Mad Girl Eats Paris in Vegas!

Le Village Buffet, Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, 3665 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89119.

Mission Impossible, the 24 hour All You Can Eat Buffet Challenge. Breakfast choice, Le Village Buffet in the Paris Hotel and Casino right on The Strip. Who wouldn’t want a Parisian breakfast to start the day off with a BOOM BOOM POW?!

After only 4 hours of sleep, I needed huge amounts of coffee, orange juice, and ice water to start. Sip, sip, chug…I’m ready to attack the buffet and bring on breakfast. Fresh fruit, pastry, hash, eggs, and the piece d’ resistance…..the made-to-order crepe bar! Both sweet and savory to choose from, I choose a fresh berry crepe with all the fluff and flurry to boot. Beautiful to gaze at with incredibly equal parts of tender crepe and juicy sweet mixed berries….and fresh chantilly cream and berry sauce atop of this masterpiece of majestic lucsiousness.

Hang on a sec, add a side of slab bacon and you will faint on site. Let me wipe my chin as I drool over the thought of a bite of crepe and bite of their smokey, thick slab bacon carved by the Chef. Ooooh la la. Ok, moving on.

If you’re not into the buffet scene, there is La Creperie walk up counter right there in the Paris Las Vegas “mall”, shops and restos. You can get the same crepe selection, or more, that are in Le Village. Between $9 and $12 bucks.

If you’re in Las Vegas, you must stop into Paris and devour a crepe. Magnifique!

Breakfast buffet approx. $17.99

http://parislasvegas.com

Cinq sur cinq piqures extraordinary de petit-dejeuner!  (5 out of 5 extraordinary bites of breakfast)   😉

 

Mad Girl Eats Banh Mi in Orlando

Banh Mi Nha Trang, 1216 E. Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL, 32803.

Tucked away in a tiny shopping alcove on a busy downtown Orlando street, a little Vietnamese sub shop is blooming with great eats. Banh mi, offered in 19 varieties, is made by the cutest little lady who doesn’t speak much English but who’s delightful existance make you enjoy her food even more. She invites everyone back with, “See you tomorrow!”, and I did. I came back the next day to try more!

Over the course of the weekend, I tried #1 – the House Special, #9 – the Fried Pork, #14 – the Shredded Pork and Pork Skin, #19 – the Barbeque Pork Belly. A nice amount of meat, topped with pickled veggies (like Kimchi), fresh veg and herbs, on beautiful baguettes. Toasted to perfection as to not rip the flesh off the roof of your mouth. The flavors are UNBELIEVABLE. Some a bit spicer than others, but all absolutely rockin’ delicious.

Each banh mi, $3.00. Say what?! Yes, $3.00. Buy 5 and get one free. Holla!

My fave, the #14. Perfect blend of meat, sweet and heat pickled veg, chewy crunchy bread. Fan-freaking-tastic! On my Top Sandwiches list in the U.S.A.

Free parking on street.

http://nhatrangsub.com

5 out of 5 banh mi makes me happy faces 🙂  Don’t miss this place when in Orlando.

Mad Girl Eats Oklahoma Joe’s in KC

Oklahoma Joe’s, 3002 W 47th Ave, Kansas City, KS.

I know good bbq. I’ve been a lucky girl to be able to try bbq from around the country. Different regions have their own take on bbq and I must say, Kansas City rocks my world hard! I have tried my fair share of bbq restaurants in the Kansas City area and Oklahoma Joe’s is tops…by far!

One of the best bbq joints in all the land is unequivocably, Oklahoma Joe’s. THE BEST RIBS I have found at a restaurant thus far. Really great quality food with everything you want in a bbq meal. Their spicy coleslaw was beyond…such a nice surprise. The pulled pork, aces. But the ribs will make you stand up and U-RAH-RAH! I want to taste the meat and enjoy the smoke. If you’re going to rag on some barbecue sauce, it better be phenomenal or you can easily ruin the meal. Oklahoma Joe’s has incredible bbq sauce. They have it bottled for your home enjoyment so grab some before you leave. I didn’t and I regret it.

Seen on Man vs Food, Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, and Food Paradise.

Tip: Located on the corner in a gas station. Gas up, then gas up. The beans are bangin’ good. Ha!

http://oklahomajoesbbq.com

5 out of 5 perfect bites of  extraordinary bbq.

Mad Girl Eats San Diego Fish Tacos

South Beach Bar and Grille, 5059 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach, CA.

