Homemade Meatball

 

Homemade Meatball Sub at Capriotti's

capriottis.com

B-

Let me begin by apologizing for this photo. It is a bad portrayal of a good sandwich, and there is barely a glimpse of the tasty meatball goodness held inside this warm, soft roll. Fact is, it's a miracle I managed to take a picture of this thing, devoured at the food court at the Red Rock Resort. You see, I had been drinking by the pool all day, it was a late lunch, and I needed to get this sandwich in me, in a hurry. I promise better pictures of meatballs in the future.

Of course, intoxication can certainly affect the grading process as well. But I have had many Capriotti's meatball subs, and they are always good. There is a fair portion of meatballs, a nice amount of sauce, and plenty of melting provolone. The meatballs themselves and the sauce could benefit from some depth of flavor. But if you are craving a meatball sub and browsing easy access sandwich shops, there are few better than Capriotti's version. In a few nap-inducing seconds, this thing was tasty.

The Elliot Ness

The Elliot Ness at Eddie D's Famous Italian Sandwiches
edsworldfamoussandwiches.com

C+

Okay, we are a little obsessed with Eddie D's sandwich shop. And yes, it is close to headquarters, but that doesn't change the fact that it's overall delicious. (We had a little something to do with this.) It's currently ranked as our top shop in Vegas, trailed by Johnny McGuire's, 'Wichcraft, Capriotti's and more. These rankings can change at any time, so stay tuned ...

You're not going to find the Elliot Ness on the menu. It's a recurring special on the chalkboard up front. It's got a great name, but it's an average sandwich -- pastrami, melted cheese, coleslaw, Russian dressing -- with the exception of one element: French fries. Maybe this is Pittsburgh-style, a la Primanti Brothers? The chewy roll brings enough starch to this party, and these thick (and tasty) steak fries are a carb overload. The potato-ness overpowers what turns out to be pretty good pastrami, very lean and thinly sliced.

This grade is probably a bit low for this sandwich. But there are too many A-level options at Eddie D's to stick with this. For example, if you want a true untouchable, try the meatballs.

Crispy Cornmeal Salmon Sandwich

Crispy Cornmeal Salmon Sandwich at Hash House A Go Go

hashhouseagogo.com

B-

Hash House A Go Go is a Vegas breakfast/brunch favorite, with lines going out the door on weekends. Its "twisted farm food" concept and huge portions are a lot of fun, which explains why the place has received celebrity attention and the benefits of TV appearances. Most of the food is good, even if it's too much food to finish.

When giant portions meet sandwich, it's usually disastrous. The whole point of a sandwich is convenient deliciousness, right? Who wants a messy ass sandwich? This thing is very big and slightly messy, but the gigantic cornmeal-fried hunk of salmon was worth the trouble. The huge wheat bun could have been a bit more soft, but it was tasty and did its best to support the fish, probably around a 14-ounce filet of fresh farmed salmon. Cornmeal is probably my favorite fried fish coating, so perhaps I'm a sucker for this one. It was moist and juicy inside without any raw spots with a thin, crispy coating, and the kitchen didn't screw up and oversalt the cornmeal. The fish alone was great. The red onion, red leaf lettuce and bland chili mayo didn't offer much.

Buffalo Burger

Buffalo Burger at Burger Bar

mandalaybay.com

B+

I'm tired of writing about burgers. Why is everyone so enamored with such typical foodstuff? I tell ya, it never ends. Every few weeks someone is asking me What's the best burger in Vegas? or What's your favorite burger? For the most part, a burger is a burger. If you go to McDonald's, it's gonna suck. If you go to a place like Burger Bar in Mandalay Bay, it's not gonna suck. It's not complicated. And other than pizza, I can't think of anything more subjective than burgers. There's no such thing as Best Burger Ever; it depends on how you like your burger. Yes, I picked In-N-Out over that famous burger at Bradley Ogden at Caesars Palace. Get over it.

