Completely Random ELV Trivia Contest

August 24, 2010 By: John Curtas Category: Events

Without Googling anything (and you are on your honor on this one), can you guess the name of the building in these two pictures, and recite and print verbatim the motto/saying/slogan that adorns its edifice?

First correct answer to both questions in the comments section wins a free restaurant reviewing lunch with ELV, that may or may not be chaperoned by The Food Gal depending upon your:

1) Age;

2) Sex, and;

3) Level of resemblance to either this or this mega-babe.

An out of town winner will receive a voucher, to be redeemed at their convenience, good for the aforementioned prize, whenever they find themselves in ELV’s humble burg.

Do not participate or attempt to participate if you suffer from:

- Allergy or intolerance to certain foods
- Bad breath and foul-smelling gas and stools
- Constipation, diarrhea, sluggish elimination, irregular bowel movements
- Frequent congestion, colds, viruses
- Flatulence or gas and frequent intestinal disorders
- Frequent headaches for no apparent reason
- General aches and pains that migrate from one place to another
- Intolerance to fatty foods
- Low energy; loss of vitality for no apparent reason>
- Lower back pain
- Lowered resistance to infections
- Needing to sleep a long time
- Pain in your liver or gall bladder
- Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), breast soreness, vaginal infections
- Skin – problems, rashes, boils, pimples, acne

As continued or prolonged contact with ELV on one of his infamous five hour lunches can aggravate any one or all of these symptoms.

Contest void where prohibited by law…or common sense.

Bad Italian Food Review – MAGGIANO’S

August 23, 2010 By: John Curtas Category: Food, Reviews

ELV suddenly realized it’s been more than one week since his last Bad Italian Food Review, so, in order to make it up to his readers, he thought some interesting facts about Maggiano’s were in order before he gets all medieval on its hillbilly ass:

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NU SANCTUARY featured on KLAS TV (CBS) Channel 8’s Dishing and Dining

August 21, 2010 By: John Curtas Category: Chefs, Critics, Food, KLAS TV, Reviews

Calling a scallop a crab cake, and then pronouncing “Ta-gine” as  “TAN-gine” insured this Dishing and Dining with Denise Valdez wasn’t exactly ELV’s finest hour.

But other than those missteps, we’ll stand behind our accolades for Nu Sanctuary.

ELV’s Staff descends on beach…as do their testicles

August 21, 2010 By: John Curtas Category: Zines

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Eating Las Vegas featured on CNN.com’s Eatocracy Blog (applause applause)

August 20, 2010 By: John Curtas Category: Zines

ELV was as proud as pea soup to have his labor of love recognized on the CNN.com national website yesterday.

Here is the interview as it appeared @eatocracy.cnn.com, and  All of us at Eating Las Vegas want to express our gratitude to Sarah LeTrent and the good folks at CNN for the props and the exposure.

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BOTERO Brunch (plus a few thoughts on Mark LoRusso)

August 19, 2010 By: John Curtas Category: Chefs, Food, Reviews

Botero isn’t open for lunch/brunch except on weekends. Which is a shame because its chef — Mark LoRusso — served one of the best brunch/lunches in town for several years when he was top toque at Tableau.

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Letter of the Week

August 19, 2010 By: John Curtas Category: Letter of the Week

Dear ELV

I booked a room at the Mandarin for a few days to check out the scene again. Twist was very good and you would be happy to know MoZen was packed for dinner Monday and Tuesday night.

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SIMON Quickie Lunch

August 18, 2010 By: John Curtas Category: Chefs, Critics, Food, Reviews

If you’ve ever sat at a table with ELV, Slapsie Maxie Jacobson and Al “Mad Man” Mancini, and happen to be there at the precise moment the food shows up, you know it’s a feeding frenzy that makes these guys look like contented cows. (You might say eating with the authors of Eating Las Vegas, Huntington Press, Publication Date November 2010 {we hope}, is as much fun as shooting monkeys in a barrel).

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Restaurant Week Begins August 30 – Be There or be Three Square!

August 18, 2010 By: John Curtas Category: Chefs, Events, Food

Once again, it’s time for our second favorite week of the year. (The first is our birthday week, when, like almost every person we know, we’ve been known to get a little carried away.)

Restaurant Week is a time when you can do good by spending your dining dollars at any of the restaurants listed below.

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NU SANCTUARY LOUNGE

August 17, 2010 By: John Curtas Category: Chefs, Food, Openings, Reviews

If ever there was a restaurant ELV was prepared not to like, it was Nu Sanctuary Lounge.

Why, you ask? Because of the following:

> It’s in a shopping mall;

> It’s in Town Square, ELV’s least favorite shopping mall in town*;

> It’s next to a movie theatre (generally a sure sign of sub-standard sustenance);

> It has a contrived, tells-yu-nuthing-name;

> It calls itself a lounge when it’s really a restaurant;

> It has a something for everyone menu filled with everything from pierogis to pizzas;

> It hypes its hookahs — another sure sign of mediocrity (see for example, Mediterranean, Paymon’s);

> It has a funny, non-restaurant name and it’s in a shopping mall for chrissakes!

In other words, Nu Sanctuary had about seven strikes against it before we set foot in the joint.

But we love it. No, we really do. Read the rest of this entry →