You can’t go to San Diego and not have fish tacos. If you don’t, you’re a huge fool. The best I have found, without jumping the border into Mexico and going to Ensenada, South Beach Bar and Grille on Ocean Beach just north of downtown San Diego rocks all others.

The far range of tacos to choose from are mesmerizing. Luckily, it was Taco Tuesday so all tacos were $2.75 (except for lobster) so let’s have a variety! I can get beef and chicken tacos anywhere, so I chose a nice mix of grilled and fried goodies from the sea. I tried a few…Wahoo, Lobster, Baja Fish, Oyster, Calamari, and Shrimp.

Each incredibly delicious, fresh, full of flavor. My faves of course were Shrimp and the customary Baja Fish. I love the white sauce on top, it just highlights a tasty bite. I asked in Mexico what it was, they said sour cream, but it wasn’t the sour cream I know…but so crazy good.

The locals also rate this place #1, so I say it’s a must stop if you’re in San Diego. You must stop. Thank me later!  http://southbeachob.com

Tips: Sit upstairs if possible, this resto is right on the beach and you can’t beat the view. Cash only. Taco Tuesday lasts all day, so get wild.

5 out of 5 cute guppy kisses of fish taco affection.

Mad Girl Eats Padrino’s Cuban Bistro in Orlando

Padrino’s Cuban Bistro, 13586 Village Park Dr., Orlando, FL 32837  Plus 3 other locations in South Florida.

In a stylish new shopping center, 10 minutes from Disney World, this authentic Cuban restaurant is welcoming, lovely, busy, and tantalizingly tasty. I happened in on the second Saturday of the month, to find their monthly Pig Roast buffet going on. Wow! At first I wasn’t sure if I should order the Cubano sandwich I was looking forward to tasting, or the buffet. After the words “Sangria is included” I was hooked! Let’s go!

A beautifully roasted pig with a plantain in its mouth was the star of this show. However, every bite on the buffet was DIVINE. Salad to start, white rice I covered with a heavy-handed drizzle of this garlicy oniony sauce (OMG addictive), yucca (that I dipped in THE SAUCE), red beans and rice with a lush ‘gravy’, sweet plantains, fresh made chicharron (pork rinds) with a lovely green sauce (FAB), and to finish….the juicy roasted pork. Heavenly. Mind you, after being seated, the table was given tostones with THE SAUCE much like receiving a bread basket. This was mega better.

You know it is a place that does Cuban food right, because the clientele were mostly Cuban and many, older. They were relishing every fork full.  Now that is good eats!

All you can eat of this Cuban delight, for $15.99….including soda, beer, wine, or SANGRIA! The sangria was de-lish. Available the second Saturday of the month, from 12:00pm to 3:00pm.

http://padrinosbistro.com

5 out of 5 Magnifico morsels !

Mad Girl Eats XOCO in Chicago

XOCO, 446 Clark St., Chicago, IL 60654 .

Chef Rick Bayless, winner of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, knows Mexican flavors like no other..as seen on Unique Eats. His fast service restaurant XOCO, is first-rate food at a nice price and perfect for lunch. On a cold, Chicago Windy City day, nothing warms the cockles like his caldos (meal in a bowl) creations. The Pork Belly Vermicelli is what I keep coming back for. Crispy pork belly, oodles of noodles, mushrooms, zucchini, avocados, salsa negra and a broth that has a bold rich flavor that can’t be ignored. It is addictive. From the first spoonful, you feel satisfied, relaxed, warmed, and ready to shout “Fantastico”! $12.00 for these huge dinner bowls of happiness. Score.

http://rickbayless.com

Tip: XOCO is located on the corner of Clark St. and Illinois, next to Chef Rick’s other great restaurants. Enter XOCO on the Illinois street side. Closed Sundays and Mondays. Don’t be afraid of a line, they move pretty quick. Seating is available indoors, tables are very very close to each other. Cozy 😉

4 0ut of 5 simmering sensations.

Mad Girl Eats Al’s Italian Beef in Chi

Al’s Italian Beef, 169 West Ontario St., Chicago, IL .. with more locations.