To me, it gets a little tricky comparing burgers from a restaurant that serves only burgers to fancy, upscale eateries that happen to do a great version of the hamburger. Burger Bar was pretty much the first gourmet burgers-only joint to pop up on the Vegas Strip, and while there are quite a few more these days, I think it's still the best. You can build your own, like I did with this buffalo, provolone, roasted pepper and bacon burger, or order a signature burger with chef-tested and approved flavor combinations. If you really want something special, I recommend ordering one of the kitchen's creations. But it can be fun to experiment. That's what I did here, and it was a success. Buffalo is my favorite substitute for beef because it maintains so much flavor with a lot less fat. This meat was cooked perfectly, medium rare, juicy and satisfying. The combination of crispy bacon and sweet peppers was a little weird, something I've never had together before. It worked, but I might have been better off using something with a softer flavor for my veggie topping.

The Dante

The Dante at Eddie D's Famous Italian Sandwiches

edsworldfamoussandwiches.com

C-

Is this the first case of disappointment at our beloved Eddie D's, or merely a letdown caused by personal preference? It's hard to say. But the Dante, one of the many cold sandwiches on the menu named after a character from The Sopranos, certainly is simplistic: A crackly Italian sub roll with tons of prosciutto, roasted sweet red peppers and fresh mozzarella. The bread, cheese and peppers are wonderful but mild, requiring some extra kick. But there's no mustard, oil or spread of any kind on this sandwich to contrast those flavors and textures and add some extra moisture. And then we get to the real problem ... A thick pile of prosciutto that clumps together, creating a wet, fatty mouthful of something that looks and feels like raw chicken. Tough to swallow. I like prosciutto, but typically as a secondary meat on a sandwich, a situation where its decadence can complement rather than bat leadoff. The Dante just isn't working.

Hot Pastrami

Hot Pastrami at Carnegie Deli

mirage.com

A

Wow. Tough call.

First of all, read this. My feelings about the Carnegie Deli outpost in the Mirage have always been the same: it's a tourist trap, they make silly, huge, wasteful sandwiches, and it's not that good anyway. But ... I gave Canter's Deli another chance, and it paid off. Then I read two food critics' opinions on my city's best pastrami, and both claimed Carnegie. So I had to do it. To conclude a recent evening of Stripwalking, I took a seat here, drank a cup of coffee and munched on a small bowl of big, juicy pickles, and ordered the straight-up hot pastrami on rye with a side of fries.

It's fantastic. I'm going to have to compare and contrast: this sandwich is quite a bit bigger than Canter's. More meat, and it has more fat and more flavor. It is significantly more moist. Even though I prefer leaner sandwich meat, I really loved the stuff. It's a great pile of long slices of pastrami, whereas Canter's was sliced so thin, the meat almost becomes shredded. Carnegie pastrami has more texture and bite to it. But I couldn't grade this sandwich higher because Canter's rye is superior. This bread is just okay. Not so fresh, maybe? A little dry and not a lot of flavor or crispy-on-the-outside satisfaction. It couldn't handle the meat. The classic deli mustard on the table was just fine.

So what have we learned about forgiveness? More importantly, this pastrami checkup should serve as yet another reminder to my fellow Vegas locals that if you're not rockin' the Strip, you're missing out. Our best food is down here, people. Eat it.

House Special Sandwich

House Special Sandwich (banh mi) at Hue Thai

huethailv.com

B+

Banh mi is a special sandwich. It represents an organic combination of two wildly different cultures and cuisines, French and Vietnamese. I love banh mi because the elements that come together to make this sandwich are so different.

Hue Thai, a second-story restaurant in one of Las Vegas Chinatown's many restaurant-laden strip malls, serves a diverse menu of Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Lao food. The cuisine here is a muddled mix of different traditions rather than stick-to-your-roots authenticity. There are several different meaty ingredients to choose from to anchor your banh mi, mostly cold cuts and grilled meat and not so much of the classical terrine you would find on a truly authentic banh mi sandwich. But on the House Special sandwich, there is a slab of something called Chinese Meatloaf. While I'm sure it's composed mostly of pork, and its texture leads me to believe it was steam-cooked, there's really no way of knowing what I ate on this baby. But it was good. There also is grilled pork, salty and sweet, and a sliced ham-like cold cut on the House Special.

For veggies, it's got cilantro leaves (and some stems, too, for fun!), jalapeno, lightly pickled carrot, cucumber and daikon. The bread is an ultra-crispy French baguette, nice enough to make that crackling sound (you know what I'm talking about) when you bite in. The thing about banh mi at Hue Thai is the price. They're cheap. It's about 4 bucks for a smallish sandwich. One sandwich leaves me wanting more. Two whole sandwiches makes me full for the day. It's a great deal either way.

