Wine: Chateau Bernadotte
Food
When the College of Southern Nevada’s “Wait Until Dark” begins, the small BackStage Theatre is in pitch blackness. We see the shadow of a man enter a small apartment. He yells, “Hello,” and remains standing in the doorway. We then hear his echoing footsteps as he either looks for something/someone or tries to hide. Seconds later, still in darkness, the apartment is invaded by a second person. The two men prowl around, and we’re not sure if they’re aware of one another, or are about to be rudely introduced. Directors Russ Benton and Chris Mayse create a thread of suspense immediately in a play that usually takes a while to get going.
Carniceria La Bonita Taco Shop, 2500 E. Desert Inn Road, received 20 demerits Aug. 3. Violations included food not cooled by approved methods. GRADE: B
Give us your lunch ideas
How popular are panini — or, if we’re talking about just one, the panino?
I don’t know if the appeal is the Vidalia onions or the Ken’s seasoning blend, but plenty of readers are aware of Ken’s Sweet Vidalia Onion salad dressing, which should be good news for Suzie McKay.
Antonio’s Pizza ‘N’ Subs, 6731 W. Alexander Road, received 17 demerits July 27. Violations included two-door refrigerator not maintaining proper temperature. GRADE: B
When Gustav Mauler is looking for potential employees for his Spiedini restaurant at JW Marriott, he contacts Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Las Vegas. “We’re fortunate that I can, through the year, have students work with me,” especially in his burgeoning catering business, Mauler said. “We get the same ones all the time. Once they’re done, we know their qualifications and it’s easier to judge.” But he said his choice of Le Cordon Bleu is mainly a matter of proximity, since the school is nearby. For pastry help, he might contact the College of Southern Nevada, “which has a fabulous food program.” UNLV and the International Culinary School in Henderson also offer programs.
What’s the difference between sweetbreads and sweet bread? Eons, if you’re unaware and mistake one for the other. The latter is suitable for breakfast and usually contains nuts. The former is the thymus gland (and sometimes pancreas) of a lamb, calf or pig, and when properly prepared, they’re a whole lot better than they sound.
Despite the name, don’t think of Johnny McGuire’s Deli as a deli in the traditional New York City sense of the word — particularly if your idea of a “deli” is a place that offers a strictly defined roster of pretty basic sandwiches.
A new, high-end pizza joint aims for a slice of the valley’s thin-crust pie. Ciao Ciao Apizza Angelato says it uses highest-quality imported Italian ingredients — including tomatoes and flour from the hillsides of Napoli.
Today’s bit of trivia: In case you didn’t know, the HP in HP Sauce stands for Britain’s Houses of Parliament (which explains the illustration on the bottle’s label). More to the point: In response to a query from Terri Hohl, readers say it’s readily available in Las Vegas.
Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, 6569 Las Vegas Blvd. South, received 18 demerits July 21. Violations included tuna cans stored in dry storage area instead of cooler for prechilled tuna. GRADE: B