Food
Aria Baccarat Lounge buffet, 3730 Las Vegas Blvd. South, received 34 demerits Feb. 8. Violations included food held at improper temperatures. GRADE: C.
For more than 40 years, Lola Pokorny rooted for the New Orleans Saints to win the Super Bowl. And, for most of her adult life, Pokorny dreamed of opening her own restaurant.
When we in the Taste section considered the best french fries in Las Vegas, the resulting list reinforced the idea that fries are the great common denominator among restaurants, with the best produced by everything from fast-food spots and diners to temples of haute cuisine.
Bruce Feher is looking for cucumber salad and German potato salad, and fellow reader Tiffany Breinig suggested a single source for both: Cafe Heidelberg at 610 E. Sahara Ave.
In the glass: Archeo is a deep crimson-red color with an opaque core going out into a fine slightly garnet-red rim definition with medium-high viscosity.
Almaza Hookah Lounge & Restaurant, restaurant, 9890 S. Maryland Parkway, received 19 demerits Feb. 2. Violations included dish machine not sanitizing. GRADE: B
In the glass: Ardeche Chardonnay is a light golden-yellow color with a faint streak of chartreuse through the core, which displays a clean, clear, bright appearance, going out into a faint rim definition with medium viscosity.
Our brief annual fling with brisk weather will come to an end before we know it, so it’s a good time to report on a reader-requested soup. For Jim Loeffler, who’s looking for oyster stew, Evelyn Mayfield and Marlene Helfrich e-mailed that they find it at separate Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets. …
TASTE OF THE TOWN
When most of us remember our college days, it’s with not-so-fond memories of college student food: Ramen noodles. Soup cooked in a popcorn popper. Ramen noodles. Government cheese. Ramen noodles. Frozen pizza. Oh, and let’s not forget ramen noodles.
Amato’s Bakery, 3300 Meade Ave., received 19 demerits Jan. 29. Violations included dirty food contact surfaces. GRADE: B
Entertainer turned restaurateur Tony Sacca wasn’t worried about Neonopolis when opening Las Vegas Rocks Cafe there last year.
The struggling entertainment venue at 450 Fremont St. — opened in 2002 — was built before its time, Sacca says. “Now, on Fremont Street it’s like Disneyland.”