LAS VEGAS - Jaleo

LAS VEGAS - Jaleo

I’m low key obsessed with José Andrés in a way that I am with a handful of ‘celebrity’ chefs which only grew more upon finding out that one of Caleb’s younger cousins is friends with one of José’s daughters from University and has been to his house. Of course, she had no idea and when asked if she wanted to eat something, she requested a grilled cheese. Amazing.

In addition to this, I was also listening to a podcast of someone who lives in D.C. and has been to Jaleo often to order his tortilla de patatas (she’s vegetarian) and raves about eating it and how tricky it is to make at home.

I’m beyond happy this made the itinerary.

LOCATION: THE COSMOPOLITAN

3708 LAS VEGAS BLVD S., LAS VEGAS, NV 89109

Jaleo is a traditional Spanish paella and tapas style restaurant which I’m obsessed with since I LOVE trying a bunch of little bites of everything. I’ve already forgotten every dish that we got for the group of us but I can hit the highlights at least.

This menu was a little overwhelming to start especially since we’re not very versed in Spanish cuisine and the waitress was a little impatient with me asking her to recommend dishes for us a second time after I didn’t catch it all the first go-around when we were sitting down and getting situated. I think we ended up alright, but I would recommend a glance before coming if you’re like us, and a little more unfamiliar.

What I remember ordering:

Cono de caviar (A cone filled with créme fraiche and Amur Ossetra Caviar and topped with gold flakes) - A one bite per order, very light with a crispy cone but not super memorable in the flavor department.

Queso del día (Chef’s choice of a traditional cheese from different regions throughout Spain) - we love a little chef’s choice to help us out here!

Selección de embutidos (a selection of cured ibéerico meats) - Again, perfect since we had no clue what specific meats we should get, this meat board was perfect for us and there was a great sampling of different meats though I have no idea what we liked and what was probably just mid.

Patatas bravas (Fried potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce and alioli) - We love potatoes in this family and this plate was too small for the five of us!

Croquetas de pollo (Traditional Spanish chicken fritters) We have a picky eater in the group so we had to make sure we had some more familiar options. These were so good and it was hard to leave some on the plate but everyone has to eat and I had more options on the way. Would recommend as something safe that I think most people would be happy with.

Huevos rotos con setas a la crema (Fried potatoes topped with sautéed seasonal wild mushrooms, mushroom cream and a fried egg) - The better potato choice of our night. The mushrooms and the cream sauce were really good and I was trying my best to share this one but it was tough!

Trigueros con romesco (Grilled asparagus with romesco sauce and sherry dressing) We figured this would be a good veggie choice that everyone would like and we weren’t wrong.

Tortilla de patatas clàsica (The classic Spanish omelet with potatoes and onions) - Honestly a little mid. It felt a little oily and compared to all our other dishes, this one was super mild in flavor with the egg and potato being more neutral. A little sad that I hyped it up in my mind, not sure I would recommend :(

Rossejat Negra…or not! (‘Paella’ made with toasted pasta with sepia, shrimp, and squid ink…or not!) Not sure what’s up with all the ‘nots’ here but this was a solid order. We had to get something from the paella station since it’s their specialty and this didn’t disappoint. This dish did turn our mouths a little black but fun and really really tasty.

I think I may have missed a dish or two but overall, if you love small plates and have a solid group of people, I would recommend going. Second to ‘Best Friend’ by Roy Choi, this was one of my favorite meals of the trip so far. I’m so happy José Andrés did not disappoint.

LAS VEGAS - Alexxa's Kitchen

LAS VEGAS - Alexxa's Kitchen

The group is getting bigger as we add some more cousins from Rochester. We’ve got one straggler left but the party is coming together. For our first 6 person meal, we’re heading off to brunch!

LOCATION: PARIS LAS VEGAS

3655 S LAS VEGAS BLVD., LAS VEGAS, NV 89109

I don’t tend to have too many stakes in the game of breakfast. I feel like it’s pretty hard to mess up but also hard to make exceptional so I tend to look forward to eating at restaurants for lunch or dinner. I do think, however, that American breakfasts are pretty hyped up when you’re not from here so the German’s had this spot picked out and were ready for some sweet treats.

We pretty much ordered family style again (a true hack with a big group to try more dishes), and got grilled banana bread with and orange marmalade, walnuts, and a brown sugar butter, the snow crab omelet with deep sea snow crab, asparagus, muenster, hollandaise, garden herbs, Alexxa’s breakfast potatoes, and an english muffin, breakfast burrito “mojado” which is a burrito smothered roja and verde, filled with chorizo, scrambled egg, scallions, cheddar, potatoes, and had a side of guacamole and sour cream, cinnaroll waffle with cream cheese frosting, blueberries, raspberries, and candied pecans, and Alexxa’s cannoli pancakes with a sweet mascarpone, honey butter syrup, and chocolate chips to finish it all off.

I may be delusional at this point but for six people, I think we did an okay job with ordering. I didn’t try everything but the food I did have didn’t disappoint. The snow crab omelet was a little strong in seafood flavor but the potatoes were really good. I’m more of a savory breakfast person so I mainly stuck to that plate but had a few bites here and there of the banana bread and waffles. A solid breakfast that I think everyone enjoyed.

LAS VEGAS - BEST FRIEND

LAS VEGAS - BEST FRIEND

We’ve made it and I’m gonna say right out of the gate that this was the best meal of the trip.

