michoacán on Flamingo. Guilty: Grape Street Café. Guilty: the now-defunct adorable Bonjour Bistro, which had a patio right next to the 215. Not guilty: Marché Bacchus, Olives at Bellagio and Vintner Grill.

VG's charming patio, although only a stone's throw away from busy Charleston , creates an almost-Mediterranean ambiance, with white gazebos, comfy green and white benches, wicker chairs, and plenty of oversize umbrellas, which are still in use in November, while the fireplace is patiently waiting for its turn. The gorgeous setting is outdone only by the quality of the food.

VG's menu, presented in a low-tech fashion on a simple clip board, changes every day, but the Morrocan ahi tuna salad has remained one of my favorites. The halibut with couscous -- just light enough -- is also a great choice. The crab ravioli with mushrooms and peas was a bit on the heavy side, but still a good fall dish.

Although VG's espresso machine was broken, we chose to linger over regular coffee and a softball-sized serving of tiramisu, which was denser than I usually like, but still quite tasty. Between the two of us, we barely made a dent in it. VG slightly transports me to one of my hometowns, Vienna, but then I remember that in Vienna it wouldn't be sunny, the service would be less than spectacular and the portions would be half the size. While it's certainly not the most inexpensive lunch in Summerlin, VG is cheaper than a trip to Europe. And the service is outstanding.

Vintner Grill
10100 West Charleston Boulveard Suite 150
Las Vegas, NV 89135
214-5590

Another Vegas Blog?

Yes, we need another Vegas blog. Specifically, a Vegas food blog. There are several fantastic food writers in town, and one of our favorites, John Curtas, also has a blog, Eating Las Vegas, but that's about it as far as we know. In all the years we have spent here, we have noticed that there really aren't many non-commerce driven Vegas food site that is not associated with a newspaper or a magazine. To find new restaurants, we are constantly looking, searching, talking to people, reading other reviews, driving aimlessly through Chinatown -- you get the idea. We have decided to create a blog with short, easy-to-read, succinct, user-friendly reviews in normal English and vow to limit words in foreign languages. We speak a few foreign languages too, but really, green beans is just fine for haricot vert. We take our food seriously, but it's also supposed to be fun.

This is not e-commerce in any way, shape, or form. We have no obligation to write positive reviews: this will be truth, not fiction. However, we will most likely choose to write about places we really like rather than restaurants that aren't worth the visit. If you have something to contribute or want to suggest a restaurant that we could grace with our visit, please let us know by dropping us a line.