Macau-Style Crispy Pork Chop Sandwich

Macau-Style Crispy Pork Chop Sandwich at Hong Kong Cafe

venetian.com

D+

Behold the weirdness that ensues when a mostly Chinese restaurant inside a major Las Vegas Casino decides it needs to diversity its menu to attract Asian tourist families and not just Asian tourist gamblers. If this sandwich is a big deal in Macau, fine. But we think we'd rather have some noodles. This kind of reminds me of that old Eddie Murphy standup bit where he's a little kid and he wants McDonald's but his mom says, no, I can make you a better burger than McD's, and she proceeds to create a very odd, not-quite-right homeburger that is as far from what he wants as could possibly be. This pork sandwich is the same: A kid wants a fried chicken sandwich from a fast-food spot while on vacation in Las Vegas America but gets stuck at Hong Kong Cafe eating this. The pork "chop" (it's boneless) is actually fried quite nicely, with a crispy, medium-thick coating, but the meat was very fatty. There were great globs of mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion on this sesame seed bun, but the lettuce was sogged out and the onions were peppery and perhaps sauteéd a bit. On the bright side, decent French fries.

Montecristo

Montecristo at Truffles N Bacon Cafe

trufflesnbacon.com

B+

This charming southeast valley (Henderson area) cafe continues to evolve into a tasty little jewel. Truffles N Bacon does everything a little bit differently, including the preparation (and one-word spelling) of this bygone-era sandwich. The Monte Cristo is traditionally a thick-breaded, deep-fried, melty-savory sandwich, an indulgence you'll probably regret having for lunch or brunch. TNB's version combines ham, turkey and cheese, with plenty of honey mustard, layered inside a pillowy bread that is battered and griddled, French toast-style. It's a super-soft, lovely bite, with a nice balance of meat and cheese, and perhaps not as guilt-inducing as the original. Another solid sandwich offering from these fine folks.

Shackmeister Dog

Shackmeister Dog at Shake Shack

shakeshack.com

B

We thought this special Shack dog was a new addition to the menu but it now seems like a limited time item as we can't find it anywhere. But maybe it'll come back sometime. If so, consider eating it: A Vienna beef dog split and grilled on the flat-top in a potato bun with fried onions and lots of that cheese sauce that makes Shake's Shack otherwise pedestrian crinkle fries taste so good. It's a messy treat.

The 1/3 LB Tex Mex Bacon Thickburger

The 1/3 LB Tex Mex Bacon Thickburger at Carl's Jr.

carlsjr.com

F

I really don't know what to say here ... For some reason, every so often I feel compelled to try the new Carl's burger creation, and it's always disappointing but this one made me feel bad about myself. Allegedly 100 percent Black Angus beef, roasted peppers and onions, pepper jack cheese, bacon and—sweet lord, no—"Santa Fe sauce." What could that possibly mean? The only joy here is how this burger's name reminds of Will Ferrell doing his Dubya impression and claiming that Tex-Mex is his favorite kind of food. I bet the real Dubya wouldn't eat this thing.

Chicken and Waffle Sliders

Chicken and Waffle Sliders at PKWY Tavern
pkwytavern.com
C+

Syrup. So much sticky syrup. You can't see it here because we moved this slider to a separate plate, but the platter these three mini waffle and chicken sandwiches were served on was absolutely drenched in it. And the stuff wasn't even advertised as syrup; the menu describes it as bourbon glaze. It was tasty, if super-sweet and messy. Just too much of it. And it didn't really complement the other ingredients here, which include perfectly decent waffle wedges, crisp and fluffy, with fried white meat chicken chunks and strips of bacon inside them. This creation qualifies as pretty solid drunken snackery, but it's barely a sandwich.

Ham and Cheese

Ham and Cheese

homemade

B

Go to a French bakery. Take home a baguette. Spread mustard on each side, throw some provolone on there and drop it under the broiler for a couple minutes. Add some Back Forest ham. Crunch it up. Toasty, salty, satisfying. Done deal.

Pâté de Campagne

Pâté de Campagne at La Belle Terre

labelleterrebakery.com

B+

Pretty sure a classic country terrine on baguette needs some dijon, no? La Belle Terre doesn't serve it, but it doesn't really matter because this baguette is one of the best in the biz, and this pâté is soft, moist, savory and wonderful. Topped only with some sliced cornichons and served with a bit of salad with zingy, creamy balsamic dressing—yep, I used that instead of mustard—and roasted potatoes, this is a simple sandwich worth a return visit. Or several.

Land & Sea Burger

Land & Sea Burger at Cafe 6

palms.com

B-

When you go to a goofy gourmet burger joint, consider getting the goofiest burger on the menu. It turned out well at Cafe 6 at the Palms, where this surf-and-turfwich includes a sweet Hawaiian bun with a fairly juicy Angus beef patty and the sushi joint mainstay crab dynamite (there's a chance no actual crab was harmed in the making of this burger) plus red onion, fennel, kale, radish, havarti cheese and tomato tartar sauce. Shockingly, you could actually taste the sauce and it was nice. The kale, radish and fennel brought some necessary crunch to the mix, and the beef and creamy seafood combo was funky in an acceptable way. This burger certainly isn't for everybody, but it was an overall success.