LOCATION: PARK MGM

3770 S LAS VEGAS BLVD., LAS VEGAS, NV 89109

Tonight’s dinner was brought to us all by Roy Choi, Kogi food truck inventor.

The meal started off a little rocky because, while we did have a reservation, it only accounts for a table in the back of the restaurant with a very dark/moody/quiet aesthetic and one of my cousins was dead set on us eating in the front dining area. Of course, the front area is more of a ‘first come, first served’ situation so we did in fact, wait for a table to open. I’m pretty sure the menu is the same but if we’re here for the vibes then I’m along for the ride.

It took about 30mins for us to get a (small) table in the front room but a win is a win and there was a menu board posted outside the restaurant so we got to pre-plan what we wanted to order while we waited.

Of course, we ordered wayyyy too much food for four people but if we’re only going to be here once in forever, we’re going all in. This menu was totally our tastes too so it was impossible to narrow down and our little dinky table ended up being a little tower of food.

We ordered Kogi Short Rib Tacos (with Korean BBQ, salsa roja, and a cilantro-onion-lime chili soy slaw), Street Corn (of course - with lime juice, tajin, cotija, and cilantro), Buttermilk Fried Chicken (with a side of honey mustard, sweet and sour chili, and b&b pickles), the BBQ Platter (with garlic chicken, spicy pork, AND kalbi trio), Kimchi Fried Rice (not my vibe but it comes with caramelized kimchi and a poached egg), and the Birria Ramen (with braised beef, onion, and cilantro).

Clearly, too much food. We were so stuffed and had to take a bunch to go but it was so good getting to try so many dishes. I did opt out of the Kimchi Fried Rice because that’s just not my thing but everything else was so good. Would 1000% recommend to anyone spending time in Vegans and would totally go back to order any of these dishes or try new ones.

LAS VEGAS - eggslut

LAS VEGAS - eggslut

Today was a chill morning without an official reservation because we made our way to one of my picks for breakfast - eggslut.

LOCATION: THE COSMOPOLITAN

3708 LAS VEGAS BLVD. SOUTH LAS VEGAS, NV 89109

At this point, I can’t remember where I got this recommendation but it must have been a video for places to eat in LA and I cross referenced it and made a note that there are locations in Las Vegas too. I was pretty excited this made it on the itinerary and had a fun time coming here.

This eggslut location is a take-away counter but this area in The Cosmo is pretty open seating, casual hang-out, food stalls kinda vibe. This did make it a little tricky to find a place to eat once we got our order but the group did a little divide and conquer and found a tiny table that got the job done.

I did remember that one of the reasons I wanted to go to an eggslut was to order their signature menu item - the slut. The slut is a coddled egg on top of a smooth potato purée, toped with salt and chives, and served with slices of baguette. Unfortunately, one of my cousins took the counter role so I didn’t actually get to ask for a slut to go but that’s only part of the journey. I think it was a nice little stop for a true American to-go breakfast which was a nice experience for the German family.

I think I did buy into the naming and branding a little hard because this was a pretty average breakfast. I haven’t had this exact combo before of a coddled egg with a potato purée but eggs and potato with bread is not a wild combo. It was still really good, I liked the serving amount, and it was a solid choice for a casual breakfast. I also did have an enjoyable time dipping the bread into the coddled egg and having a little potato surprise underneath. I wouldn’t go out of my way for an eggslut, but if I needed a quick breakfast sandwich or some eggs to-go, this wouldn’t be a bad stop at all.

LAS VEGAS - Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen & Bar

LAS VEGAS - Guy Fieri's Vegas Kitchen & Bar

We’ve done some walking around, checking out some of the hotels on the strip, and wandered back to the LINQ for a late lunch.

LOCATION: THE LINQ

3535 S. LAS VEGAS BLVD., LAS VEGAS, NV 89109

We were still full from breakfast but we had to make a stop at one of Guy Fieri’s restaurants while we were here for a truly American experience for the Germans. I love an ironic Guy Fieri moment.

Another family style moment so they could try a few different dishes especially since we weren’t terribly hungry at this point in the day. The four of us ordered “Koreatown” Tacos (ribeye, avocado-lime mash, kimchim pico de gallo, and spicy mayo all on corn tortillas), Buffalo Wings, and the ‘award winning’ Bacon Mac N’ Cheese Burger (applewood smoked bacon, crispy fried onion straws, four cheese mac n’ cheese, ‘super melty cheese’, donkey sauce, and lettuce/pickle/tomato/onion all topped on a garlic buttered brioche bun.).

I will say, I didn’t go all in on this meal here. I didn’t try the burger but the Tacos were balanced well, the fries were nice, and the buffalo wings were pretty standard buffalo wings. My section of the meal didn’t feel too messy, and the four of us managed to finish everything pretty well. No leftovers!

I will say the waitress was pretty rude. She was absent, rushed our check, and rolled her eyes when we tried to get a refill on a soda. Not my favorite experience and I wouldn’t come back with that attitude. Not sure what her problem was but she avoided our table on several occasions even after I tried to make eye contact with her. We’re a pretty tame bunch too, clean, easy, and very polite. My cousin’s family own a restaurant in Germany so we all know how it works and try to be super helpful and polite to wait staff to make their day easier but she make some sort of judgement on us and decided to be a jerk about it the whole meal. Would not recommend. At all.