BK Breakfast Muffin

BK Breakfast Muffin at Burger King

burgerking.com

F

Fuck you, Burger King.

Like everyone else, I occasionally succumb to advertising. I thought the commercial was funny, the one where the king and his big plastic head break into McDonald's corporate offices to steal the McMuffin file and then scoot off into the night. Funny and effective, because it made me wonder: if BK really is making a replica of the McMuffin, a signature item in McD's evil repertoire, and branding it by admitting theft, can it really be exactly the same as a McMuffin?

The answer is no. Impossibly, it is worse. Much, much worse. Completely disgusting. Inedible. Granted, it is an English muffin -- or at least some dried-out, brick-hard, tasteless version of one -- with scrambled egg, sausage and melted fake cheese. There once was a time that I found some merit in occasionally eating fast food, particularly sampling new items from fast food menus, because I figure it's cheap and normal, and most people in America are eating it on a somewhat regular basis. This way, I will never slip too far into the snobbish, self-important realm of the traditional food critic or restaurant writer. Like a politician who tours the scary side of town to shake hands and hold babies, I could stay in touch with the common eater always. But after this "meal" ... fuck all that. I'll stick to taco shops and greasy diners to get my regular-people-regular-food fix. Breakfast at BK is out.

The Philly Veggie Burger

The Philly Cheese Veggie Burger

homemade

B

I know what you're thinking. What's with all the damn veggie burgers? Two things. (1) The wifey is kinda-sorta vegetarian. Not really, but when she was hardcore, she acquired a taste for veggie burgers. Turns out they're not so bad. (2) When you write about rich food, you eat a lot of rich food, and I'm sorry, but I've got to make some cuts somewhere. I love a good beefy burger, but I have to spread those suckers out.

So veggie burgers it is, sometimes, and there's no sense in making the same old thing over and over. You gotta try something new. I've heard of combining cheesesteak with burger before, and I respect that some people might consider a cheesesteak VB as sacrilege. But this thing is mighty tasty. The benefits of a veggie patty over a beef patty are numerous. It's lighter (so you don't die later on that night) and its flavors are not as overwhelming so this patty is going to blend together more harmoniously with other sandwich ingredients. From the top down, we've got quite a bit of grilled sweet onion and green bell pepper, melted cheddar cheese (vegetarian I'll do, vegan I won't), and a nice VB that was cooked in the same pan as the veggies, all on a soft wheat bun. No, it doesn't taste like a Philly, or a burger. It just borrows. And it delivers. This is probably my favorite VB so far.

Pepe

Pepe Sub at Jimmy John's
jimmyjohns.com

B-

A ham sandwich, huh? Sounds kinda boring. A plain old ham sandwich is something you order when you don't care. "Eh, fuck it, I'll just have a ham sandwich." Nothing fancy about it.

Jimmy John's ham sandwich is good. The ham is pretty standard stuff, large, round, thin slices of applewood smoked piggy-meat, with provolone cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato and mayo on that 8-inch, homemade French sub roll. It's good stuff, even if it is a plain old ham sandwich. The Jimmy John's bread is superior stuff, and that's what makes this average sandwich at at average franchise much better than the Subways and Port of Subs of the world.

Charred Tuna Sliders

Charred Tuna Sliders at Society Cafe Encore

encorelasvegas.com

B

The slider is a very popular little sandwich these days, even in Vegas, a city slow to jump on foodie trends. The sliders at the upscale Society Cafe at Encore are among Vegas' best. Here you can choose the meat of your preference for these baby burgers: filet mignon, sirloin done Sloppy Joe-style, or these suckers -- charred rare tuna on a puffy little bun with an Asian cucumber salad (with carrot, maybe sprouts, maybe daikon, and a vaguely sesame light dressing), some shiso (an Asian herb like mint only not as strong) and some barely-there wasabi cream.

Each of these sliders is about a three-biter, and it's a pretty tasty bite. The fish is fresh, firm and dense, just like a great piece of sashimi with a very quick sear around the edges. The other toppings are correctly subtle, letting the tuna shine. The bun was a bit dry, but what's inside is moist enough to create a pleasant consistency.

