Tag: Las Vegas Restaurants

Sable Bagel

Sable Bagel

🐟 🥯 Sable Bagel 🥯 🐟

Often overshadowed by the ever-popular smoked salmon, smoked sablefish is an under-the-radar gem, prized for its silky buttery texture and savory smoky depth of flavor. A Sable Bagel is a great way to showcase the sable. It offers an indulgent combination of flavors and textures that make it a standout among smoked fish bagels.

This toasted sable bagel features a layer of cream cheese topped with red onions, tomatoes, sliced new pickle, and capers, creating a refreshing and contrasting open-faced sandwich. A touch of horseradish and jalapeño rings add a spicy kick.

Sable Bagel

We brought home a couple great bagels, take-out smoked sablefish, and new pickles from our favorite deli here in Vegas,  The Bagel Cafe. All their hand-sliced smoked fish are flown in weekly from Brooklyn, N.Y.

Sable Bagel Recipe

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Tomato Carpaccio with Peter Luger Steak Sauce

Tomato Carpaccio with Peter Luger Steak Sauce

Tomato Carpaccio with Peter Luger Steak Sauce

Legendary Peter Luger Steak House is now open at Caesars Palace Las Vegas marking their first U.S. location outside of New York. Operating for over 135 years, it is often regarded as the pioneer of the American steakhouse experience.

The menu at Peter Luger Steak House is famously simple and focused, highlighting its signature dry-aged steaks. The menu also features classic steakhouse sides, such as creamed spinach, German fried potatoes, thick-cut bacon, as well as sliced tomatoes and onions.

Peter Luger Steak House Las Vegas

The tomato and onion side dish at Peter Luger Steak House is a simple yet iconic offering. It features thick slices of ripe tomatoes and large, sweet onions, arranged on a plate and served with their signature steak sauce.

Peter Luger Steak

The combination of the fresh, juicy tomatoes and mild onions provides a refreshing contrast to the rich and hearty steaks. It’s one of the restaurant’s most well-known accompaniments, celebrated for its straightforward but bold flavors.

Here, my Tomato Carpaccio was inspired by that side dish. Red ripe heirloom tomatoes and sweet Vidalia onion are lightly covered with the steak sauce where capers, olives, and anchovies add extra flavor, texture, and interest.

Tomato Carpaccio with Peter Luger Steak SauceAccording to Linda Eckhardt’s Guide to America’s Best Foods: “This is the best. Their own steak sauce is not only great on steak, but also served on slabs of red ripe tomatoes. You can’t do without this. They only began selling their sauce after customers begged. We love this sauce on hamburgers. We love it on chicken. The taste is somewhere between cocktail sauce (it’s spicy with horseradish) and traditional steak sauce (being a rich brown color).”

Peter Luger Cheeseburgers

Tomato Carpaccio Recipe

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Breaking All the Rules for Cacio e Pepe

Breaking all the Rules: Cacio e Pepe

Breaking all the Rules for Cacio e Pepe

This isn’t a traditional Cacio e Pepe recipe, nor does it claim to be authentically Italian. It’s not meant to be classic, but I created this spaghetti and shrimp dish with my nephew in mind…and boy oh boy is it good!

He had enjoyed a delightful Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe at Chef Roma’s Kitchen, a local Las Vegas restaurant. Being a cheese lover, he also adores shrimp, plenty of butter, and a hint of spice.

So I dedicate this dish to Jett. To which he said, “that shrimp dish looks AMAZING, it looks so flavorful and it looks like the best shrimp I would ever taste.” I ❤️ you, dear.

Cacio e Pepe is a classic Roman pasta dish that translates to “cheese and pepper.” Despite its simplicity, it delivers a remarkable depth of flavor and a comforting, creamy texture. The dish is traditionally made with just three main ingredients: pasta, Pecorino Romano cheese, and freshly ground black pepper.

Breaking all the Rules for Cacio e Pepe

Breaking the Rules

If you strive for an authentic dish, don’t make this one!

The beauty of Cacio e Pepe lies in its simplicity, achieved through the emulsion of cheese, pasta water, and pepper. Adding butter, cream, or oil can make the dish overly rich and detracts from its true flavor.

Similarly, adding extra cheese at the end can disrupt the balance. The emulsification should occur as the pasta is being mixed with the sauce, not as a final touch.

