food and the city.

While making food with friends is a fun and insightful way to spend a day like Sunday Funday, there is always the curious joy of stepping out into the unknown and enduring the sights and unique dining experiences of a city in which one is still quite new. Having only lived in Las Vegas since the end of August, I am still at glorified tourist status. I drive around only knowing how to get to certain places more so by sights rather than actual street names; I still have to ask if Vegas houses certain restaurant chains - and no, there are no Black Angus's or Chik-Fil-A's out here :[ - and the only way I know in which direction I'm headed is by using the Strip as a compass. So it is a bit intimidating when I want to try a new place to dine but really don't have any clue as to where a good place to go would be. It's also less congenial when one's palate has become accustom to equating fine dining with the French experience and one is definitely not in France (and yes, I often refer to France because of how much that vacation has influenced my life, so I apologize if the reference gets old ... but then again I don't as it has forced me to be a lot more brave and even pretentious in many ways that I will not get into at the present time).


Thankfully for me, I live with a woman with a passion for cooking and a knack for finding fresh places to eat; I also have a friend who has lived here for six years and knows of a few yummy local spots. The three of us combined share a passion for foreign foods and experiences. For those of you who crave something a little different in your own dining experiences, here are a few places we've enjoyed, complete with a delectable menu and the savory atmosphere highlighted with European shazam ;)


The first is from a place called Patisserie Manon, a French bakery on Charleston.

a latté, a tart, two élcairs, an espresso and a cup of black coffee.

Secondly, my dear friend Denise found this awesome Caribbean style restaurant called DW Bistro, located on Fort Apache, and of course we had to have a meal there. Thanks to Anthony Bourdain, we were inspired to have a plate of jerk chicken - or rather, she had the jerk chicken. 

Finger lickin' fun.

My plate went a little something like this:

Nicoise - tuna and the fixins. 

And you can't enjoy a Caribbean brunch without the following - mimosas and Merlot :) (*disclaimer: who wants to find me that wine glass? Because I'll give you my right kidney for it ...)

I guess you could include me to that list.

The third place was recommended to us by Cesar after we took a trip to Total Wine ... and left with three bottles of that liquid gold (or red). This place is called Leoné Café, and it is an Italian style joint located in Tivoli Village. The entire center is enclosed like its own little section of an Italian town, complete with cobblestone walkway and plenty of outdoor seating - perfect for relaxing with a cup of Joe, a pastry, light conversation and a bit of people watching.

Warning: sugar coma eminent. 

Rich environment.

Even the bathrooms reminded us of our peasantry. 

Even among the bright city lights and hustle and bustle of Las Vegas, it is possible to find those hidden gems where life slows down, the company is perfect and every bite is a reminder that even a place as barren as the desert can deliver a jackpot of culinary bliss. See you in the next post!

Staying hungry for life,

Rae.