What happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas. Well, not everything. Las Vegas impressed me as a legit foodie city. And, that is something I need to share. When you think about Las Vegas, you think about casinos, gambling, shows, bachelor and bachelorette parties, which is very true. However, the food scene is way more diverse and expansive than I ever expected. Las Vegas is a lot more than what it once was. I was aware that many popular and impressive chefs have restaurants out here in the casinos, but I didn’t really connect the dots that maybe Las Vegas is a food city. My wife and I spent a few days here after visiting some National Parks. This is not by any means a best of but this is some really good eats I would recommend when visiting. There is tons of amazing food on the strip and even more throughout the city. There are also food tours that are really cool. Next time you consider Vegas as a destination, make sure to account for its impressive food and dining experiences.

Therapy

Therapy is a restaurant and nightclub (after 10 pm) located off the strip on East Freemont Street. They have a creative menu of small shareable plates with some New American dishes and an impressive cocktail list. Definitely felt the club ambiance and Las Vegas flair. We ordered the Mac & Cheese Bites served with home-made tomato & bacon Jam, topped with Sriracha aioli to start. Along with, Devils On a Horseback, which is dates, truffle goat cheese & almond rolled in bacon with romesco. Apparently, dates are a big deal out here due to all the farms nearby and I am onboard with that. The appetizers were delicious and flavorful. For the main course, I had to go big and order the Red Velvet Waffle Sliders. Big red velvet guy so I am biased but the waffle and chicken meshed well together with spicy remoulade & lettuce. I would definitely love to come here for brunch.

Alexxa’s las Vegas

Formerly known as Hexx Kitchen & Bar, Alexxa’s Las Vegas had one of the best brunch offerings I have had. It is located on the strip in front of the Paris Hotel. There is an open air patio that gives guests views of the Bellagio fountains. We started with the Honey Walnut Rock Shrimp appetizer and that was so flavorful. My wife ordered the Cinnamon Roll Waffle which consisted of cream cheese frosting, berries, and candied pecans. Definitely a dynamite waffle. And, I was feeling a bit savory and ordered the Crispy Chicken Sandwich. There was a delightful sweet and spicy slaw with cucumbers on a brioche bun. This hit the spot for a perfect brunch to go along with some cocktails to start the day.

Momofuku

Momofuku has been on my foodie bucket list. I am a huge fan of Chef David Chang. His netflix shows Ugly Delicious and Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are two of the best food shows out there. This is an Asian American style cuisine restaurant located in the Cosmopolitan Hotel. There is a raw bar, small plates, noodles, and large meat/seafood dishes. I could not wait to order the ramen, but first, I love to start with a bao bun. We ordered the Chicken Karaage bao bun with spicy mayo, pickled red onion, and iceberg lettuce. Essentially, this was a fried chicken bun but it was really good. Next up was the Shoyu Pork Ramen bowl. The pork belly and pork shoulder was delicious and the broth was extremely flavorful. The menu seems to change up offerings so these may or may not be available. However, the menu is stacked with deliciousness and I wish I could have had more.

Carl’s Donuts

Carl’s Donuts is not located on the strip but it is 100% worth the drive or an uber ride to go there. They close early in the afternoon so by the time we got there I was nervous about what they had left for donuts and I was impressed to see they had many donuts to choose from. That is something you don’t see from a place that makes a lot of different donut flavors/toppings, specifically gourmet. I had to go glazed, the s’mores looked crazy, again red velvet is my jam, and I have never seen a strawberry shortcake donut until now. The glazed is always the true test and this passed with flying colors. Their donuts are fresh and airy. Decent size too. The strawberry shortcake tasted like the Good Humor ice cream bar. Ever since, if I see this donut flavor anywhere I have to get it. The red velvet donut was 100% on point in flavor and the cake donut was moist, not dense. That marshmallow on the S’mores! I have eaten many donuts in my day, this donut shop is up there for me. This may crack my top 10 donut shop list to date.

Best Friend

Another bucket list restaurant in Vegas in my opinion is Best Friend. Chef Roy Choi is another favorite of mine, known for being an LA food truck legend. The Chef Show on Netflix is another amazing foodie show. This was the meal me & my wife looked forward to the entire trip and it did not disappoint. Best Friends is located inside the MGM hotel on the strip. This restaurant has an innovative menu that meshes Mexican flavors with traditional Korean flavors while sticking to some of the chef’s Los Angeles roots. The vibe is LA meets Vegas when you walk in through a liquor store and retail shop where there are high top tables with colorful bar stools where it is fun and the music is loud. I felt nostalgia for the 90s-2000s in this room. Past this, there is also a main dining area. We did not play any games and ordered the Chef Menu, which entails all of Chef Roy’s popular dishes such as Banchan, Kogi Tacos, Slippery Shrimp, Kimchi Fried Rice, Garlic Chicken, Kalbi Ribs, and dessert (Date Cake). We wanted to make sure to try everything they had to offer. It was absolutely amazing and the flavors were something I had experienced before at this level. Blown away and all the expectations were met and beyond. By far, my favorite spot of the trip. I would book a flight to Vegas and go straight here.  Even the cocktails were creative and delicious. The drinks, food, and vibe all made this experience special.

HIKING FOR DONUTS

A blog for the outdoors foodie enthusiast

Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.

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