People who know me best might call me mostly sweet, a little salty at times, and, like our town, spicy 24/7. I enjoy balance in friends and food. So, it’s difficult to get me all in on dessert. Too saccharine is too much. But I tried two pastries at two different spots recently that satisfied my slightly sweet tooth.
For those with an eye and taste for artisanal confections, head to Donutique (Venetian, donutique.com), an elevated donut experience. You will pay more for these doughy delights ($5-$9 each), but this is the type of treat you may eat with a knife and fork. Bee inspired by the truffle honey donut, a bougie balance of black truffle honey, honey butter, royal icing, and a honeycomb tuile. The upscale shop also offers vegan and gluten-free options. I recommend taking a minute in your sugar high to enjoy the unique space. It’s fit for a modern queen — Versailles juxtaposed with graffiti art and kitschy quotes, such as “donut kill my vibe.” I’m charmed.
Need another well-balanced sugar suggestion? Hoho Crunch (8610 W. Spring Mountain Rd., cheongdamfoodhall.com/hoho-crunch) sparked my savory sensibilities with its handcrafted hotteok, a popular crispy Korean street food. It’s a sweet pancake traditionally filled with brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts. You can choose between three crave-worthy flavors at the Cheongdam Food Hall location: the customary original crunch, ube crunch, or, my favorite, the Oreo Nutella crunch. It’s dance in your seat delicious, and you get all the salty sweet goodness for less than three bucks a piece!
Still waiting for my wow moment at the new Durango Casino & Resort (6915 S. Durango Dr., durangoresort.com). It’s certainly a stunning resort with a multitude of food options, like their neighbors across the street at UnCommons (6880 HelenToland St., uncommons.com), but at the newest Stations casino, everything I’ve sampled tastes just okay so far. It’s a wise restaurant rule of thumb to allow a few months for chefs, managers, and cooks to smooth out any inconsistencies — so I’m willing to give the otherwise wonderful location more time. As a former hospitality worker, I want these local spots to flourish. I’m just not impressed with any of the bites yet.
What is always stellar? Three Square’s Las Vegas Restaurant Week (restaurantweeklv.org). It is upon us, and this year’s menus look superb. I’m excited to try the roasted branzino with Meyer lemon and caper sauce at Amalfi (Caesars Palace, bobbyflay.com/portfolio/amalfi) and the filet mignon dipped in cabernet jus at Ocean Prime (3716 Las Vegas Blvd. South #401, ocean-prime.com/ locations-menus/las-vegas). At Town Square, I’ll be at Weera Thai (6805 Las Vegas Blvd. South, weerathaiseafood.com) for their awesome panang curry with salmon and mango sticky rice. You can pick from hundreds of delicious choices across Southern Nevada. (See The Guide, p. 31, for details.) Get ready to gorge for a good cause!
That’s the Vegas Dish for now. Until we eat again …