Spinach Veggie Burger

Spinach Veggie Burger

homemade

B

The typical veggie burger, on a whole wheat bun, is given a subtle makeover here with fresh baby spinach sauteed in garlic and mustard and olive oils, a wipe of mustard, melted cheddar cheese and some nice thick slabs of red onion. The crunch of the onion created a nice texture shift from the softness of everything else, and the slight bitterness and strong garlic notes in the spinach really stood out. Another strong re-invention.

Fresh Fish Sandwich

Fresh Fish Sandwich at Garfield's Restaurant

garfieldsrestaurantlv.com

B-

It can't be easy to be Garfield's. This lovely lakeside restaurant is the newcomer to the upscale Vegas suburb known as Desert Shores. The tiny retail center it calls home already is headquarters to the Village Pub video poker bar and cafe and, more importantly, the locally beloved Marche Bacchus, a French bistro with terrific food, great and affordable wine and serene views of the man-made lake. Garfield's has those views too, a charming preppy vibe and a seemingly solid menu. But for now, it seems like the place people will go when Marche Bacchus is too busy. Perhaps it can rise above that description.

Sandwich-wise, Garfield's has its work cut out as well, what with the also beloved lobster salad croissant holding court next door. But this simple fish sandwich is a winner. It's made with whatever the kitchen has fresh, which happened to be sand dabs on this visit. The flaky flounder was cooked perfectly, a nice light bite on this supremely soft roll with tomato, red onion, chopped lettuce and maybe a bit too much sauce, something of a thinned-out tartar. The moisture of the fish and vegetables was enough to provide balance to the bread, so this generous spread of nearly flavorless condiment was quite unnecessary. Otherwise, it's a tasty lunch, complete with thick cut fries and a glass of pinot noir on a breezy day by our fake lake.

The New York Yankee

The New York Yankee at Jason's Deli

jasonsdeli.com

B-

With its mountainous menu, busy seating area, extended salad bar and free ice cream cones, Jason's Deli feels like anything but a deli to me. But if this is the big corporation version of your friendly neighborhood sandwich spot, you could do a lot worse. Many of the sandwich selections are surprisingly good, including this meat-filled beauty. The New York Yankee, while ridiculously named, stacks hot corned beef and pastrami, swiss cheese, and your choice of mustard or mayo on rye. The bread left a bit to be desired but the meats are lean and sliced very thin, creating a very satisfying bite. Authenticity isn't the name of the game here, but there's something to be said for convenience.

Double Combo

Double Combo (turkey pastrami and salami) at Bagel Cafe

thebagelcafelv.com

B

I love the bread. Bagel Cafe bakes its own breads and this seedy rye is exceptional, with perfect textures and a standout flavor strong enough to compete with this massive meat stack. Great, great bread.

I'm not sure, however, if this is what I ordered. Overstuffed meat sandwiches are a specialty at Bagel Cafe, and of course you can mix it up with two or three different selections. I asked for turkey pastrami (house-made) and Hebrew National salami, the soft, bologna-ish kind. Perhaps this is just peppered turkey breast, juicy and tasty in its own right, but I'm not sure if the flavors were pastrami-ized. Even so, it was a great, savory combination, complemented only by a generous squirt of National Deli mustard. As you might guess from this photo, it is impossible to eat the whole thing. Half was plenty.

Mac & Cheese Daddy

 

Mac & Cheese Daddy at Johnny Smalls

hardrockhotel.com

D

This is fairly ridiculous. The Mac & Cheese Daddy plate from the new Johnny Smalls eatery at the Hard Rock Hotel actually comes as an order of three sliders, each stacked with a nice rounded pile of deep fried macaroni and cheese, heirloom tomato, arugula and garlic aioli. As a sandwich, it's pure crazy, and highly ineffective. The dry, spongy roll clogs up your chewing pleasure, and there's no trace of the taste of the vegetables or spread. It's all mac and cheese, and while that part is mildly tasty, it's not nearly flavorful enough to compensate for this culinary experiment gone wrong. Johnny Smalls is a fun, intriguing restaurant, a menu full of small, party-ready noshing options. This isn't one of the good ones.

Veggie Burger

Veggie Burger at Shari's Diner
sharis50sdiner.com

A-

You’ll find all the usual veggie burger trappings here, but it’s the little things that make this sandwich stand out. Amid the de rigueur lettuce, tomato and onion, the Shari’s cooks lovingly nestle rings of fresh green bell pepper. It’s such a small addition, but one we haven’t seen anywhere else, and the bell pepper adds crunch and the perfect clean, crisp flavor.

