Heavenly Hushpuppies

Last month, I took a trip down to South Carolina to see my family for Christmas. During one of the days, we decided to try a local seafood restaurant called Gilligan’s Steamer and Raw Bar. Now the food here was okay and nothing really special.  You can honestly go to a local Long John Silver’s and get the same meal for a lot cheaper. However, there was one thing that I truly fell in love with- their hushpuppies. These warm hushpuppies were crispy on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside.

The Buffet of Buffets: The Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas

Sleek, hot, sexy, contemporary, dark, fashionable, and delicious.  These are all characteristics of one of the newest, trendiest, and best buffets on the Las Vegas Strip, the Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan.

This ultra modern buffet emerge guests into a whole new buffet experience; one that strays from the typical buffet organization and set up, by serving food in individual sized portions that is jam packed with personality. You’ll find fried chicken in mini fryer baskets, macaroni and cheese in small serving pots, string beans in Chinese takeout boxes, and Asian chicken in mini woks. And this is only the tip of the iceberg.

The black and dark woods with dark yellow and amber lit glass accents throughout the serving areas, complimented with a fanciful and artful sitting area provides guests with a dining experience that is elegant, yet causal and relaxing. 

SKYBOX at the Aria Resort Las Vegas

During my vacation in Las Vegas, I stayed at the awesome Aria Resort and Casino at CityCenter. And let me tell you, this hotel is awesome. It's very modern, clean, beautiful, and most importantly, it has some amazing restaurants. If you didn't already know, I am a huge buffet fanatic so I always try to eat at buffets for brunch and dinner. But there are times when it gets a little too much so you just want to eat something light. And thankfully for me, there was this cool restaurant/sports bar called Skybox. This place has your typical burgers, fries, nachos, and finger food, all in a sporty and loud area with walls shrouded by large TVs. Throughout my stay, I got food from here about 3 times and I really enjoyed it. My personal favorites was there American Burger with their special spread and a side of sweet potato french fries. It's a very fulfilling me, yet a little pricey at $23. But either way, this is a great place to grab a quick meal, especially if you order from their to-go counter. So if you are ever at the Aria Resort and want some typical finger foods, be sure to check out Skybox.

(Photo from Jimmy Hoofa's Las Vegas Blog)

In N Out Burger Las Vegas

If you're like me and live on the east coast, then you may have heard many west coast residents talk about this awesome burger joint called In N Out Burger. You see, I am a huge fan of Five Guys burgers and fries, and I was told that In N Out was a lot better. So I decided that it was time to see what all the hype was all about. And lucky for me, there was an In N Out Burger a few minutes from my hotel in Las Vegas. So my parents and I went on down to restaurant, and boy oh boy was I impressed. The food was so good! The burgers were juicy, the buns and ingredients were fresh, and the fries were out of this world (I just couldn't stop eating them). I also loved how the fries were peeled and cut on the scene which really tells you how fresh this food is.  Another thing I got that I really enjoyed was there chocolate shake. This shake was so rich and creamy that it took me a half hour to finish it. Overall, this was a very nice experience and I was very impressed with the food. Now I can truly say that I am a big fan of In N Out Burger.

Too sweet to handle?...Jean Philippe Patisserie

I have a confession. I am in love with Jean Philippe Patisserie. I don't know if it's the artistic genius of Chef Jean Philippe Mary displayed through the creation of his pastries, baguettes, candies, and crepes, or it's just because I'm a sucker for pastries. But either way, I really enjoy all this place has to offer. There are honestly

Bouchon Bakery Las Vegas

A few days ago, I experienced possibly one of the best pastries I've ever had...and it happened by accident. As I was visiting the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas looking for the box office to pick up my tickets for Phantom, I ran into a small little shop called Bouchon Bakery. I've heard many great things about this place, especially its shops in New York City, so I decided to give it a try. After browsing their various selections, a special treat caught my eye...the vanilla macaroon. Now at first glance, this macaroon appears to be

An Intense Treat of Near Perfection

After a long exhausting day of traveling, I decided to end my night on a good note by making a pit stop at my favorite patisserie, Jean Philippe Patisserie at the Aria Resort Las Vegas. Although this patisserie displays the artistic mastery of world pastry champion Jean Philippe through the creation of his pastries, cakes, baguettes, gelato, and chocolate candies, I personally feel that the highlight of this establishment is their freshly made warm crepes.  After trying to resist the temptation of buying one of everything at this shop, I decided to settle one of their famous chocolate crepes. Now I must say that this chocolate crepe is a very luscious treat. From the first moment you sink your teeth into this warm crepe, your taste buds are greeted by an intense chocolate tang. Complimented with the chewiness of the crepe, and the cold sweetness of the whipped topping, you will find this dessert to be at its finest. Now the crepe itself is quite chewy and almost essentially tasteless, with just a small hint of vanilla. The crepe serves primarily as a base for this dessert, while the chocolate sauce, brownie pieces, and chocolate flakes truly adds the kick that this dessert needs. But with the artful combination of all these elements, this dessert is on the threshold to perfection. 

It's Been A While

I hope you guys have had a happy holiday because I know I sure did. As you can probably notice by the "deadness" of the site, I haven't been really posting anything new. Well that's probably because I haven't tried any food worth writing about....which is oddly strange because I can't seem to stop myself from going out and trying some crazy new dish that everyone is crazing about. But hopefully that will change very soon because I will be going to possibly my favorite vacation destination, behind Disney World of course, Las Vegas! This is my favorite food destination because I can basically put myself into a food coma with all the selections of fantastic restaurants, unique patisseries, and of course my fave....buffets. Now besides hitting up the famous pastry shop by renowned pastry champion Jean Philippe, or checking out the famous Frozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity 3, I am gonna do something I like to call the Las Vegas Buffet Challenge. I am going to try to eat at a buffet for all three meals for one week. Plus, depending on how far my wallet can carry me, I'm gonna make it my mission to try all the best buffets on the strip (last I checked, the "Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas" rated 10 of their best buffets found on Las Vegas Blvd). This will be a delicious adventure that just might kill me.  But hey, I don't care because to me, enjoying a succulent and delicious dining experience for 3 hours a day is something worth dying for. So just be on the look out for my Las Vegas Series during the next two weeks...if of course I am not in that food coma. Thanks!