Life of a Baker: Cheat Day in Las Vegas!
Cheat day? Yes... cheat day. Just because I can bake or cook anything, does not mean I should be eating it. I have to stay healthy and for the most part I follow a paleo/primal lifestyle. This is incorporated in my menu as well. Stay tuned for more delicious options!
So yes! CHEAT DAY! The day in which I eat anything I want, feed my inner foodie, then crawl home and collapse on my bed from stomach cramps and an inevitable food coma. I assure you it's still a lot of fun!
I'd been craving doughnuts for weeks. Mmmmm. I popped out of bed around 7am and was off for 2 locally made glazed doughnuts at Donuts to Go (2065 Highway 95 Ste 71, Bullhead City, AZ 86442). Best doughnuts I've ever had in my life, and yes they trump every doughnut I've ever had in NYC, and that includes all those trendy spots that have popped up these past couple of years. Won't name names, but almost 90% of the time, simple and classic, done right, is all you need.
Check out the barely there coat of icing, not too sweet, and that interior! Layers of super soft pillow like heaven for your teeth to sink into. Goodness! Another 30 days till we meet again. Sigh.
After I inhaled my doughnuts... surprise road trip to Vegas!
And we're off...
Our first spot to hit, Orchids Garden (5485 W. Sahara Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89146) Dim Sum is to die for here. Again, very sorry NYC Chinatown, but the west has got you beat. And I was born and raised in NYC Chinatown, but this is the freshest Dim Sum I've ever had. I didn't even know Dim Sum could be so fresh and delicate. Just look at this Don Tot, them flakes!!! They don't do it like this anymore, I guess lard, true love. We had 8 plates and could've stayed all day. It's all day Dim Sum but they also serve lunch and dinner, hope to visit again for that. From left to right: Coconut Buns (light, fluffy, not too sweet, filled with buttery soft coconut filling, omg), Don Tot aka Egg Custard Tarts, again... those flakes!!! Haa Gow aka Shrimp Dumplings, and Shumai (pork and mushroom dumplings), are just a few of the items we had.
Next stop... Fat Choy (595 E. Sahara Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89104) at the Eureka Casino. Headed towards the strip, went past the strip, hmm... to a very tiny casino in what seemed like the outskirts of Vegas. Alright let's see what this asian-american diner menu is about. Ordered the Peking Duck Bao (I favor the wrap though), and Potstickers, said to be all made from scratch. It came, it was very pretty, we ate it, but not the best we've had. It was okay. Peking Duck wasn't as fresh as I would have liked, but I'm spoiled to fresh carved, which is really the only way it should be had, and the potstickers were a little toasty. It was still a fun spot and good food.
Our last stop... Road Kill Grill (3730 Thorn Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89130) I heard about this place from Guy Fieri, guilty pleasure of mine, watching Triple D on Netflix late at night. Anyway, yes, Pulled Pork and good ole BBQ. I was more excited about trying the Mac N' Cheese though, since I can't find anyone that does it right. I ordered the 2 meat combo, ribs, pulled pork, and double mac. It came with bbq sauce and corn bread. It was delicious, and the Mac N' Cheese won my heart. Would skip the ribs though, dry. With or without sauce, ribs need to fall off the bone and be juicy. There was a bit of a process to get your food. First, a line outside a big door, no windows, couldn't see inside, just a door. Then you get called inside in small groups and enter a room with meat lockers and a steam table setup. One by one you are served in containers, the wait is long, pay, and exit out another big door where picnic tables are available. Interesting. I did not include pics for this one but if you're curious look them up, everything comes in to go containers. Oh, and Guy's face is all over the place, oys.
And then, I passed out.
