We’re talking about great food in Las Vegas — and yes, this region has some of the most successful chefs in the world catering to people from around the world.
But the Strip isn’t the only place with great food. And great food isn’t limited to fancy off-Strip places either. Food is also a big reason that the tavern chain PT’s has grown to more than 60 locations and is now celebrating 40 years in business.
Almost anywhere you live in the valley, there’s a PT’s close by. And yes, they serve drinks, but we’re talking about them today in large part because a big reason they’ve been so successful is because of their food.
Dan Groesbeck is vice president of Nevada distributed gaming for Golden Entertainment. He oversees all the taverns and leads a team that maintains the company’s 8,500 gaming machines. He joined State of Nevada host Joe Schoenmann for more along with Bradley Manchester, the company's corporate executive chef.
Groesbeck said their success is based in the experience they provide. Since 1982, they've opened at least one location every year.
"Locals are looking for that place to unwind when that tourist comes in there. They're handling our locals that are working their district properties," he said. "So when they're done with their shift, they want to come home and just stop at a place, grab a quick bite, maybe have a drink and then hit home for them for the night. And that's what we like to encompass with the taverns."
Manchester said he puts the same effort into the food at PT's as he would at any of their other properties, including Top of the World at the Strat.
"It's fun to produce something creative that we can put out there because it's real food, what people eat every single day," Manchester said. "And when we talk about tourism versus locals, you know, we get the same people every single day inside PT's."
It’s that time of year for Christmas cookies, kugel and pie, so we decided to bring in some baking and cooking experts to answer all your burning, or rather, baking questions. Is your soufflé falling? Looking to make a perfect pie crust? Are you just bad at baking in general?
Andrea McLean is the owner and pastry chef at Pop N Pies, a popular small pie business in Las Vegas. She’s worked at some of the most prestigious restaurants in town including Bouchon and Michelin-starred Joel Robuchon. Joining her on Friday morning was State of Nevada producer Lorraine Blanco Moss.
McLean created her business during the pandemic. "The idea of pie was very comforting to me," she said. Pop N Pies is currently housed inside downtown's Vegas Test Kitchen.
She calls this time of year pie season. Starting in October, everyone's getting in touch with her about Thanksgiving and Christmas. She makes pies to order for individuals and other businesses.
What's on the menu this Christmas? Chocolate peppermint pie with an Oreo crust, apple crumble, pecan pie, and her take on a McDonald's holiday hand pie with vanilla custard.
"I didn't always bake pies," she said. "It just took a lot of trial and error. So I think what happened was [Joe] had the right idea [with his dough not coming out right]. If you feel like your dough is too wet, you want to add flour to it. If it's too dry, you want to add liquid to it … just feel how it is."
She said she uses very simple ingredients and all butter, as opposed to shortenings and preservatives.
Some of Andrea's other pie baking tips:
- You'll get frayed edges when the dough is too cold, so let it rest
- Leave out your dough for 10 minutes to rest
- When you start rolling it, keep rotating it
- Use just enough dry flour on the counter to move your dough
On making a meringue: "I do have a Swiss meringue if that's ever something you wanted to try. So basically, I take the sugar in the whites, and I whip it over a double boiler. So that's when you have a little pot of water and then you take your bowl with the whites and the sugar. And you whisk it until it reaches about 26 degrees Fahrenheit; I believe it's usually 50 Celsius. And then from there, you would whip it on the machine until it becomes that meringue. And then that's what I use to top my pies with and I don't have to pop it in the oven anymore. It just works for me and I feel like it's a little bit more stable because it's a Swiss meringue."
Maybe you don't feel like cooking this holiday season. Well, you're in luck, because Instagram foodie Paul Ryu (who boasts more than 300,000 followers on the social media platform) was with us to share some places you can go.
He got into the industry with a natural inclination to document his meals. He started on Facebook with some photos, then "geeked out" on Food Spotting, which was like Instagram for food. He ended up in the top 50 globally, then moved over to Instagram, and that's when Las Vegas restaurants started reaching out to him.
What came to mind for him for the holidays was tamales, prime rib and the Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes, which Moss said can be found at La Strega. Looking for key lime pie? Try Joe's Stone Crab.
"I go Asian on Christmas. I'm Korean. Every single year, I've noticed that a lot of Asian places are open," Ryu said. "So my big thing for Korean Christmas dinner is Korean barbecue. And right now I actually have a place that I really like to tell everybody to go to … Kang's Kitchen, and it just opened up in Henderson."
Maybe you're in the mood for something more romantic? Moss suggested Al Solito Posto in Tivoli Village. However you choose to celebrate, have a wonderful holiday.
