Pork Chops & Chicken

The Strip House @ Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas

This was a quick stop for us, but something worth blogging about. We were roaming the strip and went into Planet Hollywood to check on the prices to see Holly Madison in the Peepshow. We skipped it when we found out Aubrey O'Day was in it too.

While there, we stopped by the Strip House for a quick bite to eat. It's just a basic top notch, way overpriced steak house. There isn't anything extraordinary about this menu accept for it's ungodly prices. However, the reason this place is worth mentioning, is the service and the lounge.




The lounge area is completely decked out in vintage images of topless women from the 20's and 30's. It's awesome. The lounge also has couches where you can order off the full menu. Couches and vintage boobies made this place totally worth it. Not to mention this lounge is gorgeous too. Deep reds and dimmed lights with naked vintage women. Our server was also really cool to us and had a laid back attitude. It's exactly what we wanted. The lounge is a perfect place to hide out in, have a great steak and chill out. Even if you are not that hungry, go to the lounge and get a drink and a small appetizer. It's one of the coolest places to hang out. Trust me.

10 oz. Rare Filet Mignon.



16 oz. Rare Smothered Strip Steak.



The steaks were cooked perfectly and tasted amazing. With the prices, they had better be amazing pieces of meat cooked to perfection. But even though my filet was only 10 oz., it was so big I had to take it to go. But that was a good thing. I woke up the next morning on Friday, my birthday to a bottle of wine and left over filet mignon for breakfast. It was AWESOME!! There is something to be said about starting your birthday off crunked and full from expensive leftovers.

Also on each plate was a tiny bread cup of whole cloves of roasted garlic. Nice touch. We also ordered a side of their garlicky green beans, which sadly I did not get a picture of. But they tasted great.

This place also had decent drinks. With the strip being overloaded on crappy overly sweet tourist crap cocktails, this is was a nice change of pace. They made a decent Sidecar. But in typical fashion of the strip, the beer selection was disappointing. Luckily they did have Sierra Nevada. A steak house, a really fancy expensive steak house would be the one place you would expect to see some decent craft beers. Beer and meat kind of go hand in hand. It's not that I am against Budweiser which completely strangles the entire Las Vegas strip, but I am sorry, it wouldn't have cut it for that smothered blue cheese steak Todd had.


 

Breakfast @ America in New York New York, Las Vegas

 
[Image via sporttruk]

When Todd and I got married in Las Vegas 4 years ago, we stopped one morning to grab a bite to eat while walking around the casinos at America in New York New York. We decided to revisit the place while hitting up Las Vegas for my 30th Birthday.

When we got to Vegas 4 years ago on a whim to get married, we arrived late at night, got cocktails and beer ordered to the room, and crashed. We woke up the next morning and visited the surrounding casinos. America at New York New York was cool for us to get a quick bite and an early morning cocktail. Love the 24 hour a day access to booze. It's the way the whole country should work.




Anyway, in going back we made a huge mistake. We ordered too big. I screwed up my whole day, but eating a massive meal, having a giant Pina Colada, and then trying to walk around some more. I ordered ham steak and eggs with a side of bacon. Did I really need that side of bacon? Well, no. But who knew I was getting a whole hog for a piece of ham steak? Another situation where the plate or portion of food was bigger than my two hands fanned out. Unbelievable.

Not even cigarettes, or another cocktail like a lychee martini at the MGM Grand would help settle me. I had to go back to the hotel room and lay down for a bit. Then shower up and hit the strip again.

Don't get me wrong, the meal was great, despite being so big. And I would have been fine had I not had that damn giant Pina Colada.

Hash House A Go Go, Las Vegas

[Image via A Place For My Taste]

I have been told over and over by friends that I must check out Hash House A Go Go while in Las Vegas. Well, I went last week and it was the best thing ever. Apparently it is a California chain that has made it's way to Vegas.

This is my kind of place. The portions are insanely massive, and the food is completely amazing.

I started with one of their famous coffee drinks, The Smore's Mocha.

Just look at that sticky mass of coffee and burnt marshmallow mess. It was so delicious.

Then I asked about the Chicken and Waffles. I was told to order this monstrosity from friends who know I am soul food addict. I wasn't scuured until it came out. 

As described from their website: Sage Fried Chicken with a hardwood smoked bacon waffle tower, hot maple caramel and fried leeks. It's 4 waffles with bacon cooked inside the waffle. And I am talking about a big crispy strip in each waffle. Two large pieces of fried chicken on top as well. It's unbelievable.

And just in case you are not sure how big this plate is, It's bigger than both of my hands fanned out. I found this image of some guy who looks horrified by the size of the plate while searching for a picture of the building and thought this was a good image to show you just how massive it is. I am in the second picture, a Twitpic my husband took with me in the background. Notice my hands in the second pic.

 

[Image via ZoomStreet and twitpic] 

My husband looked and around and saw pancakes as round as basketballs. He decided to play it a little safer and get the smoked salmon skillet.

 

He wasn't let off the hook size wise. This thing was massive too and completely loaded with salmon. So many times with salmon you get the shaft on how much they give you. Not at Hash House A Go Go. They also had homemade jam on the table made with pears and strawberries for the biscuit. Nice touch. 

And then I finished up with a double shot Bloody Mary. With pickled beans in it as well. I am starting to think that if there are no pickled beans for the Mary's, then they are probably not worth it. I love pickled beans so much and especially in Bloody Mary's. 

Hash House also carried Stone. Todd drank a few Pale Ales and I was torn between the Bloody Mary and an Arrogant Bastard. With Las Vegas being a beer wasteland for the most part, any chance to get good craft beer should be taken advantage of. So not only can you get awesome food, but you can have an Arrogant Bastard with it too.

This place is off the beaten path from the strip. It will cost you just over 20 bucks in cab fare if you don't have a car. But there is a cool little brew pub with video poker down the street called Big Dog's. You can eat and then walk 2 blocks down, trust me you will need to walk after this meal, and play some video poker and wash it all down with some fairly decent beers. Big Dog's had a good Pumpkin Ale and a West Coast Style IPA on hand while we were there. 

Whatever you do in Las Vegas, take the time out to visit Hash House A Go Go. Trust me.