The “burger” patty itself nicely navigates the road between being just another bland faux-meat disc and veering into the land of the overworked, crumbly, handmade veggie burger patties that have started popping up in some of the city’s finer burger joints. It’s flavorful, and the bits of veggie, grain and seeds maintain a nice texture. Have the Shari’s staff throw some sweet potato fries on your plate, and you’re set.

The Kalua Mini

The Kalua Mini

homemade

A

In a large family of wannabe chefs, I'm perfectly comfortable stating my only sister is the best cook. Her idea for a Hawaiian-themed potluck could have gone wrong very easily, but through careful planning and strategery it instead yielded this wonderful morsel of a mini sandwich.

The main ingredient is her version of kalua pig, 10-hour slow-cooked pork shoulder shredded into deliciousness. Typical kalua is smoky and salty. This is both, with an extra tang from some chili peppers and a heavy dose of soy sauce. It's actually very salty, but meant to be eaten alongside white rice. In this case its extreme savory notes are counter-balanced by almost-too-sweet King's Hawaiian brand rolls. To add some crunch and bite, we made a pickled vegetable salad of carrot, daikon, jalapeno, cilantro, red onion and black sesame seed. There could have been a bit more heat with more jalapeno, but the natural juice from the pork offered plenty of spice on its own. I know every ethnic cuisine has its version of sandwich, but I've never seen or heard of a Hawaiian sandwich. Allow us to offer up the Kalua mini. It's tasty.

The Olympian

The Olympian at Johnny McGuire's

johnnymcguires.com

A+

Johnny McGuire's Deli comes to Las Vegas from Aspen, and although the Colorado ski town and its Vegas digs at the popular "lifestyle" center Town Square may share a certain upscale atmosphere, this fun, loud sandwich shop feels like a college hangout. During our first visit, a quick chick worked the register while two cooks worked the line at breakneck speeds with A Tribe Called Quest bumping powerfully overhead. It's good.

Not as good as this sandwich, however. The Olympian, which I ordered on a home-baked white sub roll, is somehow compact enough to fit into my face even though it's stacked with grilled corn beef, turkey, pastrami, onions, peppers, melted Swiss cheese, a bit of coleslaw, tomato and a dressing very much like Thousand Island. The dressing and slaw provided only a bit of moisture to loosen things up as the dominant flavors came from the cheese, the fresh bread, tasty turkey and the salty grilled meat. Typically a sandwich with this number of ingredients will come off muddled, but this taste is bright and clean, delicious and addictive. And green peppers, these slightly sizzled, are quickly becoming my choice for most sandwich-friendly veggie.

Johnny McGuire's has a bountiful crop of custom sandwiches to choose from, with the Olympian being the most elaborate. We will be exploring the menu further.

Chili Dog

Chili Dog at Pink's

pinkshollywood.com

B+

It's important to note this chili dog was consumed at Pink's in Las Vegas, at the Planet Hollywood resort on the Strip, and not at the iconic original Pink's on La Brea Boulevard in Los Angeles, which opened in 1939. I'm betting it's the same chili dog at both spots, but I've heard and read some chatter that Vegas Pink's just ain't the same. That's a common complaint when some famous food stand or restaurant makes the jump to Vegas, but in my experience, it's only valid about half the time.

The normal Pink's chili dog has mustard, chili and onions. That's what I ordered, but I received this sucker, which has plenty of mustard and chili but no onions, and the added appeal of a slice of American cheese hiding in the bun, under the dog and the chili. Pink's is quite famous for its chili, and it's serious stuff: incredibly thick and meaty, densely seasoned with cumin, deep brown and lava-like in consistency. It's not spicy, and in fact could use a little more seasoning. But it's satisfying for those who like classic, diner-style chili, and it's not too greasy. The mustard and cheese are standard (onions would have been nice) and the bun is soft and tasty. Pink's serves Hoffy brand hot dogs, all-beef beauties with the natural casing that provides a snap when you bite in. This is a 10-inch weiner, or a stretch dog as described on Pink's menu. Another interesting touch is that Pink's grills its hot dogs, which really brings out the salty and garlicky flavors of the frank.