Another worthy choice for lunch in Chicago..or anytime, is Al’s Italian Beef with many locations throughout Chicagoland. This sandwich is one of my top 5 in the country and definitely worth a try. Like Chicago style pizza and hot dogs, Italian beef is also a Foodie’s battleground as to the best in this city. I pick Al’s! Every aspect I prefer, the roll, the meat, the au jus, giardinere, sweet peppers….it suits my taste buds and makes them dance. You must have the sandwich dipped, it’s the only proper way to eat it, dipped in the warm lovely seasoned beefy broth. If you don’t dip, then don’t bother…you miss the scrumptiousness of the entire experience. And eat it right away. You can also learn the Al’s leaning stance, like Adam Richman did. If standing at the counter to eat, you want to set your feet back a bit and lean into it as to not becoming a hot mess.  Want a kick? Add giardinere. Bonus!

Sorry for the half eaten shot…I couldn’t resist digging in ASAP! As seen on Food Wars, Man vs Food, and Adam Richman’s Best Sandwich In America.

5 out of 5, never disappoints my happy place. A must stop when visiting Chicago.

http://alsbeef.com for menu and more locations.

Mad Girl Eats David Burke’s Primehouse in Chi

To finish out my sampler platter of places to lunch in Chicago, welcome back to David Burke’s Primehouse., 616 Rush St., Chicago, IL.

You know when you have been to a restaurant, had a über fabulous meal, chomp at the bit to return and the food doesn’t live up to the memory? Well, upon my follow-up visit to David Burke’s Primehouse in downtown Chicago, I was anticipating excellence once again. Once again, that is exactly what I got!!!! No wonder they were on Food Paradise, Steak Paradise. I was, in Paradise.

I crush hard on this restaurant. Different staff this time, still exceptional. Different burger this time, still “Slap My Bootie and Call Me Susie” fantastic. It was Sunday, and their version of Brunch, so their menu was different than during the week. The Fatty Melt Sliders I adored a few months back weren’t on the menu. When making reservations, asking about that menu item and letting them know I was traveling, the Hostess spoke with the Manager and said they would make them special for me. Really?! I love you even more! PSA – Just because I mentioned this, don’t be a jerk and demand off the menu items. They had 3 days to prepare before my arrival. Good people.

Back to the meal. They have a nice offering for brunch, but adoring their dry-aged beef burgers, the special burger for the day was top choice at my table, the Chipotle Burger. Excuse me a moment while I wipe my mouth in remembrance of the first bite………………..okay. Freaking A-#1 incredibly delicious! An impeccable blend of flavors, not too spicy or overwhelming the taste of the beef. You just can’t go wrong with one of their burgers. Cooked to my perfect RARE perfection, thank you. Oh baby, it may be cold outside but dang! My innards are toasty and completely satisfied now. If you felt the need to light a cigarette after (outside of course), I wouldn’t blame you. 😉

5 out of 5 beef butter love smacks. MUAH!

Mad Girl Eats Hot Dougs in Chicago

UPDATE: Unfortunately, Doug decided to close up shop. What a shame, this was my go-to spot every visit to Chicago. Doug and his Hots are terribly missed.

Chicago is one of the greatest Foodie Towns in the world. Lunch here can be simple or high end, both can be economical. I’m doing a mix of lunch sampler posts honoring a few of my fave Chicago lunch go-to spots. First up…

Hot Dougs, Sausage SuperStore and Encased Meat Emporium, 3324 North California Ave, Chicago, IL 60618. This small resto has jumbo flavor and creative concoctions. Hot dogs and sausages range from $2.00 upward and maybe over $9.00 depending on your choice of crazy bites. At times I try their Game of the Week.  Once a Rattlesnake sausage, this past summer Kangaroo sausage, both extreme goodness. Other outrageously delicious sausages and ‘dogs’ I’ve fallen in love with: Fois Gras and Sauturnes Duck sausage with truffle aioli, fois gras mousse and fleur de sel, a Boudin Blanc sausage masterpiece, and my all time pick for Best Chicago Hot Dog, “The Dog”…for 2 bucks and all the quality and flavor you could ask for in a Chicago-style hot dog. Listed on Anthony Bourdain’s, “Places to Eat Before You Die”. I concur. I love Hot Dougs!

Tips: Cash Only. Doug himself will take your order and money. Nice nice guy. Duck Fat Fries…2die4..only available Fri and Sat. Resto regular Hours are Mon-Sat 10:30am – 4:00pm. Long long lines do form, I get there at 10am.  Closed 2 weeks over Christmas and New Year. Updates on their website.

http://hotdougs.com

5 out of 5. Hands down happy tummy.

*****************************************************************************************************