Small Plates: Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen & Bar and ‘Smoke & Spice’
hometown taste
GUY FIERI’S VEGAS KITCHEN &BAR, THE QUAD, 3535 LAS VEGAS BLVD. SOUTH
Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen &Bar opened in mid-April. Although Las Vegas isn’t his hometown (he grew up in northern California), Fieri said in an interview when the restaurant was announced last June that it was “one of” his hometowns because of the time he spent at UNLV. “When you were in Vegas before The Mirage was built, you’re a local; you’ve got some tenure,” he said. His restaurant at the Quad, in the shadow of the new and soon-to-be iconic High Roller observation wheel, is decorated with UNLV memorabilia and design elements that reflect his tattoos. Here’s a sample of the menu:
Sharables: Sashimi Won-tacos, $14; Guy-talian Fondue Dippers, $13; Righteous Rojo Rings, $12; Guy’s chicken avocado eggrolls, $10.
Salads: Chicken wonton takeout salad, $14; The Guy-talian deli salad, $16; Brutha’s Badass Caes-uh Salad, $15.
Fries and wings: Dragon chili cheese fries, $14; Vegas fries (with spicy buffalo sauce and blue cheese), $12; Fireball whiskey wings, $14; Parmageddon wings, $14; margarita fajita wings, $14; The General’s wings (General Tso-style), $15.
Burgers: The Off-Da-Hook Original Smash-Burger, $16; Mac-n-Cheese Burger Bash, $18; Tatted-Up turkey burger, $16; The Mayor of Flavortown burger (with pastrami, Swiss and slaw), $17.
Sandwiches: The Big Dipper sandwich, $17; The Motley Que Sandwich, $17; Pic-a-Nik sandwich (turkey with Swiss and cranberry relish), $16.
Hours are from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Call 702-731-3311 or visit www.thequadlv.com.
NEW BOOKS FOR COOKS
FIESTA SALSA
1 pound ripe tomatoes (2 to 3 medium)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided use)
¼ cup chopped red onion
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
2 canned chipotle chilies, minced, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce, or more to taste
Juice of 1 lime
Table salt, to taste
2 to 3 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
Tortilla chips or corn or flour tortillas
Prepare the smoker for barbecuing, bringing the temperature to 200 to 220 degrees.
Coat the tomatoes with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Transfer the tomatoes to the smoker. Cook them until they are very soft and the skins are ready to split, 45 to 55 minutes. Set the tomatoes aside until cool enough to handle. Coarsely chop the tomatoes with their puree.
Transfer the tomatoes, peels and any juice to a blender. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, onion, garlic, chipotles and adobo sauce, and lime juice and puree. Pour into a small serving bowl, add salt to taste and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
Stir in the cilantro just before serving. Serve with tortilla chips or tortillas.
Tip: You can create smoked salsas from many combinations of vegetables — or even fruits — by keeping in mind a couple of key principles. For contrasting flavors, avoid smoking everything you plan to throw into the mix. And add a little more lime or other acid than you do with traditional recipes, to balance the assertive smoke taste.
Makes about 1½ cups.
Recipe from “Smoke &Spice” by Cheryl and Bill Jamison (The Harvard Common Press; $24.95)
— Heidi Knapp Rinella