Cacio e Pepe is deeply rooted in Roman culinary tradition. Introducing ingredients like red chili flakes alters the dish’s character, steering it away from its classic origins.

While adding basil can bring a fresh, aromatic note that complements many Italian dishes, it’s still a departure from the traditional Roman recipe. Basil introduces a herbal, slightly sweet flavor that, while delicious, isn’t typically part of Cacio e Pepe.

In traditional Italian cuisine, pairing cheese with seafood, such as shrimp, is generally avoided. The reasoning is that the strong flavors of cheese can overwhelm the delicate taste of seafood.

It’s highly recommended to use finely hand-grated Pecorino Romano rather than pre-grated cheese. While pre-grated cheese worked fine here and is convenient, freshly grated Pecorino Romano can make a significant difference in a dish as simple and ingredient-focused as Cacio e Pepe.

Pronounce it CAH-choh eh PEH-peh, now that’s authentic.

Cacio e Pepe with Shrimp Recipe

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Pasta with Scallops, Lobster, Asparagus, Sage Truffle Butter

Pasta with Scallops, Lobster, Asparagus, Sage Truffle Butter

Restaurant Style
Pasta with Scallops, Lobster
Asparagus, Sage Truffle Butter

A most memorable meal at Ferraro’s inspired me to recreate one of their many fabulous menu items: the Pappardelle Mimmo. This seafood pasta, a favorite of the chef, was simply outstanding. We shared all our dishes at dinner and agreed that the pappardelle is now one of our favorites too.

Established in 1985, Ferraro’s Ristorante is located near the Las Vegas Strip. It is a family-owned business that prides itself on offering authentic Italian cuisine with a focus on traditional methods and recipes, high-quality seasonal ingredients, and homemade “everything” including sausage, meatballs, pastas, breads, desserts and more.

The restaurant is especially noted for its warm inviting atmosphere, superb service, and extensive wine list that features a wide selection of Italian and international wines. It’s no wonder that Ferraro’s has garnered a loyal following among Las Vegas locals and visitors alike…and that Gambero Rosso recently recognized them as one of the top Italian restaurants in the world.

Pasta with Scallops, Lobster, Asparagus, Sage Truffle Butter
Taste With The Eyes re-creation of Pappardelle Mimmo

Ferraro’s Ristorante Las Vegas

Ferraro's Antipasti
Ferraro’s Antipasti

Burrata con Zucchine
Burrata with grilled zucchini and herb oil

Carne Battuta
Prime beef tartare, Reggiano truffle reduction, black truffle crostini, hazelnuts

Vitello Tonnato – “A Must!”
Thinly sliced roasted veal, tuna sauce, caper berries, capers, lemon

Ferraro's Pasta, Pesce, Secondi
Ferraro’s Pasta, Pesce, Secondi

Pappardelle Mimmo
Long wide Pasta with scallops, lobster, asparagus, butter, sage, truffle

Lasagna alla Gino
Bolognese sauce, Béchamel sauce, ricotta cheese

Osso Buco – “House Specialty”
Veal shank in red wine reduction served with saffron risotto

Sogliola ai Capperi
Oven roasted Holland Dover Sole, lemon, butter, white wine, capers, deboned table side with roasted potato, grilled asparagus

Ferraro's Sogliola ai Capperi
Ferraro’s Sogliola ai Capperi
Ferraro's Pappardelle Mimmo
Ferraro’s Pappardelle Mimmo
Ferraro's Dessert
Ferraro’s Dessert and Happy Birthday Stone!

Passione Pistachio
Layered Pistachio cream, cream cheese custard, atop a rich walnut crust

How to Make Pasta with Scallops, Lobster,
Asparagus, and Sage Truffle Butter

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Truffled Mushroom Pappardelle

Truffled Mushroom Pappardelle

Truffled Mushroom Pappardelle

This mouthwatering Truffled Mushroom Pappardelle is a delightful pasta dish that features wide, flat, fresh pappardelle noodles paired with a savory-creamy-herby mushroom sauce where a drizzle of white truffle oil enhances the earthy mushroom flavors.

We are fortunate that our local Las Vegas Italian restaurant sells fresh house-made pasta to go, including pappardelle, fettuccine, spaghetti alla chitarra, and gnocchi. I am more than happy to promote Prosecco in Las Vegas for their imported cheeses including Burrata di Puglia and excellent fresh pasta.

Mushroom Pappardelle Recipe

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